Monday, November 11, 2013

Jesus and the Fig Tree

Jesus and the Fig Tree
by Britt Gillette

Throughout the centuries, people have longed to know which generation will witness the return of Jesus Christ. Interestingly, the answer to that question appeared in the form of a fig tree nearly two thousand years ago.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

Both the Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell the following story of Jesus and His encounter with that fig tree:
"In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs on it, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, 'May you never bear fruit again!' And immediately the fig tree withered up. The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, 'How did the fig tree wither so quickly?' Then Jesus told them, 'I assure you, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matthew 21:18-22, NLT).
Although not spoken to His disciples in the form of a parable, this story about the fig tree and its lack of fruit strikes at the heart of the gospel message.

The Meaning of the Curse

The disappointment of Jesus with the fig tree is an extremely significant event. At first glance, one might think Jesus is merely upset with an actual tree that failed to feed Him when He was hungry. But the fig tree and its fruit play a much larger role. They are symbols of the nation of Israel and its faith.
In Jeremiah 24, the people of Israel are compared to figs, both good and rotten. When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He symbolically placed a curse on Israel. The reason for the curse is straightforward. The fig tree (Israel) failed to bear fruit (faith), even though its leaves indicate it was in season (the appointed time for the coming of the Messiah). Due to its lack of fruit, the fig tree withered. Likewise, Israel's lack of faith when presented with her Messiah led to her eventual destruction at the hands of the Romans in ad 70.

What Is Good Fruit?

Jesus cursed the fig tree because of its refusal to bear fruit, and in so doing, He makes it clear that He expects His followers to bear fruit as well—and not just any kind of fruit, but, specifically, good fruit.
If Jesus expects us to bear good fruit, it's essential to know what constitutes good fruit in the first place. What is good fruit? And how do we bear it? Paul defines "good fruit" in his letters to the Galatians and the Philippians:
"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT).
This is the fruit we should produce: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Why? Because ultimately, the good fruit we bear comes from faith in Jesus Christ:
"May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God" (Philippians 1:11, NLT).
Good fruit should never be confused with the world's definition of good works. Good fruit is born in the heart and blossoms outward into the world. Its only motive is Jesus Christ. But good works as defined by the world can have many motives, sometimes even evil motives. Yet, no matter how justified we feel in our own eyes, God will always measure our inner motives, never our outward deeds. Placing our trust and faith in Jesus Christ will inevitably produce the good fruits Paul mentioned in his letter to the Galatians. When we exhibit these good fruits, the world will witness through our lives the glory that is Jesus Christ.

Good Fruit vs. Bad Fruit

To make sure we're producing good fruit and not bad fruit, we need to know how to tell the difference. Before He placed the curse on the fig tree, Jesus warned His disciples to beware of false prophets and teachers. In fact, He used fruit as a metaphor for identifying the righteous from the evil, explaining that if a tree doesn't bear fruit, it will be chopped down and thrown into the fire:
 "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don't pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced" (Matthew 7:15-20, NLT).
A good tree will bear good fruit, and a bad tree will produce rotten fruit. Therefore, you can always identify the righteous and the evil based on what they produce.
God's great commandment is to believe in the one He has sent. Those who do will bear good fruit as a natural result. This is because Jesus is the branch on which all good fruit grows, and His righteous branch can't help but bear good fruit. Long ago, the prophet Isaiah identified the Messiah as the branch of Jesse:
"Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot--yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root" (Isaiah 11:1, NLT).
If the generation that rejected Jesus had instead made Him the basis of their faith, the very root of their spiritual sustenance, then they would have borne good fruit that is pleasing to the Lord.
So what do good fruit, bad fruit, and a barren fig tree have to do with the timing of the Second Coming of Christ? To find out, we must first understand why the fig tree had to wither.

The Withered Fig Tree

Why did the fig tree have to wither in the first place? Why did the generation which witnessed the birth of Christ lack faith in God's promise of the coming Messiah? They committed to memory the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, and they knew the exact year in which the Messiah would appear in Jerusalem. Yet, because they lacked faith, they failed to recognize the time of His Coming. As a result, an entire generation failed to produce fruit for the Messiah. But why?
Although the Jews didn't plan to reject the Messiah, God did have a plan. His plan was to spread the salvation of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Israel's lack of faith was integral to this process, providing the catalyst for God to offer this salvation to the Gentiles as well. As a result, the salvation God had previously reserved for the Jews alone was offered to the entire world:

