Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me. Those eagerly looking for me will find me. Matthew 7:7–8 “Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 2 Chronicles 15:1–2 God’s Spirit came to Azariah, son of Oded. Azariah went to Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all you men from Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you will dedicate your lives to serving him, he will accept you. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you. Psalm 119:2 Blessed are those who obey his written instructions. They wholeheartedly search for him. Psalm 34:8–10 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you holy people who belong to him. Those who fear him are never in need. Young lions go hungry and may starve, but those who seek the LORD’s help have all the good things they need. God’s desire is that all people should seek after him and find him. Those who seek God with all their heart are rewarded, but those who fail to seek him do so to their eternal loss.
Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com In the previous verse, Christ said, “Abide in Me.” He then announced the great, unalterable law of all branch-life, on earth or in heaven, “not…of itself,” “except it abide.” In the opening words of the parable, He has already spoken, “I am the true vine.” He now repeats the words. He wants us to understand—note well the lesson, simple as it appears, it is the key to the abiding life—that the only way to obey the command, “Abide in me,” is to have our eyes and heart fixed on Him. “Abide in Me…I am the true vine.” Yes, study this holy mystery until you see Christ as the true Vine, bearing, strengthening, supplying, and inspiring all His branches. He will be and do in each branch all that it needs, and the abiding will come of itself. Yes, gaze upon Him as the true Vine, until you feel what a heavenly mystery it is and are compelled to ask the Father to reveal it to you by His Holy Spirit. He to whom God reveals the glory of the true Vine—he who sees what Jesus is and waits to do every moment—can do nothing but abide. The vision of Christ is an irresistible attraction; it draws and holds us like a magnet. Listen continually to the living Christ still speaking to you and waiting to show you the meaning and power of His Word: “I am the vine.” How much weary labor is involved in striving to understand what abiding is! How much fruitless effort goes along with trying to attain it! Why is this? Because the attention is turned to the abiding as a work we have to do, instead of the living Christ, in whom we have to abide. He is Himself to hold and keep us. We think of abiding as a continual strain and effort—we forget that it means rest from effort to one who has found the place of his abode. Notice how Christ said, “Abide in Me. I am the Vine that brings forth and holds and strengthens and makes fruitful the branches. Abide in Me, rest in Me, and let Me do My work. I am the true Vine. All I am and speak and do is divine truth, giving the actual reality of what is said. I am the Vine; only consent and yield your all to Me. I will do all in you.” And sometimes it happens that souls, who have never been especially occupied with the thought of abiding, abide all the time, because they are occupied with Christ. Not that the word abide is not important. Christ used it so often because it is the very key to the Christian life. But He wants us to understand it in its true sense. “Come out of every other place, and every other trust and occupation; come out of self with its reasoning and efforts; come and rest in what I will do. Live out of yourself; abide in Me. Know that you are in Me; you need no more. Remain there in Me.” “I am the vine.” Christ did not keep this mystery hidden from His disciples. He revealed it—first in words here, then in power when the Holy Spirit came down. He will reveal it to us, too—first in the thoughts and confessions and desires these words awaken, then in power by the Spirit. Let us wait on Him to show us all the heavenly meaning of the mystery. Let our chief thought and aim each day in our quiet time—in the inner chamber with Him and His Word—be to get the heart fixed on Him. Let us be assured that all a vine can ever do for its branches, my Lord Jesus will do—is doing—for me. Give Him time. Give Him your ear, that He may whisper and explain the divine secret: “I am the vine.” Above all, remember, Christ is the Vine of God’s planting, and you are a branch of God’s grafting. Stand always before God, in Christ—waiting for all grace from God, in Christ. Yielding yourself to bear the “more fruit” for which the Husbandman asks, in Christ. And pray much for the revelation of the mystery that all the love and power of God that rested on Christ is working in you, too. “I am God’s Vine,” Jesus says, “All I am I have from Him; all I am is for you; God will work it in you.” I am the Vine. Blessed Lord, speak that word into my soul. Then I will know that all Your fullness is for me. And I can count on You to stream it into me. My abiding is so easy and so sure when I forget and lose myself in the adoring faith that the Vine holds the branch and supplies its every need.
THIS IS A VERY POWERFUL REFRESHER. I URGE YOU TO STUDY IT, READ IT MORE THAN ONCE, AND I PROMISE YOU WILL BE BLESSED BY IT.
IF YOU WILL ALLOW GOD TO GUIDE YOUR LIFE, YOU CAN LIVE A LONG LIFE, FILLED WITH GOOD DAYS. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com 1 Peter 3:10-11 GW “People who want to live a full life and enjoy good days must keep their tongues from saying evil things, and their lips from speaking deceitful things. They must turn away from evil and do good. They must seek peace and pursue it. Jeremiah 17:5 GW “This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the person who trusts humans, who makes flesh and blood his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord . Jeremiah 17:7 GW Blessed is the person who trusts the Lord . The Lord will be his confidence.
DO NOT LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A MANNER THAT WILL CAUSE YOUR LIFE TO BE CURSED. LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A MANNER THAT WILL CAUSE GOD TO WANT TO BLESS YOU. ALLOW THESE VERSES TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
ALL GOOD THINGS ARE GIVEN BY GOD Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com 1 Timothy 6:17 Tell those who have the riches of this world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, they should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God is the one who makes you wealthy. He’s confirming the promise which he swore to your ancestors. It’s still in effect today. 1 Corinthians 4:7 Who says that you are any better than other people? What do you have that wasn’t given to you? If you were given what you have, why are you bragging as if it weren’t a gift? Colossians 2:7 Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving. Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, we must be thankful that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Because we are thankful, we must serve God with fear and awe in a way that pleases him.
ALL GOOD IN OUR LIFE COMES FROM GOD, WE MUST GIVE THANKS TO GOD, HE IS WORTHY.
HOW ARE YOU LIVING? Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com Christians should live completely for God, not patterning their lives after the world. Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
SELF-CHECK: WHO DOES PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY SEE YOU? DO THEY SEE GOD OR DO THEY SEE THE WORLD? THINK ABOUT IT.
LIVE A GODLY LIFE Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com Galatians 5:26 ESV Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 2 Timothy 2:15 ESV Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. LET US LIVE OUR LIFE ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD, AND BE BLESSED BY GOD. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
REVERENCE AND OBEDIENCE Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com Reverence towards God expresses itself in the actions, as well as the words and worship of believers. True reverence for God leads to obedience towards him. Reverence in worship is expressed in bodily attitudes. Psalm 95:6 Come, let’s worship and bow down. Let’s kneel in front of the LORD, our maker, Exodus 12:27 you must answer, ‘It’s the Passover sacrifice in the LORD’s honor. The LORD passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he killed the Egyptians.’ Then the people knelt, bowing with their faces touching the ground. Prostration: Genesis 17:3 Immediately, Abram bowed with his face touching the ground, and again God spoke to him, Numbers 14:5 Immediately, Moses and Aaron bowed with their faces touching the ground in front of the whole community of Israel assembled there. Revelation 5:14 The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the leaders bowed and worshiped. Kneeling: Ezra 9:5 At the evening sacrifice I got up from my misery, and with my clothes torn, I knelt down, stretched out my hands to the LORD my God in prayer, SELF-CHECK: DO I REALLY LOVE GOD? DO I SHOW REVERENCE TO GOD? HOW DO I SHOW REVERENCE TO GOD? AM I EMBARRASSED TO SHOW REVERENCE TO GOD IN PUBLIC? I HOPE YOU RECEIVED GREATLY FROM THIS QUICK REFRESHER. PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM PayPal.me/donatetochurch
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 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
