The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Mark:11:20-26

kjv@Mark:11:20 @ And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

kjv@Mark:11:21 @ And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

kjv@Mark:11:22 @ And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

kjv@Mark:11:23 @ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

kjv@Mark:11:24 @ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

kjv@Mark:11:25 @ And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

kjv@Mark:11:26 @ But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Today's notes:

Context:

Before - Fig tree and temple
After - who gave thee this authority

Key Concepts:

dict:all providence

What is God's righteousness observed doing?:

Moving mountains for those that have faith in Him.
Forgiving us based on our forgiveness of others.

What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:

Our context throughout has been that Jesus has emptied Himself of His power for the sake of complete obedience and dependence on the Father/Spirit as any man would have to do if he could do it, that the Father in turn is confirming His obedient Son mightily with signs and wonders. It is the Father that is withering trees and moving mountains as a means of confirming HIS obedient and dependent one Jesus seeking the performance of HIS righteousness.
Forgiveness for forgiveness in like kind is included as a condition of prayer. If one is not giving of forgiveness, one has not accepted HIS. Often that is the biggest mountain to be removed.

How is man reacting?:

Peter points to the tree in remembrance having heard what Jesus had said to the tree.

Notes:

A preliminary question: If the Lord was hungry and could have anything He wanted by believing, why didn't He believe for figs from that tree? The answer is that He was not doing as the He physically hungered, He did as the Father was directing Him.

kjv@Proverbs:19:21 states that "there are many devices in a man's heart". That is the problem with the wholesale belief that God will provide anything that we ask for if we believe and ask without doubting. How is God's righteousness being served in HIM feeding our every desire/device? Isn't it our righteousness then being served? kjv@Psalms:145:17 kjv@Daniel:4:37

The key phrase is "Have faith dict:strongs G4102 in God". Of interest in its definition are words such as moral conviction and constancy of profession. A singular petition's belief and doubt are subordinate to the faith of this type. It hungers for God's righteousness over and beyond it's own hunger just as it did with Jesus concerning the fig tree here.

Forgiveness is not mentioned by accident to this petition either. It is in conjunction. Imagine a man believing for what he wanted without doubt, God being beholden to that when the man is yet unforgiven because he finds it not in his heart to forgive those with whom he has ought. If so that would suit our sorted devices quite well. Is the word of God really beholden to his petition or is the man beholden to the word of God? If not in this case, what other cases?

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

How many of us would curse the tree that might give us what we hunger in order to obey the command directed by the Father in this situation?
There are entire religions built upon the belief that the power to do anything is within us if we only believe and not doubt (we are as gods or at least like tiny Jesus's). Many would say that this is the true teaching of Jesus. Some would say that Jesus was able to do all the wonders that He did because He believed in this same power and doubted not. Even if to connect the power to God, the operation of the power becomes the same. It is basically a blank check so we believe to have accomplished anything and everything we devise without us having to first seek HIS righteousness and having the provision of all these things graciously added unto us.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Mark:11:20-26
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Mark:11:20-26 rwp@Mark:11:20-26 mhcc@Mark:11:20-26
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

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