leaves

Keys to the Storehouse – Nations Gather

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Will you be ready to be gathered with all the nations of the redeemed to eat the fruit of the tree of life and be completely healed by its leaves?

Revelation 22:2 paints this beautiful picture: “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

Amazingly, we are told that eating the leaves of the tree of life starts right here on this earth.

“Must we wait until we are translated before we eat of the leaves of the tree of life? He who receives into his heart the words of Christ knows what it means to eat the leaves of the tree of life. …

“The knowledge that comes from God is the bread of life. It is the leaves of the tree of life which are for the healing of the nations. The current of spiritual life thrills the soul as the words of Christ are believed and practiced. Thus it is that we are made one with Christ. The experience that was weak and feeble becomes strong. It is eternal life to us if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end.” The Upward Look, 224.

Sharing the gospel in our various walks of life, whether we travel overseas to mission fields, or work in health, schools of learning and teaching children, or just in general contact with the public, there is a work to be done for the Lord and in keeping His commandments.

The health message was promoted in the early days of our church history. “The great reason why we have sanitariums [health centers] is that these institutions may be agencies in bringing men and women to a position where they may be numbered among those who shall some day eat of the leaves of the tree of life, which are for the healing of the nations” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 227.

We must examine ourselves to see if we love Jesus enough to let go of the love of the world and find the true meaning and purpose in serving Him.

“The redeemed saints who have loved God and kept His commandments here, will enter in through the gates of the city and have right to the tree of life. They will eat freely of it as our first parents did before the fall. The leaves of that immortal widespread tree will be for the healing of the nations.” Maranatha, 325.

What a world of beauty and surprises awaits us!  No more divisions among nations. No more wars, fights, bloodshed, pain, crying and separation by death. All is healed.

Dear Lord, please help us to live each day for Your glory to seek others with whom to share Your truth and love. Oh Lord, we want to be in heaven with You. May we participate in Your plan to heal all nations and may we be ready to meet You very soon. Keep us faithful no matter what may come our way, is our prayer. Amen.

Pretentious Foliage

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The word pretentious means attempting to impress by affecting greater importance than is actually possessed or in other words: a fake. An example is the mineral like iron pyrite that has a superficial resemblance to gold and affectionately called “fool’s gold.”

We may ask ourselves the question: Are we Christ’s followers or just pretenders?

Jesus said, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:22–26).

In John 15:1–11, we read the lesson Christ taught about the vital importance of being connected to the vine. He said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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. 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. 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. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Jesus makes it very plain when He says that unless we are connected to the TRUE VINE, we will not bear fruit. Why? Just think of the branches on the tree. If the branch is disconnected from the tree, its source of life, it is fit for nothing but to be burned. So, it is a fact that if we are not connected to Christ, we are useless, yes friends, useless for Christ. Without that connection we cannot bear the fruits of the Spirit – longsuffering, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance and the list goes on. We may pretend to be Christ’s, but in reality, we are none of His and in the final analysis, how terrifying it will be to hear the words, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).

The fig tree is native to the Middle East and northwestern Asia. It was brought to North America by Spanish missionaries in the early sixteenth century. Figs are one of the oldest fruits known to mankind and are members of the moraceae family, which includes the Mulberry and breadfruit. The shade provided by a mature tree is definitely appreciated in the summer and in the right conditions some species will produce two crops in a year. The first, called a “breba” crop, ripens in late May or June, and a second will be ready in late September to early November.

One day Jesus was walking to the temple. “On the way He passed a fig orchard. He was hungry, ‘and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find anything thereon: and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet’ (Mark 11:13).

“It was not the season for ripe figs. … But in the orchard to which Jesus came, one tree appeared to be in advance of all the others. It was already covered with leaves. It is the nature of the fig tree that before the leaves open, the growing fruit appears. Therefore this tree in full leaf gave promise of well-developed fruit. But its appearance was deceptive. Upon searching its branches, from the lowest bough to the topmost twig, Jesus found ‘nothing but leaves.’ It was a mass of pretentious foliage, nothing more.

“Christ uttered against it a withering curse. ‘No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever’ (verse 14), He said. The next morning, as the Saviour and His disciples were again on their way to the city, the blasted branches and drooping leaves attracted their attention. ‘Master,’ said Peter, ‘behold, the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered away’ (verse 21).

