Dear Bride,Abide

Happy 2010 my friends and family.
I tried several times to type a new postings since my last one in Nov. but life got in the way and the words just didn't come. Even now, this is like pulling teeth and I am struggling to get my thoughts focused and recorded. Dec. was the most difficult month and Christmas the most difficult holiday I have ever experienced . If you live in Cumming, you know about the death of one of Madie's friends a few days before Christmas and if you are one of my close friends you know of Kenny's mom and her battle with ovarian cancer. Our family is shaken and in great sorrow. The Lord was faithful as always and gave me 'the word' for 2010 and it has been just what we have needed as we try to get through these hard places. The word is not a common word and can only be found in the King james version of the bible. ABIDE . It has many layers as you begin to study and read the scriptures where you find this wonderful word. It means to continue,to remain,to survive as the undestroyed part,to continue unchanged. WOW.... do we all need to abide as we struggle through this world and all the trials and temptations we face on a daily basis. God speaks through acrostic poetry asI focus on the words he gives me each year.(i promise one day i will publish a book with all of them) Here is the poem for ABIDE.
To abide we must be:
Aware and available-1 John 2:28-"Abide in Him(continue to have fellowship with Christ) so that when he returns you will have confidence and not be ashamed at His coming." Abiding is like floating. Laying back in the water and trusting it to keep you afloat. You have to be still or you will sink. You can not go to sleep or you will sink. Abiding is that place in between. Trusting in Christ to keep you afloat,resting in His arms,but aware of His every move and available to do as He tells you.

Broken- Suffering is universal but brokenness is a choice. 1 john 2:6 "He who says that he abides in God should live their lives as Christ did. "
Brokenness is a complete surrender to God. It means giving up all your rights just as Jesus did. Brokeness is a doorway that God walks through to show us how He wants to use us to further His kingdom. When you suffer,choose to be broken not bitter and allow God to do amazing things as you abide (trust)in Him.

Inclining-Psalm 91:1 -"Those who abide in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the ALMIGHTY!" We must lean in toward God and incline our ear to hear his voice and recieve His comfort. God is always inclining Himself toward us. He is so eager for us to turn towards Him and Abide in His shadow to get the rest we need to recover from the arrows the enemy shoots our way.

Delivering-1John 4:16- "Those who abide in love,abide in God. John 15:4- "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. "
If you are abiding you will be delivering the fruit of the spirit to all you encounter.(love,peace,gentleness etc) What are we delivering? It depends on what we are abiding in.

Enduring-Abiding also means remaining or waiting- God wants us to wait patiently for His return. James5:7-8- "Therefore be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth waiting patiently for it until it recieves the early and latter rains, you also be patient. Establish your hearts for the coming of the lord is at hand. "Rev3:10 says," Because you have obeyed my command to persevere , I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world." Oswald Chambers makes the comment," it is man's day(much testing) and we must ABIDE in prayerfully centered patience until God sees fit to put an end to man's day." I end with john15:7-" If You ABIDE in ME and My words ABIDE in you,you may ask any request you like and it will be granted. "My friends as the Bride of Christ... we must ABIDE and we will survive as the undestroyed part. (part 2 will continue in next posting)