Author Topic: Abide in Me and I in You  (Read 89993 times)

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M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #40 on: July 21, 2000, 03:39:00 PM »
"I think the main issue of this rejection is they did not keep His Commandments, they ignore the existence and credibility of the seventh day Sabbath."

You have a very good point, Brother James S. One of the great issues during the time of trouble will be one of worship: the false sabbath (Sunday) vs. the true Sabbath (Saturday). Those who reject the true Sabbath will have placed themselves in a position to be rejected of God.

But one might ask: "How can a Seventh-day Adventist who has worshipped on the true Sabbath suddenly end up rejecting it?" When the clash between truth and falsehood reaches "critical mass" (when a gun is placed against one's head, for example), some of us will renounce the faith and join the ranks of those who receive the mark of the beast because they have not grown spiritually in the strength and power of the Holy Ghost as they should. These individuals will be among those who have wasted a lot of time "majoring in minors" when they should have been fortifying and strengthening their position by conscientiously studying the Word of God and making the Scriptures a part of their everyday living.

This was the fault of the five foolish virgins of Matthew 25:1-13. They had the truth but the truth did not have them. They did not have the Holy Spirit (no oil in their lamps). Consequently they were unable to stand during the testing time.

Finally, there is a second group that will be rejected. These are individuals in the church who never fully believed the Word of God or the writings of Ellen G. White in the first place. They have what is known as "bandwagon" religion. They are deceivers and pretenders who are only along for the excitement and the ride. As a result, they will renounce the foundational principle of the Sabbath---and other principles of this church that are based upon the Word of God---and be lost.

We need to PREPARE NOW to make sure we are not in that number that receives the mark of the beast when the Sabbath and other issues become agitated in the not too distant future.

As we approach the Sabbath hours, have a blessed and happy Sabbath.

M.A.

M.A.

James Douglas

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« Reply #41 on: August 20, 2000, 07:54:00 AM »
Sister Charlene.

How can you so sure about those people in Matthew 7:21-23 are the people that seek self righteousness or they have not the love of Christ in their heart. Jesus didn’t say that. Are you just guessing?

What He said is that these people didn’t do the will of the Father. And what is the will of the Father? We find it in Matthew 17:5, John 3:16 and John6:29 ; Hear Him and believe in Him.

But we found these people have done the will of God, they believe in the Son and they had done many good things in the name of the Son. They have faith and works.

And the bible says that a man is saved by his faith, and good works are the proof or expressions of faith.

So what is their iniquity?  I say, it is their sins. They have sin unrepented. Because only sin that can separates a believer from God. Faith does not save you if you have an unrepented sin, an unforgiven sin. But many will say that a believer does not live under the law even the 10Cs, because a believer justification does not depend to his obedience to the 10Cs. He will be justified by his faith. Is that true?

How can a man be justified by his faith if he continue in sin? How can a non-Sabbath keeper justified by his faith if he continue to transgress the seventh day Sabbath? I wonder.

Faith needs works, faith without works is dead.
Love needs works, works without love is nothing, love without works is just the same.
Faith without love is nothing. Love without faith is something.

In His love

James S.


Aletha23

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« Reply #42 on: September 09, 2000, 03:52:00 AM »
PRAISE GOD!

You all don't realise how much all your comments on this thread has immensely blessed me!

In these last days, it's imperative to have a close relationship with our Lord, Saviour and friend Jesus Christ!
It is true that just believing that Christ died for you isn't enough!
From personal experience, I believe to have that close relationship with Christ, you must think about Him 24/7! Not just every sabbath, but every waking moment.
I mean when you catch the bus, pray. When you start your car, pray. When you buy food at your local store, pray. When you lay the table for dinner, pray. In every situation, pray! Even when you quote scripture in your head, that's prayer!

Having a real relationship with God is a two way thing! God speaks to our hearts constantly, but we only respond when we feel like it (This is from personal experience!)

May God Bless you all!

Aletha

[This message has been edited by Aletha23 (edited 09-09-2000).]


Liane H

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« Reply #43 on: September 09, 2000, 06:41:00 AM »
That is a big issue for me and it has taken me my whole life to learn and still learning even now.

As a hard of hearing child, I was not able to be apart of the world, because I could not hear it, so I became very isolated and self taught of what I thought the world should be. The one thing I learned was, that no one takes care of me, but me.

I stuggled with my life, fighting for every inch of survival I could, trying to make a place for myself in this world, for I believed that no one was there to help you, but you.

This is very hard to unlearn.  It prevented me from becoming a christian for many years, because who would want to follow and trust a God in the Sky that no one had ever seen. How could he help.

