Category Archives: faith

The Fig Tree

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He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. Mark 11:14

As we continue our “Quest To The Cross” our next stop is “The Fig Tree” Here Jesus was hungry , looking for something fruitful, and found a barren tree that produced no fruit. He immediately rebuked the tree and commanded that it will never produce fruit again,  the tree withered and died immediately.

A few things we can observe from this, first notice again this is not the watered down Jesus that is portrayed by most. The power that Jesus posses , even when he speaks, the tree withers and dies immediately. Just as when demons listen to his commands or he calm the waves of the sea. Jesus has full authority on Heaven and Earth.

Second “The Fig Tree” is symbolic to our spiritual lives. As Jesus said “Good trees produce good fruit , bad trees produce bad fruit, by our fruit we will be recognized (Matthew 7) So will Jesus say to us Good work faithful servant or depart from me you worker of lawlessness?

And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Mark 11:22

As the disciples noticed “The Fig Tree” withered Jesus said to them “Have faith in God” We can take this multiple ways, as they were amazed at Jesus power and authority over Heaven and Earth. Jesus instructed them faith can move mountains!

Do we have the faith to continue to be a fruitful disciple or will we wither away from lack of faith? Put your faith in God in Jesus name Amen!

Den Of Thieves

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He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Matthew 21:13

As we begin this Holy Week, Jesus makes his first stop to cleanse the Holy Temple. The Holy Temple which was built , not only to worship God, but the place on Earth where God resided. However the Holy Temple of God has been turned more into a corporation than a house of prayer, where selling of merchandise , had become higher priority than true worship of God

Jesus showed his disgust by overthrowing tables and chasing the merchants out! Often we only hear about a watered down version of Jesus , but here Jesus would not allow his Father’s house to be desecrated.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Today if you’re a Christian, you are the temple of God. The Holy Spirit dwells in you, just as he did in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Is your Temple Holy or desecrated? Are you allowing Jesus to cleanse out your Temple or are you conforming to the ways of the world?

Its important as Christians, we continually reflect on the current state of our faith. Would Jesus be pleased with the current condition of your spiritual life or would be overthrowing tables?

This Holy Week lets make a strong commitment to keep our Holy Temples pure in Jesus Name Amen!

The King Is Coming! #PalmSunday

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Took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” John 12:13

The King is Coming! On this “Palm Sunday” while we remember and celebrate King Jesus coming into Jerusalem , we also must remember that the King of Kings will return again. The first time he came as “The Lamb” the next time he will return as “The Lion” and reestablish Gods kingdom forevermore

These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. John 12:16

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a Donkey instead of a horse, people did not understand. They were looking for a mighty King like David, who would destroy the Romans and free the Jewish people from oppression. However Jesus came as the “Prince of Peace” to save not just the Jews but the entire world.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; Revelation 7:9

Fast forward to the return of Jesus , a great multitude which no one could count, meaning everyone Jew and Gentile, who is saved by the blood of Christ will be standing at the throne of God. Clothed in white robes with palm branches!

Get your Palm Branches ready because the King is Coming back soon! Blessed is Yeshua (Jesus) who comes in the name of Yahweh (God) in Jesus Name Amen!

Into The Pit

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Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” Daniel 6:16

Usually when we think about the story of Daniel and The Lions Den , we think about it literally. However what if we thought about it symbolically relating to ourselves. I’m sure there has been a time in your life, when you were thrown into the pit of despair (lions den) surrounded by demons (lions) who were looking to torment and devour you

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

The apostle Peter describes Satan and his demons as lions looking to devour us. So think of yourself as a symbolic Daniel under attack by Satan himself. Was it fair or just for Daniel to be thrown into the lions den? No, however notice how Daniel reacted, with pure faith and peace that God would deliver him, even though from most peoples point of view, he was about to be ripped apart

“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.” Daniel 6:22

God has sent a deliver to protect and redeem Daniel. God has sent Jesus to deliver and redeem you. Even when you are down in the pit of despair, trust in Jesus, because demons tremble at the sound of his name Amen!

Not Of This World

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Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

Do you ever feel out of place in this world? Feel like you just don’t fit in? This isn’t a bad thing, as anyone who loves this world doesn’t love God. What does this mean exactly? Does this mean we shouldn’t care about the planet? No this is speaking symbolically of the things or lust of this world. You look at our culture, the music and movies, it’s a filled with immorality. The world lives for the flesh and the spirit

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16

Pride and lust don’t come from God, they come from Satan. They are used as traps to enslave us in sin and death. Fix your eyes on Jesus and not on the things of this world. For the things of this world are temporary, but the kingdom of God is eternal

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

So what should we do as Christians? Should we just live in a cave, separated totally from society? Jesus has called us to be the light and salt of the world, how can we do this if we don’t associate with the world? Be a good example for people, show them the resurrection power of Christ living through you! Be a testimony! But dont conform to the evil ways of this world, be transformed in Jesus Name Amen!

Mustard Seed

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He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; Matthew 13:31

Most times when we hear this parable of the Mustard Seed, we reflect on our own lives. However what about reflecting on Jesus life? Think about how a carpenters son from a little town could change the world forever! Talk about small beginnings, this is exactly how the Kingdom of God came to Earth

Jesus began his ministry, with basically nothing but a staff and clothes on his back, yet he not only took on the religious establishment, his teachings became a new religion! He planted the seed of truth, which is the Word of God, and over time it grew into what we know as Christianity today!

