CARL
Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. Often growing up as a kid I would hear my mother said: ''the lord was coming soon because of the strange weather we were having''. In a way the Lord is coming but in a way we think not: the way we think is fleshly, devilish, earthly wisdom. When a physical fruit tree starts to put forth leaves we are looking forward to good fruit. The tree in the Bible sometime symbolize us and God is looking forward to us bearing spiritual fruit: this done by us increasing in knowledge of His word. Colossians 1:10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.Matthew 6:31 There take no thought. Even today and millions like her believe the 2nd coming of Christ has something to do with the weather: this is the results of taking wrong thoughts. First of all every scripture in the Bible is a parable. Mark 4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. To expound is to show what is hidden to the carnal mind. Act 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. The perfect way of God’s is a more perfectly? But many will say I’m not perfect.Psalms 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in. God never asked us to be perfect but only in the interpretation of His Holy Word. God’s way is His word: His interpretation, not vain men in- perfect thoughts about them. Job 9:20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. The Patriarch [A Spiritual father of the Old Testament] Job, could see in the end he wasn’t perfect yet but he was the best for his time. When we put our mouth on God’s word we condemn ourselves and are not bearing spiritual fruit only leaves. Matthew 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for everand presently the fig tree withered away. But perverse men and women like to justify the flesh or carnal thinking. God demands that our heart be perfect before him. 1Kings 8:61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. The word walk, is found 390 times in the Bible and what does it mean to walk with God?Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. The counsel here is nothing physical but thought against God’s law. Psalms 107:11Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High. Now when we refuses God’s counsel we are walking in another way. Jeremiah 7:24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.Noticed again this verses speaks of counselors being spiritual nothing physical. The counsel comes from within the heart. Now the parable of the fig tree? Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Man is naked spiritual and make a covering for sin. Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to hide their nakedness or shame. 2 Corinthians 5:3 So that being clothed we shall not found naked. Notice in Mark 11:13 , says fig leaves and mentions nothing about any fruit on the leaves. As a kid I hated to rake leaves that fell from a gigantic tree and to make matters worst, something a great wind would scattered my efforts. What is a wind as God sees it? A wind is sometime referred to in the Bible as a doctrine. Ephesians 4:14That we no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, by which they lie wait to deceive. Man's self-righteousness is a filthy thing and we tries to cover it with leaves . Isaiah 64: 6But we were all as an unclean things, and our righteousnesses as filthy rag; and we fell as the leaves of a tree; like the wind, have taken us away. Years ago we gathered the leaves together and burnt them: it was fun as people gathered around the fire. Mark 11:13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.No fruit of righteousness was on it for the time of figs was not yet. Hebrew 12:11 Now as chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. If we accept the chastening of the carnal mind however how grievous it is our flesh, than we can bear peaceable fruit of righteousness. Deuteronomy 8:5Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that , as a man chasteneth his son, so the lord thy God chasteneth thee.Proverbs 3:11My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction. But millions will cry out I have fruit of spirit because I love doing physical things for physical people. Really? Not without God’s chastened of the carnal mind, when we refuse to allow God’s to Judge our thoughts, we despise His judgment. 1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Man often represents a tree in the Bible. Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Psalms 1:3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. We are a spiritual tree and what kind of figs are we producing? Jeremiah 24:2 One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.Still God in his mercy gives man a season or time to product good fruit. Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. With cane in hand she made her way down the hallway to a room; where lay the man who had shared 50 years of her life with. In haste she had come, the salt and pepper wig thrown over a 70 year old bald head: hair destroyed by Chemotherapy. The plastic rolls of dollar store beads that hang around her neck seen to weigh her body down. As he lay there his fragile body failed to acknowledge her beautiful set of false teeth as she smiled down at him. I set and watched his boney finger as if lifted in defiance against heaven. I marveled at the pride of man. Proverbs 29:23A man's pride shall bring him low, but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Luke 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? Carl died later that night.
7/31/2016 / AMENDED 6/9/2021 / amended 7/20/2022 MICHAEL RODOLPH HODGES