By Victoria Ostrosky
In the Gospel of John, the Beloved Disciple records Jesus’ invitation to ‘abide in Him.’ Jesus masterfully used descriptive imagery to drive His point home. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches.” (John 15:4-5a) Many years later, the Apostle John penned his first letter to young churches in Asia Minor. He encouraged them to walk as Jesus walked, “…the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (I John 2:6) John also inspired them to “not love the world nor the things in the world,” (I John 2:15) and heartened them with these words: “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” (I John 2:28)
In Kenneth Wuest’s expanded translation of the New Testament from the Greek, John 15:4 reads like this: “Maintain a living communion with me, and I with you.” To Jesus, abiding means living with, making your home with, and being in constant communion with Him. When it comes to Jesus, abiding in Him is where our power, effectiveness and ministry flow from.
Billy Milan grew up in New York City in a single parent Catholic household. His mother worked hard to care for her children, and when he was 22, Billy joined the New York Police Department. Some years later, he and his wife ended up living in Texas for her job, and in 2014, while vacationing in Destin and celebrating his retirement from the police force, Billy and his wife ended up purchasing a home and now live in Florida full time.
Before coming to the Lord in 2003, Billy’s difficult job in the homicide division of the police force led him to drink excessively, which led to other bad behavior. “My household was broken on the inside. The exterior was beautiful, but the interior was broken. When the Lord got ahold of me in 2003, it was a radical change.”
After his conversion, Billy, along with his wife, got plugged in and participated in a strong ministry in Long Island where they served faithfully for years. But when they came to Destin and attended Destiny Worship, he felt an automatic peace. “I feel like we’re home.”
Billy explains how his life changed after meeting Jesus, and his fellow officers saw it too. “Police culture is not healthy and needs balance. Jesus culture is so much better.” Billy has learned over the years of walking with God, the importance of staying in the Word. “I stand on my faith and stay in the Word. Stay covered and find good Biblical counsel. We have to step outside of ourselves and let God do what He does. Remain faithful in prayer and in the Word. Bad things will continue to happen, but God is true.”
Complacency is the opposite of abiding. As Billy says, “In the spiritual world, complacency can cause spiritual death. Stay consistent in the Word and prayer and in the church and fellowship. Do not allow complacency to set in.”
Believers are called to maintain a living communion with Jesus. When we walk in His footsteps, breathe in the Word, bathe our days in prayer, and actively search for opportunities to serve, that’s when we become what God designed us to be. Salt and light; useful and effective for the Kingdom.
You can listen to Billy Milan’s entire interview and many other incredible stories on the weekly Road to Redemption radio show and podcast at www.rtrdestiny.com.
Author: Sowal Editor
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