Abiding

Yesterday Ray and I had a late breakfast. Afterward, he read John 15 to me and we discussed the word, "abide".
John 15:4 says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."
In the Strong's abide in the Greek is meno.
1) to remain, abide

a) in reference to place

1) to sojourn, tarry

2) not to depart

a) to continue to be present

b) to be held, kept, continually

b) in reference to time

1) to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure

a) of persons, to survive, live

c) in reference to state or condition

1) to remain as one, not to become another or different

2) to wait for, await one

If you take each definition and substitute it for abide, it will really stir your spirit. For instance, in referring to our life as a Christian:

(Remain as one) in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it (remain as one) in the vine; no more can ye, except ye (remain as one) in me.
Or how about this?
(Continue to be present) in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it (Continue to be present) in the vine; no more can ye, except ye (Continue to be present) in me.
That will certainly convict any independent, rebellious spirit. It certainly eliminates double-mindedness. Ray likes to DO for the Father, while I listen and then run ahead of the Father as if to say, "I can take it from here."
Neither is what He is asking here. Abide in me; let me abide in you. Then and only then will you bear the fruit that I designed you to bear.
Abide.