Key Thought

Today's Prayer

O Father, thank you for the confidence I have in Jesus. I am confident that the Lord to whom I have yielded my life will keep and honor all that I have entrusted to his grace. I long to hear his voice of welcome and to see him face to face. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

The next day, Jesus was leaving Bethany. He was hungry. Jesus saw a fig tree with leaves. So Jesus went to the tree to see if it had any figs growing on it. But Jesus found no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. It was not the right time for figs to grow. So Jesus said to the tree, "People will never eat fruit from you again." Jesus' followers heard him say this. Jesus went to Jerusalem. He went into the temple area. Jesus began to throw out the people that were buying and selling things there. Jesus turned over the tables that belonged to the people that were exchanging different kinds of money. And Jesus turned over the benches of those people that were selling doves. Jesus refused to allow any person to carry things through the temple area. Then Jesus taught the people. He said, "It is written in the Scriptures, 'My house will be called a house for prayer for all people.' But you are changing God's house into a 'hiding place for thieves.' " The leading priests and the teachers of the law heard these things. They began trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of Jesus because all the people were amazed at his teaching. That night, Jesus and his followers left the city. The next morning, Jesus was walking with his followers. They saw the fig tree {that Jesus spoke to the day before}. The fig tree was dry and dead, even the roots. Peter remembered the tree and said to Jesus, "Teacher, look! Yesterday, you told that fig tree to die. Now it is dry and dead!" Jesus answered, "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth. You can say to this mountain, 'Go, mountain, fall into the sea.' And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that the thing you say will happen, then God will do it for you. So I tell you to ask for things in prayer. And if you believe that you have received those things, then they will be yours. When you are praying, and you remember that you are angry with another person about something, then forgive that person. Forgive them sothat your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins."

Related Scripture Readings

I tell you the truth. An {important} time is coming. That time is already here. People that are dead {in sin} will hear the voice of the Son of God. And the people that {accept the things they} hear {from the Son} will have life {forever}. Life comes from the Father (God) himself. So the Father has also allowed the Son (Jesus) to give life. And the Father has given the Son the power to judge all people. Why? Because that Son is the Son of Man. Don't be surprised at this. A time is coming when all people that are dead and in their graves will hear his voice. Then they will come out of their graves. The people that did good in this life will rise and have life forever. But the people that did evil will rise to be judged guilty. "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told. So my judgment is right. Why? Because I don't try to please myself. But I want to please the One (God) who sent me.

Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds! Every person will see him, even the people who pierced him. All people of the earth will cry loudly because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen.