Like A Tree

 

Samantha Levang, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This is a picture of a tree in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. The photographer included:

The tendrils hanging down are part of the tree's root system. If the maintenance crew didn't trim them, they would grow down to the ground and plant themselves, eventually growing like a new trunk from the original tree.

 From a Hawaiian tourism site:

Cool down in the shade under one of the largest banyan trees in the United States. Imported from India and planted in front of the Lāhainā Courthouse and Lāhainā Harbor on 1873, this sprawling tree along Front Street is the size of an entire city block and stands more than 60-feet high. If you need to cool down a bit, you can walk for two-thirds of an acre under the shadow of its sweeping branches. Many events and art exhibits are held beneath this popular gathering place. At Art in the Park, which takes place every second and fourth weekend of the month, browse for affordable paintings, limited edition prints and a wealth of crafts under the dangling vines and twelve major trunks of this Lāhainā landmark.

I've been blessed to be there and see how the tree does cover such a large area. Out my back door is a Live Oak tree that has been shown to be older than this banyan tree. It qualifies to be included in the  Live Oak Society, and its spread is 65 feet, with a girth of 9+ feet before the split, though not nearly 60 feet tall. Unlike this Banyan tree, ours doesn't put out limbs, then roots to start a new trunk on the ground, but it sheds acorns to start new live oak trees.

The Bible uses trees as examples in maniy verses, but one of my favorites is:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalms 1:1-6 KJV)

According to people who keep track, there is a question about the oldest tree in the world:

In eastern California, a Great Basin bristlecone pine known as Methuselah has long been considered Earth’s oldest living thing. According to tree-ring data, it is 4,853 years old — meaning that Methuselah was well established by time ancient Egyptians built the pyramids at Giza. But wait — a challenger has emerged to vie for Methuselah’s record, reports National Geographic’s Craig Welch. In Chile, a Patagonian cypress known as the Alerce Milenario or Gran Abuelo (great-grandfather) could be 500 years older than the current reigning champion.

These two trees existed at the time the psalmist wrote about a righteous man being planted. There is a sense of continuity even in the story of Johnny Appleseed, a man who planted apple trees a couple of centuries ago. So what brought all this to my mind? Pastor's sermon Sunday from Philippians:

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; (Philippians 1:27 KJV)

The slide for Pastor's sermon was a photo he took of the Lahaina Banyan tree. It reminded me of the one request of spoken of before - that our Lord allow time for a picnic under the Tree of Life beside the River of Life where a number of people could visit - all of those in the line that brought the gospel news down to me through the ages, and the people I've spoken/written to sharing the Good News that:

Salvation is God's plan and was given for all mankind to understand;

Sanctification is explained in God's word through the life, death and resurrection of His Son;

Service in God's plan is available to each and every one of us who has faith in His grace.

There have been multiple millions of trees on earth. What beautiful examples of bringing forth fruit in their seasons. Nature itself speaks of God. Read this in context, but  "them" are the unrighteous who should see God around themselves:

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:19-20 KJV)

It is preceeded by those who do have faith:

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17 KJV)

The Gospel Message

 It's as simple as that, and as "true blue.' The gospel is: The teaching or revelation of Christ. You can find four different viewpoints in the first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew and John were disciples of Christ, Mark was a convert and the nephew to Barnabas, Luke was a physician, a convert, and a companion to Paul.

Luke also wrote the book of Acts, or Acts of the Apostles, which follows his gospel with the spread of Christianity during that first century. While the first four books tell of Jesus' life, there are some differences in what the writer deemed important. Since we believe these are scripture and that:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV)

Here Paul is explaining to Timothy how important scripture is. Did Paul know that his two letters to Timothy would be deemed worthy to be included in the Holy Scriptures Paul studied as a Pharisee - only God knows, but those two and others were studied, source verified, and presented to churches as scripture inspired by God.

There are 104 matches for "gospel" in 98 verses in the King James Bible, from Matthew to Revelation. It is not found in  John, Titus, James, 2 Peter, 1st, 2nd, 3rd John, nor Jude.

The first use, Matthew 4:23 tells us Jesus preached the gospel in synagogues. The Greek word used was Strong's G2098 εὐαγγέλιον defined as God's good news. The entire Bible is God's good news to mankind. in verse 23, we learn:

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23 KJV)

The gospel - the truthfully good news - was of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom is reached through Jesus, thus the messengers eventually were called Christians:

And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26 KJV)

My favorite "gospel" story is Paul, standing before Agrippa, reciting his religious background, acknowledging Agrippa's, giving Jesus' story quickly, his own conversion, and Agrippa/s response, followed by Paul's:

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. (Acts 26:28-29 KJV)

Acts 25 and 26 are awesome to read - in fact, the whole Bible is a lot to read, but is worth the time to do it again and again. You see, the gospel, God's good news, covers lifetimes. There's always an opportunitiy for applicability to our own lives, and opportunities to share with others. Sharing is part of Jesus' words to His disciples:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)

Here, on this blog to encourage Bible reading, I've done a tiny part. Jesus used words at the end of His parable of the Good Samaritan that I'd like to pass on to you, once you know Jesus as Lord and Savior:

Go, and do thou likewise. (Luke 10:37c KJV)

I Want That

 

Do you really want your life to be as a rainbow, with pots of gold at each end? Sounds wonderful, doesn't it - until you realize the biblical story about rainbows comes at the end of a flood neither you nor I want to face. It comes after days of being inside with door and windows closed, and the first look for a sign of life was a failure.

Or do you see the rainbow as a promise from God, as the biblical story continues. There was no pot of gold, but there was a renewal and God's promise that floods would not cover the earth at one time again:

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. (Genesis 9:12-15 KJV)

God has made other covenants - promises - and He has kept them. Mankind has a way of making promises, and not keeping them. Native Americans, or First Nations, can name several that were signed, but later broken. It takes a strong desire to want something strong enough to make promises and keep them. To believe strongly enough to point at a specific goal and state, "I want that."

As an example, I met a gentleman who believed his sinfulness was such that he was not acceptable to God. He fully understood:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV)

As all of us who come to God, he knew he had fallen short and deserved condemnation. God, however, knew he didn't:

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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 KJV)

The gentleman had reached the point where he believed Jesus is the Son of God - but did not understand that Jesus came that through Him we, individually, might be saved. By believing Jesus, we no longer stand condemned as we did when we did not believe. We can reach our goal of life with God by saying, "I WANT THAT!"

Maybe not with such emphasis, but with a desire strong enough to want the salvation God is freely giving to everyone who will accept. There is nothing but condemnation for not believing. God said so.

What did that gentlemen, and me, give up? Nothing, really. We accepted God's promise and His way of looking at the world:

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9 KJV)

Paul finally understood, after condemning those who followed Jesus, after being complicit in the death of Stephen; after obtaining orders to imprison and kill Christians, it took a personal encounter with the risen savior for Paul to understand he could have what he had wanted all his religious life - the ability to be with God for eternity.

Have you ever wanted that? Wanted it enough to wonder what you would have to give up to achieve it? Wanted it enough to say to God: "I want what you offer. I believe you exist and I need to learn more to understand"? You have the time, and the Bible tells us:

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2 KJV)