Abide Today....

Recently Amazon offered a devotional by Cynthia Heald called Becoming a Woman Who Walks with God as a freebie for Kindle!  It is a 30 day devotional on Abiding and so I decided to get it to use at some point.  Well today is that some point.. I decided to use it in April.

The focus today was on John 15:4... I love the ESV because it uses the Word Abide.. just love that word!  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

I decided to do a bit of word study, so pulled up Strong's App and looked at Abide.. I know what the word means but saw two things today I really don't think I ever saw before..

"To stay in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy"... expectancy!  God keeps putting that word before my eyes.  It also means to "Be Present."

So I am to abide with expectancy... or in expectancy.. expectancy of what.. of God and His promises... expecting Him to bring to completion that which He has begun in me (Phil 1:6)... to work things out for good (Rom 8:28)... expecting Him to never leave me or forsake me (Heb 13:5) and soo much more!  Isn't that the coolest thing!  I mean we know that.. know that His promises are true and will be fulfilled, but I love that He included it in that abiding.

And then Be Present.. that one really hit me.  NIV says Remain in Me and I will remain in you. So be present in Christ and Christ will be present in you.  Not yesterday.. not tomorrow.. today.. present.. now!  This, for me, is all about that daily surrender. Today I choose to be present in Christ.. to die to self .. take up the cross He has for me.. and expect Him to be Who He says He is and do what He says He will do!

Romans 12:12

NIV -- Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer

ESV -- Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer

HCSB -- Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer

NET -- Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer

NASB -- Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer

AMP -- Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer

MSG -- Cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times, pray all the harder.

KJV -- Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant prayer

Let's look at these 3 exhortations..

First.. Be joyful in hope

Rejoice .. being joyful.. cheerfully.. expectant in HOPE

The Greek word used here means rejoice, joy, joyfully, be glad, hail

Hope -- faith, hope BUT from a root word that mean to anticipate (usually with pleasure).. expectation, confidence

So I am to be full of joyful anticipation and confidence in my faith and hope which is Jesus Christ!

Next... Be patient in affliction

Patient in.. enduring... persevering... steadfast .. in affliction, suffering , tribulation

hupomeno (Greek) -- to stay under, remain, bear, have fortitude, endure, abide, take patiently.

Tribulation -- from root which means pressure, affliction, anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble

So I am to be patient.. endure.. stay under.. bear.. remain in.. have fortitude in.. abide while I an in tribulation, trouble, affliction, anguish, burdened or pressured.

Abide.. I don't think we are to abide IN the suffering or tribulation but to abide while going through it.

John 15 is all about abiding.. remaining.. in HIM.. Only way we bear fruit is to abide in Him and we are called to bear fruit no matter the circumstances.

So our hope is in Him.. our abiding in Him...

and lastly... Be faithful in prayer

Continuing instant.. be faithful.. constant.. persistent.. devoted in prayer

"continue instant" is a phrase foreign to me.. even though I was reared with the King James Version of the Bible.  It means to be earnest towards, to persevere, be constantly diligent, to adhere closely, attend continually, wait on.

So I am to be earnest toward, persevere in, be constantly diligent, adhere closely to, attend continually to, wait in prayer... and again,  we find Jesus.. for our prayers are to be asked in His name!

These verses go hand in hand with 1 Thess 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I love that the underlying current which allows me to do these things.. to rejoice.. be patient.. be faithful.. is JESUS.. my hope in Him.. sharing in His affliction.. staying connected to Him with prayer. It is all about Jesus and our relationship with Him!

Beautiful Things

I am just overwhelmed by this song today. I have posted it on FB.. messaged it to friends.. listened to it over and over.. and am now putting it here.  Such an awesome reminder of how He makes us NEW.. Beautiful .. HIS beautiful, not the world's beautiful... no matter how much we mess up .. act up.. screw up.. He continues to mold and make us into the Masterpiece He has designed us to be!

Listen and let the truth of this pour over you...

Romans 12:11

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. (NIV)

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. (NLT)

Not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. (NAS)

Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. (NET)

Do not be slothful in seal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. (ESV)

Don't burn out keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, 

cheerfully expectant. (MSG)

Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor be aglow and burning with the Spirit, 

serving the Lord. (AMP)

Do not lack diligence be fervent in spirit serve the Lord. (HCS)

Not slothful in business; fervent in Spirit; serving the Lord. (KJV)

According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary, slothful means inactive, lazy, idle, sluggish, indolent.. indolent means averse to activity, effort or movement.. habitually lazy.

Business (as used in KJV) is earnest care or carefulness, diligence, forwardness, haste

Fervent.. again from Webster's 1828.. is hot, boiling, animated, glowing, vehement, earnest, excited.. Current dictionary defines fervent as exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling -- zealous.. impassioned.

I often pair this verse with Gal. 6:9 which tells us to now grow weary, but I see it is very different. Weariness comes from doing so much and often not seeing results.. feeling ineffective. This verse is about the doing.. we are to be.. I am to be.. ACTIVE.. purposely active in my faith. Living it out.. loving sincerely.. hating evil.. clinging to good.. honoring others.. etc. NOT lazy, but easrnest.. diligent.. with a boiling hot (not lukewarm, lest Christ Spit you out) passion for the Lord and the church.. serving Him.

A few years ago our youth pastor taught our youth on the word Pisteuo.. which is translated Faith in the New Testament. He told how it meant more than just believing in God.. it is an active word.. a word that requires action.. Pisteuo is Faith IN Action.. that is what Romans 12:11 is telling us. We are not to be passive.. we are to be active in serving the Lord!  

And like so much else we are to do or not do, we cannot do is in and of ourselves. Here's where Phil 4:3 and 2 Peter 1:3 come in to play.. we have to let God work through us.. giving us ALL we need for life and godliness!  So today I pray for the Lord to infuse me.. infuse you.. with His passion.. His zeal.. and to give me and you the energy.. focus.. opportunities.. to serve Him in all we do.

Ingratitude...

I am reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Her thoughts on Ingratitude made me stop and examine my heart....

"...the sin of ingratitude. Adam and Eve are, simple, painfully, ungrateful for what God gave."

"Isn't that the catalyst of all my sins? Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren't satisfied in God and what He gives.  We hunger for something more, something other."

"There's a reason I am not writing the story and God is. He knows how it all works out, where it all leads, what it all means. I don't."

2013 Word of the Year Take 2

I am about to start teaching the Spring Bible study for ladies at my church. We are going to step back and do an older Beth Moore Study.. Believing God. I did this one years ago and it still impacts my life. One of the best studies I have ever done.

Last night I piled up and watched the first video....preview and getting ready for when we start next week.  She talks in the video and the work book about the verse that started her on this journey to Believe God.. take Him at His Word.  It is Isa. 43:10...

     You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, 

     so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He.

KNOW and BELIEVE

Last year my word of the year was a pair of words.. Less.. More.. I think I will amend my 2013 word of the year to be a pair also.. Know.. Believe.

Know there is the Hebrew word Yada ... that intimate knowing that I talked about in my original post.  Believe is the Hebrew word Aman which means to trust, believe, have assurance in, have faith in, put trust in.. and when I look at it, I can't help but see Amen.  So I did a bit of research on the word Amen and found that while it does show up in Greek and Aramaic, its roots are in the Hebrew Aman.

As I grow to know God better.. deeper.. I'll be able to Aman what I knew.. to trust the one who is the Amen (Rev. 3:14)

No matter how many promises God has made, they are "yes" in Christ. And so through Him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Cor. 1:20

Romans 12:10

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Rom. 12:10 NIV

NLT - Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other
HCSB - Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor.
MSG - Be good friend who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
NASB - Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.
AMP - Love  one another with brotherly affection, as members of 1 family, giving preference and showing honor to one another.
KJV - Be kindly affectioned one to another with brother love; in honor preferring one another.

Kindly Affection is a reference to caring for relatives, family

The Greek words translated here as one to another convey a sense of unity, mutual, each other, of one mind

Honor is value, esteem, dignify

The one another in this verse is the Church.  This is how we are to treat other Believers.... not just nice or kindly, but as family.. putting their needs above our own.  There is a strong sense of unity in this verse.

Hebrews 13:1 tells us to Keep on loving each other as brothers (and sisters)

1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart.

Phil. 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Lord -- There are many brothers and sister in Christ I love.. like family.. but I confess I do not tend to honor others over me... to give preference to others.. to consider them better than me.  This requires humility and I lean more toward pride.  Teach me, Lord.  Pour me our and fill me with Your Spirit.. grow my love for You so that is overflows onto others.  Amen.