Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Talk Tuesday-The Abide Series, Pt. II- ABIDE IN THE SPIRIT

Last week we discussed what it meant to ABIDE in Jesus from the perspective of abiding in the Word. This week, we are looking at Jesus' command to ABIDE in Him from the perspective of ABIDING IN THE SPIRIT. In John 15 Jesus says:

"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

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love" John 15:10. 

ABIDE IN THE SPIRIT. Jesus reminds us of the importance of 'abiding' in His Word, and allowing His Word to abide in us. The result is that our lives will bring glory to God as we bear much spiritual fruit. So, how are we to abide in Him?
  1. Walk in obedience. This idea of obedience and love, while repeated in John 15:10, actually appears in the preceeding chapter. In John 14:15-17, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to us if we walk in obedience. “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” The promise to ABIDE goes both ways, as we abide in Him, He will abide in us! “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” John 14:23 
  2. Abide/Walk in the Spirit to produce much fruit. “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” Galatians 5:16. The branches of the grape vine cannot produce fruit unless it remains connected to the vine. It is the vine that takes the nourishment from the soil and feeds it to the branches. It is the same with the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” Galatians 5:22-25. 
  3. Abide in the Spirit to bring Glory TO GOD – John 15:7-8 outlines the threefold blessing of ABIDING in Him; we receive whatever we ask, we bear much fruit which glorifies GOD, and we show ourselves to be His disciples. In the epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul reminds us, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you” Romans 8:9.
As we ABIDE in His Spirit, we can rest in His promise of eternal life. "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" Romans 8:11. What does it mean to you, to ABIDE in the Spirit? Please click on the comments link below to share your thoughts with us! We look forward to hearing from you!



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LAST WEEK FOR  THE WRITING CONTEST !!! 
If you have a knack for writing, and a heart for ministry, we are calling you to write a 300-400 word article that is scripturally based and edifying to the Body of Christ. All entries must be emailed to joinus@biblegrouponline.com by January 31st, 2012. A panel of four judges will select the three most outstanding submissions. They will be posted on BGO on Tuesday February 14th, where our readers will be encouraged to vote by simply commenting on the entry of their choice. Only comments made between February 14th and February 29th will be counted. The winner will be announced on March 6th, 2012. The prize is the outstanding DVD of the movie 'Courageous,' which will be mailed to the winner. The first runner up will receive a Hillsongs DVD. The winning submission will be featured as a special 'Talk Tuesday' post.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Talk Tuesday-The Abide Series Pt.1, ABIDE IN THE WORD

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 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. 5 “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. 6 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 they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  John 15:1-10 

Throughout this passage of scripture Jesus reiterates the message, 'Abide in Me.' What exactly does it mean to 'abide' in Him? He uses the analogy of the vine and the branches to provide an example of what is required of us to be fruitful Christians. If we visualize a cluster of grapes, it is the vine that takes the nutrients from the soil and feeds it to the branches. Yet it is from the branches that the fruit grow. 

We are to 'abide' or 'remain' in Him. The word 'abide' in the original Greek, meno, means, 'abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand and tarry' (Strong's Concordance). When I think of what Jesus is asking, the following scripture immediately comes to mind,"For in Him we live and move and have our being" Acts 17:28. 

ABIDE IN THE WORD. In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus is described as the 'Word.' "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," John 1:1; "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us," John 1:14. In John 15: 7-8, He tells us that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us we will, 1) receive what we ask, 2) glorify the Father, 3) bear much fruit and 4) show ourselves to be His disciples. So how do we ABIDE IN THE WORD? 

1. Meditate on His Word day and night, you will be firmly planted in His dwelling. Psalm 1:1-3 instructs us accordingly. "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." 

2. His Word is a mirror, revealing to us what needs to change and improve. Hebrews 4:12, "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." 

3. His Word is a compass, it guides our steps. Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." It shows us where we are to tread and the places we need to avoid in order to abide or remain in Him. 

What does it mean to you to ABIDE IN HIS WORD? Please click on the comments link below to share your thoughts with our BGO family. We look forward to hearing from you. And stay tuned for next week's addition, ABIDE IN THE SPIRIT.

Monday, January 16, 2012

THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN WIN!!!




Courageous is an inspiring, scripturally based movie whose message is about the importance of fatherhood in the Christian home. It is a powerful, poignant film that will make you laugh, weep, and cheer. This DVD could be yours if you are the winner of our Writing Contest! The entries are great, so keep them coming in!!! Remember, the deadline is January 31st, 2012.

Monday, January 9, 2012

WRITING CONTEST - Calling all writers



Biblegrouponline is launching its first ever writing contest!!!! If you have a knack for writing, and a heart for ministry, we are calling you to write a 300-400 word article that is scripturally based and edifying to the Body of Christ. All entries must be mailed to joinus@biblegrouponline.com by January 31st, 2012. A panel of four judges will select the three most outstanding submissions. They will be posted on BGO on Tuesday February 14th, where our readers will be encouraged to vote by simply commenting on the entry of their choice. Only comments made between February 14th and February 29th will be counted. The winner will be announced on March 6th, 2012. The prize is the outstanding DVD of the movie 'Courageous,' which will be mailed to the winner. The first runner up will receive a Hillsongs DVD. The winning submission will be featured as a special 'Talk Tuesday' post.

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2012 @ BGO

2012 is gearing up to be an EXCITING year for BGO!! We will be launching our 'Writer's Contest', 'Bible Talk', the 10-40 Window Prayer Chain, while continuing with our Talk Tuesdays, Movie Mondays and Prayer Wall. We will also have surprise giveaways throughout the year to our readers across the world!

'Bible Talk' will feature weekly Bible Studies on scriptures from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. These will be posted on Fridays. Your participation is greatly appreciated, as it is our hearts' desire for this forum to be used to share our knowledge of God's Word with one another, and to draw closer to our Saviour as we learn more about Him.

The 10-40 Window is an area of the world, from 10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator, stretching from North Africa across to China, in which the world's largest population of non-Christians reside. In the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands us to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." While we may not be able to go physically, we can pray and intercede for our brothers and sisters who live, often under persecution, in these nations. Let's also pray for a move of the Holy Spirit that will see many new hearts transformed by the power of Jesus Christ!

Our New Year's resolution is to Seek Him With All Our Heart in 2012. We will be writing a four part series called, 'Abide In Jesus,' based on the Gospel of John 15:1-10. Please join us as we travel through some of the powerful truths contained in this scripture, from Tuesday January 17th to Tuesday February 7th. We will be focusing on what Jesus means when He calls us to 'abide' or 'remain' in Him. He says, "I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" John 15:5.

Thank you for your faithfulness throughout the years. Remember, KEEP COMMENTING...you may JUST get a surprise giveaway gift when you least expect it!!!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Happy Blessed New Year!!!!

We here, at BGO, wanted to wish you all a Blessed and Spirit-filled New Year! Get ready for a mighty outpouring of God's Spirit upon your life. As we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). Our New Year's Resolution is to SEEK HIM WITH ALL OUR HEART. We know that Jesus has promised to come again. We know that He has commissioned us with the great work of spreading the Gospel. Let us purpose in our hearts to be single-minded, and faithful in our words, deeds and thoughts toward the LORD, so that we can accomplish His will in our lives. Let us also remember to, '...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.' Hebrews 3:13

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3


Blessings in Christ,
Andrew and Natasha
January 2012

P.S. Look out for new and exciting additions to BGO! We will be relaunching this January, with an exciting contest...shhhh, it's a secret for now! There will be a great prize give away, so look out and stay tuned.