Abiding In Christ...
The message on Sunday was about abiding in Christ. And, it seems many things said were so relevant to my life, I could be forgiven for thinking that my blog’s been read. But, strange as God works in our lives, He has time and time again been truly speaking to me in so many ways. Even, I would think the last devotions I heard in school were also as this message was so relevant to me. I’ve been talking a lot about how I’ve made mistakes and about all that forgiveness and stuff about salvation and seeking righteousness and that as Christians we are no longer under the bondage of sin but are enslaved to righteousness because of the freedom we have in Christ. Basically, the issue in Romans about the fact that when we become Christians and put our faith and trust in the Lord we no longer desire to dwell in our old ways but although still fail from time to time, hunger and thirst for righteousness and seek God’s forgiveness.
This song we sang on Sunday, I mean it truly was my prayer and my desire and it said exactly what my heart was longing to say. And, on both occasions anw, things said about like that we sometimes fail and that God still loves us and that truly we can seek the Lord’s endless mercy. Enough said about that I guess, I really can’t put into words how amazing it is that God seems to always speak to me…just got to read what’s above and I mean, my other posts show that so clearly. But, really to this Sunday’s message. The text was taken from John 15: 1-8, and excerpt from the text is this verse:
The message was entitled, ABIDING IN CHRIST. Firstly, the Bible says that “it will be even more fruitful”, the branch of the vine that does not bear fruit, as it is being pruned. And you are clean because of the word He has spoken to you. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the vine and we are the branches and the spirit is thus flowing thru us and He in the process allows us to lead a fulfilling life. This is saying that living for God’s glory is a life lived that is meaningful, fulfilling and full of joy. The text also says that we are to remain in Christ and that He will remain in us, which to remain in Christ means to abide in Christ. But, what does is mean to abide in Christ and He will abide in us? To me I guess, it means to love God, as the passage says to love and obey the Lord and bear fruit, showing that we are disciples of God, it also means to truly, surrender our lives to God and really to give up everything, to take up the cross and follow Jesus and live our lives daily for God’s glory. And, when we seek the Lord and choose to remain in Him, to abide in Him and live by faith for God, He does just that and we find Him. What all this implies is that then for the application of this to our lives is that, we need to live for God each day, that is the only way to live our lives, and it is fruitful and we do that because God loved us first and died for us. Not only does that mean that we let God take control of our lives and that we live for His glory but also that, we spend time each day with God, building our relationship with God through worship and the spiritual disciplines and to be still before God. Just as we do in our humanly relationships. Finally, in life we need to abide in Christ and that is the best thing we can ever do.
And, Glorifying God means having faith in Him - not just believing that He will save and forgive us (Acts 16:31, I John 1:9), but also believing that He can satisfy our needs and desires better than we can (and, in fact, that He Himself is ultimately the satisfaction of our needs and desires).
Viewed in this light, adversity, problems, difficulties, and troublesome situations are not particularly alarming. Rather, they are opportunities to glorify God in a way that we couldn't before. It's easy to trust God - or say you do - when you have money in the bank, but you far more clearly show how much God is worth to you when you obey Him by giving five dollars at His direction - and you only have six. It's easy to praise God when everything is going well, but you place Him in a much higher position when you praise and worship Him while you are in difficulty and pain. It's easy to give God your time when you have so much of it that you are bored, but you give Him much higher standing in your life when you give Him time while you feel absolutely buried by the urgent demands pulling at you.
So yea, that was the really amazing message. I just pray that God will truly help me to abide in Him and just truly live as a branch of the vine, for that is how we are to identify ourselves in Christ.
A PURE HEART, THAT'S WHAT I LONG FOR
A HEART THAT FOLLOWS HARD AFTER THEE.(REPEAT)
A HEART THAT HIDES YOUR WORD
SO THAT SIN WILL NOT COME IN
A HEART THAT'S UNDIVIDED
ONE YOU RULE AND REIGN
A HEART WITH LOVE, COMPASSION
THAT PLEASES YOU MY LORD
A SWEET AROMA OF WORSHIP
THAT RISES TO YOUR THRONE.
This song we sang on Sunday, I mean it truly was my prayer and my desire and it said exactly what my heart was longing to say. And, on both occasions anw, things said about like that we sometimes fail and that God still loves us and that truly we can seek the Lord’s endless mercy. Enough said about that I guess, I really can’t put into words how amazing it is that God seems to always speak to me…just got to read what’s above and I mean, my other posts show that so clearly. But, really to this Sunday’s message. The text was taken from John 15: 1-8, and excerpt from the text is this verse:
I am the true vine, you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
He will bear much fruit;
Apart from me he can do nothing.
(John15: 5)
And, Glorifying God means having faith in Him - not just believing that He will save and forgive us (Acts 16:31, I John 1:9), but also believing that He can satisfy our needs and desires better than we can (and, in fact, that He Himself is ultimately the satisfaction of our needs and desires).
Viewed in this light, adversity, problems, difficulties, and troublesome situations are not particularly alarming. Rather, they are opportunities to glorify God in a way that we couldn't before. It's easy to trust God - or say you do - when you have money in the bank, but you far more clearly show how much God is worth to you when you obey Him by giving five dollars at His direction - and you only have six. It's easy to praise God when everything is going well, but you place Him in a much higher position when you praise and worship Him while you are in difficulty and pain. It's easy to give God your time when you have so much of it that you are bored, but you give Him much higher standing in your life when you give Him time while you feel absolutely buried by the urgent demands pulling at you.
So yea, that was the really amazing message. I just pray that God will truly help me to abide in Him and just truly live as a branch of the vine, for that is how we are to identify ourselves in Christ.
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