Mark 11 What do we believe, that is what we do, by faith

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

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Mark 11:1-33
The Last Time Jesus Goes To Jerusalem(Matthew 21:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19)
1Jesus and His followers were near Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives. They were in the towns of Bethphage and Bethany. Jesus sent two of His followers on ahead. 2He said to them, "Go into the town over there. As soon as you get there, you will find a young donkey tied. No man has ever sat on it. Let the donkey loose and bring it here. 3If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing that?' say, 'The Lord needs it. He will send it back again soon.' "
4The two followers went on their way. They found the young donkey tied by the door where two streets crossed. They took the rope off its neck. 5Some men were standing there. They said to the two followers, "Why are you taking the rope off that young donkey?" 6The two followers told them what Jesus had said and the men let them take the donkey. 7They brought it to Jesus and put their coats over it. Jesus sat on the donkey. 8Many people put their clothes down on the road. Others cut branches off the trees and put them down on the road. 9Those who went in front and those who followed spoke with loud voices,
"Greatest One! Great and honored is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Great is the coming holy nation of our father David. It will come in the name of the Lord, Greatest One in the highest heaven."
11Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the house of God. He looked around at everything. Then He went with the twelve followers to the town of Bethany because it was late.

The Fig Tree With No Fruit
12They came from Bethany the next morning. Jesus was hungry. 13Along the road He saw a fig tree with leaves on it. He went over to see if it had any fruit. He saw nothing but leaves. It was not the right time for figs. 14Jesus said to the tree, "Let no one ever again eat fruit from you." His followers heard Him say it.
Jesus Stops The Buying And The Selling In The House Of God(Matthew 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-17)
15Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus went into the house of God. He began to make the people leave who were selling and buying in the house of God. He turned over the tables of the men who changed money. He turned over the seats of those who sold doves. 16He would not allow anyone to carry a pot or pan through the house of God. 17He taught them saying, "Is it not written, 'My house is to be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? You have made it a place of robbers."
18The teachers of the Law and the religious leaders of the Jews heard it. They tried to find some way to put Jesus to death. But they were afraid of Him because all the people were surprised and wondered about His teaching. 19When evening came, Jesus and His followers went out of the city.
The Fig Tree Dries Up(Matthew 21:18-22)
20In the morning they passed by the fig tree. They saw it was dried up from the roots. 21Peter remembered what had happened the day before and said to Jesus, "Teacher, see! The fig tree which You spoke to has dried up!" 22Jesus said to them, "Have faith in God. 23For sure, I tell you, a person may say to this mountain, 'Move from here into the sea.' And if he does not doubt, but believes that what he says will be done, it will happen. 24Because of this, I say to you, whatever you ask for when you pray, have faith that you will receive it. Then you will get it. 25When you stand to pray, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins also. 26*If you do not forgive them their sins, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins."
27They came again to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking around in the house of God. The religious leaders and the teachers of the Law and other leaders came to Him. 28They asked, "How do You have the right and the power to do these things? Who gave You the right and the power to do them?" 29Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing also. If you tell Me, then I will tell you by what right and power I do these things. 30Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Tell Me." 31They talked among themselves. They said, "If we say from heaven, He will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' 32But how can we say, 'From men'?" They were afraid of the people because everyone believed that John was one who spoke for God. 33So they said, "We do not know." Then Jesus said, "Then I will not tell you by what right and power I do these things."
Copyright Statement: New Life Bible

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
Bethphage means, house of unripe figs, house in need of restoration. Household, as in “abode”, place of shelter from light and darkness, an organized family, a home, or a prison, dungeon and even an army.
Bethany means, house of dates or misery. On the east side of the Jordan. Jordan is symbolic of humility- time to get off of your high horse, “eastward” is symbolic of beforehand, before crossing over, before the change, before the encounter or confrontation.
Bethany was just before the mountain of Olives. Olives are fruit with expected by-products produced through a processing, a squeezing, a pressing, to bring forth a desired end.
Change can seem like a mountain before us. We need change, others around us need change, or at least we desire their change, yet it seems impossible in coming. “You know, we’ve lived this way as long as we can remember it”, right?
So there’s a need identified, and now that we see it clearly, we see it is in ill repair, needs fixing, but when we really consider the fix, we begin to feel it is too big for us to even blow at. There is an answer.
Jesus and His followers were near Jerusalem at this mountain looking at and being what it’ll take to get over or move the mountain.
Jerusalem means, city of peace, abode of peace. Doesn’t that sound the opposite of Bethphage? Yes it does and it opposes it on purpose, so that we’d see the desired end of the process. There is a way for change and it is God’s way. If we really truly need and want that change we’ll go that way, walk that path, His path. For he is The Answer.
They were in need of restoration, they were abiding in misery right now, but at least they are headed towards peace, if they’ll followed and obey the Prince of Peace.
This is the same for us. Many of us find Jesus is the Way, because we are in such a place of the need of repair. Praise God we are miserable enough to finally come to Him before we die, or perish eternally. Now that we’ve come for some help. He can speak with us, see how serious we really are about the need for a real life change, and set us accordingly on a course of discipline so we won’t return to misery and so we can also be discipled to help others out of theirs.
The rebellion has to first be dealt with, out of rebellion must come praise. We must first in gratefulness acknowledge who Christ is, that He is God! We must state He is our answer. That is the very beginning of the repair, the confession of faith. When we acknowledge Him for who He is, we’ll turn rebellion into obedient action, with no problem, we do want the answer, which is not a concept or idea, but a person, the person God, in Jesus Christ. We believe and receive Him as THE Answer to everything for all of our days. That confess will be proven with purposeful action.
After we meet Him as our Answer and leave our eternal misery behind we’re gonna find out something amazing, God is hungry and He is looking for someone in the earth who is willing to make some dinner for Him. He’s looking for someone who will be dinner for Him!
What in the world? Yep, “be dinner”.
Did He not say, “I Am The Bread of Life”?
So, we want to be Christians? Or is it we just wanted temporary relief?
If we really want to become Christians, what does that make us? Bread for nations. Do you realize being a “Christian” does not mean you believe in God? Or Christ? It means you live and act like Christ. In fact the Christians were first labeled “Christians” not by their own selves, but by others who had seen what they did and said. They looked and acted like Christ, thus they were Christians.
If a person goes to church Sundays, prays memorized prayers before eating and at bedtime, is kind, doesn’t steal or cheat, and says they love God, they could very well be a tree with leaves but no fruit? What makes the difference between a tree with or without fruit?
Are you feeding someone of the will of the Father? Are you feeding God, whenever He comes by and wants something, do you give it to Him? Do you have it to give to Him? How many times can God come to your house and ask for some food from you, expecting to receive some?
Jesus said the kind of food God wants shows up in the form of those who do what He wants done. One BIG thing He wants done is to save people from going to hell. He said go preach and save them, then get them rescued from the east side of the Jordan, dip them in as they cross over to the other side, leaving their old lives behind, get them fueled up for the journey, My journey with My spirit alive and activated in their life. Then make them disciples so more help can be had to do that same action of faith over and over again till all are saved or at least have the opportunity to be saved, by good regular example. Because those who love Him and obey Him are interested in Him being filled full (of glory and honor and praise). They love to feed Him, by doing His will, they know His will is for none to perish, but all to come to repentance.
Jesus goes from houses of misery, making offers for them to see there is an answer in forsaking the rebellion and following after Him and He comes to the House of God, the house of His Father. What does He find, but perversion? Misunderstandings and misinterpretations. His Father wants clear communication. Prayer. His Father is hungry for people who want what He wants. Jesus kicks out the ones who have leaves but no fruit. They are in the House, but not of the House. They are still doing their own thing, not their Father’s will, or are they? It depends on who their father is.
What is robbing the clear communication of the Father and sons, the disciples? Ambition is, greed is, attendance on other things is. Someone is sitting in God’s seat, their will is being accomplished, but His is not.
So now the disciples see that Jesus makes some changes, is showing them how to make some changes too; by faith promoted action, and by declarations of faith. He’s showing them how to come out and bring others out of Bethphage and Bethany. They have to turn their attentions, ambitions, and their passions towards The Father, towards the Father’s will, towards His dwelling place. Change fathers. Rather than just being interested in building their own kingdoms, their desires need to come into alignment with His desires. They have to let a few old things wither up, shrivel up and die. This is the way of true and lasting change. They were trying to eat from a tree of death, so He said, “Let No One ever eat from you (-religion, -death, -unfruitfulness, -dryness, -phoniness) again!” Amen! Notice the religious were always trying to put Jesus to death. He was showing them the way of eternal life was to put man’s organized empowered kingdoms to death.
Do we believe this, would be the question of faith? If we believe it we live it, all else is religion. Saying it is Not good enough and leads to more misery and pain and inability to change.
We cannot say we are “saved” and live for the building of our own kingdoms? Do you know God has kingdoms for us to rule? He does, but we have to become faithful in His first, submit to the rule of His kingdom first. Once we put things in the proper perspective we’ll see His power released in us for further change.
Change will be an action that we participate in through faith in Him, in His words and in His power. It will be released when we engage. We cannot even go through the “right” motions alone, for every action we live out is in and for His kingdom, power and glory. Forgiveness is one of those specific actions, if no forgiveness, no active faith. Forgiveness is giving for someone when they cannot give yet. We give an offering to God for them, in their place, until they can do it themselves. Jesus did that for us, and so by faith we do it too, we’re Christians!
Every action must be an action based on faith. We live by faith, not by sight, yet we must “see” into the spirit realm and perceive with the eyes of faith in order to have faith in Him. To act outside of faith is to be religious. It is sin. Sin again separates us from our communion with God. That separation gets us nowhere, except back on the other side of the Jordan, where we make no progress, bring forth no fruit and must be born-again again.


Daily Repetitive Verses -
John 17:15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.