Abide In the Word

A strategy for living a life that is a full, fulfilling & fulfilled!

Guyana Missions Trip – 2011 ~ Summary & Highlights:

Aug.23, 2011 in Missions Comments Off

During the two and a half weeks in Guyana, July 16-Aug 4, we saw the Lord worked in marvellous ways. I have never seen anything like this in my over forty years of ministry. It was a tremendous blessing just being a part of what God did and will continue to do in this beautiful country.

During this time, we were involved in training leaders, among who were twelve (12) from the Amerindian (Guyanese aboriginal or first nation’s people) in Lethem and the Pomeroon areas Among the ten men and two women, two of the men walked three days to get to Lethem (border town of Guyana and Brazil) to join the others to make the nearly 26 hours trip through the trails in the interior to get to Georgetown. One brother (Thomas) – he and his wife are the only Christians in his village – came a week early, because he did not want to miss the opportunity. His village is closed to outsiders. I am eager to see what the Lord will do through this brother and his family in this village. He is committed and serious about the things of the Lord – He catches tarantulas and other wild life for a living. Can you imagine what Jesus would have said to him as He calls him to be a disciple? cf. Mark 1:16-20 – Calling Peter, James, John and Andrew to be fishers of men.

We were very busy. Our Weekly Schedule was: Training from Monday to Friday and conducting Evangelistic Crusades on the week-end evenings – Friday-Sunday. Pastor Aubrey Ralph preached during the first week-end Crusades and I did on the second.

For the Training (Practical Theological Training), we had Three Sessions daily:

  • Inductive Bible Study and Expository Preaching / Teaching – Taught by Denis Bagot – yours truly – from Canada) – Morning Sessions

  • Global Missions – Taught by Courtney Street from Antigua – Afternoon Sessions. Brother Street’s folks are originally from Jamaica, but He grew up in Washington, DC area and is currently a Missionary in the Caribbean

  • IX Marks of a Healthy Church – Taught by Aubrey Ralph of USA – Evening Sessions – Aubrey was formerly Vicky’s pastor in Guyana.

    • During sessions I taught: Inductive Bible Study and Expository Preaching / Teaching, it was a delight to see people came alive as they dug into the Word of God – the Word became alive to them. I taught them to use a suggested colour scheme to analyse a portion of Scripture, looking for principles, promises, prophecies, persons, places, etc. The results were far beyond anything I ever anticipated. I took 45 boxes of Coloured Crayons and it caught on so quickly and intensely that we bought about 100 more packs in Guyana.

    These folk will never look at the Word of God the way they did before. One of the greatest blessings was to see my colleagues re-working their sermons, messages and teaching sessions, using the method and principles I taught. Our host pastor has been the greatest source of blessing and inspiration. He said he now thinks about the Scriptures all the time – That’s what meditation is all about (Josh 1:8). In his own words, he said he thinks he has “become addicted to the Word of God” – Not a bad addiction. I wish the entire church of Jesus Christ had the attitude of this man of God towards the word of God. What I taught has revolutionized the way these wonderful folk view and use the word of God. We looked for a title to call the process and came up with: Meditation in Colours and/or Drawing the Scriptures in Colours.

    It is impossible for me to capture on printed page what the Lord did. None of us can take credit for what happened. It was the Lord’s doing, and it was marvellous in our eyes as He melted and moulded hearts. Just being a part of this was enough.

    Some of the overall results are:

  • Sangeeta (an eighteen year old) saw her entire family surrendered to the claims of Christ. They turned away from Hinduism and their idols, and instead they began to worship and serve the Living and True God of the Bible. (1Thes 1:9-10)2.

  • Shirley and Sarju, a couple from the church, saw their daughter, Christine, recommitted her life to Christ and her fiancée turned away from Islaam to embrace Christ as his Lord and Saviour.

