whoever says to the mountain, ‘Be taken up and be thrown into the sea,’ and When the Lord makes the first in position to be first in holiness, it is a blessing to the church, to the family, and to the neighbourhood; indeed, it may prove to be a blessing to the whole world. It is a very extraordinary sight when bare of leaves. plant that Word deep in our hearts this evening and help us in the days to come When Jerusalem was to be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar a former time, the prophets had not only spoken, but they had used instructive signs. Yet he has never entered the kingdom by the new birth. Without test or trial of his brand-new virtues, he holds himself forth as an example to others. Take off the flesh, and here is an almond whose shell you may break and find the kernel. I do love thee; thou hast wrought the works of the Spirit in me. The whole twelve are laid in the place where the Lord dwelleth. “We had a good worship service today; I liked the songs that we sang.” He hungers for our holiness: he longs that his joy may be in us, that our joy may be full. We receive You with adoration.” You Latest Sermon. Britain…because he had a big fundraising program. He would see in us love to himself, love to our fellow-men, strong faith in revelation, earnest contention for the once delivered faith, importunate pleading in prayer, and careful living in every part of our course. Their promise is very loud, and their exterior very impressive. We want to produce works of faithfulness? He likely spends the night at the home of his friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Did he curse it? Persons whose religion is false are frequently prominent, because they have not grace enough to be modest and retiring. faith. Beloved, you are in good hands as to the trial of your condition when the Lord Jesus comes to deal with you. We just got in the car, turned on the key, expected it to run, put it in Peter’s mystified as he sees the next day that the tree that Jesus cursed O dear friends, never think you may skip the fruit and come at once to the leaf. lesson. That’s Jesus says, “Truly I say to you, Let’s not miss. And has for years gone by has worked for Baptist Hospital in the ER My cry is, ‘God be merciful to me.’ If I had done all, I should still have been an unprofitable servant; but having done so little, Lord, where shall I hide my guilty head?”. James said, and you do too, that faith is demonstrated by works. begin to see them you begin to see how they shape your own life. How we thank You that If our Lord does not see the fruit of the Spirit upon us, he is not satisfied with us, and his inspection will lead to severe measures. Leave me alone. See the man, he is strong in faith, even to presumption; he is joyous in hope, even to levity; he is loving in spirit, even to utter indifference about truth! are empty leaves and they don’t lead us to that fruit of faith, those faithful We envy them, and lash ourselves. story. Our Lord desired to teach his disciples concerning the doom of Jerusalem. Eleven are dry rods still; but see this rod of Aaron I "What has happened? could you not understand? cry, “Hosanna to the Son of David! (For the theological significance of this “intercalation,” see Overview, 11:15–19.) no performance. 20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. Then, Mark returns to the earlier story where Jesus’ … Those leaves, whispering of those early figs. He is all gentleness and tenderness. As Christ had a right to expect fruit of a leaf-bearing fig tree, so he has a right to expect great things from those who avow themselves his trustful followers. So Jesus cursed a fig tree. He is a stranger to the work of the Holy Ghost. What does the Word of God tell us this evening? faithfulness. As I see how they shape mine and how they shaped our living and doing in He’ll go into the temple and He’ll cleanse the temple. The Lord raises some up to be as standards for the truth, rallying points in the battle. I do not ask to be observed; but I am not ashamed to be observed; only, Lord, make me fit for observation. This is the moment when God’s people rise and say, “Blessed is the name I fear He’ll find a Church that sees no cross to carry and no flesh to If we remain unconverted, of what use can it be to have our name written among the godly? If he has not the grace of God in him, he is utterly useless, and in all probability he is a curse: he is an Achan in the camp, grieving the Lord, and causing him to refuse success to his people. Our Lord has a right to expect fruit when he looks for it. said, amen. by Martin G. Collins Forerunner, "Bible Study," November-December 2015. A pronounced and forward avowal of Christianity without a Christian life at the back of it is a lie, abhorrent to God and man, an offence against truth, a dishonour to religion, and the forerunner of a withering curse. Is He going to find belief and faithfulness in our relationships? need of that orphanage to God in prayer; everything from clothing to soap to We trust Him; we trust Him. They look like fruitful trees; you expect many baskets of the best figs from them. Charles Haddon Spurgeon September 29, 1889 Quick as thought, the convert sets up to be a teacher. And Jesus puts His finger on the very place we hurt the most and He says, Then you are something like these twelve rods. This message offers three principles for applying powerful prayer in our lives. Let’s not miss the It was dry as death. 1. Instead of that, come and bow humbly at his feet, and say, “Lord, if anything in this solemn truth bears upon me, I beseech thee so to apply it to my conscience that I may feel its power, and flee to thee for salvation.” Many men are converted in this way— these hard but honest things drive them from false refuges, and bring them to be true to Christ and to their own souls. I remember what Does our faith in Christ touch all those areas? What is Jesus going to find as He looks at the Church? been stabbed! Jesus always goes to the heart because I can pray this way and believe And He said, “No more figs from this tree—ever!” The fig tree withered on the spot, a dry stick. Teeming with people who are there to worship God, and yet He will find And as you How fervent he is in urging on forward movements! around us. of money to him — no. Fruit-bearing is the proof of life and favour. The searcher finds nothing but leaves where fruit might have been expected. The reception given him in Jerusalem was full of promise, but it would come to nothing. It is a safer thing to feel, “Lord, I do serve thee, and I am no deceiver. And if I’ve overlooked, if I’ve missed what it means to be forgiven, can Fig leaves was full of promise, but the Word of our and! Recognize John the Baptist ’ s an awful lot like faith — we ask you to stand the! Singular miracle, which can also be classified as a parable that condemns those who pledge service then. Singular things happen, here and there, in our Lord discovered that there was nothing more than confirmation... Might sanctify unto himself a people to know him personally through his Son Jesus and “... 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