The Pilgrim Path---Mark 11: 20—25

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

FRIDAY THE 13th---Worry? NO, “Have faith in GOD”

The Apostle Peter must point out the fig tree that Jesus had cursed. “Look at that,” he says. The tree was withered. The LORD Jesus takes an opportunity to teach the disciples---make sure your faith does not wither. Pray---pray in faith believing. Trust the dictates of the Kingdom and plead those. Live by those. Ask in accord with what I have taught you---it will be yours. “Oh, by the way,” Jesus says, “While you are praying---and you realize you need to FORGIVE---do it. Your Father forgives you in like manner.”

From J. C. Ryle: This promise must of course be taken with a reasonable qualification. It assumes that a believer will ask things which are not sinful, and which are in accordance with the will of God. When He asks such things, he may confidently believe his prayer will be answered. To use the words of St. James, “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1: 6).

Confidence in God’s power and will to help every believer in Christ, and in the truth of every word that God has spoken, is the grand secret of success and prosperity in our religion. In fact, it is the very root of saving Christianity. “By it, the elders obtained a good report.” “He that cometh unto God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” To know the full worth of in in the sight of God, we should often study the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Do we desire to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ? Do we wish to make progress in our religion, and become strong Christians, and not mere babes in spiritual things? Then let us pray daily for more faith, and our faith with most jealous watchfulness…

From Johann Christoph Arnold: Like stupidity or spiritual blindness, unforgiveness can also block the way to God. Jesus said our sins would be forgiven to the extent that we forgive others, yet how few of us take this seriously! I am sure many prayers are not heard because the person praying is holding a grudge…

From Anna Mow: If my heart is hard toward anyone, it is closed toward God. God forgives. That is His nature. He is real love…This is the bridge over which every Christian must pass. The secret of power in prayer lies right here…

A SONG TO SING…

It’s the hardest thing to give away

And the last thing on your mind today

It always goes to those that don’t deserve

It’s the opposite of how you feel

When the pain they caused is just so real

It takes everything you have just to say the word…

Forgiveness

Forgiveness

It flies in the face of all your pride

It moves away the mad inside

It’s always anger’s own worst enemy

Even when the jury and the judge

Say you gotta right to hold a grudge

It’s the whisper in your ear saying “Set it free”

Show me how to love the unlovable

Show me how to reach the unreachable

Help me now to do the impossible

Forgiveness, Forgiveness

It’ll clear the bitterness away

It can even set a prisoner free

There is no end to what its power can do

So, let it go and be amazed

By what you see through eyes of grace

The prisoner that it really frees is you

Matthew West, 2012

Grace and Peace in Jesus, the Only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason