Clones from clipping versus planting and nurturing seed

My friend Eric gave me this book today Christ of the Indian Road by Stanley Jones. Great reminder to keep Jesus at the center. Don't worry about defending bad culture, knowing Genesis to Revelation (Jesus fulfilled the law and prophets). 

This reminds me that we don't want to have behavior change, we want heart change that bears fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).  Only God can do this. We plant (seed, the Word of God, Jesus), we water (living water flowing from within, Holy Spirit), but God makes it grow (Creator, Father, LORD of all). 

The Lord also grafts us into his family (Romans 11:17-24), this metaphor also remind me of a "circumcised heart (Romans 2:25-29)." This variety is amazing to me right now. What amazing progress people have made since 2000 years ago when the Lord began to pour out his Spirit onto all people (Acts 1-3). When we have a heart felt conversation, or divine appointment - this circumcision and grafting is taking place. We've taken something to heart - for good or for bad. Our words matters. 

When I started this post I was thinking that "clones don't bear fruit" like Banana's and other seedless fruit. But now I'm seeing we too can graft in what others who came before us learned, we can see their good fruit and incorporated it into our lives. The Fascinating Science of Fruit Tree Cloning. The important thing is that the variety is the same, so it's both/AND, not either/OR. By their fruit you will know (words expose our heart and attitude). Is your fruit nourishing and easy to carry to others like bananas, or is it like buck-thorn, invasive, destructive, spreads like a virus and takes years to remove?

Jesus said, "abide in me", "remain in me" and you will bear much fruit. Also when we put our lives in God's care, the LORD will prone us, those branches that aren't bearing the desired fruit of Spirit. This can be lies we've let get established from our upbringing (1 Peter 1:18-21 calls this an empty way of life). It can also be lies we've internalized from anti-heroes in popular music.  

Jesus Christ is the root of my life now. And I've grafted into my spiritual life Charles Ryrie, Donald S. Whitney, Warren Wiersbe, A.W. Tozer, Jonathan Edwards, Lenard Ravenhill, Timothy Keller, John Bevere, as well as many others. It's interesting how we continue to grow by being close to a stream of living water (Psalm 1:1-5). BSF discussion groups offer this for me. Renewed by the washing of the Word (Titus). We need God and we need eachother. 

Into my work life, I've grafted Edvard Deming, Peter Drucker, Earl Nightingale, Edgar Codd, Bill Gates, Joel Schwartzberg, Seth Godin and others. Into my family life, I've grafted in Joseph Bailey, Ken Sande, Andrew Murray and many others. 

matthew 16:15-19;1 Corinthians 1:23-24;Romans 1

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! (Isaiah 52:7), Romans 10:13-21 expands;

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

• But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:

• “The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.”
• But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, “I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”
• And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, “I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”
• But regarding Israel, God said, “All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”