Johnny Appleseed Mentality
It’s kind of like the story of Johnny Appleseed. Johnny Appleseed was a real person. His real name was John Chapman, born on September 26, 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts. He actually didn’t plant orchards like the stories tell, but established nurseries that grew apple trees in Pennsylvania and Ohio. He would establish the nurseries and build fences around them to keep out the animals and then get a neighbor to care for the trees. He would then come back every two or three years to tend the nursery. He was considered a Nurseryman and his desire to establish apple trees showed a pure commitment to the thing he loved the most. Seeing apples grow on the trees he had started.
The early Christians who were persecuted in Acts 8: 1-8 were like Johnny Appleseed. Their love for Jesus and the message of hope compelled them to establish believers wherever they went and many of those early believers were later followed up on by Saul, now Paul, on his missionary journeys. Just imagine, the very one who persecuted them and caused them to flee the comfort of their close fellowship with each other was the one who scattered the seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ when he was still a non-believer. God had great plans for Saul and the gospel he was rejecting was going to impact his life very soon and the world would never be the same.
This scripture compels us to take the seed of the gospel with us wherever we go, sharing the message of Christ to all who will listen. Just like the ones who listened intently to Phillip’s message, those we share it with will have to respond in some way or the other because of the truth of that message.
Do you believe in the truth of God’s Word?
Have you looked intently at the message it presents to you?
Do you share God’s Word so others can respond to it’s message?
If we are not sharing the message then they will not hear it. In Romans 10:14-15 the apostle Paul tells the roman Christians “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.”
We have good news. Time to share it. Get the Johnny Appleseed mentality and share it wherever you go. You never know what you may get started….AWAKENING!!!
The Pilgrimage continues…..
David Warren