(03/20/2018) I Am The Vine

Today, the reply uses trees and vines to clarify the demands for commitment and dependence from those who become members joined to the body of Christ.  Correctly understood, eternal life comes by a relationship of continual exchange and interaction with divinity that remain unbroken and uninterrupted, even by sleep (i.e., death).  A fighter in the “Yahoo! Answers” forum who uses the ID “Breakthrough” (Level 6 with 15,745 points, a member since June 29, 2013) posted the following:


How do you understand this verse?

"In me you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing."
To me it means you have to bear fruit for God if you want to be successful in your life


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:  But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.  But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.  So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?  He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest:  and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them:  but gather the wheat into my barn.  (Matthew 13:  24-30, King James Version, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  A Rebellious Fig Tree? (12/21/2016); Mustard Seed Faith? (01/16/2014); The Judges Who Condemned Jesus? (01/17/2014); The Barren Tree? (12/06/2013); Fruits From a Barren Tree? (12/07/2013); All Flesh is Grass? (10/29/2013); The Root of Jesse (01/03/2013); Newness of Spirit? (01/04/2013)


“Breakthrough”, for many developing and young Christians the verse you seem to have in mind is a poetic metaphor that speaks like a parable to the joining and unity that must exist for all those who come to Jesus seeking “new life.”  Those who join the church are counseled to never leave the church.  While the boughs and limbs of a tree bear up and display its fruit, the life of the fruit is not from either of those two members.  A Christian believer must become permanently attached to the Savior in the same way a living branch or limb extends from the trunk of a tree.  The branches and limbs are not embedded within the ground, and may not draw nourishment and water directly from the soil.  The trunk of a tree provides protection to the capillaries and other soft tube-like structures that transfer material from the soil below to the leaves and fruit of the tree that are above.  Like stems and twigs of the same tree, the branches and limbs must continually receive substance transferred through the process and strength of the roots—the life within the fruit does not come from the trunk, the branches, or the limbs.

Vines are very different from trees in the thickness and rigidity of their form.  While many vines do not display a strong, hard feature like a trunk that can ensure its survival, because they are thin and light-weight, they can send out feelers that allow them to cling on walls, trees, and other objects to become elevated to where they may receive the sun.  Despite the great size they sometimes achieve, grapes, pumpkins, and watermelon may grow on vines thinner than the spokes of a bicycle.  Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible:

(1.)  John 15:  4-9, King James Version (KJV):  4 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.  5 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.  6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.  9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:  continue ye in my love.

(2.)  Romans 8:  5-10, KJV:  5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:  for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

(3.)  Galatians 5:  19-23, KJV:  19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  21 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.  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  23 Meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.

There is far more to be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended.  (For example, (4.) Matthew 5:  16, KJV:  16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.

THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(06/15/2014) Aspects of Divinity?

Focus, today, is upon the Holy Spirit, incarnation, and the GODhead.  A “Yahoo! Answers” fighter using the ID “fred” (Level 2 with 765 points, a member since December 06, 2013) posted the following:


If God is a spirit, why the need for a Holy Spirit as well?


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  (John 1:  1-5, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  Let Us Make Mankind? (06/10/2014); GOD and Adultery? (06/11/2014); Personality? (04/27/2014); Anointed? (04/28/2014); Jesus in GODhead (04/01/2014); Promise of A Spirit? (11/11/2013); How Was GOD Known Before Jesus? (10/06/2012); Jesus, King of Earth? (10/07/2012)


“fred”, here are some points you should consider as someone making an honest search for truth regarding divinity.  In order to be confident that the concepts and ideas you discover are appropriate and compelling, examine them against the teachings of the holy writings that have stood the test of time:

(1.)  Christian believers accept that GOD is a spirit who has put forth all material beings, the conditions for their duration, and the spheres wherein created beings and living creatures may appear and abide.  As a spirit, the content, process, and substance of GOD may only be known using spirit matter and operations that arise by interactions among and within the various aspects of spirit that are the divine makeup.

(2.)  GOD as the first aspect of divinity is existence (some would say, pure being).  GOD is unity (we say, one).  Also, GOD is “person”.  GOD is not a result of any cause or purpose outside of divinity.  While having will, GOD does not have desire as though lacking or wanting any thing.  As a fullness of divine spirit (we also say, the GODhead), GOD is without measurable dimensions, and may not be described by discrete and independent elements such as boundaries, cells, limits, and particles (e.g., fog, mist, smoke or steam).