  • Anita was delivered from demonic possession. Then she and Amanda, her daughter, received Christ and began to pursue a relationship with Him. Their son and brother Michael, was a young Christian before the meetings. He was in teacher’s training college but quit, because he did not want to be a teacher. He has now decided to return and finish up. He has committed himself to teach to improve literacy among his people in the villages.

  • Simone, a single mom, and her 9 children rededicated their lives to following Christ and becoming true Biblical Disciples. Here sister Sharon, also did the same.

  • Pastor Linus (from Lethem) and his wife, Naomi, displayed true Christian character and joy in the Lord as they encouraged us and ministered to others at the funeral of their 4 year old son. He died in a drowning incident on the Thursday of the second week we were there. This was the only major down-side of the trip. But the Lord even used this for His honour and glory. We all found His grace more than sufficient. Providentially, more people heard the Gospel proclaimed at the funeral than any one night at the Crusades.

  • Fifty-four (54) people responded to the invitation to know Christ or to know Him better.

  • Eighty-three (83) people surrendered themselves to be trained, equipped and used by God in His global plan of making true disciples and worshippers in Guyana, the Caribbean and onto the ends of the earth.

    • These are only some of the highlights of what took place – similar stories may be multiplied many times over.

    I would like to take this opportunity to thank many of you who have been praying for this trip for over a year. Many of you have given financially. Without your support and prayers, this would not have been possible. The churches that we worked with have been changed profoundly and forever. I cannot wait to see what the Lord will do next in this part of the world, starting in these two villages. Please continue to pray for wisdom in following-up and following through. Pray that the Lord will bring Revival to other churches in Guyana and that many new vibrant and viable churched will be planted all over the country!

    Please click on the Link to view a short video of the trip that I put together: Guyana Missions Trip 2011 (Please be patient – it takes a moment to load). If you cannot “Load it”, please let me know. I will try to get another format to you.

    A New Year’s Meditation

    Jan.04, 2011 in Bible Studies, Inspiration / Motivation 3 Comments

    What are your New Years rituals? Eating special foods?  Visiting special people and places? Making resolutions?  How exciting or affective are they at moving you along the path you must tread. One of the things that I try to do at the beginning of the year is to read a couple of Psalms.  Particularly, I read Psalms 90 & Psalm 91. Allow me to share with you few things that I saw differently in these Psalms this year.  I will do this shortly.  But please let me place the Psalm in context and set the stage.

    Many of us believe that the Psalms were written by David.  While David wrote about a half of the 150 Psalms in the Bible, there are many authors other than David.  For instance Psalms 90 & 91 were apparently written by Moses.  In this installment, I want to focus a bit on Psalm 90. This Psalm has inspired many people to accomplish many things.  For instance, it was the inspiration of that Psalm that lead Isaac Watts to pen the hymn: “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” May be singing this song is a part of your New Year’s Eve tradition.

    As we read Psalm 90, we find it that that it reaches into the deep recesses of our history and our hearts. It is rich in contrasts and comparisons. It speaks about the eternality of God and the mortality of man; the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. Here is what a more elaborate catalogue of what it says looks like:

    What are some of the things that are delineated about God?

    • His Sovereignty – He is in absolute control of this world.  His purposes will ultimately be realized
    • His Eternality – He has no beginning and no end – He was, is and ever shall be
    • His Moral Integrity – He is holy, righteous and just
    • His Loyalty  - He is gracious and  merciful

    What are some of the things that are delineated about Man?

    • His Frailty – He weak
    • His Iniquity – He is sinful
    • The Brevity of his life – His life is short and shortened by sin
    • His Misery – His life is full of trouble

    Now let me get quickly to the reinforcements and new insights that I gleaned from this Psalm, particularly vs.  12-17. I usually read v. 12 in the NASB & NIV.  The NIV reads: “ Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. “ This is an excellent translation, but what does it really mean?  I have preached and taught on this verse several times.  My emphasis is usually: We need to learn to count; we need to learn what counts. Then I usually remind my audience of the words of Albert Einstein, “ Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. `This is still a true and relevant message.

