<html><head></head><body><div><div><div>Mark 11;20-23<div><br></div><div><b>20. &nbsp;As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.</b><br><b>21. &nbsp;And Peter remembered, and said to him, “Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered.“</b></div><div><b>22. &nbsp;And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.</b></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast 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.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Mountains serve as impediments which block the way forward to our desired goal.</div><div><br></div><div>When Jesus says to the disciples, <i>“whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast 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”</i></div><div>He is traveling from Bethany toward Jerusalem.&nbsp;The Mount&nbsp;Jesus is referring to is most likely&nbsp;the Mount of Olives. &nbsp;Entering Jerusalem itself, going toward the Temple is also a strenuous climb.</div><div><br></div><div>Between Bethany and Jerusalem, traveling from east to west, the Mount of Olives blocks the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;Then it requires&nbsp;&nbsp;the descent into the&nbsp;Kidron valley, and finally climbing again upwards into the city toward the Temple Mount.</div><div><br></div><div>If we consider that the desired&nbsp;goal we are seeking&nbsp;is to come into the presence of God, then we begin to understand a little about how often the Bible uses mountains to help us understand that the way to God is blocked to human strength.</div><div><br></div><div>This is why<span>&nbsp;Isaiah prophecies concerning the way of repentance and faith&nbsp;saying, <i>“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;…”&nbsp;</i>(Isaiah 40;4a)<i></i></span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>And Zechariah prophecies saying, <i>“then he </i>(an angel)&nbsp;<i>said to me, “This is the Word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. &nbsp;What are you, O great mountain? &nbsp;Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forward the top stone&nbsp;</i></span></div><div><span>(Christ Jesus the stone rejected by the builders)&nbsp;<i>amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” &nbsp;</i>(Zechariah 4;6&amp;7)</span></div><div>(The name ‘Zerubbabel’ refers to, ‘one&nbsp;suffering because of sin, (a captive of Babylon)&nbsp;and is now repentantly seeking God.’)</div><div><br></div><div>In the&nbsp;Revelation to John, we read, <i>“The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea;”. </i>(Revelation 8;8)</div><div><br></div><div>The strength of man and the works of man will never overcome the mountain which blocks our way to God, (which requires&nbsp;perfect holiness, perfect&nbsp;righteousness by the Law). &nbsp;Christ alone has climbed and leveled&nbsp;that mountain for us. &nbsp;Through repentance and faith, the way to God becomes a straight and level path. &nbsp;This way has been made for us by Christ. &nbsp;We walk into the presence of God without human strength of any kind. &nbsp;We are by faith walking by the Spirit,&nbsp;in Christ. &nbsp;Jesus carries us into the Father’s presence, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.</div><div><br></div><div>All our works done by us trying to come into&nbsp;the Father’s presence, done&nbsp;in the power of the&nbsp;flesh, are like the lifeless, withered fig tree. &nbsp;<i>“For&nbsp;by grace that you are saved through faith; and this is <u>not your own doing,</u>&nbsp;it is the gift of God—<u>not because of works,</u>&nbsp;lest any man should boast.” &nbsp;</i>(Ephesians 2;8&amp;9)</div><div><br></div><div>The mountain cast into the sea&nbsp;is our hope in ‘self and all human, fleshly efforts’…this false impossible hope&nbsp;must cast into the sea. &nbsp;Our faith and&nbsp;hope is in the Lord Jesus alone, He is our salvation. &nbsp;The gifts of repentance and faith in Him is the only way, the straight and level&nbsp;way, to the Father.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Most merciful Father, we praise You, for You have made&nbsp;the way to You,&nbsp;open for us in Christ.</div><div>In Jesus, we pray, Amen</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’sWord is our habitation, and we are His.”&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer</div><div><b><br></b><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>

Mark 11;20-23
20.  As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.
21.  And Peter remembered, and said to him, “Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered.“22.  And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.23.  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast 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.

Mountains serve as impediments which block the way forward to our desired goal.
When Jesus says to the disciples, “whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast 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”He is traveling from Bethany toward Jerusalem. The Mount Jesus is referring to is most likely the Mount of Olives.  Entering Jerusalem itself, going toward the Temple is also a strenuous climb.
Between Bethany and Jerusalem, traveling from east to west, the Mount of Olives blocks the way.  Then it requires  the descent into the Kidron valley, and finally climbing again upwards into the city toward the Temple Mount.
If we consider that the desired goal we are seeking is to come into the presence of God, then we begin to understand a little about how often the Bible uses mountains to help us understand that the way to God is blocked to human strength.
This is why Isaiah prophecies concerning the way of repentance and faith saying, “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;…” (Isaiah 40;4a)
And Zechariah prophecies saying, “then he (an angel) said to me, “This is the Word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.  What are you, O great mountain?  Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forward the top stone (Christ Jesus the stone rejected by the builders) amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”  (Zechariah 4;6&7)(The name ‘Zerubbabel’ refers to, ‘one suffering because of sin, (a captive of Babylon) and is now repentantly seeking God.’)
In the Revelation to John, we read, “The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea;”. (Revelation 8;8)
The strength of man and the works of man will never overcome the mountain which blocks our way to God, (which requires perfect holiness, perfect righteousness by the Law).  Christ alone has climbed and leveled that mountain for us.  Through repentance and faith, the way to God becomes a straight and level path.  This way has been made for us by Christ.  We walk into the presence of God without human strength of any kind.  We are by faith walking by the Spirit, in Christ.  Jesus carries us into the Father’s presence, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
All our works done by us trying to come into the Father’s presence, done in the power of the flesh, are like the lifeless, withered fig tree.  “For by grace that you are saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast.”  (Ephesians 2;8&9)
The mountain cast into the sea is our hope in ‘self and all human, fleshly efforts’…this false impossible hope must cast into the sea.  Our faith and hope is in the Lord Jesus alone, He is our salvation.  The gifts of repentance and faith in Him is the only way, the straight and level way, to the Father.
Prayer:  Most merciful Father, we praise You, for You have made the way to You, open for us in Christ.In Jesus, we pray, Amen
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’sWord is our habitation, and we are His.” 
Prayer
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