Think about how one man, who was perceived as a blasphemer and law breaker, was crucified on a cross, saved the entire world from their sins!

and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.” Matthew 13:32

The seed that Jesus planted into the world, grew to become our hope and salvation, that all of us can rest under that tree. The same tree that Jesus bore the penalty of our sins! God in flesh dwelt among us but he was so misunderstood and overlooked, that they mistaken him for a common criminal

Keep planting the seed of God’s Word throughout the entire world and watch Gods Kingdom continue to grow beyond our comprehension in Jesus Name Amen!

5 Loaves + 2 Fish

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But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” Mark 6:37

Lets set the scene…there is a large crowd composed of men, woman, and children. They have traveled from great distances to see the Son of God speak. Its getting late, everyone is hungry and tired. The location they are at is remote, it would take hours to travel back into town, so the disciples decided to send them all away

But notice what Jesus says “You give them something to eat!”

The disciples are perplexed, they don’t have any food or shelter to give anyone. How are they going to feed a crowd of over 5,000 people?

And He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Mark 6:38

Notice how Jesus responds, “How many loaves do you have?”  Meaning instead of saying all the things we don’t have , tell him what we do have to give!”  This is a lesson even today all of us can learn from. We have many reasons and excuses to not help people out, limited money, limited time, limited resources. But God doesn’t want to hear our excuses he wants to know what we have and he will bless it!

And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. Mark 6:41

Jesus took what the disciples did have to offer, blessed it, and multiplied it! There was more Bread and Fish , then the disciples knew what to do with. God is our provider, not us. We need to take the gifts that God has given us and use them to serve others, and God will bless and provide for us in Jesus Name Amen!

Faith Over Fear

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But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”  Mark 5:36

Fear has a way of controlling our lives. Fear of the unknown, Fear of our health, Fear of our relationships, Fear of our futures. But Jesus said Fear no longer only Believe! Meaning your Faith will lead you over your Fear.

In this chapter of Mark 5, we read of multiple people in need of a miracle. A synagogue official in need for his daughter’s life and a woman who had a medical condition most of her life. These people were desperate, but they put their hope in Jesus , and in an instance he restored them.

There were people who mocked Jesus, because the synagogue official’s daughter had died before Jesus reached her house. But notice what Jesus did, he kicked them all out of the room except  his disciples (Mark 5:40) Why? Because there lack of faith was a stumbling block and not a blessing

What is your fear doing to you today? Is it causing you a stumbling block for your faith? You need to remove the power of fear from your life and allow the power of God in

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Any fear that you feel is not from God, it comes from Satan who uses it as a trap and stumbling block for our faith. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you overcome your fears and anxiety , Do not be afraid any longer, only believe in Jesus Name Amen!

40 Days

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Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. Matthew 4:1-2

Since this week is the beginning of Lent season, today we are taking a look at the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness. This is symbolic of the 40 days before Easter (Lent  Season) originated. During this journey we see that Jesus was tempted with three temptations that all of us face in our daily lives.

And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”  But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'” Matthew 4:3-4

The first temptation we see is the lust of the flesh. Jesus , who has been fasting for 40 days, is obviously very hungry and vulnerable at this point. Satan tries to tempt him by enticing him to make stones into bread. Jesus replies with scripture and says “Man shall not live on bread alone” meaning as Christians we deny our physical temptations which are sinful, to live holy and be a true disciple of Christ.

This could apply to many physical temptations in our lives such as drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, gluttony, ect. However by the Holy Spirit we can overcome these temptations and avoid sin

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'” Matthew 4:5-6

The second temptation comes from human pride. Satan tries to challenge Jesus, by saying if you are the Son of God, then prove it. Often times in life when our pride is challenged, we might make a bad decision just to prove that we are the boss or in charge. Jesus however didn’t fall for this trap

Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'” Matthew 4:7

Satan was even quoting scripture to try and lure Jesus into the temptation, but Jesus responded by saying “Don’t test God”.  Jesus demonstrated this humility also later in John 13, Jesus washed the feet of his own disciples. Instead of Jesus being a dictator leader he was leading by example.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9

The final temptation Satan was trying to tempt Jesus into the lust of the eyes. Look at all these beautiful possessions we can have if we just sell our soul. Jesus didn’t fall for this but sadly we see people do this every day. We see actors and musicians sell all their morals and values just to become rich, what they don’t understand is they are worshipping Satan and his worldly system

Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” Matthew 4:10

Again Jesus overcame this temptation and told Satan to go away! As the Bible tells us “Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7) Worship God and serve him only!

We need to remember Jesus was in human form, susceptible to Satans temptations and overcame by The Holy Spirit. We can overcome also because Greater is he living inside of me than he that is living in the world (! John 4:4) in Jesus Name Amen!

Rebuke Evil

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Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are– the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:23-24

Jesus entered the synagogue (Jewish place of worship) and there was a man possessed with a demons. Make note of this, we don’t usually think of demons being active in holy places such as churches, however as we see, demons are everywhere!

However the demons immediately recognize who Jesus is, “The Holy One of God” and they trembled as they said “Have you come to destroy us?” Even these demons recognizes the power and position of our Lord Jesus Christ, do you understand who Jesus is?

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”  Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. Mark 1:25-26

Jesus had no fear of these demons or their evil and rebuked them immediately. And at his command they were cast out, understand the power that we poses through Jesus Christ. As you walk through the valley of death, we can Fear No Evil (Psalm 23)because we are victorious through Jesus Christ!

Whatever evil Satan and his demons are tormenting you with today, don’t fear them, REBUKE them in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Amen!