So, even though the doctrines pulled me into the SDA church and logic told me that this was correct and true, I still had much to learn about having a trusting relationship with God.

Everytime someone would say Heavenly Father, I would cringe, thinking of my own incestual father.  How could I trust Him? I could accept Him as a God, a Lord, A saviour and a confidant, but as my father, as a friend and my helpmate in life, I would have nothing of that.  No I was going to still take care of myself, even though the overwhelming evidence was against me.

Looking back I cannot count the times God had come to my rescue over and over again and still I could not trust him.  To put yourself totally in the hands of another being, even if that being was God, was frightening to me.

How could He, I was not good enough to deserve it, no less ask for help. I would talk to God about everything, but never share myself with Him. That would be too dangerous.

It is when you come to a point and experience in your life that you find out that you just cannot fix it, make it better or make it go away. God has to wait until you get to that point before He can do anything with you, even though you have accepted His power over your eternal life, you still have to work at letting him take over the little things in your life.  

It was those little things, piling up over the years that came to a head and there I was face to face with my God.

Now He says, Liane let me.  It came to that point in my life.  The food was not fixing it, the tears were not fixing it, the years of therapy were not fixing it.  I had reached the point of no return.  

It was now going to be His way nor no way at all.  That moment of surrender, as fleeting as it was, became an eternal one for me. For now I know that I would be able to be in the presence of a living God. Before that I would not have been able to, even though I had accepted all the other aspects of my life with Him, it was that moment of surrender that He needed from me the most.

Now I know that he can take care of me and I can let him do that.  That is faith.  Do the words Heavenly Father still cause me to cringe, yes it does, but time will take care of that as well.  it is enough that I accept Him as my friend.

Liane

Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Joan Rügemer

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« Reply #44 on: September 10, 2000, 12:35:00 AM »

 Hello,  :)

I see this very important subject of surrendering to the Lord Jesus personally is getting touched upon. May I share a mental image from a church experience that burned into my consciousness what complete surrender to the Lord for me means ?

After my conversion with 15 I moved over into the protestant church away from the RCC of my upbringing. Joining the choir and going to practice sessions was the start of my love and good ability to sing. The choir leader was the best in competence for bring out the best in each of us.

In a complicated bit of harmony, the leader noticed something which excaped my untrained ear. One of the bass singers wasn't quite getting it right. After correcting him we started to sing the piece again. Either the tact or tone still didn't sit with that choir member but the leader stop us singing for the fourth time. This time he paused, starred, and made a decision. He told the one with the problem to change his position to stand in front of another of the bass singing guys. Then he was told to take a step backwards and lean his whole back into the chest of this big broard guy behind him(we girls giggled because it looked real cute  :) ).

Then something happened that surprised me. We sang the piece of music and kept right on going. Then we started from the beginning and sung it all the way through without the leader stopping to correct anyone.

It appeared that the guy leaning on the chest of the other was so embarassed that he wasn't up to par and so became accutely aware of the singing pattern of the big guy he was leaning on. The big guy's breathing technique, his tact-tempo sensitive feelings for the values of the notes and pauses, and the bass tone level was given to the weaker guy by him in that one's ear really up close.

From that experience I learned what submission  to Jesus entails.

^^^^Joan^^^^


M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #45 on: November 09, 2000, 03:12:00 PM »
"Abide 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." John 15:4.

A well-known pastor several years ago asked a question during one of his sermons. He wanted to know: As the branch abides in the Vine, what does it have to do in order to bear fruit? There was a long silence in the congregation as all pondered the question, and then he answered emphatically: NOTHING!!! He pointed out there is nothing that is required of the branch to bear fruit other than to REMAIN IN THE VINE! The branch has no fruit-bearing ability apart from the vine. Therefore it must abide totally and completely---and not partially---in the vine.

We all understood the analogy. Without Christ we can do nothing except we abide totally and completely in Him. Our relationship with the True Vine must be one of complete surrender as we order our lives after His Divine Likeness. As branches, we grow and become fruitful ONLY as we remain in the Vine.

M.A.  

M.A.

Joan Rügemer

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« Reply #46 on: November 09, 2000, 10:40:00 PM »

...To abide not 'partially' in the vine.
There's something in that.

We grow lots of grape vines for wine commercially here on the middle-west side of Germany.

Going on a visit, I've seen the grape vines of the hobby garden belonging to some aquaintances of ours. One twisted, entwined long branch which wandered around the support frame, had a splittered branch going off from it just hanging on for dear life. I saw that it indeed produced leaves. Even a few scrubby wee grapes. But the broken partial connection was to be seen. Eventhough enough connection was left to receive the flow of nourishment to keep alive, our host said that the next season the twig will be all dried up with no life in it and he will then prune it away.