    However, on January 1, 2011, I was meditating on in the New Century Version.  Here’s how it reads:

    12 Teach us how short our lives really are
    so that we may be wise.

    13 Lord, how long before you return
    and show kindness to your servants?
    14 Fill us with your love every morning.
    Then we will sing and rejoice all our lives.
    15 We have seen years of trouble.
    Now give us as much joy as you gave us sorrow.
    16 Show your servants the wonderful things you do;
    show your greatness to their children.
    17 Lord our God, treat us well.
    Give us success in what we do;
    yes, give us success in what we do.

    The experience reinforced the value and importance of reading from various translations of the Scriptures. Here are just a few quick lessons from my meditation and my prayers for you:

    • When we reflect on our lives and realize how short it really is in comparison with eternity, where we will reap the rewards of what we have sown in this life, we must be wise. If we grasp this truth, it will affect how we live radically.
    • Maybe 2010 was the worst year ever for you.  I would like to remind you that the best for God’s children is always before them.  If God seemed far away, remember the Poem “Footprints“.  He is always closer than breathing.  Look around you!
    • May He give you as much and more blessings and cause for rejoicing in proportion to the sorrows and grief you have experienced in the past!
    • May find grace and have a song for each day and rejoice all the days for the rest of your life.  May the rest of your life be the best of your life!
    • Pray for your family.  Ask God to reveal Himself to your children and their children in ways that surpasse everything you have experience by way of His revelation and blessings.
    • Ask God to give you success in whatever you do.  He wants us to be successful.  May you want to be successful in the ways He wants you to be!

    Application:

    • If God is eternal and holy and man’s life is brief and full of grief, how then should we live?
    • If life is short and shortened by sin, how should we live?
    • All of us have enough time to do what God wants us to do – Fulfill His will and purpose for our lives.
    • All of us find the time to do what’s important to us.  What is important to you
    • A long life is not necessarily a blessing. A full, fulfilling and fulfilled life is!
    • Life has to be measured in terms of its impact / effectiveness – doing the right things, the right way for the right reasons

    Remember the truest mark of prosperity and success is the extent to which we obey God’s Word (Josh 1:7-9, especially v. 8 & Psalm 1:2-3). Yes, obedience to God is what prosperity and success is all about! It is not possessions, positions, prestige, etc.

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    The Truth About Christmas!

    Dec.24, 2010 in Bible Studies, Christmas Comments Off

    When it comes to Christmas there are a lot of things that are helpful and many not. Many worthy and others not so worthy. We must be able to sort the wheat from the chaff of Christmas. We need to separate the truth from the traditions, the tinsels and the trappings. It is the truth that sets us free. Traditions are good! They often remind of what was once exciting and enjoyable. We need to cherish old traditions and create new ones. Unfortunately, traditions can also enslave us. The tinsels and trappings just fade away.

    Is this all there is about Christmas? Many of us keep the “Babe” in the Manger. He is never allowed to grow up to become the Saviour, King and Lord of Lords that He was, is and ever shall be. There are many myths & legends, mysteries, miracles, misunderstandings around Christmas, but what is the Message that God intended to communicate to us?

    Like many other areas of our lives, we need to get back to the Scriptures. What does the Bible really say about Christmas? What does it really mean? What is it’s true significance?Luke 1:26-38 is one of the most informative and profound portions of Scripture on the Christmas story. The Title of the Passage is, “The Angel Gabriel’s Visitation to Mary”. The main characters here are the Angel Gabriel and Mary. However, no other set of verses are more descriptive and instructive, as far as the Christ Child and Christmas Story goes. No other portion of Scripture better delineates His Names, and His Purposes and His Destiny.

    In this Portion, we have:

    1. Angelic Visitation
    2. Encouragement & Exhortation
    3. Activity of the Holy Spirit
    4. Promises & Predictions
    5. Submission – Acceptance of the Will of God

    We will look at these areas, not only in this portion of Scripture, but as they occur in all the narratives dealing with the Christmas Story. Doing so should give us a excellent perspective on the truth about Christmas.

