Importance Of Faith

On Tuesday morning, Jesus and His disciples returned to Jerusalem. They passed the withered fig tree on their way, and Jesus spoke to His companions once again about the importance of faith.

How is your faith today? Take a moment and ponder this question and then enter into a time of prayer where you ask God for even MORE faith!!

Back at the Temple, religious leaders were upset at Jesus for establishing himself as a spiritual authority. They organized an ambush with the intent to place Him under arrest. But Jesus evaded their traps and pronounced harsh judgment on them, saying:

"Blind guides!...For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness...Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?" (Matthew 23:24-33, NIV)

I invite you to take a brief moment and confess anything in your life that would be hypocritical. Let’s ask Jesus to make our hearts places of LIFE and not death.

Let's continue. Later that afternoon, Jesus left the city and went with His disciples to the Mount of Olives, which overlooks Jerusalem. Here, Jesus gave a message about the end of the age. He speaks, as usual, in parables, using symbolic language about the end times events, including His Second Coming and the final judgment.

What do we find at this moment? We find it in the fact and promise that Jesus is coming back! He will return, and my prayer is that we will all cling to this Blessed Hope today!

Scripture also teaches that this Tuesday was the day when Judas Iscariot negotiated with the religious leaders of the day to betray Jesus. (Matthew 26:14-16, NIV)

Today, we can invite Jesus into the parts of our lives where we may be doing exactly what Judas did. Today, we can overcome betrayal and choose the pure and miraculous path of Jesus. Join me in prayer as we purpose in our hearts to do nothing today that would be a betrayal of the love and sacrifice of Jesus.

Jesus, we thank you for your journey to the quiet moments on the Mount of Olives. We thank you that you have given us the Blessed Hope of your triumphant return. Now we pray the prayer of Psalm 139:

I count them my enemies.

Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV)

Don’t allow shame to overtake you! That is not Jesus. Instead, welcome the convicting power of the Holy Spirit who promises that there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Hold on to the hope that we can continue to grow and choose loyalty instead of betrayal!

You are a miracle!

Your friend,

Grant Fishbook