It's these small little laws of nature which we come across that have such appliable spiritual meaning to help so well in understanding what Jesus wishes to teach us about the Kingdom.

I was constantly warned in my early christian days to keep active with the community of believers. The warning was mostly repeated with the illustration of being out in the wilderness camping. The log fire should be kept so tended that coals are still burning through the night for the morning upstroking of a new fire for breakfast. Then the story of the one burning coal getting pushed aside, causing it to die out because of the coldness of the non-compatible elements, was tacked on to give me a lesson.

I thought it to be quite a silly illustration at the time. Why, I thought, I will always be around christians. There's no chance of going cold as a believer what with the Holy Spirit in me and me loving the Lord. Ahhh, but life can lead to going cold and dying out in spiritual life. I have indeed seen this happen in a hand full of believers who started out so well. Circumstances can cause one to decide to leave the fellowship of believers. The danger is there.The Evil one is using all such tricks to get us separated.

Joan


DavidTBattler

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« Reply #47 on: November 11, 2000, 09:58:00 PM »
Hello Brothers and Sisters In Christ

I am enjoying reading this post.  Many good points have been brought out so far.  Thanks brother Gerry for bringing up the subject.  I have some challenging thoughts/questions; but I am sincere, and am anxious to study what the Bible says of my various points and questions.  Your help and fellowship in this area will be very much appreciated.

Relationship With God

“I love the Lord because He has heard my voice.”  (Ps. 116:1).  Well, OK.  But the devil can hear  your voice too.  Should we love him too?

This relationship with God business can be a bit confusing; and I think that we often confuse the whole story because we don’t have the whole story.  (Mat.4:4).  The Bible says: "Every Word of God."

Satan himself has a “close relationship with God.”  So there has to be more than “a relationship” when it comes to “salvation.”  The devil is in constant communication with God…more than some people in the church.  (see 2 Chron.18:18-21 as one of many eg.).

Satan also “believes” in God, so isn’t there more than belief or relationship?.  
(see James 2:19 as one eg.).

Are we saved by a relationship, or the blood of Christ?  (see Eph.2:13).

And what does Jesus mean when He says to His disciples: “Ye are they which have continued with Me IN MY TEMPTATION.”  (Luke 22:28).

What else is a must, after belief and relationship,when it comes to salvation?  

May God add His blessing to the study of His Word in this forum.

------------------
"The joy of the Lord will be your strength."  (Neh.8:10).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler


M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #48 on: November 12, 2000, 06:16:00 AM »
Thank you, Sis. Joan, for your excellent illustrations and comments on abiding in the vine. I enjoyed reading them very much.

M.A.

M.A.

Joan Rügemer

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« Reply #49 on: November 13, 2000, 12:51:00 AM »

((MAC))
:) ...see there, I think I mentioned elsewhere that I just get pushed for time and must cut out reading every word everwhere on this TRO but still I get an urge to gravitate on over here, knowing there's always something of worth going on.

 :) Joan


Richard Myers

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« Reply #50 on: November 13, 2000, 03:58:00 AM »
Many minds looking at the same truth.  :)  What a blessing to hear the truth come to light, as we press together.  Brother David we are interested in hearing your thoughts. Let me add that my perspective is we are saved by grace (the blood of the Lamb.) If we will come to Jesus just as we are and learn of Him, He will reveal Himself to us and give us the free gift of repentance. As the heart goes out to Christ, He endwells the individual and then impowers the sinner to live the life of a saint (walking in the light that has come. Some saints still worship on Sunday.)

The reception of the Holy Spirit into the heart will bring all else with Him. We must "abide" in Christ. We must continue to feed upon Him and guard the avenues of our mind. The fruit of good works will be seen in the life of the Christian that is abding in Jesus.  :)
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #51 on: November 13, 2000, 01:50:00 PM »
Thank you, Sis. Joan, for your kind words and for having "gravitated" over here to the BOL forum. I look forward to your posts and enjoy reading them very much.

M.A.

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #52 on: November 13, 2000, 03:30:00 PM »
"'I love the Lord because He has heard my voice.' (Ps. 116:1). Well, OK. But the devil can hear your voice too. Should we love him too?"

I hope the opening words to an old Baptist hymn will help answer the question posed above: "I love the Lord, He heard my cry; AND PITTED EVERY GROAN!" (Emphasis mine). Speaking of God's children, the Bible says  he that touches thee touches the apple of My Eye. (Zech. 2:8). We are the apple of God's Eye. The enemy hears our voice and tries to ensnare us in one of his traps (John 8:44). The Lord hears our voice and delivers His children from the hands of the evil one ( Ps. 4:3; Dan. 3:17). We love God because He first loved us and does all He can to save us. We do not "love" the devil because he does all he can to destroy us.

