Category: Blog

Romans 13: ¹¹ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

I Corinthians 15: ³⁴ Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God

Psalm 57: Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

Romans 6: ³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin.

⁸ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

¹⁰ For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

¹¹ Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

What grave have you buried yourself in?  Are buried by worry, guilt, shame, fear, sin’s power, hopelessness, or anxiety?  Then arise from that grave unto new life in Christ.  He died to conquer sin, once and for all.  Have you fallen into a dull sleep just passing day into another day, never feeling the abounding joy that you could know in Christ; then awaken out of your sleep.  Awaken His Glory in You.  Awaken with harp and song.  Have you given up and decided that sin will forever get the best of you and that you might as well just go on in sin; after-all, grace covered it at the cross–so why fight it any more, you are saved and heaven will be yours.  Awaken and realized that the the night is far spent and there are so many who do not know Christ and you may be the only one who can show them Christ today.  I know the closer you grow to Christ and the more you proclaim His name to others, sometimes the harder the battle with inner sin becomes (Satan always wants to destroy your testimony. Awaken to the battle–put on your armor provided by God and do just that battle against those thoughts of self, covetousness,  and pride.  Die to covetous heart so that Christ might reign and shine forth through you.  Awaken your song of praise.  Awaken your love for Him who died to pay your penalty for sin and who rose again victorious.  Seek Him, Treasure Him, and Love Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IExdrZGQVeI

 

Chapter 10: Abiding In Christ 

John 15 ^“1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ²Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. ³Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. ⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ⁶If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. ⁸Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. ⁹As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. ¹⁰If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. ¹¹These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

How do I find a way to abide in Him so that I might be fruitful and by being fruitful bring Glory to God? How do I continue in His love that His joy might remain in me and my joy might be full? I have spent many days meditating on this very scripture because I see in it so many truths that must be told. There is locked within it so many treasures that are key to our Christian Walk. Christ has said that He is the true vine, the sap—the energy flows through Him into the branches. No branch has any life without the life-giving power of the vine. It is of no coincidence that Christ gave the illustration by talking about the grape vine. Each of the branches have smaller outshooting branches which must be guided, combed, and sometimes cut off so that the main branch is allowed to develop the fruit. The branch at times must be pinched so that it grows in the proper direction. Grapevines require intense labor to allow for fruit bearing branches. If left unattended, grapevines can become unruly, and fruiting will be poor. So it is necessary for God continually to be pruning the branch throughout its lifetime. He has to remove all those desires, actions, thoughts and fruitless side shoots which may develop.

The branch of its own has no energy, no fruit bearing, and no life. It must rely on the vine to provide life and to develop the fruit. A branch that is not connected to the vine cannot produce any fruit and will wither and die. Christ so amazingly chose the grapevine to demonstrate the Christians growth toward fruit bearing. Grapevines tend to be unruly and send forth shoots in many unwanted directions if not carefully managed by the husbandman. We, so often, are much like the branches of a grapevine. We take the energy provided us by the vine and willfully shoot off in many directions of our own. Sometimes we are hurried to become fruit bearing and want to do this for Him; yet, we take off in our own direction and our own strength. Like, the two year old child who defiantly stands and says; “I do it myself” while spilling the entire carton of milk onto the floor and counter. We then cry and throw a temper tantrum because we didn’t get it right. We are angry and pouting when we need to be trained, groomed, and pruned.

He reminds us that we are cleansed by the word. Our salvation did not come from our struggling to become more. We were not able to work our way into the vine of our own doing. We had to be grafted into the vine by God. It was not our labor that paid the price for our salvation. We are cleansed by the Word, that Word being Christ Himself. John 1: “¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ..¹²But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” My Salvation, my justification did not come of my own works; so, how is it that I now want to produce fruit from my own works. In order to rest in and abide in His Salvation, I must remember this. The only part in my Salvation that came from me was my faith to believe that He is God who is worthy of all my praise and to be Glorified for all eternity. Even that I could not have done had God not removed the veils from my eyes that I might glimpse at His Glory and desire it, seek it, cherish it as a treasure above all other treasures.

Then how do we ever learn to abide in the vine. Is it a hopeless dream that I will ever become a fruit laden branch for God? Can this regenerate, willful branch ever learn to be fully submitted to Him and quit trying to prove itself by trying to do the work for God? Will I ever reach that point that I do not weep over the pruning when God so wisely removes those desires I am clinging so tightly to; in order that I might wholeheartedly seek the only true treasure which is God, Alone. He must continually cut away those counterfeit joys in order that I might seek and savor the only true joy which I can find in Him. Ever so gently He has provided me with glimpses of His Joy and His Glory; knowing that the magnitude of His Wondrous Glory, Love and Joy are too great for this human heart to fully comprehend. Yet, I have felt His Joy just enough to know I want and desire it with all of my heart and soul. I have seen just enough of His Glory to know that I hunger and thirst after Him as the greatest treasure. Still there are moments when life with all its trials, sorrows and demands seem to blur my vision. The depth of sorrow that comes is even greater in those moments because I have tasted of His Joy and His Glory. I hunger and thirst after Him. Like David in Psalm 27: ⁴One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. ..⁸When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.”

As we come to realize that His beauty, His Glory is greater to be desired than anything we have ever imagined; we seek Him and savor Him. We begin prizing Him, cherishing Him, loving Him above any other treasure; yet, this does not mean that our sorrow is completely gone while we are yet in this world. We are never beyond the battle on this earth against negativity even within our own hearts. We do however battle for joy in the midst of all this sorrow. We may be broken heartedly clinging tight to that joy which we now have seen glimpses of and hold very tightly to it; because nothing else on this earth can ever compare to it.

2 Corinthians 6: ⁴ in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, ⁵In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; ⁶By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, ⁷By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; ¹⁰As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

When Moses asked in Exodus 33 to be able to see God in all His Glory; God responded that no man could see the full Glory of God and live. So He hid Moses in the cleft of the mountain and passed by so that Moses could only glimpse at God; but could not see His full Glory because it was more than man could stand. When Moses came down from the mountain, His face shone so brightly that the people awed. Oh, that I might see just enough of His Glory that His light might shine forth to a darkened world! 2 Corinthians 3: “¹⁸But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Dimly, through a glass, I see the Glory of the Lord; while the Holy Spirit transforms me into that image from glory to glory—step by step-little glories to add to more little glories until one day I will mirror Him and reflect His Glory back to Him.

So, abiding in Him is learning to rest in His Arms knowing that one day I will stand before Him and all Glory will be known. I can trust that every time He prunes me that He does so with Love so that I may bear more fruit which Glorifies Him more; magnifying His Beauty ever more within my heart. As I through contrition, praise, faith and obedience abide within His arms of Love; I bear more fruit. That fruit Glorifies Him more, magnifies His Beauty and thus brings more joy and hope in my heart as I gaze upon His ever increasing, breath taking Beauty. To Abide in Him, we lay down everything to trust Him—no matter what. Though my heart’s greatest desire is to be standing before His throne; I do not want to go without an abundance of fruit to lie before His feet. For that reason, I must abide in Him by trusting Him with all my Heart and Soul. When storm clouds crowd around me I must continue to battle for joy in Christ even while here upon this earth. I must revel in the moments that He does allow those glimpses of Overwhelming Joy and to see His great Glory before me. I must hold tight to Future Grace which will continue to sustain me into eternity. Trust, my soul in Him; rest my heart within His love, and forever let me seek His face with each step of this my life until my dying breath.

Abiding is trusting my heavenly Father is omnipotent and that He will not allow anything into my life that is not for my edification and for my ultimate joy. He only removes those things which get in the way of my seeing Him. Abiding is trusting my heavenly Father is omniscient and that He sees me as the Glorified, Justified, Perfect final product that He is molding. Like the artist envisions the final portrait as he steadily adds, erases, covers and transforms the canvas into his final completed work; God also sees the completion of His work in me. Abiding is trusting in the truth that my Heavenly Father loves me. Abiding is trusting that He is able to speak and stop whatever storm may have arisen; yet, in love has chosen not to—so that I might be blessed and He might be glorified. Abiding is casting aside all this pride which desires to show God that I can do it myself and realizing that I can only do it when He does it through me. Abiding is acknowledging the truth that He is on His throne and rules over the just and the unjust. Abiding is clinging to hope in Future Grace as He has provided. Abiding is letting go of Counterfeit treasures that I might obtain the Greatest Treasure which is God. Abiding is knowing that God gave His greatest treasure (His Son) that He might suffer, die and be risen so that a regenerate, guilty heart might be declared righteous and thus be able to share in the Beauty, Love, and Joy that is found in the Triune God. Abiding is knowing that 2 Corinthians 4:” ⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷But we have this treasure (the gospel) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” And abiding understands that in this world, we may have tribulations; but our joy flows only as we allow the life sustaining nutrients of the vine to flow forth through us. 2 Corinthians 4: “⁸We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. ¹¹For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”

Romans 6:15-17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

¹⁶ Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

¹⁷ But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Romans 6:15-17

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁵ What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God’s favor and mercy? Certainly not!

