Heavy With The Sap Of The Gospel

December 29th, 2014

Scott

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TheDiscipleMD

One thing I learned while camping out as a Boy Scout was that cutting down a live tree didn’t make for very good firewood. Finding dead trees provided much better firewood because they were dry. You see, dead trees have no sap left in them. Live trees are “green” with sap. Cutting them down for immediate use was not productive. Often they wouldn’t burn at all. The other morning I was reminded of this as I was reading in the gospel of Luke.

“…there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves…For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? ( Luke 23: 27-31).

I was intrigued by the phrase, “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” What did Jesus mean? Well, I think he was using an analogy regarding “green trees versus dry or dead trees” and how they burn. I learned as a boy that a green tree, filled with sap, would often not burn, but a dry or dead tree would burn quickly. Hence, the Lord was using this common analogy to warn the people regarding their fate. If He, being the Son of God, the king of righteousness, was to be crucified, what would become of those wicked and evil people who persecuted the righteous.

Our generation has also been warned that we need to be careful in our observance of the commandments, lest we suffer a fate far worse than that of Jesus. It is a warning that we continue to hear from the prophets.

Let us remember that it is “the best blood” that has been shed to bring forth the restoration of Christ’s church. And that it is His blood that was shed for us. Lest we suffer the fate of the “dry tree”, let us keep ourselves “green,” heavy with the sap of the gospel. Then, when the fire descends, we will not perish.

Posted in Jesus Christ, Messages, Obedience

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ROOTS OF INSPIRATION

In 2007 I began writing a daily inspirational thought to my children, now grown, with the intent to draw them closer to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. The influence of the gospel of Jesus Christ is found in all aspects of our lives. The Savior was a great teacher because he taught parables that resonated with the common man. He could relate simple stories that could be understood by all. I have found the more simple the story, the more profound the message.All of our testimonies can have a powerful impact for good for centuries if we take the time to write them down. After all, the scriptures are simply the inspired thoughts and interaction of men with deity that have been written down for all to read. There is no reason that our influence for good has to go with us to the grave. I have hopes, as did Jacob whose final words were, “…to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren, adieu”