“Christ’s act in cursing the fig tree had astonished the disciples. It seemed to them unlike His ways and works. Often they had heard Him declare that He came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. They remembered His words, ‘The Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them’ (Luke 9:56). His wonderful works had been done to restore, never to destroy. The disciples had known Him only as the Restorer, the Healer. This act stood alone. What was its purpose? they questioned. …

“The cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable. That barren tree, flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ, was a symbol of the Jewish nation. The Saviour desired to make plain to His disciples the cause and the certainty of Israel’s doom. For this purpose He invested the tree with moral qualities, and made it the expositor of divine truth. The Jews stood forth distinct from all other nations, professing allegiance to God. They had been specially favored by Him, and they laid claim to righteousness above every other people. But they were corrupted by the love of the world and the greed of gain. They boasted of their knowledge, but they were ignorant of the requirements of God, and were full of hypocrisy. Like the barren tree, they spread their pretentious branches aloft, luxuriant in appearance, and beautiful to the eye, but they yielded ‘nothing but leaves.’ The Jewish religion, with its magnificent temple, its sacred altars, its mitered priests and impressive ceremonies, was indeed fair in outward appearance, but humility, love, and benevolence were lacking.

“All the trees in the fig orchard were destitute of fruit; but the leafless trees raised no expectation, and caused no disappointment. By these trees the Gentiles were represented. They were as destitute as were the Jews of godliness; but they had not professed to serve God. They made no boastful pretensions to goodness. They were blind to the works and ways of God. With them the time of figs was not yet. They were still waiting for a day which would bring them light and hope. The Jews, who had received greater blessings from God, were held accountable for their abuse of these gifts. The privileges of which they boasted only increased their guilt.

“Jesus had come to the fig tree hungry, to find food. So He had come to Israel, hungering to find in them the fruits of righteousness. He had lavished on them His gifts, that they might bear fruit for the blessing of the world. Every opportunity and privilege had been granted them, and in return He sought their sympathy and co-operation in His work of grace. He longed to see in them self-sacrifice and compassion, zeal for God, and a deep yearning of soul for the salvation of their fellow men. Had they kept the law of God, they would have done the same unselfish work that Christ did. But love to God and man was eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency. They brought ruin upon themselves by refusing to minister to others. The treasures of truth which God had committed to them, they did not give to the world. In the barren tree they might read both their sin and its punishment. Withered beneath the Saviour’s curse, standing forth sere and blasted, dried up by the roots, the fig tree showed what the Jewish people would be when the grace of God was removed from them. Refusing to impart blessing, they would no longer receive it. ‘Oh Israel,’ the Lord says, ‘thou hast destroyed thyself’ (Hosea 13:9).

“The warning is for all time. Christ’s act in cursing the tree which His own power had created stands as a warning to all churches and to all Christians. No one can live the law of God without ministering to others.” The Desire of Ages, 581–584.

As we take the time to read this article, I would like to state that I stand condemned, for if I am truly honest, I do not want to be pruned. Pruning is a painful process, but if we desire to spend eternity with Jesus, we must allow God to take control of our lives, we must surrender and allow Him to make us more productive.

Pray that God will help us to be connected to the True Vine and daily remain connected to Him. Remember there is nothing good in us unless we receive the power that flows from the Vine.

May the Lord help us daily and give us His grace, His strength and His Love to share Jesus.

Revella Knight is a registered nurse and writes from her home in Arkansas.

Nature Nugget – Autumn Leaves

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Every autumn, in temperate regions around the world, the leaves of deciduous trees undergo a transformation of color that can be quite spectacular. Leaves that spent the previous spring and summer in various shades of green now turn to brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. This color change is the result of transformations in leaf pigments.

The green pigment in leaves is chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy from the sun and converts it into chemical energy in the form of sugars and starches in a process called photosynthesis. Because chlorophyll is not a very stable compound, bright sunlight causes it to decompose. Therefore, plants have to continuously make more, which is a process that requires sunlight and warm temperatures.

Another pigment found in many plants is carotene, which produces yellow, orange, and brown colors. Unlike chlorophyll, carotene is very stable. When chlorophyll and carotene occur together in most leaves, the green color of the chlorophyll dominates and masks the colors of the carotene. This is why leaves appear green during the spring and summer.

A third class of leaf pigments, the anthocyanins, are red in color. Most anthocyanins are produced in the fall as a result of a reaction between high concentrations of sugars and certain proteins in the sap of the leaf cells in the presence of light. The color produced by anthocyanins is sensitive to pH. If the cell sap is highly acidic, the pigments will be a bright red color. If the cell sap has low acidity, it will be more purplish in color.

The cool nights and short days of autumn trigger a change in the trees. A corky membrane forms between the branch and the leaf stem. This membrane cuts off the flow of nutrients into the leaf, resulting in a decline in the production of chlorophyll. As a result, the remaining chlorophyll decomposes, causing the green color of the leaf to fade. If the leaf contains carotene, as do the leaves of birch and hickory, the color will change from green to yellow or orange. If it contains anthocyanins, the leaf will change to a shade of red or purple, as do the leaves of red maples, red oaks, and sumacs.

