Monthly Archives: June 2024

WHY DID JESUS CURSE THE FIG TREE?

Bible Study, ,

simple explanation to a symbolic act!

‭Genesis 3:6-7 NLT‬
[6] “The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. [7] At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.”

When Adam and Eve sinned, they became aware of their nakedness and tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, an attempt to cover their sin by their own effort. What a picture of Israel’s religion, a corruption of what God intended for them. They thought that by offering sacrifices, they could go on sinning, because they were protected by animal blood. They missed the point of the sacrifices which were intended to point them to God’s final and perfect sacrifice to take away sin.

God viewed their evil lives, which they they tried to cover up by offering sacrifices, as a fruitless fig tree which needed to be cut down.

Jeremiah 8:12-13 NLT‬
[12] “Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord. [13] I will surely consume them. There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes. Their fruit trees will all die. Whatever I gave them will soon be gone. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”

‭Micah 7:1-2, 4 NLT‬
[1] “How miserable I am! I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest who can find nothing to eat. Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig can be found to satisfy my hunger. [2] The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murderers, setting traps even for their own brothers.
[4] Even the best of them is like a brier; the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns. But your judgment day is coming swiftly now. Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.”

There was judgment coming upon His people because they refused to repent and to change their ways.

David understood what God intended when He gave them the sacrificial system. When he sinned, he threw himself on God’s mercy.

‭Psalms 51:16-17, 19 NLT‬
[16] “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. [17] The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God….
[19] Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit— with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.”

When Jesus encountered a fruitless fig tree, He used it as an illustration of what was to happen to His people because they rejected Him, God’s remedy for their sin.

‭Mark 11:12-14 NLT‬
[12]”The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. [13] He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. [14] Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.“

In the Bible, God often used pictures from nature to explain spiritual concepts. He sees His people, Israel, as a fruitless fig tree, awaiting judgment because of their evil deeds.

Jesus’ disciples would probably have made the connection between Adam and Eve’s use of fig leaves, and the fruitless fig tree Jesus cursed because they were Jews who had been raised on the Torah, God’s book of instructions
for life.

Jesus was teaching them about the consequences of living in disobedience to God’s “Torah” and ultimately showing them that He was God’s instruction in person. As surely as the cursed fig tree withered and died, so would Israel and be cursed and cut down if they failed to obey His instructions for life.

‭Mark 11:20-24 NLT‬
[20] The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. [21] Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!” [22] Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.
[23] I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. [24] I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

As we read on, what did Jesus mean by “this mountain” in the context, that could be removed by believing prayer? Is it possible that He was referring to the unbelief and disobedience of His people that made them fruitless fig trees? “You can ask for anything”, then, could mean anything that made Israel what they were, and ripe for judgment. God’s grace and mercy would rescue even them and bring them into His kingdom to live under His authority.

‭Romans 11:28-32 NLT‬
[28] “Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [29] For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. [30] Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. [31] Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. [32] For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

Jesus would entrust His message of salvation through His death to these men who were to take it to the Jews first. Despite the Jews rejecting the message and persecuting the messengers, the disciples have the assurance that this “mountain”of unbelief would be moved by believing prayer and that the Jews would one day believe and enter the kingdom of God.

‭Romans 11:25-27 NLT‬
[25] I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
[26] And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. [27] And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”

Is it possible, then, this Jesus, did not give His disciples a blank prayer cheque? Rather, He gave them a promise that, through believing prayer, God would reverse His judgment on Israel, the fruitless fig tree, and through the gospel of Jesus, bring them to faith and salvation by His mercy.

Jesus gave His disciples (and us by association) a commission to take the Gospel to the Jews and to pray for them because it is His intention to rescue them from their sin and unbelief through the power of the gospel.

‭Romans 1:16 NLT‬
[16] “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”

MY FATHER CAN DO IT!

Christian Life, ,

Matthew 19:23-26 NLT‬
[23] “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. [24] I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” [25] The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. [26] Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

The Jews believed that wealth and prosperity were signs of God’s blessing. Job had to rethink the idea because, even when he protested that he was innocent of wrongdoing, he suffered terrible loss.

Jesus turned this idea on its head. He saw wealth as a hindrance to faith in Him. People trusted in their money instead of trusting in Him. The rich young ruler walked away from Him because he refused to disconnect from his love of money that stood between him and following Jesus.

Money is the primary consideration in everything we do. It’s money that drives the world. Doctors and lawyers conduct their professions around money. Private hospitals run businesses at the expense of the sick and suffering.