    Some Observation Questions:

    What are the Angelic Visitations of the First Christmas:
    Christmas is a time of Angelic Visitations!

    1. Zechariah – Lu 1:11, 19
    2. Mary – Lu 1:26
    3. Joseph (three times) – Matt 1:20; 2:13, 19
    4. The Shepherds – Luke 2:8-15
    5. Magi – dream- possibly angelic visitation as was Joseph’s - Matt 2:12

      6. Exhortation & Encouragement – Do not be afraid! It is often referred to the most often repeated command in the Bible.  It is not a command as such.  While it may have the force of a command, I like to view it as one of the most repeated exhortation and encouragement in the Scriptures – occurring with its variant “Do not fear” over a hundred times in the Scriptures.

      Who received these Words of Encouragement and Exhortation the First Christmas?
      Christmas is a time of Encouragement & Exhortation!

      1. Zechariah - Lu 1:13
      2. Mary - Lu 1:30
      3. Joseph – Matt 1:20
      4. Shepherds – Lu 2:10

      The Activities of the Holy Spirit around the First Christmas?
      Christmas is a time when the Holy Spirit is active!

      1. Zechariah - Lu 1:67
      2. Mary - Lu 1:35
      3. Elizabeth – Lu 1:41
      4. John the Baptist - Lu 1:15
      5. Simeon – Lu 2:25-25
      6. Possibly Anna – Lu 1:38

      What are some of the Miracles of the First Christmas?
      Christmas is a time of miracles!

      • Elizabeth and Zechariah having a child against all odds in their old age
      • Zechariah becoming dumb because of his unbelief – cf. Those that doubt are “dumb” - Lu 1:20. Those who believe are blessed. - Lu 1:42, 45
      • Mary becoming pregnant through the Holy Spirit

      • God helping Joseph dealing with his concerns to the point where he became totally committed – Joseph was an amazing man – Righteous, obedient, man of integrity, considerate and self-controlled.  Any doubts as to why God chose him to be the legal guardian of His Son? Why He chose this man to teach His Son earthly things?
      • The star in the east guiding and the Wise Men, who brought symbolic and prophetic gifts to the King Jesus.

      Who was or is this Jesus?

      • Baby / Man
      • Messiah
      • Master & King
      • God – Maker- Creator

      What are His Names that are reflected in the Christmas Story?

      • Jesus v. 31 = Joshua in the Old Testament = YHWH Saves
      • Son of the Most High v. 32 = Son of El Elyon = the Almighty (Gen 14:18-20) – Creator of Heaven & Earth and Deliverer
      • The Son of God v. 35 = The Second Person of the Trinity
      • Immanuel (Matt 1:23) = God with Us

      What are His Functions that are reflected in the Christmas Story?

      1. He is Great and He is Holy vs. 32, 29

        a. Save His people from their Sin – Jesus – Matt 1:21
        b. A light for Revelation to the Gentiles (Lu 2:29-32)

      2. King on the Throne of David v. 32
      3. Ruler over Israel – Messiah v. 33a
      4. King of a perpetual and Eternal Kingdom v. 33b

      Some Explanations & Applications:

      Who is the Angel Gabriel?
      Gabriel is not an archangel as we have often been told. The Scriptures nowhere speaks of archangels (plural). It speaks of Michael the archangel (Jude 1:9) and of the archangel (1Thes 4:16, NASB). Incidentally, Lucifer (Isa 14:12, NKJV) is not specifically referred as an archangel. He is called the anointed “guardian cherub” in Ezek 28:14, 16. In Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions other angelic beings are called archangels (Raphael in Tobit 3:17; 12:15 (Apocrypha) and Azrael (Islam). Other Jewish and Christian literature enumerated seven by name. None of this is substantiated by Scriptures. If we will “abide in the Word”, we should venture to go no less or any further that the Word itself allows. Other literature and documents may be used for illustrative purposes, but not as primary sources.

