“Abide in Me”

 

Read John 15:4-10

Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4)

Have you ever watched a vine-growing plant, (tomatoes, grapes come to my mind}? They get their nourishment from the stalk of the plants, not from the individual branches, (their purpose is to help get food to the fruit,) Once the fruit is separated from the stalk or the vine, it begins a process of drying out and eventually dying.

I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered and they gather them and throw them into the fire and are burned. (John 15:5-6)

In these verses, Jesus contrasts the outcome of His children living for Him or not living for Him. Jesus very plainly states the without Him, we can do nothing.

If you abide in me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be My disciples.

(John 15:7-8)

Jesus answers the requests of His children. Sometimes, it may take awhile or maybe not in the way we ask, but His answer will come. There are times that I have been put through the traces in order for me to see Jesus at work on certain circumstances that could affect my life.

As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My father’s commandments, you will abide in My Father’s love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (John 15:9-10)

Jesus states something here that each of us should remember. His love for us is exactly like His Father’s love for Him. Jesus further tells us that when we keep the Father’s commandments, we live in and honor the Father’s love.

When we live in God’s way and, thereby honor Him, other people see how we behave and react to events in our lives.

The Gift of His Name

 

”And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” ...”Behold the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son and they shall call His name Immanuel” which is translated “God with us.”

Matthew 1:21, 23 (NKJV)

Each of us have special names given to us by our parents.

Our LORD was given a very special name. His heavenly Father sent an angel to Joseph to assist him in understanding what had happened with Mary. The angel told Joseph the child, a son, would be named Jesus because He would save people from their sins.

Had God not intended Jesus to bring salvation to the people of the world, I shudder to think what shape it would be in now.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah tells King Ahaz that, in the future, there will be born a child whose name will be Immanuel, meaning, “God with us.”

When we believe in Jesus, we find ourselves thankful that God is with us through the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

During this season of Advent, the church makes ready our heats. Our church has an Advent Candle that chosen people from the congregation light. One of them reads about the candle that is being lit that week another person lights the candle of the week. As the season progresses, person lighting the candle also lights the candles of the previous week or weeks. On Christmas Eve, all four of the candles around the edge are lit and the Christ candle in the middle is light, celebrating His first Advent and pointing toward His second Advent.

It is truly a joyous part of our church services during this holy time.

The Ultimate Forgiveness

 

I recently found a small book by Dr. David Jeremiah in my pile of ‘things’. It is entitled “Why The Nativity?”

The book contains 25 different questions people may have about Christmas. In the last chapter, question 25, Dr. Jeremiah makes two very interesting thoughts.

* “Finally, we should believe in Jesus because only through him can we find forgiveness for every sin- past, present and future-and thus live with the hope of eternal life.” (1.)

* “We should believe in Jesus because he is our one and only hope of forgiveness in this world and of joyful existence in the next.” (2.)

God forgives us because of His love for each one of us. He does not keep a ledger book of our life that highlights our transgressions. When we ask His Son into our hearts, Jesus takes away our sin. He did that at Calvary.

And for that, we who know Him are eternally grateful.

_____________

(1.) Why The Nativity, David Jeremiah, © 2006, Tyndale Momentum, Carol Stream, IL p.109

(2.) Why The Nativity, David Jeremiah, © 2006, Tyndale Momentum, Carol Stream, IL p. 110