Abide In Me

“Abide in me….”

The branch must be attached to the vine for life to flow into it. “By God I am in Christ”

(I have been placed into the vine by God and not of myself) but abiding in Christ is up to me. So then, the question to ask is, HOW do I abide?



Picture the life of God, entering into us as the branch...


 Filling us. Overflowing.


                                Do not all of us who truly love Him 
          desire the abundance of life that Jesus promised?

What determines the measure that is poured in to you?  Luke 6:38 says, “For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”  This is in every area of life. 


What exactly is it I am to be pouring out, measuring out, in fullness? Some people say that we are to pour out our flesh, make that an offering before the Lord. But he doesn’t want that…


Jesus died on the cross to crucify that flesh.  Romans 6:6, “For we know that our old self was crucified with Christ so this body of sin might be done away with” and Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”   


So what then am I to pour out in great measure that I may receive in great measure the abundant life promised by Christ, the life flow that comes from the Vine?  


What am I to offer? 

“To love God with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all our strength, AND to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 

Simply put, to live this truth out today- 


All of my moments, TODAY (and tomorrow, and the next, and the next) that I am able to turn my whole heart, mind and strength to loving Him- this I must do.  I love Him in this moment with my thoughts of how wonderful and worthy He is. I love Him with a song of worship on my lips, not just in church Sunday morning, but in my heart always (Ephesians 5:19). I love him with the strength of my body, doing all my work as unto the Lord and not to men (Colossians 3:23) 


And second,  all the moments that are presented before me TODAY when I have opportunity to love another, be it my spouse, children, neighbor, friend or stranger, this I must do, again with all that is within me. 


To do these two things at all times will mean that there is a constant outflow of LIFE flowing out of me, those rivers of living water. That is the offering that He desires.  


And the more I pour, the more I am filled. For with the measure that I use it will be measured back to me.