THE SIGN OF JESUS’ COMING Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” —Matthew 24:1-3           The disciples asked Jesus two questions. First, “When will these things be?”…

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH! Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. —Matthew 23:1-3             Do you “practice what you preach?” Wherever we hear the Word of God preached we are to apply the Word to our lives, even if the person is not doing so in their lives. God’s Word is God’s Word regardless if the person speaking it is faithfully applying it or not.             Now we do want to follow others who are faithfully following Jesus— “Follow…

OUR LORD GOD ALMIGHTY KNOWS MY NAME!  ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ —Exodus 33:12             The Lord knew Moses by name and He knows you by name! Not only does our Lord know our name, but He knows “what was in each person” (John 2:25). And just as He created, formed and summon Israel by name, so also He summons you by name (Isaiah 43:1). “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:44). Even “the very hairs of your head are all numbered”…

CALLED AND CALLING For many are called, but few are chosen.  —Matthew 22:14             How many people have heard the gospel with their physical ears, but have not responded? Many… many… many… The gospel call goes out all over this world, but the only ones who will respond are those who are chosen. We do not know who those people are that will respond. We didn’t even know that we were one of them until we responded to the gospel call ourselves. Now it is our responsibility to call people to Jesus (Romans 10: 14-17). People are responsible for their response— whether they heed the call or not, whether they…

FOLLOWERS OF JESUS ARE TO BE FRUIT PRODUCERS! Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. —Matthew 21:43 You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. —John 15:16 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. —Matthew 7:20             Fruit… if you see apples on a tree you would know what type of tree it is. If you see oranges on…

FAITH ACTS! Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.  Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it…

BE LIKE JESUS—- SERVE! But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” —Matthew 20:25-28             It used to be said of government officials that they were “public servants.”   I cannot remember the last time that I heard that…

BE NOT A GRUMBLER! Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD. —Exodus 16:9 Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD? …the people grumbled against Moses —Exodus 17:2-3 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD among us or not? —Exodus 17:7 And do not grumble, as some of them did–and were killed by the destroying angel. —I Corinthians 10:10 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!…

LEADING AND FOLLOWING And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. —Exodus 13:21-22 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud…

LISTEN AND PERSEVERE! He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” —Matthew 17:5             Our Father spoke, bearing testimony to His Son and the disciples heard. The disciples were told to “listen to Him.”   So also it is with us. We are to listen to Him. Are we? If so, what is He saying?             In Egypt Moses listened to the Lord to bring plagues on the land of Egypt.   Each time Pharaoh would not let the people go because of his hard heart.…