A Tree of Life

J.J. Stark

April 18, 2016

Field Time: Browning, MT

IGNITE CLASS 10

Inductive Bible Study (IBS)

A Tree of Life

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”

– Proverbs 11:30 (NKJV)

When reading this verse, the phrase “a tree of life” jumped out at me, and immediately brought to mind the original tree of life that was placed in the Garden of Eden that God planted for Adam and Eve to live in shortly after He created the world.  Going back to the account given in Genesis explains the setting.  Starting in chapter 2, verses 8-9 it says, “⁸The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He Put the man whom He had formed.  ⁹And out of the Ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.  The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  To me, this indicates there were possibly two sacred trees in the Garden, rather than my previous thoughts that there was only the one tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Jumping down farther down to Genesis 2:17 tells of God’s instructions to Adam regarding the Garden’s trees, firmly saying, “…but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in that day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Unfortunately, as the account further tells, Adam and Eve decided to disobey, creating severe consequences for themselves, and the rest of the world.  One of these consequences was death.  Originally created in the perfect image of God they would have never experienced this, and God may have manifested this to them in the form of creating the tree of life.  There is no way for me to fully confirm this, but Genesis 3:22 indicates that this could have been the case: “Then the Lord God said, ‘“Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.  And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.”’”  Only God has the answer to that one.

That all being said, this also made me think of the Old and New covenants, and how the tree of life that was in the Garden represents the Old, which was destroyed when God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth to establish the new covenant and become that Tree of Life which we could once again enter in to full, un-hindered fellowship and true life with the Holy and Living God.  Jesus Himself says in John 14:6, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Because He is the new Tree of Life for me and the Savior that I serve, I am to do everything according to the model that Jesus set in place when He was on earth.  One of those things is what Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” I had to ask myself the question then – what does it look like for me to be a tree of life to those around me?  This is best described in Psalm 1:1-3 – “¹Blessed is the man who walks not in the way of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ²But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  ³He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does he shall prosper.”  Being a tree of life as Christ is for me means shunning everything sinful without neglecting the sinner, constantly marinating in the Lord’s word and being filled with His presence so much so that it spills over to all who see it.

Application: Today, I will take the scriptures used in this IBS and study and meditate on them.

Run to Obtain

  J.J. Stark

March 2016

Week 11

IGNITE Class 10

Inductive Bible Study – (IBS)

Run to Obtain

“²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  ²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  ²⁶Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  ²⁷But I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should not become disqualified.”

– 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NKJV)

One of the qualities that I really like about the apostle Paul’s writings is his frequent use of athletic analogies to explain the walk in faith in Christ.  Commonly he uses a race as examples to make his point, and jumping into this passage, he directly askes his readers this question in the first part of verse 24 - “²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?”  The answer to it seems at first to be a rather self-explanatory, but Paul in his writings always had a reason for the questions he asked.  To reiterate the question in more of a statement form – in a race, many people will be in a race, doing the same thing – running.  However, he finishes verse 24 by saying, “…Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”  This made me stop and ask myself the question, “What all is entailed in this way of running?”  Thanks be to God, that He is all knowing and always, in some shape or form, provides answers that arise in this life He has given.  An answer to this particular question can be found in Hebrews 12:1-2 – “¹Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Only one of these, the one who pushes the hardest, one elect out of all, will actually receive the reward.  This then rolls right into the rest of this passage: “²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ²⁶Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  ²⁷But I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should not become disqualified.”  In other words, this imperishable or eternal prize is only achieved through dedication and commitment to the continual seeking of Christ and crowning Him king of my life.  From there is using the strength He gives me to increase self-control, leading to a greater assurance and reliance on Christ’s blood to fight in the battles, which then creates a oneness between my walk in faith and the speech that He gives, that ultimately results in God bestowing His awesome, lasting rewards – making the instant “rewards” of this world come to nothing.

Profit a Little, or Profit for All

J.J. Stark

March 2016

Week 11

IGNITE Class 10

Inductive Bible Study – (IBS)

Profit a Little, or Profit for All

“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)

I have never really been huge into athletics.  Now before I go any further, I must clarify – I have participated in athletics and played sports, as well as several other activities.  These have been excellent parts of my life and I have enjoyed them, but what was meant in my original statement is that “bodily exercise,” as mentioned at the beginning of the verse, has never been my greatest priority.  Now I love being active and love doing things, but I have never really liked the idea of exercising for the sake of getting “built/ripped,” as much of the American society become very focused on.  I will exercise some to stay fit, as a way to take care of my body like God instructs in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  ²⁰For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  1 Timothy 4:8 really is a thought provoking verse, comparing earthly exercise to godliness, or the exercise of faith.  Paul is saying to Timothy here that yes bodily exercise is good, and sometimes needed, only “profits a little,” because the body is still eventually going to deteriorate.  Colossians 2:23 deals with this topic: “These things have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

I know in the past I have dealt with this same thing, such as making a big play in the middle of a soccer game and getting compliments from those around me, and receiving it in a manner of false humility – saying it was nothing or something to that effect.  Now, on the other side of this coin, there is godliness which is “profitable for all things!”  This occurs not just following Christ, but by earnestly chasing after Him, using the same kind of discipline in seeking His Spirit as if it were for an athletic competition here on earth.  To paraphrase Hebrew 12:1-2, I am to “…lay aside every weight and sin that so easily ensnares, and run with endurance the race that is set before ‘me,’ looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of ‘my’ faith…”  What is so amazing about this is that it is tried, tested, and true – confirmed by 1 Timothy 4:9 – “This is a faithful saying and worthy of acceptance.”