Weather also affects how bright the colors will be each season with temperature and moisture being the main influences. Lots of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp, above freezing nights produce the most spectacular color displays. Also, dry weather conditions increase the concentration of sugars in the leaf sap, which increases the amount of anthocyanins that are produced.

As the death of the leaves in the autumn produces a splendor of beauty, so the soul who surrenders his life to Christ and dies daily to self will develop a beautiful character as he beholds the life of Christ. “We need to understand how necessary it is that we die to self. Self-crucifixion will place souls on vantage ground. I entreat those [of you] who profess to be Christians to die to self that you may be stirred with a new life by the Holy Spirit’s power. Satan is working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Daily we need the converting power of God, or we cannot walk in the footprints of Christ. As the mind is enlightened in regard to what is purity and sanctification, and the heart responds to the strivings of the Holy Spirit, a daily conversion will be the result.” The Upward Look, 269.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

A Parable from the Leaves

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It is not difficult to discover that in autumn the leaves fall. This is such a common thing, so plain and manifest, that even a child observes it. Neither is it difficult to go a step further, and moralize upon their fall; for the Scripture has set us an example, and in moralizing we have but to repeat the words, “We all do fade as a leaf” (Isaiah 64:6).

It is well for us to remember our frailties. To know our limitations is one secret of power, one of the foundation-stones of success. We are weak; without Him we can do nothing: “We all do fade as a leaf.”

“The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever” (Isaiah 40:6–8).

The voice of God cries out to every person gifted with the power of speech: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear; and he that hath voice to cry, let him cry. “Cry,” says the voice of God to us; and when, in wonder and questioning, we ask, “What shall I cry?” there comes this answer to our questioning: “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.”

And so, if we cry at all as the Word bids us cry, we must declare the weakness and frailty of man. But this is not all the commission. We must not stop here; having said so much, we have only begun. So far there is no whisper of hope, no thought for courage. Obeying the Word that bids us cry, and having given so much of the message, we must proclaim the rest. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but [oh, the glory of its truth!] the word of our God shall stand forever.”

This is the whole message; it is twofold—the weakness and frailty and failure of things earthly, and the power and permanency and steadfastness of the things of God.

It is a suggestion of this twofold message that is given us in the life and death of the leaves. The leaves fade and fall away; and drawing the parallel, we say that we, too, must cease our labors and pass from our places. But this is but one side of the message; there is another, for the message is twofold.

The leaves fade and fall away, it is true, but they leave behind them mighty monuments of their labors. Not one leaf lives through the summer days, but, when it fades, leaves behind that which may stand for years, perhaps ages.

The leaves fade, but there abideth that which, through the leaves, God has built. While the leaves lived, they worked to build up the tree, which remains when the leaves are gone. Gray trunks and naked limbs are the mute testimony of the gigantic task wrought by the leaves.

The work of the leaf is not in vain; something is left behind that shall laugh at the fierceness of the storm, that shall brave the cold of winter, and that shall continue the growth of the tree until its circuit is accomplished.

While we remember that the leaves of autumn fade, let us not forget that the leaves of summer work. And it is the work that is of importance. By their labor they rear the beautiful maples, the stately elms, the giant oaks. By their fading they show us how weak was the instrument through which the Creator worked.

So it may be with us.

We, too, like the leaves, do fade. All the people are but grass; all flesh is like the fading, dying verdure of autumn, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. One withers, the other fades; both are alike lost.

But our failure is not the only thing for us to consider. The great question with each of us should be: Have I, in life’s summer days, done with faithfulness the work that God gave me to do? It is the work that is of importance.

Our failure—our dying and passing from the work of life—shows how weak are the instruments that God uses for the accomplishing of His purposes. But what we leave behind, the memories of an unselfish life, the souls helped by us out into a better life—these remain to show what God can do through humble instruments.

What the leaves leave behind must in turn perish and pass away, but not so that which human lives may leave behind. It is our privilege to leave behind us an immortal heritage.

What sort of monument are you building? What kind of memorial are you erecting? If you live as you may, there shall something abide; for “the word of our God shall stand forever,” God will still carry on the work in which for a time He has given us a place. Without us, after our fall, as without the leaves after their fall, His work goes on. Of those who do His work it is said, when the fading time comes, “They rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Revelation 14:13).

Faithfully let us work the works of Him that sent us, “while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

The Youth’s Instructor, December 13, 1900.