Ever Learning

WHAT GOD HAS BEEN TEACHING ME


1. Jesus is God’s perfection for us and in us.

2. God demands a perfect life. That perfect life is Jesus. That perfect life is in me right now.

3. The difference between Jesus and me is simple. He was 100% satisfied in God 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and I am not.

4. Affirming each day who I am in Christ motivates me to live accordingly.

5. Living for God is to enter into the flow of God’s intentions which never change.

6. I must receive, rejoice and release. The “source of source” wants to flow through me.

7. The most important thing I can do to start each day is to be a great receiver.


8. Abiding is enjoying a barrier-free relationship with the Vine-Jesus and releasing what the Vine wants to give to others through me.


9. Abiding is the only way to be of any use to God.

10. Fruit that remains is the satisfaction that comes to me from God and now remains in someone else as well.

11. The health of a church is determined by the level of satisfaction being found in God.

12. No church can move faster than the speed of its satisfaction in God.

13. Essence must precede effort in church life. Essence is determined by what we receive, not what we do.

14. Confession of sin is needed so I can locate the place where I became an outcome controller instead of a loving decider.

15. Confession of sin is needed so I can find the place where my heart closes to God and to others.

16. I sin less only because I abide more.

17. Remembering is critical to my spiritual well-being. I must remember before I can reckon before I can run.

18. Listening is first of all spiritual disciplines because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Listening is receiving.

19. A blessed person is one who is like a little child who can only live by receiving from a source of continuous love.

20. To be perfect is to live with a heart completely open to God and a heart completely open to man.

21. Living now with an open heart is true spirituality.

22. Now is what God is allowing to reveal the true state of my heart. My open heart right now is my witness and my opportunity to glorify God.

23. Glorifying God is to reveal His open heart. His heart never closes.

24. Seeking my happiness is to seek God. Seeking my happiness must be my first priority in life.

25. The pursuit of happiness is not evil. To want to feel good is to want to feel God.

26. Complexity is of the devil. Simplicity is of God.

27. When I cooperate with God’s intentions I feel like a man who just ate a wonderful meal for free.

28. Spiritual habits are life disciplines that put me in the best position to receive all Jesus is constantly willing to give to me.

29. The Sermon on the Mount is a description of the kind of life that will emerge when I am perfectly satisfied in God 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

30. To believe is to receive. To increase my faith means to increase my capacity to receive what God has done, is doing or will do.

31. The Kingdom of God is a place where every heart remains continuously open to God and everyone else.

32. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in harmony with His intentions.

33. Every church can be perfectly healthy.

34. No church lacks anything. Having Jesus, they have all they need to succeed. They must improve their receiving, not their doing.

35. There are no bad places for a church to exist. There are only places where great receivers must be present.

36. The church needs to go in the direction of pain if we are going where Jesus is going.

37. Success is taking love’s next step. It is moving forward with an open heart toward God and man.

38. Perfection is living with a heart open like God’s.

39. Everything and everyone must be seen through Jesus’ eyes and treated according to His intentions.

40. The goal is God’s glory. When His character is made perfectly visible and available, all will be well.

41. A healthy church is one in which every branch is experiencing true satisfaction in the vine and releasing that satisfaction without hesitation or judging.

42. I sin when I seek satisfaction apart from the vine.

43. The Christian life is as simple as receive, rejoice, release. It is as simple as receiving from Jesus what He is ready, willing and able to give, enjoying now what he is giving and releasing to others what has been received because there is more where that came from.

44. I am always obsessing on something or someone. When I obsess on Jesus the best me emerges naturally.

45. Jesus was behaving naturally 100% of the time. His essence was so at peace with the Father that his effort and effect always revealed God’s glory.

46. Every church can have perfect health, produce much fruit and become a vineyard full of abiding branches glorifying God.

47. As a branch in the vine, my concern should be the vine, not the fruit. The vinedresser will watch for the fruit he wants and do all the pruning necessary to produce it.

48. The greatest compliment I pay to God each day is to show up empty and ask.

49. Being perfect is always about right now. I am perfect moment by moment and that is only possible if God’s moment by moment perfection flows from His open heart through my open heart.

50. One simple question can inform my behavior toward people in sin. “How should we who will never die treat those who may never live?”

September 07 update

Click on the image to englarge.

Ask 15

At the beginning of 2007 we asked our Abide Partners to "Ask 15". This list of goals included the desire to see 15 international connections for the Abide Ministries. I have learned from this "Ask 15" that one must be ready to "Act 15", too!

Because we asked, I am on my way to India over Christmas. That is what can happen when we ask! Our world expands and we must move toward the open doors.

Back when I was pastor of the First Baptist Church of West Hollywood, a dear family from India joined our community of faith.
The Maken family became dear friends. Mani and Pam Maken dreamed of seeing a church built in India so the people they love could hear about Jesus and the abiding life. Well, that dream is coming true and the building the Makens have helped to build will be dedicated on Dec. 23rd. On Christmas day a citywide celebration will also be held. I am to be the guest speaker at the Maken's request.

That means a 22 hour flight and being away from family on Christmas. We asked! It will be an honor!

I will also be holding a one day retreat for 50 pastors and sharing the Satisfying Life course in English with translation into Hindi.

Now I need one more prayer. "Ask for calm flight". As you know, I only fly by faith alone. Any other way and I would not get on the plane.

Bud