YOUR POTENTIAL AND THE NEXT GENERATION

Ecclesiastes chapter 9






Today we are walking in: Your Potential and the Next Generation








Job 21:14


Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge H1847 of thy ways.




KNOWLEDGE



Today we look to the word-KNOWLEDGE- H847 da'ath--knowledge, perception, skill, discernment





The Torah testifies.....................


Genesis 2:9


And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.


Exodus 31:3


And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom,and in understanding, and in knowledge, H1847 andin all manner of workmanship,


Leviticus 4:8


Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.




The prophets proclaim..................


Nehemiah 10:28

And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;





Isaiah 33:6


And wisdom and knowledge H1847 shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.





Jeremiah 3:15


And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.






The writings bear witness.............



Job 34:2


Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.



Psalm 119:66


Teach me good judgment and knowledge: H1847 for I have believed thy commandments.


Proverbs 1:7


The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.








Your Potential and the Next Generation


To live for today is shortsighted; to live for tomorrow is vision.


Just as a seed has a forest within it, so we contain much more than is evident at birth. Everything is designed by The Most High not only to reproduce itself but also to transfer its life and treasure to the next generation. Potential is not fully maximized until it reproduces itself in the following generation.
An old Chinese proverb that states, “the end of a thing is greater than its beginning,” rings true for our lives. King Solomon concurred with this truth: “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong...” (Ecclesiastes 9:11b). Every individual is therefore responsible to live to the fullest for the sake of the following generations. King Solomon states it this way: “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22a).


A Seedless Life
I will never forget the day I first discovered seedless fruit, says Dr. Munroe. One of the pleasures I enjoy within my very busy schedule is accompanying my wife to the food store, which gives us time to plan our family meals and discover new items together.
On one of these occasions, as we approached the produce section, I was intrigued to see a large sign introducing seedless grapes and oranges. At first I rejoiced at the prospect of being able to enjoy grapes for the first time without the inconvenience of having to eject
the seeds. (No doubt this newly produced hybrid was developed in response to the market demand for fruit that could be enjoyed without the discomfort of seeds.) So I quickly picked up two pounds of red and white grapes and a bag of oranges, looking forward to eating them.


My impatience to experience the thrill of seedless grapes prompted me to place the bag of grapes beside me in the car so I could enjoy them while I was driving home. What a pleasure, to sink my teeth into fresh, juicy, sweet grapes without having to worry about seeds. It was like a dream come true. Soon after we had arrived home, I sliced into an orange and stood amazed at the fact of a seed-less fruit. Again I experienced a new pleasure, sucking the juice from a seedless ripe orange.
Later that day I returned to the kitchen to enjoy the rest of my new discovery and to marvel at this feat of botanical science. Suddenly, in the midst of my pleasure, I was startled by this thought: “If these grapes and oranges have no seeds, how can they reproduce another generation of fruit?” After all, the life and power is in the seed, not the fruit. Immediately I realized that I was enjoying momentary pleasure at the expense of generational reproduction. The fruit was beautiful, ripe, sweet, juicy, and pleasing to eat, but it lacked the potential to transfer its uniqueness to another generation. In reality the tree is not in the fruit but in the seed.
Life and power is in the seed, not the fruit.


The Most High created seeds to guarantee the fulfillment of future generations. Every plant, animal, bird, reptile, and insect possesses within itself the ability and potential to reproduce itself and to continue the propagation of its species. Consider then the prospect if every seed decided to germinate, develop into a beautiful tree, and have juicy, sweet, seedless fruit. What would be the result? A natural tragedy!
Chaos would ensue and ultimately the genocide of mankind would follow as oxygen disappeared from the atmosphere for the lack of trees.


Please note that the seed in this example did fulfill part of its purpose. It germinated, grew, developed, and even bore fruit. Yet the totality of its potential was not fulfilled because it did not extend itself to the maximum potential of releasing seeds. Because the seed failed to reproduce itself, the next generation of trees was robbed of life, consequently affecting the entire human race and all creation.
This is the impact when one element in nature withholds its true potential and refuses to maximize itself.
Tragically, there are millions of people who exist in “seedless lives.”
They are conceived, grow, develop; they dress up, smell good, and look good; and they even pretend to be happy. Yet everything they are dies with them because they fail to pass on everything The Most High gave them. They have no sense of generational responsibility. They have no idea of their duty to the future. No man is born to live or die to himself. When a seed maximizes its potential, it not only feeds the next generation but also guarantees it through the seeds in the fruit.


No man is born to live or die to himself.
The Most High gave you the wealth of your potential—your gifts, talents, abilities, energies, creativity, ideas, aspirations, and dreams—for the blessing of others. You bear the responsibility for activating, releasing, and maximizing this potential as a deposit for the next generation.


