Potential - Apples and Bibles

I can’t remember the date I made 30 of these little stand up frames. They were for a 2010 ladies retreat our church had planned, and my talk was on potential. I wrote a blog about the potential of one apple seed. Every one of us has potential. Right now there are hugely divided concepts on how to consider our personal potential, but my thoughts had to do with our potential in spreading the gospel. Maybe it bears repeating after ten years:

Jesus spoke with His disciples about mustard seeds a couple of times. I used to have one in a glass globe on a bracelet as a reminder of the potential in the smallest of faith.

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. (Luke 17:6 KJV)

I’ve been thinking about potential.

I was looking at apple seeds -- odd looking, elongated and varied in size. Their fruit is good to eat and nutritious, though eaten in large quantity, apple seeds themselves are poisonous. Yet singly, each seed has the potential to repopulate the species across our planet. That's what caught my attention -- potential.

Of course, that's true of any seed, but the apple reminds me more of humans than most others. Their fruit can be pleasantly sweet, or pungently sour; suitable for snacking or better for baking. Whole apples can be stored for months, dried sections keep for a year. Apples are nutritious; they can be eaten raw or cooked; baked whole or made into apple butter; juiced to drink or made into jellies or vinegar.

We enjoy the trees for the beauty of their flowering, their fruit and for shade. We would miss them if they all suddenly vanished. If there was one remaining seed, it would have the potential to provide new trees, new fruit, then new seeds to plant even more. John Chapman took this to heart and became the American legend Johnny Appleseed.

But, most tree seeds do not produce a plant resembling the parent. Grafting is necessary. When you purchase an apple tree from a nursery, you'll find a grafting scar, Just as Romans 11 speaks of branches “graffed” onto the tree, necessary to provide the right fruit.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. (Romans 11:22-23 KJV)

These examples show us potential – the potential of providing a strong plant with good fruit and spreading it around the world.

We must look at our own potential. Are we capable of producing good fruit? Could we repopulate the gospel over the entire earth?

How prepared are we to fulfill this potential? If we had to, how much of the Bible could we reproduce? Can we name each of the books? How many verses are memorized? Do we know the Roman Road?

How many references do we know to support our doctrinal beliefs? Do we speak of these outside our church? Do we study to learn more? To share more?

Take a serious look at potential – of service to our Lord, of supporting salvation for others. Grow that potential, with the strength and support of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5 KJV)

Shipwrecked

By Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit") - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

I chose this modern photo to remind me that shipwrecks aren’t ancient. In the book of Acts, Luke describes a shipwreck he experienced with Paul. I wonder if Paul thought of that when he wrote to Timothy:

Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: (1 Timothy 1:19 KJV)

When we see this in action - a person who had stated a faith in Christ as savior and Lord, yet turned their back to all Christianity stands for - it is saddening to see the pictures they share, defining the shipwreck  of their life.

It is difficult to comprehend since it can happen after passing years of training in college, questioning by pastor’s, serving as a church’s Pastor, then tossing it aside for a life that confirms scripture:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:15-20 KJV)

I remember what scriptures tell us happened to a real tree that bore no fruit:

Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
(Matthew 21:18-19 KJV)

I would venture to say that particular fig tree was hewn down and case into a fire, wouldn’t you? It was useless as a fruit tree. We are given the fruit of the Spirit – the characteristics a Christian should be showing - in Galatians and again in Ephesians:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV)

(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) (Ephesians 5:9 KJV)

If we live with goodness, righteousness, and truth, surely we have the love, joy, peace – all the spiritual gifts gained by loving God and our neighbors. We are also told what things are not part of God’s Spirit, nor should they be part of a Christian’s life:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 KJV)

We are also told what we should do with those who choose the fruit of the flesh:

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. (Ephesians 5:11-13 KJV)

And, we are told what we should do ourselves:

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;  (Titus 2:11-12 KJV)

There are so many more verses to help us, but none of them tell us to take on the burdens of those who have chosen the fruit of the flesh. Jesus is ready to exchange their heavy burden for one that is light – He promised, and He is faithful:

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Hebrews 10:23 KJV)

Statements of Fact

There are several statements of fact in the Bible, as Micah wrote above. I like Joshua’s statement:

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15 KJV)

Jesus also made statements, among them are several I depend upon:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 KJV)

It’s the “will” that makes a difference to me. The definition given this verb is "expressing the future tense; and expressing inevitable events; and expressing facts about ability or capacity. There are several other definitions of this simple four-letter word, at least six as a verb, and more as a noun. What does it mean to you?

As I read in Micah, Joshua, and Matthew, it is a statement that the described action will take place. That’s a tiny bit different from John’s use when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Here we don’t see “will”, but there is “should not”, which Strong’s definition of G3361 is:

μή
Transliteration:  mē
Pronunciation:  may
A primary particle of qualified negation (whereas G3756 expresses an absolute denial);

Why would this verse use “should not” instead of “will”? I wonder if the explanation can be found in:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19 KJV)

Believing should also mean responding – and sometimes believing doesn’t responding to God, just as the devils in the verse above. James addresses that, too, to help us see the difference between those who profess a belief, and those who have faith in God:

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (James 2:17-18 KJV)

We believers are examples to others – the emphasis in the following verse is mine, bold to tie the two together – Paul and his companions’ behavior being an example to follow:

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-9 KJV)

Which is why we hold our religious leaders to a biblical standard, and are very disappointed when that standard is ignored. There are some biblical standards that are statements of fact. Jesus made such statements.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV)

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  (John 3:5 KJV)

Those statements of fact tell me who He is – this one tells me who we are:

But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matthew 22:31-32 KJV)

That’s an awesome statement!

Believing can be difficult. There are many who do not, and are eager to tell Christians how wrong they are. Those persist in their belief that God never did exist and absolutely does not exist today. But if you can accept one verse as a possibility, and read the Bible with prayers for understanding, it will make such a difference that you can believe that:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 KJV)

Finished

Remember what Jesus said while on the cross?

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30 KJV)

He had not removed the yoke Rome had laid on Israel. Similar yokes had been added over the previous centuries, and each one had been exchanged for another – and more would come. The Messiah had not released Israel from bondage. Yet His message would be carried on until it literally spanned the world. What was that message? The same one that went out at Eden, was repeated in Egypt, and reiterated by Jesus:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)

Yes, indeed. You will see this in a lot of my blogs. Obviously it’s worth repeating because the concept is written across the Bible. If it’s that important for God to remind us, it is equally important for us to remember it.

I believe I am responsible for what I do and where I do it. I also believe I am accountable to God. Remember what King David said:

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (Psalms 51:4 KJV)

David certainly knew guilt, confessing it not only to God but to those around him. Contrition and repentance. Sorrow for the error, and determination not to make that same error again.

Basically, that’s what Jesus suggested we do before our God on a regular basis:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:7-13 KJV)

The world remains much as it was when our Lord taught His disciples as they walked together. The only schedules then had to do with holy days through the year, and one special day where our Lord’s work was perfectly – finished.

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30 KJV)

The Greek for “finished” (G5055) was used 26 times in KJV. But “finisher” (G5051) was only used once, in the lead verse.

The KJV translates Strong's G5051 in the following manner: finisher
1. a perfector
2. one who has in his own person raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith

Appropriate, isn’t it? The perfect finish to the perfect plan of salvation. Follow what’s laid out and we can join Paul in saying:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (2 Timothy 4:7 KJV)