(3.)  GOD as the second aspect of divinity is active presence, and directed will.  The GODhead becomes known and understood among created beings and living creatures as having intent and purpose by divinity putting forth events, objects, and sacred operations that alter carnal, material, physical, and spirit existence.  The Holy Spirit is the person within the GODhead that operates as the agent and representative who applies, carries out, directs and manages the flow of divine power as the accomplishment of divine will.  So to speak, the Holy Spirit is muscle that performs work in response to will residing within the first aspect of divinity.

(4.)  GOD as the third aspect of divinity is perfected manifestation.  We say, GOD is all dominion, glory, majesty, righteousness, and sovereignty.  Spirit operates using form, abiding and appearing incarnate for the benefit of those created.  Thus, we say GOD is light, speech, utterance, the Word.

There is far more to be said, correctly understood, and spiritually apprehended.  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.



THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC

(01/19/2014) Unprofitable Servants?

Blessing, judgment, parables and proper stewardship are topics, today, along with more on the Second Coming.  A writer at “Yahoo! Answers New Zealand” using the ID “Luv” (Level 2 with 502 points, a member since 24 November 2013) posted the following originally asked at Yahoo Answers United States:


Why do people say that God will only bless you with a lot if you can handle a little?


THE BATTLE AXE:  About the Second Coming? (01/18/2014)—(5) After the completion of judgment, with the cleansing and purging of the earth through holy fire, Jesus and all those who have answered salvation throughout the ages, will return to live on the earth.  The saved will have been thoroughly prepared to continue in the earth as the permanent home for mankind.  They will all be immortal and incorruptible, and will have already lived together in the celestial presence (we say, heaven) for at least a millennium (1,000 years).  Smart phones, TV, and present-day technology and tools may not exist, for the needs those devices are intended to meet, and the problems they solve, may never arise again.  The blessings of health by balancing meaningful activity, work, rest, and proper diet will continue as the standard for physical distinction.  Because many may still wish to develop and express themselves creatively, eventually, there may be various conveniences and machines to allow the work of cultivating and harvesting crops, preparing meals, and to make life enjoyable and fruitful.  See Isaiah 65:  17-25, Revelation 22:  1-5 and Revelation 21:  1-27, King James Version.


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.  (Haggai 1:  5-7, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  On Being Good Stewards (12/17/2013); Traditional Marriage? (12/18/2013); God Bless America? (09/12/2013); Law, Slavery and Redemption (09/13/2013)


“Luv”, the various principles and rules for commitment, duty, service, sharing, stewardship, and trust among Christian believers are written throughout the Bible.  These same rules apply to divine judgment (e.g., Luke 12:  48 and Luke 16:  10, KJV).  Every believer is expected to serve and share in building up and maintaining their sacred congregation, and the worldwide community of believers.  A person first must be born again in baptism (receive divine DNA, so to speak); their specific needs for information, sacred knowledge and skill must be determined and addressed; and they must be prepared through life experiences for the tasks they will perform as instruments of divine ministry.

While created beings and living creatures all contain endowments of divine substance, they vary in their levels of balance, maturity (i.e., perfection), readiness, receptivity, and stability.  Through the operations of sin upon their awareness and self-will, many have been rendered useless to GOD because of such features as defiance, disobedience, ignorance, ingratitude, malice, rebellion, stubbornness, and untrustworthiness.

To caution and encourage those who would commit themselves as his disciples, Jesus shared a parable (object lesson) where a nobleman, going out of town to receive appointment over a new kingdom, entrusts different amounts of money to three of his servants.  Upon his return he requires that they account for the money.  Two have invested and doubled the amount they received, while the third returns what he was given explaining his fear of losing the money was due to cruelty and greediness of the master.  The nobleman replied, unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him (see Luke 19:  12-27, KJV). 

There is far more to be said, properly shared, and spiritually understood.  (For example, in a second parable, Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven using the figure of a man traveling into a far country who entrusts his three servants with different amounts measured as “talents”.  Again, two prosper, and the third declares only fear, doubt, and disrespect to his master, who replies, “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance:  but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” (see Matthew 25:  14-30, KJV))  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.


But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.  (Mark 6:  4, KJV)


THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC