Except Ye Abide Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. —John 15:4 We all know the meaning of the word except. It expresses some indispensable condition, some inevitable law. “The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” There is only one way for the branch to bear fruit; there is no other possibility—it must abide in unbroken communion with the vine. Not of itself, but only of the vine, does the fruit come. Christ had already said, “Abide in me.” In nature, the branch teaches us the lesson so clearly. It is such a wonderful privilege to be called and allowed to abide in the heavenly Vine. One might have thought it needless to add these words of warning. But no—Christ knows so well how much a renunciation of self this “Abide in me” implies. He knows how strong and universal the tendency would be to seek to bear fruit by our own efforts. He realizes how difficult it would be to get us to believe that actual, continuous abiding in Him is an absolute necessity! He insists upon the truth: “Of itself” the branch cannot bear fruit; “except it abide,” it cannot bear fruit. “No more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” But must this be taken literally? Must I, as exclusively, manifestly, unceasingly, and absolutely as the branch abides in the vine, be equally given up to find my whole life in Christ alone? I must indeed. The “except ye abide” is as universal as the “except it abide.” The “no more can ye” allows no exception or modification. If I am to be a true branch, if I am to bear fruit, and if I am to be what Christ as Vine wants me to be, my whole existence must be as exclusively devoted to abiding in Him as the natural branch is to abiding in its vine. Let me learn the lesson. Abiding is to be an act of the will and the whole heart. Just as there are degrees in seeking and serving God—from “not with a perfect heart” (2 Chronicles 25:2) to “with the whole heart” (Psalm 119:2)—so there may be degrees in abiding. In regeneration, the divine life enters us. But, it does not all at once master and fill our whole being. This comes as a matter of command and obedience. There is unspeakable danger of our not giving ourselves with our whole heart to abide. There is unspeakable danger of our giving ourselves to work for God—to bear fruit—but doing so with little of the true abiding, the wholehearted losing of ourselves in Christ and His life. There is unspeakable danger of much work but little fruit, for lack of this vital relationship. We must allow the words, “not…of itself,” “except it abide,” to do their work of searching and exposing. They must prune and cleanse all that there is of self-will and self-confidence in our life. This will deliver us from this great evil, and so prepare us for His teaching, giving the full meaning of the word in us: “Abide in me, and I in you.” Our blessed Lord desires to call us away from ourselves and our own strength and draw us to Himself and His strength. Let us accept the warning and turn with great fear and self-distrust to Him to do His work. Our “life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3)! That life is a heavenly mystery, hidden from the wise even among Christians, and revealed to the babes. The childlike spirit learns that life is given from heaven every day and every moment to the soul that accepts the teaching, “not…of itself,” “except it abide,” and seeks its all in the Vine. Abiding in the Vine then comes to be nothing more or less than the restful surrender of the soul to let Christ have all and work all—as completely as in nature, the branch knows and seeks nothing but the vine. Abide in Me. I have heard, my Lord, that with every command You also give the power to obey. With Your “rise and walk,” the lame man leaped. I accept Your word, “Abide in me,” as a word of power, that gives power. Even now I say, Yes, Lord, I will, I do abide in You. I HOPE YOU RECEIVED FROM THIS QUICK REFRESHER. DO YOU ABIDE IN GOD? ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE YOUR ALL TO GOD? PayPal.me/donatetochurch PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
THE BIBLE SPEAKS ABOUT HUSBANDS Should have but one wife. Genesis 2:24 That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh. Have authority over their wives. 1 Corinthians 11:3 However, I want you to realize that Christ has authority over every man, a husband has authority over his wife, and God has authority over Christ. Duty of, to wives To respect them. 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in a similar way, live with your wives with understanding since they are weaker than you are. Honor your wives as those who share God’s life-giving kindness so that nothing will interfere with your prayers. To love them. Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be harsh with them. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR DAUGHTERS NO WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A HUSBAND. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR SONS KNOW HOW TO BE A HUSBAND. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM EVERLASTING SALVATION CHURCH OF GOD MINISTRIES PayPal.me/donatetochurch
ENCOURAGE SOMEONE TODAY, BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE TODAY, AND EVERYDAY. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com We are encouraged through encouraging others. It’s in the Bible, Romans 1:11-12, TLB. “For I long to visit you so that I can impart to you the faith that will help your church grow strong in the Lord. Then, too, I need your help, for I want not only to share my faith with you but to be encouraged by yours: Each of us will be a blessing to the other.” Consistently encourage new believers. It’s in the Bible, Acts 14:21-22, TLB. “They helped the believers to grow in love for God and each other. They encouraged them to continue in the faith in spite of all the persecution, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.” ENCOURAGE SOMEONE, BE A BLESSING. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM PayPal.me/donatetochurch
“I Can’t Stop Thinking about What I’ve Done” Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. (Ps. 51:3) The enemies of your soul are not only relentless but also dishonest. They play both sides of sin against you. First, they flood your mind and inflame your heart with nonstop temptation, promising that if you’ll just give in, then your life will be better than you could imagine. Then, when you do give in and enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin (see Heb. 11:25), they flood you with a different barrage. This time, the thoughts that you can’t get away from run along such lines as “How could you? Look at what you’ve done. You know better. You call yourself a Christian? God couldn’t possibly love you.” Your heart is heavy. There’s no joy in the world, and everything looks bleak. That’s what God’s enemies do. They provoke you in order to goad you toward a destructive cliff. Then, when you take the bait and plunge over the edge, they stand there accusing you of your failure just as loudly as they once urged you toward it. King David has been there. The man after God’s own heart (see 1 Sam. 13:14) became infatuated with another man’s wife. He couldn’t get her out of his mind, invited her over, slept with her, made a baby with her, and then murdered her husband so he could marry her in order to cover it all up. For a time, it looked like he’d gotten away with it. But when God confronted him about it through the prophet Nathan, David couldn’t get out of his mind what he’d done. “My sin is ever before me”—can you hear how keenly aware he is of it? There’s no escape from it. He sees it everywhere he goes, and he hates it. What once was not a big deal now haunts him. But while the problem consumes his mind and his heart, he doesn’t stay locked up inside himself. That would be foolish. Since his mind and heart got him into trouble, they won’t be much help in getting him out. And so he doesn’t keep trying to deal with the mess or to figure out how to make things right on his own. Instead, he runs to God. He doesn’t go to God in order to hear the same thoughts that come from within him—the thoughts that accuse and condemn him. Instead he goes to God for mercy (see Ps. 51:1), for compassion (see v. 1), for cleansing (see v. 2), for a clean heart (see vv. 7, 10), for God’s renewed presence in his life (see vv. 11–12) and for freedom from guilt (see v. 14) so that he can praise God once again (see v. 15). He goes to God not on the strength of what he could do to make things right with God (see v. 16) but on the strength of what God does to make things right between David and himself (see vv. 7–12) according to God’s unfailing love (see v. 1). The presence of sin in David’s life doesn’t drive him to doubt God’s love; it drives him to seek the God who loves him. THINK ABOUT IT. What does the ugliness of David’s sin tell you about the greatness of God’s grace? What does the goodness that David experiences tell you about God’s longing to restore things between himself and his people? You can grow in confidence only by experiencing this grace—so, like David, let the sin that is ever before you drive you to God rather than away from him. Use David’s prayer in Psalm 51 to frame your own. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU ARE ALLOWING TO PLANT SEEDS INTO YOUR MIND, DON’T ALLOW YOUR SINS TO CAUSE YOU TO RUN AWAY FROM GOD, ALLOW YOUR SINS TO CAUSE YOU TO RUN TO GOD. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM J EVERLASTING SALVATION CHURCH OF GOD PayPal.me/donatetochurch
THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT ACCESS TO GOD Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com Is of God. Ps 65:4 Blessed is the person you choose and invite to live with you in your courtyards. We will be filled with good food from your house, from your holy temple. Is by Christ. John 10:7 Jesus emphasized, “I can guarantee this truth: I am the gate for the sheep. John 14:6 Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me. Romans 5:2 Through Christ we can approach God and stand in his favor. So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. Ephesians 3:12 We can go to God with bold confidence through faith in Christ. 1 Peter 3:18 This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit. WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT JESUS? WE NEED JESUS. THANK GOD FOR JESUS. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM PayPal.me/donatetochurch