"For since the Jews' rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, how much more wonderful their acceptance will be. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their children will also be holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham's tree, some of the Jews, have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, were grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in God's rich nourishment of his special olive tree. But you must be careful not to brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. Remember, you are just a branch, not the root. 'Well,' you may say, 'those branches were broken off to make room for me.' Yes, but remember—those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn't believe God, and you are there because you do believe. Don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the branches he put there in the first place, he won't spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe to those who disobeyed, but kind to you as you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the Jews turn from their unbelief, God will graft them back into the tree again. He has the power to do it. For if God was willing to take you who were, by nature, branches from a wild olive tree and graft you into his own good tree—a very unusual thing to do—he will be far more eager to graft the Jews back into the tree where they belong" (Romans 11:15-24, NLT).
When Israel rejected Jesus Christ, she opened the door to salvation for the Gentiles. But God never forgot His promise to Israel, and He promises the day will come when Israel will fully embrace the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

A Second Chance for Israel

Just as Paul stated in his letter to the Romans, the Lord hasn't forgotten Israel. She will have one more chance to bear fruit for her Messiah, and this opportunity is the key to understanding the hour of Christ's return. Jesus illustrates this when He tells a parable about a planted fig tree:

"Then Jesus used this illustration: 'A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, "I've waited three years, and there hasn't been a single fig! Cut it down. It's taking up space we can use for something else." The gardener answered, "Give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, you can cut it down."'" (Luke 13:6-9, NLT).
For three years, Jesus spread His message throughout Israel, performing miracles, exhibiting unprecedented knowledge of the Scriptures and offering ample evidence of His claim to be the long-awaited Messiah. Yet despite three years of testimony, Israel refused to believe in the one who was sent.
According to this parable, Israel will get one more year with "special attention and plenty of fertilizer." If she still fails to bear fruit, she will be cut down (destroyed).
As Jesus reveals, Israel will be given a final chance to exhibit faith in Him in the last days, just prior to His glorious appearing. To do so, Israel must first become a nation once again, a miraculous feat that took place in May 1948. The reestablishment of Israel as a nation is the foremost sign to our generation that Christ's return is imminent. And that's why the fig tree is the key to understanding which generation will witness His Second Coming. Through the nation of Israel, God has given the world a sign that is impossible to ignore. Nevertheless, most of the world has chosen to ignore it.

The Sign of Our Generation

In the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24), Jesus revealed to His disciples that the primary sign of the end of the age and His soon return would be the restoration of Israel as a nation. However, He didn't plainly say so. Instead, He once again used the fig tree as a metaphor for the nation of Israel:
 "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is near. Just so, when you see the events I've described beginning to happen, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I assure you, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever" (Matthew 24:32-35, NLT).
The fig tree is Israel. It's been six decades since Israel was once again declared a nation against all worldly odds. In Matthew 24, Jesus promises that the generation that witnesses the reestablishment of Israel will not die off until the end of the age comes to pass. Given the Bible's impeccable track record, we have every reason to expect His imminent return. Jesus will return soon, within our generation, and a wise person will prepare accordingly.
Just as the time of His first coming was clearly revealed to the previous generation, the season of His return has been clearly revealed to ours. The previous generation was unprepared for His arrival. Ours should be watching with a patient and enduring faith, fully confident in the glory we are about to witness. Christ is coming. The fig tree is in bloom, and ours is the generation.
Britt Gillette is founder of BrittGillette.Com, a website examining the relationship between Bible prophecy and emerging trends in technology. For more information or to sign up for his email alerts, please visit http://www.brittgillette.com.




Jesus - The way, Truth and Life

"I Am the Way"