Forgetting Behind, Reaching Forward

J.J. Stark

March 2016

Week 10

IGNITE Class 10

Inductive Bible Study – (IBS)

Forgetting Behind, Reaching Forward

“¹²Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  ¹³Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…” – Philippians 3:12-13 (NKJV)

God is…God.  And I am not, no matter what I may think or try to do.  Thank You, precious Lord, for giving me Your holy and infallible word.  Thank You, Awesome Creator, for creating me and all other mankind, that we can worship and praise You.  It puts me in a true state of wonder, ultimate Author and Finisher of all things, that You would then think of us so highly, even with our failures, as to entrust and us to write down and record Your Word – the Breath of Life. 

By saying “¹²Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected…” the apostle Paul is referring to attainment of the resurrection mentioned in the text prior to these verses.  I appreciate his humility seen in his writing, keeping the proper perspective by recognizing his humanity and that he still is fallible (fleshly) without Christ.  So often I act as if I have attained something, but it is a false attainment – something made of my own.  However, Paul goes on to correct this mindset that I frequently entertain, saying: “but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...forgetting those things those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…”  This is the very essence of the Christianity, laying down everything of myself – turning away from the ungodliness I used to be because Christ has a grip on me – and then strive to take that same grip and reliance on Him, calling on Him for every breath I take. Paul finishes out the thought with verse 14 as a final statement: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Application: Today I will write down a list of things that are constant weights or distractions, and then take action to correct them.

Attain to the Resurrection

J.J. Stark

March 2016

Week 10

IGNITE Class 10

Inductive Bible Study – (IBS)

Attain to the Resurrection

“…if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:11

If one were to put a theme to chapter three here in Philippians, it very easily could be titled “transformation.”  Because verse 11 is the last piece of one of Paul’s sentences, it was kind of difficult at first to get anything from it right away.  This verse can actually stand by itself, but it is crucial to go through the rest of the chapter for this to make sense.  Earlier on Paul starts off by talking about we can have confidence in the Holy Spirit of Christ and not confidence in the flesh.  He demonstrates this by showing how if there was any worth to fleshly credentials, he of anyone had something to speak of – “…circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews...” and the list goes on.  That being said, he also goes on to say that each one of these credentials, or “benefits” from this world mean absolutely nothing in the presence of God, and can’t compare to the benefits that come with following Christ, and verse 8 says that he “counts them as rubbish.”  This is what I meant earlier on when I said that the theme that sticks out at me is transformation, because this is a transformation of the mind, spirit, soul, and even physical habits and patterns.  This kind of transformation only comes about by truly believing that God is actually capable of this transformation, and also by setting Him at the very forefront of the life He has created for me.  By doing this, Christ is then able to transform me through His precious blood that was spilt when He died on the cross, putting to death my old worldly man with it, then resurrecting me into new life with Him.  This is what Jesus displayed when He raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11:21-27 – 21Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  22But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.  23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.  24Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”  25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  26And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”  27She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world.”  This transformation shown here leads then into what is described in Philippians 3:21 – “…who will transform our lowly body that it may be transformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”  If I may attain to the resurrection from the dead…“Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world.”  I ask for a continual outpouring of Your Holy Spirit and a transformation of my lowly body to more like Your glorious body!

Application: Today, I will spend time praying specifically for this transformation of my life.

Count All Things Loss

J.J. Stark

March 2016

Week 10

IGNITE Class 10

Inductive Bible Study – (IBS)

Count All Things Loss

“Yet indeed I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus My Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ.” – Philippians 3:8 (NKJV)

This world is one of credentials.  Anymore it seems like everything requires some form of validation or qualification for anyone to do anything or go anywhere…sometimes I get the feeling I have to have a degree to even do simple things like grocery shopping!  The mindset has almost become a god of some kind – conveying a message that says a person has to prove himself, can’t live a normal life without credentials.  Now I know I just said that I often get the feeling of needing to be able to identify myself in this world, but on the flip side of that I also am guilty of encouraging and even “enforcing” these ideals as well.  Thinking about what Paul is saying in this verse, “Yet indeed I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus My Lord,” this really is a powerful statement.  To count all things as loss for Christ, takes total commitment and truly setting king over my life.  In the few short years I have lived on this earth, I have been very blessed with an excellent family who loves and cares for me, as well as also being blessed with many awards that I very well could count as being worthwhile.  A national shooting title, manager and employee positions, and several other competitive honors have been granted to me in my 19 years of life only through God’s amazing grace, for which I am extremely grateful, as I am very undeserving of any of these.  However, each of these things are also items that I very often cling to and occasionally flaunt, forgetting that it was nothing of my doing that got me that trophy or belt buckle or whatever it may be.  I am grateful to God that He continues to remind and reshape my heart to set Him as my reward, letting go of all these things “and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ.”  Recently I have been taking a view of these things similar to that of Joshua – as memorials - because several awards are landmarks of tremendous growth in my walk with Christ.  Joshua 4:5-7 says, “5…and Joshua said to them: ‘“Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of your take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘“‘What do these stones mean to you?’”’ 7Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, that waters of the Jordan were cut off.  And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”  

Application:  Today I will write down all of my world credentials, and then write down and compare what gain(s) I have by living in Christ.