The School That Was Almost Killed
Several years ago I was invited to speak at a church conference in Gary, Indiana, says Dr. Munroe, on the topic of discovering your purpose in life.
Before I was introduced, the host invited a gentleman to share briefly on the establishment of an educational institution that had distinguished itself in that community. An unassuming, middle-aged gentleman stepped forward and began to share a story that pierced my soul. He told of how his mother had failed in an attempt to abort him as an unborn child, and he had ended up living in foster homes all over the city for many years. He emphasized how he had dreamed of providing an environment in which young people could grow and learn so that they would not have to suffer what he had experienced. He introduced to the audience the school he had founded and established—a school that had become one of the leading academic institutions for high school students in that city.
Imagine if his mother had been successful. She would have killed a school. Despite his past and his less-than-ideal heritage, this dreamer rose above his circumstances and maximized his potential, which is now benefiting generations to come.
The prophet Elijah also exemplifies the importance of living to the fullest and refusing to settle for present circumstances. As recorded in the Book of First Kings, Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and challenged them to a contest to prove that Ahayah asher Ahayah is the true The Most High. The test was to build an altar and call on The Most High to send fire from the heavens to consume the sacrifice. After much prayer and dancing by the prophets of Baal, there was no response or results.


Then Elijah began to call on the The Most High, and fire fell and consumed the sacrifice. Afterward, he commanded the people to seize the prophets of Baal, and all were destroyed. When Queen Jezebel, a worshiper of Baal, heard this news, she sent a message to Elijah, threatening his life.
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Most High,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:3-4).


After all his great accomplishments and achievements, this distinguished prophet had a death wish with suicidal tendencies. The Most High was not persuaded. He intervened and showed Elijah that he had much more to accomplish before his full potential and purpose would be maximized. Then The Most High instructed Elijah to anoint the next kings over Aram and Israel, and more significantly, to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet.


Just suppose Elijah had died when he wanted to quit. His successor, Elisha, who performed twice as many miracles as Elijah, would not have discovered his purpose and fulfilled his potential. It is imperative, therefore, that we never settle for the average of our circumstances because there are thousands of “Elishas” waiting on our obedience to fulfill their lives.


Maximizing Potential Is Dying Empty
As I have stated in my previous books, says Dr. Munroe the wealthiest place on this planet is not the gold mines, diamond mines, oil wells, or silver mines of the earth, but the cemetery. Why? Because buried in the graveyard are dreams and visions that were never fulfilled, books that were never written, paintings that were never painted, songs that were never sung, and ideas that died as ideas. What a tragedy, the wealth of the cemetery.
I wonder how many thousands, perhaps millions, of people will be poorer because they cannot benefit from the awesome wealth of the treasure of your potential: the books you have neglected to write, the songs you have failed to compose, or the inventions you continue to postpone. Perhaps there are millions who need the ministry or business you have yet to establish. You must maximize your life for the sake of the future. The next generation needs your potential.
The next generation needs your potential.
Think of the many inventions, books, songs, works of art, and other great accomplishments others in past generations have left for you and for me to enjoy. Just as their treasure has become our blessing, so our potential should become the blessing of the next generation. The apostle Paul in his letter to his young friend Timothy describes his life as a drink offering that was poured out for others.


For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:6-7).
What a sense of destiny, purpose, and accomplishment is contained in these words. There is no hint of regret or remorse, only confidence and personal satisfaction.
Millions of the world’s population, both now and in generations passed, have poured out some of their potential, accomplished some of their dreams, and achieved some of their goals. Still, because they have refused to maximize their lives, their cup holds a portion of their purpose, stagnating into depression, regret, and death.
I admonish you, decide today to act on the rest of your sleeping dream. Commit yourself to the goal of dying empty. Yahusha HaMaschich our Most High, at the end of His earthly assignment, gave evidence of His success in maximizing His life by fulfilling all The Most High’s will for Him on earth. As He journeyed to the place of crucifixion, many people followed Him, mourning and wailing. Seeing them, Yahusha said:
Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me; weep for yourselves and for your children (Luke 23:28).
The implication is evident: “I have completed My assignment, stayed through My course, and finished My task. I have emptied Myself of all My potential. Now it is your turn.”


Don’t Be a Generational Thief
First discover what you were born to be, then do it. Fulfill your own personal purpose for the glory of The Most High. Your obedience to The Most High’s will and purpose for your life is a personal decision, but not a private one. The Most High has designed the universe in such a way that the purposes of all mankind are interdependent; your purpose affects millions.
Maximizing your potential is, therefore, necessary and critical. Your sphere of influence is much greater than your private world.
Your sphere of influence is much greater than your private world.


Suppose Mary had aborted Yahusha, or Andrew had failed to introduce Peter to Yahusha. What if Abraham had not left the Land of Ur, or Joseph had refused to go to Egypt. Or let’s assume that Ananias had not prayed for Saul who became Paul, or that the little boy had refused to give Yahusha his lunch. How different the biblical record might read! These examples show that although our obedience is always a personal decision, it is never a private matter.
Don’t rob the next generation of your contribution to the destiny of mankind. Maximize yourself for The Most High’s glory. Remember, he who plants a tree plans for prosperity. “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (see Proverbs 21:20).


Principle
1. The life and power to reproduce is in the seed.
2. You rob your children when you withhold your potential.
3. You must maximize your life for the benefit of the next generation.
4. Potential is not fully maximized until it reproduces itself in the next generation.
5. Obeying The Most High’s will for your life and fulfilling His purpose is a personal decision, but not a private one because your sphere of influence is much greater than your private world.