Here is what I've been into:
John 15
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the Farmer. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[1] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I will abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must abide in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If you do not abide in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now abide in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will abide in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and abide in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
It is in the official Asbury Theological Seminary Translation.
I've been trying to commit it to heart. In fact I am very close to having it memorized. I don't think of it as memorization though. I think of it more like hiding it in my heart. I can't describe how amazing it is to memorize scripture, and be able to quote it in times of trouble or blessing. I think the best way to understand the idea of a "spirit coming alive in you" is through meditation of God's word. It's become part of my thinking. JD said it well when he told me that it has to become like the thread of your life; everything is sewn up with it. Life becomes more real, and more apparent. Right and wrong become definite. Your joy becomes fully complete.
Thank you Jd:
I told him that I had honestly never memorized a single verse of scripture apart from the ones we all know. His response was, "It's time." And he gave me this seminal passage to start with.
Its good to meditate on this as I am starting my first series of tests.
Pray that I would have strength and peace as I study and take my exams this week.
I challenge everyone to at least learn verses 1-2, it feels amazing to repeat it and know that it is true.
John 15
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the Farmer. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[1] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I will abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must abide in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If you do not abide in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now abide in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will abide in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and abide in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
It is in the official Asbury Theological Seminary Translation.
I've been trying to commit it to heart. In fact I am very close to having it memorized. I don't think of it as memorization though. I think of it more like hiding it in my heart. I can't describe how amazing it is to memorize scripture, and be able to quote it in times of trouble or blessing. I think the best way to understand the idea of a "spirit coming alive in you" is through meditation of God's word. It's become part of my thinking. JD said it well when he told me that it has to become like the thread of your life; everything is sewn up with it. Life becomes more real, and more apparent. Right and wrong become definite. Your joy becomes fully complete.
Thank you Jd:
I told him that I had honestly never memorized a single verse of scripture apart from the ones we all know. His response was, "It's time." And he gave me this seminal passage to start with.
Its good to meditate on this as I am starting my first series of tests.
Pray that I would have strength and peace as I study and take my exams this week.
I challenge everyone to at least learn verses 1-2, it feels amazing to repeat it and know that it is true.
posted by wes at 8:34 PM
2 Comments:
kentexan-- glad to see you flowing some words out. good words about jo15. and guess what-- you rock no matter what your teachers and test grades say.
so be peace.
jd
Wes,
In all of my time in seminary, in all the books I read, nothing affected me the way this passage has. The implications of verse 15, "I no longer call you servants, but I call you friends," this is where its at my friend.
Blessing as you work.
Brandon
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