5.18.10_1 John 2:6_Abiding

 Praise the LORD!!!

    It feels good to be back online and able to touch others for JESUS!!! It's been almost a week since I was last able to post anything online, due to the old computers lack of abilities. I praise the LORD though, for all things work together for the good of those that love GOD and are called according to HIS purpose (Rom. 8:28) This is going to be the first posting done with the ability to use my Logos Bible study program while being online, so we'll have to see how things go. With no more ado, here we go!

   1 John 2:6

       "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."(NIV)
       "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (KJV)

        "whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked." (NRSV)

   Now if you've been one that has been following me for a while, you'll remember the fact that I profess that we're to resemble JESUS in our lives. Here in these three versions we have the words, claims/abideth/abide and the Greek word that they come from(menein) has a very different connotation then that which we normally would understand it to be. When we use the word to abide, we think of temporarily existing somewhere. Where as here it means an ever lasting experience, one without end, in other words eternally being like CHRIST. This has been a major point in my walk with the LORD since HE drew me close into a personal relationship. We as Christian (CHRIST-like) are to reflect the very likeness of JESUS to all those around us. People shouldn't see or hear things from us that they couldn't imagine coming from JESUS HIMSELF!!!

    Now for some reason this just isn't that which I remember seeing during my life before CHRIST and truthfully, there are times that it isn't so even now. Yes, that's right. Even today I see and hear many that profess to be Christians living lives far from that which I could imagine JESUS living. I'm not going to be judgmental here, because I've fit in these shoes myself at times along the lines. But there are many, many things in this world that Christians shouldn't be associated with.

    One good example would be the things that we allow ourselves to be entertained by. Music, TV, and books just to name a few. Even though we're not bound by any law stating that these things aren't to be part of our lifestyle, we are to be good judges of them and filter these to the best of our abilities. In other words, a Christian shouldn't be sitting around watching, or listening to, or reading things that wouldn't be on the LORD's list of activities. Do you really believe JESUS would be partaking of a lot of the types of entertainment that we do? Truthfully, I really can't imagine that HE would.

    Now what would the conversations that JESUS would of been taking part in sound like? Would there be a lot of coarse language or ethnic jokes? Would it be about all the "drama" taking place in people's lives or the juiciest of gossip? I really don't think so. From what we read in the Bible that came from HIS mouth, 98% of it was to the glory of GOD and teaching others how to walk in a manor worthy of HIM. Very seldom was it ever putting another person to shame or ridiculing their ways. There were those times that, the other 2%, HE was correcting the self righteous leaders of the people. Even during these, HE did so in a loving manor (as best HE could.)  Are these the types of conversations that we seem to have? Or are they totally opposite from them? I'd tend to say, for the most part, the exact opposite!

     Now for an area that might just hurt, a bit more then these others. What are our actions like, when it comes to those that are around us? I'm not just talking about those that are Christians either. I'm talking about all those that are around us, Christian or not, friend or foe, pretty or disgusting, every single person that walks the face of this earth! Now we all should know how JESUS would of acted towards them. HE'd of shown them the love and compassion that GOD has for all of HIS created people. Even knowing the fact of that which laid ahead of HIM or the fact that HE knew each person's very deepest of thoughts and intentions. HE even showed Judas, he that would betray HIM, the love of GOD at it's highest levels. Can any of us say that? That if we knew a person was going to betray us, even to the point of death, that we could love them and honor them better than we do ourselves??? I wish I could say this, but truly, I don't really think that I could. then again, this would be a matter that I know I'd definitely would be in deep prayer about and one that I'd pray the LORD would give me the strength to accomplish. This only HE knows and I pray I'll never be in that position.

   We all truly need to take these things to heart. We need to study them and examine ourselves under their lens. Better yet, we need to put these matters to prayer. That the LORD would open our eyes to ourselves and the lives that we live and show others of the world around us. For if we are to bare the name of JESUS, shouldn't we let all others see HIM just as HE is? The very likeness of GOD in the flesh, for truly, HE is GOD!!!


    Some other verses you may enjoy: 1 John 2:24-27, 28-3:3, 3:4-9, 10-15, 4:12-16
    Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!

  ***For those that wonder about how it worked out using my program and being online together at once? Not as well as I thought it would. But I ordered several sticks of memory for the system, which should take care of this problem pretty well:)))***

    Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org

 GOD bless and good day,

 Rev. Marshall Barth

 Vine of CHRIST Ministries 

Vine Ministerial Network International