~ Test Your Bible Knowledge ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~ bible
question ~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
question: What was the height and thickness of walls
surrounding Babylon?
Please
provide your answer in the comments below!
The answer
will be provided in a future blog.
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Early Christians Martyred: 6th Step ~
Introduction ~ In the
early chapters of the Book of Acts we see a typical pattern leading to
martyrdom of an Apostle: 1-Jailed, 2-Commanded, 3-Threatened, 4-Imprisioned,
5-Beatings, and finally 6-Death – promoted to paradise!
Jailed (Step 1) ~ First
they were seized followed by jailing.
Commanded (Step 2) ~ Secondly,
they were commanded to stop telling people about Jesus.
Threatened (Step 3) ~
They were threatened, but let go.
Imprisoned (Step 4) ~
They were manhandled and put in prison.
Beatings (Step 5) ~
Next, they experienced physical beatings.
Death (Step 6) ~
The final step was being murdered for their beliefs – no freedom of speech:
martyred for Christ.
“When
they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him
with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and
saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look!
I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’
“Then
they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one
accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the
witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they
stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord,
do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell
asleep” (Acts 7:54-60).
Comments ~ (1)
Christians are to become increasingly Christ-like as they live their lives on
earth. Compare Stephen’s last words on earth with Christ’s last words on the
Cross.
(a) Stephen: “Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit.” ~ Jesus Christ: “Father, 'Into Your
hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:44).
(b) Stephen: “Lord,
do not charge them with this sin.” ~ Jesus Christ: “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).
(2)
“Indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all
who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” Ultimately truth cannot be
denied. That is why atheists and agnostics exist—they fight against Truth. Are
their groups fighting against the tooth fairy? Of course not, you don’t fight
against something which is not real!
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~ In Jesus We Have Holiness, 2 ~
Introduction ~ In this
series we look at a few of the verses which state what we have when we are “in
Christ.” Consider our series theme
verse:
“God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which
He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and
made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus. For by
grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them” (Ephesians 2:4-10).
If you are a Christian, God views you as covered with the
righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is become
increasingly like our Savior in our daily life – living an increasingly holy
life!
Scripture ~ “Husbands,
love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her,
that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or
wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish”
(Ephesians 5:25-28).
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~ God Will Give You a New Heart ~
This
Series
~ God has made many promises to His people. This series of posts looks at some
(100) of the many attributes of God. It
is not an exhaustive list.
Key
Factor
~ God not only makes promises to His people but He also keeps all of His
promises.
Scripture ~ “For I will take you from
among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own
land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will
cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give
you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart
of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My
Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My
judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:24-27).
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Fools Don’t Accept Correction ~
Series
Note ~ In the
first 47 posts in this series we looked at some passages in the Book of
Proverbs – wise sayings that are generally true – that describe a “fool”
(singular) from God’s perspective. Now
we continue by looking at verses Proverbs which talk about ”fools”
(plural). Some may surprise you.
Scripture ~ “The wise in heart will be called
prudent, and sweetness of the lips increases learning. Understanding is a wellspring of life to him
who has it. But the correction of
fools is folly” (Proverbs 16:21-22).
Important
Truth ~ “The
fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God’” (Psalm 53:1a).
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~ The Importance of Discipline ~
Series
Note
~ A constant reality is that it takes effort to develop and maintain good
habits. Unfortunately; we effortlessly develop bad habits.
To
combat this fact of mankind’s fallen nature requires consistent effort. This is
why personal discipline is vitally important. Simply stated the bottom-line is
that to fulfill our responsibility to become increasingly Christ-like we must
exercise continual discipline.
Why is discipline important?
Scripture ~ “Bodily
exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having
promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8-9).
Comments
~ Discipline teaches us to operate by principle rather than
desire.
Saying no to our impulses (even the ones that are not
inherently sinful) puts us in control of our appetites rather than vice
versa.
Quotes ~ It [discipline] deposes our lust and
permits truth, virtue, and integrity to rule our minds instead. —John
MacArthur
“Decision making is easy when your principles are clear.”
—Roy Disney [Walt’s brother]
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
God Attribute, 122
~ Immutable ~
This
Series ~ This
series of posts looks at some of the many attributes of God. Generally, we move in alphabetical order.
Introduction ~ The
word immutable is a theological word which simply means unchanging.
Scripture ~ “Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
“Of
old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your
hands. They will perish, but You will endure; yes, they will all grow old like
a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You
are the same, and Your years will have no end. The children of Your
servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You”
(Psalm 102:25-28).
Quote ~ “I have given God countless reasons not to love me. None of them has been strong enough to change
Him.” Paul Washer
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~ God Provides Guidance ~
Introduction ~ “Abundant
Life Now” previously provided a list of Biblical of examples of fearing / reverencing
God (217 posts). In this current series
we look at Biblical accounts that demonstrate that we can fully trust God. Initially we posted seven general reasons for
trusting God. We are currently looking
at passages from all 66 books of Scripture which demonstrate a reason for
trusting our Creator.
Scripture ~ “When the Day of Pentecost had fully
come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven,
as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were
sitting” (Acts 2:1-2). The Holy Spirit of God descended to dwell within
believers. Jesus had promised this event.
Jesus
said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all
truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He
will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what
is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine.
Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (John
16:12-15).
“I
will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide
you with My eye” (Psalm 32:8).
“The
Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and
strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of
water, whose waters do not fail” (Isaiah 58:11).
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Have You Forgotten Anything ~
Scripture ~ Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I
have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life
for his friends” (John 15:12-13).
Application:
Thank
you, Joe Heller for this reminder!
And,
thank you service men and women that have paid the ultimate price for us and
followed His example.
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~ In Jesus We Have Holiness, 1 ~
Introduction ~ In this
series we look at a few of the verses which state what we have when we are “in
Christ.” Consider our series theme
verse:
“God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which
He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and
made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the
ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus. For by
grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them” (Ephesians 2:4-10).
If you are a Christian, God views you as covered with the
righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is become
increasingly like our Savior in our daily life – living an increasingly holy
life!
Scripture ~ “To grant
us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him
without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life”
(Luke 1:74-75).
~ Robert
Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~
