Daily Devotion: Matthew 21:18-19

Matthew 21:18-19 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. (19) And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away."

We continue our thoughts concerning the last week of Jesus' humanity on this earth. His first day was a combination of highs and lows. The people cried out, "Hosannah!! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." Then we see "... The chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did... and were sore displeased." (Matthew 21:15) He left Jerusalem, went to Bethany, and then came back the next morning.

He observed a fig tree as He returned to the city. It was the season when figs should have been on the tree. He went to get some but there were no figs to be found. The tree gave the appearance of being fully productive, but was empty.

What can we learn from this? We have been given life in Christ Jesus in order that we would bring forth spiritual fruit to His glory. We are not fulfilling our purpose of being fruitful in the kingdom of God, if, in reality we are fruitless. God help us to use the gifts given to us for His honor and glory.

Daily Devotion: Colossians 1:25-26

Colossians 1:25-26 “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” In verse twenty-four, Paul has expressed his joy in bearing hardship for the church. It is of this church, the body of Jesus Christ, that he is made a minister. Since Paul used the phrase “made a minister” in verse twenty-three of this same chapter, it seems there is something important that he wishes to convey. The Greek word translated as “made” means “to cause to be.” It was the will of God (Col 1:1) that caused Paul to become a minister. God is always the cause of true ministry. Although our fathers may be ministers, if we become true ministers of the gospel it is not because our fathers are ministers. True ministers of the gospel do not take that path because they seek honor for themselves, or b...

Daily Devotion: Isaiah 66:1

Isaiah 66:1 "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" "The heaven is my throne..." We know this is symbolic of God's authority. Let me use God's Word to describe the things concerning this subject. "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." (Revelation 19:1,6) Yes, God reigns and rules in heaven. All power belongs to Him both in heaven and in earth. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. Though Isaiah was inspired to write in symbolism, these words are not symbolic, but ...

Daily Devotion: The Peace Of Christ - John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27 As I sit and enjoy the Lord's creation and I feel the cool breeze blow across my skin, I am reminded of the peace that we find when we stop to appreciate the works of God. While we cannot necessarily count on another tomorrow in this world, all of God’s children have the assurance of something purer, something brighter, in the world to come. This brings peace when everything seems chaotic and difficult here and now. Jesus Christ was and remains a complex Person. Not only do we have to wrestle with His dual nature, we must face the depth of His teachings. Many of the Lord’s teachings are easy to grasp even if they are hard to apply. (Have you tried loving your enemies lately?) However, some of the Messiah’s sayings make us think very hard indeed. Isaiah 9:6 famously reveals that the virgin born Son of God would be the Prin...

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