Mark 11:12-22 Darby Translation (DARBY)

12 And on the morrow, when they were gone out of Bethany, he hungered.

13 And seeing from afar off a fig-tree which had leaves, he came, if perhaps he might find something on it. And having come up to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the time of figs.

14 And answering he said to it, Let no one eat fruit of thee any more for ever. And his disciples heard [it].

15 And they come to Jerusalem, and entering into the temple, he began to cast out those who sold and who bought in the temple, and he overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of the dove-sellers,

16 and suffered not that any one should carry any package through the temple.

17 And he taught saying to them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but *ye* have made it a den of robbers.

18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard [it], and they sought how they might destroy him; for they feared him, because all the crowd were astonished at his doctrine.

19 And when it was evening he went forth without the city.

20 And passing by early in the morning they saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots.

21 And Peter, remembering [what Jesus had said], says to him, Rabbi, see, the fig-tree which thou cursedst is dried up.

22 And Jesus answering says to them, Have faith in God.

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I just received an email from the FTC about scams happening now. Robocalls, offers of vaccinations and test kits, texts about checks from the government.

They look good on the outside but really are fake.

That was happening here with the fig tree. It looked like it had something, fruit, but it was barren.

Jesus was using the fig tree to illustrate a point. Sometimes we can look so good on the outside, but be so fruitless. 

 

Galatians 5:22-23 Darby Translation (DARBY)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity,

23 meekness, self-control: against such things there is no law.

 

One day Billy Graham was asked how it felt to be one of the most admired men in America. Billy shook his head and replied," Why do you think these famous people come to me? They come to me because they want to know about God and is the bible true and did Jesus really die for my sins. They are looking for someone they can trust. I'm just a farm boy from North Carolina, and the day I forget that, God will no longer be able to use me."

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Be someone people can trust. Full of the fruits of the Spirit.