¹⁶ Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?

¹⁷ But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed.

Whose servant are you?  To whom do you surrender your heart, your thoughts, your body, your future, your finances, and your life?  Is there anything, any desire, or any person that you place before Him?  Do you think to yourself, that after all God has loved me and saved me; His mercy will cover this sin I continue to cling to or this pride which I cannot let go of.   Oh, yes for those who know Christ as their Savior the sin is covered; yet, our joy as well as our testimony can be destroyed by sin.  In fact, I have learned that whenever my heart becomes heavily burdened or fearful; I certainly must look for what has entered my life that clouds my view of God.  That is a moment when I must ask Him like David to search my heart–to shine His light so brightly in my heart that I might see clearly His will.  I want to surrender everything to Him; because this I KNOW.  In His presence is fullness of Joy.  So I ask you again, Whose servant are you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=HcnfT4arZtI

 

Hebrews12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Philippians 3:  ¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

¹⁷ Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.

Our only hope of walking in this world as a Christian is to fix your eyes on Jesus.  We are to fix our hearts upon God and our eyes upon Jesus.  Whenever we let our eyes stray to look at the trials, tribulations, temptations, and things of this world; we will become anxious, frustrated and our testimony will be placed in jeopardy.  Do you need hope for today?  Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Do you need joy?  Look upon His love for you.  Do you feel sorry for yourself?  Look at Jesus and all that He suffered willingly for you.  You may be the only Christ some people ever see, are you willing to suffer so that your testimony is stronger were God to ask you to?  Do you trust Him to do what is best for you, even when you do not understand?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO4uIyz_d90

 

Psalm 57:  57 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

² I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.

³ He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

⁴ My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

⁵ Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

⁶ They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.

⁷ My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

⁸ Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

⁹ I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.

¹⁰ For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

¹¹ Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

David knew where to turn in the midst of every trial.  When it would seem that the whole world had turned against him, he turned his thoughts, his cries, his heart over to God in prayer.  He would tell God of the trials he saw before him, cry out from a broken heart, and pour out before God his repentance for his own sin.  Notice in this prayer song (as you will note throughout the psalms); once David lays all his burdens before the Lord, he then begins a praise song.  David trusted that God would accomplish God’s purpose and plan, fulfilling all the promises He had made to David.  Once David had spoken to God about the trials, David stopped the fear, sorrow, and worry.  Instead, David would preach to himself; many times he would tell himself "Awake, my soul"  With full determination not to let Satan’s whispering lies to seep into thoughts; David would declare boldly, "My heart is fixed on you and I will sing you praise."   My heart is fixed–firm, unmovable, unshakably standing firm on the promises of God and on who God IS and forever will be.   Is your heart fixed on God?  Do you grasp the power of His might and the depth of His love for you? Note as David commands, "Awake up my glory!!"  "What glory?" you might ask.  Let me lead you back to one of my favorite verses, 2 Corinthians "¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."   So, simple the only way that I may awaken any semblance of glory within me is by gazing upon the Glory of the Lord and reflecting that same glory back to Him.  Just like the moon has no light of it’s own and reflects the light of the sun; I too can reflect the light of the Glory of Christ as I remain steady fixed upon Him through prayer, praise, and steady reading of the word of God.  "Awake, psaltery and harp."  Sometimes we need to awaken the joy, the praise song and the love song within our hearts.  Just as in any relationship there are moments in the which we fall into a "humdrum" pattern and need to flame the fires of our hearts to remember the feelings when we first fell in love; so, to in our relationship with Christ, we must not allow our hearts to reach that humdrum state which leads to wandering hearts.  We must flame our hearts with a love and praise song each morning.  So, in closing; bring your trials, sorrows, and sins–lay them before God.  Then fix your heart upon God, awaken your reflections of His Glory by steadily gazing upon Him, and sing out a love song to God praising His Wondrous Name.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbNK50T35wY&NR=1&feature=endscreen