      Gabriel is an angel (messenger) of God. His name means “hero of God”. He indicated to Zechariah that he “stands in the presence of God” (Lu 1:19). He is often sent to deliver significant messages and mediate comfort/consolation. His visitations and messages are often prefaced by, “Don’t be afraid!” Some say it is a command. While it has the force of a command, it is one of the most frequently occurring encouragement and exhortation in the Bible. This phrase with slight variations, such “Do not fear”, occurs over a hundred times in the Scriptures.

      Who is Mary?
      Three Things about Mary:
      1. She was highly favoured (by God) – even if the world was against her, misunderstood and ridiculed her.
      2. She was greatly troubled – The announcement of Gabriel was only the beginning of her troubles. How many of us stop worrying, when someone says, “Don’t worry”? How she must have suffered! Here is a partial list of her trials, testings and tribulations:

      • Pre-marital pregnancy. . . a teenager
      • Suspicion from her soon-to-be (prospective) spouse of her being unfaithful
      • Being misunderstood, by those she loved
      • Ridicule from her neighbours, even family
      • A donkey’s ride to Bethlehem, being nine months pregnant
      • No reason to believe that the challenges of her pregnancy were any different from that of other women. What of the physical hardships and discomforts?
      • A refugee in Egypt sometime after the dedication on the Child on 8th day.
      • Mixed feelings, but untold blessings
      • The secret she had to bear, not being able to share with someone who understands.
      • A widow in Nazareth
      • She knew from the beginning about the death of her eldest son. Though innocent, He was crucified. Possibly the worst day of her life. Her flesh and blood hanging on the cross as a common criminal. When the Roman soldier pierced His side, they also pierced her heart.
      • What was it like to be the mother of the Son of God? Her fears, her inadequacies, etc.?

      3. She humbly and unconditionally submitted to God – She wanted God’s will to be accomplished in her life more than anything else. The things that happened to her and the obstacles she would have to face were petty and pale in comparison with her commitment and love for God. Where there is love and commitment, adversity looses its sting.

      What was it like to be the mother of the Son of God? It would have been the worst irony and travesty if she was not among the early disciples. She was no Mother of God, (although she was the mother of Jesus cf. Jn 2:1; Acts 1:14). In Her own words, she was “a servant”. No special standing. No co-redemptrix (overstatement of her role in redemption) or mediatrix. After the 12 Century she was seen as being more lenient than her Son, the Judge. There is no Scriptural justification for this. Special grace was given to perform her unique service to Him. She could not take credit for anything God did in and through anymore than we can for the things that are accomplished due to the grace of God operative in our lives.

      Forgetting Roman Catholic Mariology for a moment, what can we learn from Mary? She was in many respects the First Christian Disciple: She was the first to hear the specific news of the Gospel, the coming of Messiah, Immanuel – God reveals His will for our lives personally and first to us. No one loved Jesus like she did! Cf. Mothers and first-born. She respected, admired and loved him even before His appearance in Galilee as the Rabbi, Miracle-worker, Messiah and Son of God. She was the first to accept responsibility, blessings and afflictions for the sake of the Gospel. The first to know the love, joy, pain and sorrow that comes with an intimate relationship with the Son of God.
      She was quite a woman: trust, obedience, humility and courage were the hallmarks of the one facing the most awesome responsibility ever entrusted to any mortal – to nurture the Son of God in His incarnation. She responded in humble submission and quietude, knowing fully well that God was always near to help us do what He asks of us. His commandments and assignments are always accompanied by His enablements and encouragements. She bore; weaned, trained and watched Him grew into manhood. She helped Him as He “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men” (Lu 2:52).

