Our paragraph topic is: (Power of faith) Part 1.
Christ cursed the fig tree because it had no purpose. It had leaves but no fruit. It had leaves but no seed bearing fruit. It had life but no purpose. So he cursed it and it withered up. It had life but upon the spoken words it withered up immediately. The life that was in it was no more. It ceased to exist.
The disciples heard the words spoken by Christ. They heard him speak the curse. They saw the effect of his words. And they were in disbelief. And upon seeing this the disciples marveled, saying, "How did it come to wither immediately?"
They saw it but marveled at how it happened. They saw it but did not understand how. They saw it but were in disbelief. Christ was hungry and wanted something to eat. God gave life to all the world and provided all kinds of fruit bearing trees. The trees have a purpose. We have a purpose. But this tree did not have a purpose. It existed without bearing fruit. So Christ cursed it and it ceased to exist.
Can you see? Can you believe? Can you understand that we have a purpose here on this earth? Can you know that we will not be cursed? Can you trust that you are loved? There is something more than just to exist without a purpose. There is something more than to just live and then to die with no conscience of what lies beyond death. There is more to the life that we are given than to wither up and cease to exist after death.
Stop and think. Stop and get off the merry-go-round of life. Stop and open your mind and your heart and receive the love that awaits you. For you are loved. You are alive. You are filled with the light of life. Believe and you shall receive. Accept and you shall know. Trust and you shall see the miracles that will come to you from the one who loves. There are those who would destroy. There are those who would deny. There are those who would deceive and blind you and take away your ability to understand. Be not turned by the lust of the world for it is death. Instead seek that which you know in your heart is truth and life and love. For he awaits your call. He awaits your open heart. He awaits your opening the door that he may come and be with you. Come! Join the living and the love of Christ will come upon you that you may live forever.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus curses a fig tree) Part 4.
It is amazing to see the truth that is in Christ Jesus. He is man incarnate. He was born of the flesh of Mary. He is descended from heaven and brought forth from the love of God the Father, first born of all the living. Yet in his state of union with the Father and common among men he feels hunger. He fills pain and thirst, love and passion, mercy and forgiveness. He is Lord and Savior of all mankind.
He comes upon a tree that has no purpose. It does not bear fruit. It does not have seeds that bear fruit. It only has leaves. What purpose does it serve man or God? Christ sees this tree, without compassion, curses it that the tree will not have fruit now or forever. And this is our sign: And immediately the fig tree withered up.
What would we do if Christ told us that we would not bear fruit henceforth and forever? Would we wither up and die? Would we cease to exist? Thankfully, Christ values us a more than the tree. Thankfully, we are that which he loves that the father created. Thankfully, we are that which he sees as good in mankind as well as the evil. Thankfully, we will not be judged as one. Thankfully, we are that which his passion is so great for us that he gave up that which he was in order to save that which he loves in us from damnation.
The tree of nothing withered up. For many years mankind withered and died due to the transgression of one. Yet through the passion of one we are saved. Through the love of one we are transformed. And through the mercy and forgiveness of one we are born again into the spirit that was ours from the beginning. We are given a new life. We are brought back to life. We are infused with the spirit of the Advocate, for those who seek to know. We are brought out of the darkness into the light and taken to our home.
Thank you Christ Jesus for loving us. Thank you God our Father for forgiving us. Thank you Christ Jesus for your mercy and your compassion. Thank you God our Father for the spirit that you have given us. Thanks be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus curses a fig tree) Part 3.
In the beginning God created all kinds of seed bearing trees that bore fruit. And the fruit carried seeds that would reproduce the tree. But Christ came upon a tree that did not bear any fruit and he was hungry. Did the tree have a purpose? Was it included in the original plan as made by God? Did it have seeds? Was it supposed to reproduce, to grow offspring? What was the purpose of the tree of Nothing?
Christ saw it as having no purpose in this life. It did not have fruit. It did not produce. It only had leaves. And those leaves were not for eating. So it was a tree with no purpose. And he commanded that it should never have a purpose. And he said ''May no fruit ever come from thee henceforward and forever!"
Are we cursed forever like the Nothing tree? Do we have a purpose in life? Why are we here? What is our goal in life? Is it to work and save and buy a house, a car, a boat, clothes, have money in the bank? What do we do with our lives? Do we live only for ourselves and not for anyone else? Or are we meant to be fruitful, to reproduce, to have fruit that has seeds to reproduce also? Is this our purpose in life?
Is there more to living than taking care our own needs, thinking of ourselves only? We are social creatures and must live with others. We cannot live alone. We must have others to give us a sense of worth, a sense of being, a sense of who we are in the universe. We need input from others and that is the reason that we live together. And in this togetherness we find comfort and relief. We find love and happiness and a sense of purpose in our togetherness.
Our Father in heaven, the judge of all the universe, gave man a command. But man did not obey that command and we suffer the judgment of the Father, that we should die. And we did. We lost our souls. We became the walking dead. We became flesh without a spirit. We were lost but not forgotten. God our Father is love. He is forgiveness. He is just and he is merciful. But someone had to make amends for the judgment. Someone had to atone for the disobedience. Christ came to save us from that sin, to save us from the judgment.
He gave his life for the souls of all men who had sinned against the father. He died on the cross to restore us to life. He was king and lord but became pauper and common man that we could be lifted up. And that uplifting is open to all. That uplifting is free to anyone who wants it. That uplifting is the door through which the transformation can take place to restore that which was lost. Do we believe? Do we know what we have lost? Do we understand the gift that we are given through Christ? His hand reaches out to each and every one of us offering to change who we are now into that which we lost, our souls. And the gift is free for the asking, all you need do is ask and he will give to you. Come! Do not become like the tree of Nothing. Become the tree of seed bearing fruit that gives light to all the world. The Spirit awaits you. Open your heart and seek to know the truth of who you are in Christ.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