We even evaluate our social standing by how much money we have or don’t have. Where we live, what we wear or eat, what vehicle we drive, where our children go to school, who our friends are all determined by our bank balances.

The services we use to run our lives are driven and decided by money. If we are poor, we must use the services supplied by the government. If we have money, we can afford medical aid and other private services. We have no access to legal services without money.

In the end, money determines much of the quality of our lives. No wonder then, that we hang onto and depend on what we have, and won’t let it go… the poor because they have so little, and the wealthy because they have so much.

Money is a reluctant servant and a cruel and demanding master. Slaves of money are fearful and insecure.

However, the problem is not money itself but the love of money that holds us in its grip.

‭1 Timothy 6:10 NLT‬
[10] “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

Why did Jesus have more to say about money, wealth, and possessions than many other relevant issues in life? He was well aware of the power that money has over people, even God’s people. Put very simply, He said that we will serve the one we love the most, God or mammon (the spiritual power of money).

‭Matthew 6:19-21, 24 NLT‬
[19] “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. [21] Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be….
[24] “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

However, as impossible as it is for a wealthy person to renounce his faith in his money and choose to come under Jesus’ authority, everything changes when God is in the mix.

The seemingly impossible becomes exceedingly possible when the power of God’s love replaces the grip of money in our hearts.

Righteousness and generosity came to mean almost the same thing in God’s economy. Using money to serve people is a way of serving God.

‭Psalms 37:21, 25-26 NIV‬
[21] “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;…
[25] I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. [26] They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.”

Generosity begets generosity. God pledges to meet the needs of those who meet other’s needs.

‭Matthew 6:33 NLT‬
[33]”Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

‭2 Corinthians 9:7-8, 13 NLT‬
[7] “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” [8] And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

Generosity, then, is a work of God’s grace, changing stingy, selfish people into generous givers, confirming God’s salvation in them and achieving His goal…showing who He really is.

[13]”As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.”

In contrast to the world’s economic system of buy and selling, hoarding and gaining interest and dividends in return, God’s system of giving and receiving, sowing and reaping, creates a current that supplies needs and keeps resources circulating. This is a faith/grace partnership which perfectly fits into the ways of God’s kingdom.

Jesus’ answer to His disciples’ question, “Who, then, can be saved?”, if not the wealthy, was simply, “Don’t worry, my Father can do it!”

THE GOAL OF IT ALL

Christian Life, ,

Peter 1:3-4 NLT‬
[3] “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. [4] And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

God’s declared purpose is to have a human family like His Son who will share in all the blessings and benefits of His kingdom and even reign with Jesus throughout eternity.

God gave us a planet perfectly suited for human life on which to serve our apprenticeship for our eternal lives with Him. He gave us His instructions for life in community with one another on this planet under His authority.

Instead of carrying out God’s instructions, our forefather, Adam, chose to go it alone. He made the rules to suit his own desires, and led the human race on a path to self-destruction.

Nevertheless, the Father went to great lengths to achieve His goal, sacrificing His own Son to get His plan back on track.

‭Hebrews 2:10 NIV‬
[10] “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”

God has no plan B.

[5] “In view of all this, make every to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, [6] and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, [7] and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. [8] The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God’s plan for His people is not to have a comfortable life on earth. “Down here“ is our apprenticeship for “up there”. Part of our apprenticeship, then, involves discipline and suffering which teach us submission and obedience to the Father, the hallmarks of true sons.
‭2 Peter 1:5-8 NLT‬

The Father has certain requirements for the life to come. Faith in His Son, empowered by His Spirit, gives us entrance to and life in His eternal kingdom now.

‭John 3:16 NLT‬
[16] “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

‭1 John 5:11-12 NLT‬
[11]”And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”

Holiness is His requirement for seeing Him.

‭Hebrews 12:14 NLT‬
[14]”Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”

Good works, the fruit of our fellowship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit in us, confirm that we belong to Him.

‭James 2:19-20, 24 NLT‬
[19]” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. [20] How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?…
[24] So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.”

This life, then, is a partnership with the Holy Spirit, all the way.

‭Romans 8:11, 14 NLT‬
[11]”The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you….
[14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

God works in us but, without our co-operation and obedience, He can do nothing to change us into the image of Jesus.