Christ is the way to the Father. A way is a path, a route, a roadway. Some say, "How can I know the way when one preacher tells me one way and another some other way? Dear friend, the Lord did not say, "The preacher, or the Pope, or mother or father is the way," but "I am the way." Dear friend, do not follow this preacher or that, or the Pope, or anyone else, but the Lord Jesus himself. He is the Way.
We have all, some time or other, followed a marked path to a given destination. I read a story of one of our pioneer preachers riding horseback along a road in unfamiliar territory, when he came upon a barricade with a sign warning that the bridge was out. Distressed, he lookedabout to study just how he might proceed when he saw what appeared to be a marker showing the way. He went to investigate and sure enough just before he reached the first marker he could see the next, and so on through the heavy wooded section of the river bottom. By following the marked trail he was able to pass through the unfamiliar territory and reach his destination. Just so with the Lord Jesus; he is the marked trail  "the way" through this old sinful world to the wonderful city of God and to bosom of the Father. He says, "Follow me and I will take you to the Father."
Christ is the only way to the Father. "No one comes to the Father but by me." Hence, he is not only the way, but he is the only way to the Father. This way is referred to as the "the way of God," "the way of salvation," the way of truth, and "the way of holiness" (Acts 18:26; Matt. 22:16; Acts 16:17; John 14:6; Isa. 35:8; etc.). Our Lord said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Many say that it doesn't matter what doctrine you believe just so you have Christ, but dear friend, God tells us, "Whosoever . . . abideth not in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ hath both the Father and the Son (2 Jn.9). Yes, indeed, it does make a difference what you believe. Again, the Lord said, "But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:9); and "Every plant (doctrine or practice) which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up" (Matt. 15:13-14). Any doctrine that is not found in the Word of God is "of men," not God. All spiritual blessings are in Christ (Eph. 1:3). We have redemption through his blood in Christ (Eph.1:7; Col. 1:14). We must be "in Christ" to be a "new creature" (born again) (2 Cor. 5:17), and we get in Christ by being baptized "into" Christ (Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27), and we are "born again" by "obeying the truth" (1 Pet. 1:22-23; Rom. 6:17-18).
There is no other way. All religion that seeks to "come unto the Father" in some other way than in and through Christ (Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, etc.) is doomed to failure, according to this word of Christ (John 14:6). Again we hear the Lord say, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not My words (the gospel of the New Testament), hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48); and all who "obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . shall be punished in flaming fire with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thess. 1: 8-9). This also applies to those who claim to believe in Christ, but reject his teaching. The Lord further said, "Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Many teach that it doesn't make any difference what you believe, or whether you are baptized or not, or "how" or "why" you are baptized, or whether you worship or not and how you worship, etc. Such people are not following Christ, the way, but their own way the way of their choice. The way of Christ is the way of truth. You must believe what Christ tells you to believe, the truth, the gospel (Mk. 16:15; 1 Thess. 2:13); you obey Christ's command to be "buried" in baptism (Rom. 6:3-4), "to be saved" (Mk. 16:16), "for remission of sins" (Acts 2:38), to get "into Christ" (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27) who is the true way; and he will add you to the church he established (Acts 2:41,47), not some de-nomination (Acts 20:29-39; Gal. 1:6-9); and you worship the way Christ tells you to worship (John 4:23-24).


"I Am the Truth"

Truth is truth only because of God. Without God there would be no right or wrong, or truth. Truth, righteousness, holiness, light, and love, in any and all fields, whether mathematical, logical, moral (ethical or religious) are all basically the same thing  just different aspects; and they all derive their meaning from the inherent nature and character of God, who is the origin, source, and essence of each. The statement that two and two make four, or that honesty is good and lying is bad, expresses an everlasting principle in the eternal character of God. God and Truth have the same attributes and character; things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. God and truth are both eternal, immutable, perfect, unchanging, accurate, consistent, immortal, infinite, incorruptible, harmonious, faithful, reliable, trustworthy, dependable, right and righteous. Men can say, "I speak the truth," but only God can say, "I am the truth." The God of the Bible is the only true God because no other being possesses these attributes. Jesus Christ is one with the Father. To know Jesus is to know the Father. To "see" Jesus is to "see" the Father. He is not speaking of the fleshly body. The words of Christ are the words of the Father. The Father is in Christ and he is in the Father.

"I Am the Life"

God is life. In every nook and cranny of the world around us there is abundance and variety of life  living things. Among the millions or billions of kinds of life, human life stands out in uniqueness and singularity. God tells us this is because it alone is a combination of physical life and spiritual life (Gen. 1:26; 2:7). All life is from God (Gen. 1; Psa. 36:9; Acts 17:24-29). Something is eternal. Something cannot come from nothing, therefore some-thing has always been. All that is in existence had to be in that eternal "something." Hence, that which existed eternally possessed life. J.W.M. Sullivan, one of the world's greatest physicists, says, "Life never arises except from life . . . this (fact) leads back to some supernatural creative act"  GOD! (Limitations of Science 94). The Lord Jesus said, "I am come that (men) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." "Abundantly" refers to the fullness and richness of the life in Christ  Christ's way of life  that higher and nobler life of which human life is capable. See John 8:12; Luke 12:15; Jude 10.
Eternal Life. Life is union (Gen. 2:7), and death is separation (Jas. 2:26). Man has both physical life and spiritual life. At death (separation) both go back to their point of origin  the body to dust, and the soul/spirit to God (Eccl. 12:6-7). Spiritual life (eternal life) is to be united with God, and spiritual death is to be separated from God, banished into darkness and despair (Matt. 25:41,46; Rom. 6:23). The Lord Jesus said, speaking spiritually as he points out in v. 58, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day . . . so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever" (Jn. 6:54-58). Again God tells us, "He that hath the Son hath life (eternal life,v.13), and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 Jn. 5:12). Again, Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (Jn. 11:25). Indeed, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."


