Glad you “remained” around for another day of this little word study <3

It’s a rainy day here in the prairie and we are starting to feel a little soggy. However, a bright spot has occurred as I look out on our patio. For the first time in the history of us deciding we wanted to put up a couple of bird feeders, the past few days have been a treat because some a couple of couples of goldfinches have been frequenting the premises. Between those and our cardinal couple that nests in the tulip bush every year, I am in bird-watching heaven. 

It’s the little things…always. 

But for today we turn our thoughts to the current topic of abiding. 

I have been enjoying keeping the laptop, concordance, Bible and some pieces of notepaper on the counter already this week, stopping when a moment or two allows to do some more exploring on this word search.

Yesterday I found notes for a sermon given on December 30, 2019 about what we can expect when we “abide” in Jesus. Pastor Billy Johnson of new Covenant Christian Ministries was kind enough to leave his outline on the internet. I wish he had put a P.S. since he had no idea how powerful his words would be as 2020 played out. 

Here are five things he points to that we can count on when we “abide”:

Pruning…we will be pruned. Old and dead and non-producing parts of our lives will be snipped off. Fruit-bearing parts will also be subject to removal. It hurts. It is not fun. But it will happen when we abide.

Purity…if we are abiding in Christ we are clean. He says the word of God flows through us as we remain in Christ and His teachings. Our perspectives and attitudes are changed and transformed to match His. And He is holy and pure so we are being purified and cleansed on the regular. 

Power…God has given us the full power of the Holy Spirit at work in us and through us when we abide in Him

Productivity…all that pruning and all that purifying and all that power are given so that we don’t just bear fruit, but we bear MORE fruit. 

Prayers are answered…As we abide in Him our prayers are prayed from His perspective, according to His will and we will see and experience God at work as we pray. 

Pastor Billy Johnson

All of these points are found in John 15: 1-8

I read through that passage several times today and circled the word ‘remain’ every time it appears. Let me just tell you, an English teacher or the Yoast SEO app would highly criticize this method.

Repeating a word over and over in several paragraphs is a big no-no in the writing world. 

I love how God breaks the no-no’s of human logic.

If He, who spares words so often in filling in the blanks of many accounts in the Scriptures, uses a word that many times…perhaps we need to tune in and see what He is telling us. 

Hope you will continue to “remain” with me this week as we continue to see what He might be trying to get us to understand <3