DON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO STOP YOUR GODLY WALK. DON’T ALLOW ANYONE OR ANYTHING TO COME BETWEEN YOU AND GOD. “Continue” 1. “Continue following the Lord your God” (1 Sam. 12:14). 2. “Continue in My Word” (John 8:31). 3. “Continue ye in My Love” (John 15:9). 4. “Continue in the Grace of God” (Acts 13:43). 5. “Continue in the Faith” (Acts 14:22). 6. “Continue in Prayer” (Col. 4:2). 7. “Continue in Faith and Charity” (1 Tim. 2:15). I HOPE YOU THIS POST IS HELPFUL TO YOU. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
REVERENCE AND BLESSING Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com Reverence for God brings favour to individual believers, their families and the community to which they belong. God’s blessing is conditional upon reverence for Him. Psalm 128:1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD and live his way. Ecclesiastes 8:12 A sinner may commit a hundred crimes and yet live a long life. Still, I know with certainty that it will go well for those who fear God, because they fear him. God responds to those who revere Him. Psalm 147:11 The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, with those who wait with hope for his mercy. Psalm 25:14 The LORD advises those who fear him. He reveals to them the intent of his promise. Malachi 3:16–18 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD paid attention and listened. A book was written in his presence to be a reminder to those who feared the LORD and respected his name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD of Armies. “On that day I will make them my special possession. I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you will again see the difference between righteous people and wicked people, between the one who serves God and the one who doesn’t serve him. God is good to those who revere Him. Psalm 31:19 Your kindness is so great! You reserve it for those who fear you. Adam’s descendants watch as you show it to those who take refuge in you. Isaiah 33:6 He will be the foundation of your future. The riches of salvation are wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is ⸤your⸥ treasure. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE FROM THIS QUICK STUDY. MAY GOD CONTINUE BLESSING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM PayPal.me/donatetochuruch
BEWARE OF LIMITING GOD Psalm 37:4-5 Be happy with the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Entrust your ways to the LORD. Trust him, and he will act ⸤on your behalf⸥. Jeremiah 32:17 ‘Almighty LORD, you made heaven and earth by your great strength and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Matthew 13:58 He didn’t work many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Mark 11:23 I can guarantee this truth: This is what will be done for someone who doesn’t doubt but believes what he says will happen: He can say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done for him. James 1:5–8 If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them. When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. A person who has doubts shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can’t make up his mind about anything. ALLOW THESE VERSES TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM PayPal.me/donatetochurch
FOOD FOR THOUGHT “Dirty stories, foul talk and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, remind each other of God’s goodness and be thankful!” (Ephesians 5:4, TLB). EVERY CONVERSATION IS NOT WORTH BEING PART OF, CHOOSE CAREFULLY WHAT YOU TAKE PART IN, AND GUARD WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. THINK ABOUT IT. PROVERBS 19:20 GW Listen to advice and accept discipline so that you may be wise the rest of your life.
DON’T BE A KNOW IT ALL!!! ALLOW THESE VERSES TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
WE MUST LOVE GOD Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com Scripture teaches believers to love God and shows how such love should be expressed in worship and practical service. Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Matthew 22:37–38 Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Psalm 31:23 Love the LORD, all you godly ones! The LORD protects faithful people, but he pays back in full those who act arrogantly. Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let’s go to the house of the LORD.” Psalm 119:35 Lead me on the path of your commandments, because I am happy with them. John 14:15–16 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. Psalm 73:25 As long as I have you, I don’t need anyone else in heaven or on earth. Psalm 18:1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