      Some Application Questions:

      • What are you afraid this time of the Year? Trust the Prince of Peace!
      • What is there that seems impossible in your life at this very moment? Trust the One who specializes in impossibilities.
      • If you were to have a miracle this Christmas, what would it be?
      • If you were to have an angelic visitation, what would you like to hear?
      • Think about the content and implications of some of the Christmas Songs of the First Christ, cf. The Songs of Mary, of Zechariah , and of the Angels
      • How are the major Covenants in the Scriptures, particularly the Abraham, Davidic and New Covenants fulfilled o advanced in the Christmas Story?
      • What are the true meaning, essence and purpose of the Incarnation? Some examples:

        • He became poor so that we might become rich.
        • He died so that we might live.
        • He left heaven to come down to earth so that we might have a home in heaven.

      • Which of the Names announced in the Christmas Story is your favourite? Why?
      • Which of His Functions applied to you most? Why?
      • How do you see Him: as a mere Man, Teacher, Prophet, Saviour or King?

      I have discovered that when it comes to Christmas, we often get in the “thick of thin things”. We need to get in to the thick of things that really matter. We need to take the Christ Child out of the myths and misunderstandings to find the true meaning of Christmas. We need to redeem it and exploit it for all the spiritual benefits and blessings we can get out of the season and the rest of the year. When we get down to it, the day of the celebration is not the focus. It should be the Person that we welcome and honour. It is not the myriad of gifts that we received, but the one that God gave in love through grace.

      Why don’t you resolve to hang up more than your stockings this Christmas! Hang up your hang-ups!” Why don’t you set aside some time to ponder the true significance of this visitation from heaven – When God became man; when eternity intersected time? Why don’t you decide to learn to worship God like those that were present that First Christmas? How did they worship?

      Christmas is a time of Worship

      • Mary – obeying and submitting
      • Joseph – obeying and acting promptly
      • The angels – praising God and proclaiming the Good News
      • Shepherds – believing what was proclaimed by the angels
      • The Wise Men – bringing precious and prophetic gifts.

      Finally, have you ever noticed that: “Those who have found favour with God need not be fearful?” Wise men and women still seek Him!

      Merry Christmas and may you know the true reason and meaning of the Season! Jesus is the Reason for the Season! When HE came as a helpless “babe” there was no room in the Inn for Him. May He find a place permanently in your Heart and your Home as Saviour Lord and King!

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    Why “Abide In The Word”?

    Nov.26, 2010 in Bible Studies, Discipleship 2 Comments

    One of the most fascinating, yet one of the most fearful portions of Scriptures is found in the Gospel of John (John 15:1-17). This portion, like many others is very profound and prolific.  Every word and phrase opens up the treasures of the unsearchable riches that can only found in His Word. This portion speaks of fruitfulness, faithfulness and fullness. As we look at this portion, we find at least Seven Things:

    1. The Father is the Gardener.  Jesus is the Vine.  We are the Branches (v.1-2)
    2. The Various Degrees’ of Fruitfulness (v. 3-4):
      • No fruit
      • Fruit
      • More fruit
      • Much fruit
    3. The Value of Fellowship (v. 5-7)
    4. The Epitome of Worship (v. 8a)
    5. The True Mark of Discipleship (v. 8b)
    6. The True Marks of Relationships (vs. 9-12)
    7. The True Marks of Friendship (vs. 13-16)

    Jesus tells us that without Him, our lives will be unfruitful – we are useless without Him. But with Him in the right place in our lives, we will be fruitful beyond our wildest dreams. In other words, life with Him is the key to life that is “full and fruitful” (abundant life,  cf. John 10:10b).  Verse 6, has nothing to so with our salvation, but it is the flip side or the antithesis to our progress and success in our walk with God.  There is a prosperity side in the Gospel, but not the kind of prosperity or the way to prosperity that is taught by many false teachers. They present and propagate “another gospel”.