Monday, July 15, 2013

Interesting Facts about the Bible



·        Total Chapters in the Bible -- 1189.
·        Chapters in the Old Testament -- 929.
·        Chapters in the New Testament -- 260.
·        Longest Chapter -- Psalms 119.
·        Shortest Chapter -- Psalms 117.
·        Centre Chapter -- Psalms 118.
·        Chapters before Psalm 118 -- 594 Chapters.
·        Chapters after Psalm 118 -- 594 Chapters.
·        Add the Chapters up --1188 (594+594)+1(Centre Chapter)=1189.
·        Centre Verse -- Psalms 118:8.
·        Psalm 118:8 -- It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
·        Most Comforting Chapters -- Psalms 23, John: 14.
·        Love Chapter -- 1 Corinthians 13.
·        Faith Chapter -- Hebrews 11.
·        New Testament Formation -- Acts 2.
·        Alike Chapters -- 2 Kings 19, and Isaiah 37.
·        Longest Verse -- Esther 8:9.
·        Shortest Verse -- John 11:35.
·        Most Precious Verse -- John 3:16.
·        Saddest Verse -- Mark 15:34.
·        Grandest Verse -- Romans 8:11.
·        The Garden verse -- Num. 11:5.
·        The Metal verse -- Ezek. 22:19.
·        Word "God" occurs -- 4,370 times.
·        Word "Jehovah" occurs -- 6,855 times.
·        Word "Lord" occurs -- 7,736 times.
·        English Bible published first-- 1380 A.D.
·        Divisions of the Chapters made first -- 1227 A.D.
·        Longest Word -- Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isaiah 8:1).
·        The Greatest Word -- JESUS.
·        Words appears only once in the Bible -- Reverend (Psalms 111:9), Eternity (Isaiah 57:15), and Grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5).
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·        The Bible gives all glory and honor to the Heavenly Father Jesus Christ (Yashua Massiah) is hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.
·        The Bible was written by the Holy Spirit through 40 men over a period of about 1600 years dating from 1500 BC to about 100 years after Christ.
·        The Bible is the Book of Salvation and Jesus Christ is the Only Saviour under Heaven given among the human beings.
·        Scholars estimate that the 66 books of the King James version of the Bible were written by some 50 different authors. Some biblical scholars believe that Aramaic (the language of the ancient Bible) did not contain an easy way to say 'many things' and used a term which has come down to us as 40. This means that when the bible -- in many places -- refers to '40 days, they meant many days.
·        The system of chapters was introduced in A.D. 1227 by Cardinal Hugo de S. Caro, while the verse notations were added in 1551 by Robertus Stephanus, after the advent of printing. The first translation of the English Bible was initiated by John Wycliffe and completed by John Purvey in 1380.
·        A Bible in the University of Gottingen is written on 2,470 palm leaves.
·        The Bible devotes some 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but over 2000 verses on money and possessions.
·        The Bible can be read aloud in 70 hours.
·        There are 8,674 different Hebrew words in the Bible (KJV), 5,624 different Greek words, and 12,143 different English words.
·        According to statistics from Wycliffe International, the Society of Gideons, and the International Bible Society, the number of new Bibles that are sold, given away, or otherwise distributed in USA is about 168,000 per day.
·        A number of verses in the Bible (KJV) contain all but 1 letter of the alphabet:-- Ezra 7:21 contains all but the letter j; Joshua 7:24, 1 Kings 1:9, 1 Chronicles 12:40, 2 Chronicles 36:10, Ezekiel 28:13, Daniel 4:37, and Haggai 1:1 contain all but q; 2 Kings 16:15 and 1 Chronicles 4:10 contain all but z; and Galatians 1:14 contains all but k.
·        Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer are the three angels mentioned by name in the Bible. (Raphael is the name of another angel, mentioned in the Apocalypse).
·        The words baptize, baptized, baptizest, baptizeth, baptizing appears in the Bible 77 times.
·        The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, named in the Bible's Book of Revelation are Conquest, Slaughter, Famine, and Death.
·        The 3 Magi or Wise Men and their gifts: -- Melchoir (means king of light) offered Gold; Gaspar (means the white one) offered Frankincense (Frankincense is a gum resin used as a base for incense); and Balthazar (means lord of treasures) offered Myrrh (Myrrh is a gum resin, was valued as a perfume and unguent used in embalming).
·        The two robbers crucified next to Jesus were named Dismas and Gestas.
·        Voltaire, the French philosopher was an ethist, threatened that he will see to the destruction of the Bible and its removal from the face of the earth. What happened is that the Bible Society bought the house where he was born after his death and today that building is one of the biggest sales centers of the Bible.
·        The name “Easter” derives from the Anglo - Saxon goddess Eostre, who governed the vernal equinox.
·        Salt is mentioned more than 30 times in the Bible.
·        There are 49 different foods mentioned in the Bible.
·        Almonds and pistachios are the only nuts mentioned in the Bible.
·        Seven suicides are recorded in the Bible.
·        The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat.