Abide in Christ.
Abide: Greek word Meno / Epimo
to wait
to accept without objection
to remain stable
fixed in a state
to continue in a certain place
Abide-
persevere, persist, accept knowledge
Meno-
to stay, dwell, endure, remain, tarry
John 15:1-17
This is a very familiar passage to many of us.
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.
a) the greek meaning for prunes is also cleanse
In some versions the word remains is exchanged for the word abide. If I look at the meanings of the word abide and then exchange it for the word in this version which is remain/s it becomes so much more evident of what is expected of me/us.
This word remain is also not to be discounted in its meaningfulness. It refers to maintaining an unbroken fellowship---WOW!!!
Maintain an unbroken fellowship with God. Can I even begin to do this? No, not of my own accord.
Also when looking at the vine branch example. The branch is tapped into the or connected constantly to the vine. This is where it receives its life. If it becomes severed it dies.Even if it becomes broken infection and eventual death may come to that branch.
I have so much to chew on.
I cannot believe how much there is in just a very small passage of this wonderful book. How can I not feel so much excitement? How can I not be spurred on at every moment to become what God has intended for me to be? I have so very much more growing to do. I am encouraged.
Lord mold each one of us into your image. Let our plans be your plans. Every moment of every day. Help me in particular to get out of your way in my own life and in others so that You are the only one anybody ever sees in me. Amen
Well, for anyone who does not know us personally you might not know that I have my own personal handyman. I refer to him as MacGyver but actually I think MacGyver would do well by being referred to as Rick.
This is a crayon wallet