    In verse 7, we have one of the most amazing promises and principle for answered prayers in the entire Bible. However, very often we forget the first part of the statement and focus on,  “. . .  ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you .” This is not a blank cheque, not a ,i>carte blanche     statement or unconditional promise.  Without the context and conditions, promises and pledges are not worth the paper they are written on.   Many of us “claim the promises” while we either naively or ignorantly disregard the context and the conditions.  Then, when the Lord does not answer, we start doubting our selves and even the Lord.  The issue is not with us personally, or with God.  It is with the way we are taught to use the Scriptures. The Bible is not a “promise chest”, “Aladdin’s lamp”, a book of magic, etc.  It is the invaluable, inspired infallible word of God.

    If we would enjoy the benefits and blessings of the Scriptures, we need to start handling the Word of God with integrity and accuracy (2Tim 2:15).  The message of the Scriptures is unambiguous.  The Lord speaks to His people without stuttering.  Oh that His people will strive to find and understand the true meaning of the Scriptures.  Each portion of Scripture has one correct interpretation and many applications. We cannot have a correct application, if we have the incorrect interpretation. This Blog is started with aim of helping to correct some of these distortions and deficiencies. If just a few start to focus their attention in that direction and walk closer with the Lord start living full and fruitful lives, my efforts will be worth it.

    Now, let us get back to one of the keys (in fact a two-fold key) to answered prayers. Jesus tells us that if we abide in Him (walk with Him in intimate and unbroken fellowship) and His words (rhema) abide in us (read, study, meditate and apply the Scriptures) more of our prayers will be answered.  Who of us can’t do with a few more answered prayers! One of our aims is to help you walk closer with God and spend more time in His Word, thereby having better results in our prayers.  Incidentally, we cannot walk closer with God, until we learn to spend more time in His Word  One of the things we often do to our peril, is that we separate things that belong together (e.g., faith-works; God’s sovereignty-human responsibility, etc).  This portion of Scriptures tells us that Prayer and Bible Study belong together. Some of us think that prayer is a more spiritual involvement than reading, studying, meditating and applying the Scriptures.  I believe that we will have much more of our prayers answers if we read our Bible prayerfully. The Lord never promised Joshua that he would be prosperous if his prayer life improved.  He told Joshua that he will be successful and prosperous if he meditate on the Word and obey it (Josh 1:7-9, cf. Ps 1:2-3).

    Before I bring this installment to a close, please permit me to focus on one more verse.  Verse 8.  Here we have the results of intimate fellowship with Jesus and spending intense times in His word – We will glorify God and we will prove to be disciples of Jesus.

    One last thing. On this Blog-site, I will not be doing all the work and thereby receiving all the blessings.  You will have to do some work also. The Lord gives a reward for our labour.  Our basic problem, when it comes to spiritual progress, is not a lack of knowledge; it is a lack of applying and appropriating what we know. I believe our growth will be exponential when we start applying what we know.  To help you in this area, here a few application questions:

    • How can I be more fruitful in my Christian life?
    • What is the correlation between fruitfulness and “cleanness”?
    • How are we, as Christians, made clean?
    • What in my life, can I accomplish with excellence without Jesus?
    • What is the meaning of “abide”? How can I abide in Jesus and get His Word to abide in me?
    • What is “rhema”, as opposed to“logos”?
    • Why don’t I get more of my prayers answered?
    • How am I glorifying God in my life?
    • Who is a “disciple”? What kind of a disciple am I?
    • How do I measure relationships – with God, Jesus and others?
    • What are the marks of true friendship?  How many real friends do I have?

    Tell me what you think, not what others say.  What you think is more important that what others say. If you must tell me what someone says, tell me what the Lord says! Keep abiding in Jesus and His Word! This is the secret to living a life that is full, fruitful and fulfilling!

    Hello world!

    Nov.26, 2010 in Introduction, Welcome 3 Comments

    Welcome to the first Post of “Abide In the Word! My prayer is that your visits here will be frequent and that you will find instruction and inspiration to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”.  My goal is to post a blog weekly. I will make the necessary adjustments as we go along.

    Thank you for dropping by!

      

    The Great Commission:

    16 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (ESV)