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Righteousness Depends On God, Not On Self
Matthew 21:28-30 'But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.'
MATTHEW 21:23-24; MARK 11:27-33; 12:1-2; LUKE 20:1-9
This parable was given in response to the religious leaders rejecting Jesus' authority. Through this parable, Jesus reveals God's rejection of the Jews in response to their rejection of His Son. Jesus is showing that those who do the will of God are actually the ones invested with God's authority.
These leaders had a form of...
BY DAVID MCMILLEN
Faith Is A Muscle
Matthew 21:26 'But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.'
MATTHEW 21:23-27
Proverbs 29:25 says, 'The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.' These men were seeking to snare Jesus in His words, but they couldn't because He was safely trusting in the Lord. It was easy for Jesus to 'turn the tables on them' and catch them because they feared man (Jn. 5:44).
Jesus had already shown that all of their works were done so that they could be seen of men (Mt. 6:5). They were not really seeking to please God, but were doing all their religious works for the praise of men. It is totally vain for a man who is bound by the fear of man to...
SHARING JESUS WITH EVERYONE
Forgiving Others Is To Your Advantage
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.'
MATTHEW 21:20-22; MARK 11:20-26
There are qualifications for believing and receiving as well as restrictions for receiving answers to prayer. Unforgiveness in our hearts will keep our prayers from being answered.
We should forgive others as quickly as it takes to make the decision to pray. The Greek word for 'when' means 'whenever, as soon as, or while.' When we stand praying, we must forgive if we have ought ('anything at all, the least little part; whatsoever') against anyone.
When we are offended or hurt, we often feel...
The Battle Is In The Mind
Matthew 21:21 'Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.'
Jesus makes it very clear that we must have faith and doubt not. Every believer has faith, but most believers also have an abundance of doubt that negates their faith. It is when we purify our faith and only believe, that victory comes.
Every Christian is at war. There is a perpetual struggle against Satan and his kingdom where there are no 'leaves' or 'discharges.' Our enemy goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Those who...
USING THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD
Works Don't Save
Mark 11:16 'And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.'
Only Mark points out that Jesus would not suffer anyone to carry any vessel through the temple. No explanation is offered by Mark as to why Jesus would not allow this. It is probable that Jesus wanted His Father's house to be dedicated completely to prayer and the ministry of God. Also, as with the Sabbath, work symbolizes our own effort, and our own effort will always fall short of what God demands for salvation. Therefore, anything that resembled work was inappropriate in the house of God.
What are 'works of the law?' Any rule, command or law that a person observes in an attempt to be accepted in right standing with God is a 'work of the law.'...
WE ALL NEED TO LEARN PATIENCE