‭Philippians 2:12-13 NLT‬
[12]”…Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. [13] For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

[10] “So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. [11] Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Since our faith in God is of supreme importance because…

‭Hebrews 11:6 NLT‬
[6]”… It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

God constantly tests our trust in Him through the trials and hardships we suffer. When testing comes and we keep questioning His love, He will continue to allow trials and hardships to teach us His faithfulness and goodness through everything we suffer.

The real issue is, how far will God go to ensure that we fulfill His plan? The answer is, all the way, no matter what it takes. This means that He will continue to chip off everything in us that does not resemble His Son until He brings us to perfection when we see Jesus.

‭1 John 3:1-2 NLT‬
[1] “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!… [2] Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

‭1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT‬
[6]”So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. [7] These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

As a loving Father, He disciplines us to teach us to live in complete dependence on Jesus because…

‭John 15:5 NLT‬
[5] “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Unfortunately, much preaching in churches today focuses on our comfort and convenience in this world rather than our training and preparation for the world to come. Unscrupulous false teachers lure God’s people away from the truth by promises of health, wealth, and happiness. They couch their lies in the words of Scripture cleverly manipulated to sound like the truth.

Peter warned against those who twist the truth to their own destruction.

‭2 Peter 3:15-16 NLT‬
[15] “And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— [16] speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.”

How much better, then, to recognise the goal of God’s work in us, work with Him by trusting Him no matter what, and keep our eyes on the prize… likeness to Jesus, God’s perfect Son.

‭2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT‬
[16]“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. [17] For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! [18] So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

WHERE IS GOD WHEN IT HURTS?

Christian Life, ,

WHY, GOD?

‭Acts of the Apostles 17:27-28 NLT‬
[27] “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. [28] For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ “

I’ve borrowed my title from Philip Yancey’s book because it aptly asks the question we all ask when life turns sour.

Sometimes, when life deals us a really hard blow, we wonder, “Where is God? Is He really in charge? Why did this happen to me?”

Job had been living a blessed life and blessing others…healthy, prosperous, a wife and great family, a good name, honoured in his community, generous and full of good works but, in a few days, everything was gone, even his wife turned against him.

This was Job’s cry when he was reduced to sitting on an ash heap, scraping his painful sores, “God, where are you?”

‭Job 23:3 NLT‬
[3]”If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court.”

‭Job 23:8-9 NLT‬
[8] “I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. [9] I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.”

Do you feel like Job felt in your pain and suffering?

Where is God? Is He beyond our reach? What does the Bible say?

Many Scriptures reassure us that God is everywhere.

Solomon prayed…

‭1 Kings 8:27 NLT‬
[27] “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!”

If God fills heaven, the universe, the entire creation, then He must be everywhere, even encasing the earth in His presence.

David prayed…

‭Psalms 139:7-12 NLT‬
[7]”I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! [8] If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. [9] If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, [10] even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. [11] I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— [12] but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”

The witness of Scripture assures us that we are encased in God’s presence, above us, beneath us, and all around us,…and even within us by His Spirit.

So, when disaster strikes, where is God? Right there! All around us! He knows! He supervises! He is in charge! He’s doing something…for our good.

All He requires from us is trust. Trouble is, we collapse in self-pity before He has finished what He started. What if we remained calm, and stayed on the path until we understand what He is doing in our lives. We may not like what has happened but the outcome may be far better than we anticipated.

Job discovered, when he let God finish what He started, that the God he trusted was worthy of all his trust because He is always good.

‭‭Psalms 34:18-20 NLT‬
[18] “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. [19] The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. [20] For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!”

Let’s learn the truth of what Paul said, “In Him we live, and move, and exist.” When we are sure that we are encased in God’s presence every moment, whatever happens, good or bad, God is there, and God is good. We can trust Him. He is faithful. He will work it out for our good and for His glory.

YOU KNOW ME!

Devotion, ,

“O Lord, you have searched me

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

You perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you know it completely, O Lord.

Psalm 139:1-4

COMMENT

Not only are you the unique creation of God’s handbut also the object of His personal and intimate knowledge.  This can be quite a scary thought if you are thinking, saying or doing what you know is displeasing to Him.  But it’s also comforting to know that God knows you so completely that you don’t need to hide anything from Him.  He knows where you are, He knows your thoughts and He knows your ways.  That means that He knows how you are going to react and what you are going to do before you do it.  Wow!  That’s amazing!  Imagine someone knowing you that well and loving you for who you are anyway.

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING

Praise the Lord today for His intimate knowledge of you. How does that make you feel?  Don’t you feel loved and special?  Thank Him for being so close to you that everything about you is open to Him.