"Satan also 'believes' in God, so isn't there more than belief or relationship? (see James 2:19 as one eg.)."

James 2:19 reads: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble." Notice very carefully what the Bible says: "Thou believest that there is one God...THE DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE...." The devil believes and knows that there is one God: the True and the Living God who made the heavens and the earth.  

Remember the devil was once in Heaven and was known then as Lucifer. His name was changed to Satan when he sinned and was cast out of the Holy Realm.  

Satan DOES NOT believe in God. He believes, as James 2:19 points out, that there is one God. TRUE BELIEF in God manifests itself in FULL AND COMPLETE OBEDIENCE to His Word. One establishes a personal relationship with Him by copying after His Example and ordering one's life after His Divine Likeness.  Something the devil will not do.

M.A.

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #53 on: November 16, 2000, 06:52:00 AM »
"...a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?...why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men but unto God." (Acts 5:1-4).

This is the NUMBER ONE PROBLEM among many professed Christians of today. They are not willing to SURRENDER ALL to Jesus but are guilty of HOLDING BACK in their lives some "pet" sin they are not willing to give up. It may be not speaking to a fellow church member one dislikes, or some other kind of spiritual problem. Whatever the case, the point Peter was trying to make is : like Ananias and Sapphira, there may be those who can "fool" anybody at any given time, but God SEES ALL AND KNOWS ALL! He knows the human heart and will deal with those who continue to insist on "holding back" on what He requires.

M.A.

M.A.

M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #54 on: November 20, 2000, 05:56:00 AM »
I was reading from the Testimonies and came across a passage that I was impressed to share with readers in this forum:

"Christ is leading out a people, and bringing them into the unity of the faith, that they may be as one, as He is one with the Father. Differences of opinion must be yielded, that all may come into union with the body, that they may have one mind and one judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10: 'Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.' Romans 15:5, 6: 'Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus; that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorfy God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Phillipians 2:2: 'Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.'" (1T 324).

What I glean from this is, in spite of all the controversy and confusion that surround many of the issues that today command center stage in God's Remnant Church, GOD IS LEADING OUT A PEOPLE who are becoming as one in Him as He is one with the Father. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms how they will be identified: they will SPEAK THE SAME THING and there will be NO DIVISION among them! (1 Cor. 1:10, emphasis mine). They will be "perfectly joined together IN THE SAME MIND" (ibid). Which reminds me of the verse of Scripture which reads: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Phil. 2:5.

The true followers of Christ will be "like-minded toward one another" and "with one mind and one mouth glorify God." (Rom. 15:5, 6). There will NOT be several "voices in the wind," each going his/her own way and promoting his/her own agenda. Instead, there will be a ONENESS OF PURPOSE which will be manifested by way of unity among God's people as they glorify Him, "HAVING THE SAME LOVE, and being of one accord, and of one mind" (Phil 2:2, emphasis mine).

There will be no disharmony among God's people. They will exalt the Bible and Jesus Christ as the only true means of salvation, and will have a common interest in the cause of God which is seeing souls saved in God's Kingdom.

M.A.  

M.A.

Richard Myers

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« Reply #55 on: November 20, 2000, 06:39:00 AM »
Amen, Brother Crawford.  The world will know we are His disciples by the love we have one for another. As we press together, He shall add to our numbers!  :)

Richard

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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« Reply #56 on: April 02, 2001, 07:45:00 AM »
What does it mean to "abide in Jesus?" What does it mean to have Him in us? Is there a reality of possessing Christ? Can we know what is being said?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Clive Nevell

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« Reply #57 on: April 02, 2001, 11:56:00 AM »
"Abide in Christ"
There is much Scripture we can turn to but here are a few texts that show to me what it is to "Abide in Christ"
Matt.8:19
"...Master, I will follow thee whithersoevr thou goest."
Matt.12:50
"For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
Read John chapter 15 to have a clearer meaning of what it is to "Abide in Christ"
Blessings
Clive

Richard Myers

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« Reply #58 on: April 02, 2001, 08:46:00 PM »
Thank you, Brother Clive.  :)  To abide in
Christ means much. First from the Bible, then we can look at the light given from the Spirit of Prophecy on this most important subject.  "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19.

Richard Myers

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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« Reply #59 on: April 12, 2001, 05:39:00 AM »
We see here that God desires to live in us, through the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. Does this not confirm the passage in the beginning of the eighth chapter of Romans where we are told that if we have not His Spirit, we are none of His?

Richard

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.