By Kathy L McFarland
(TY200 – Lesson 8 )
6/24/2024
Mark 8:22–26 (KJV 1900)
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
The Mysteries of Trees – Leaves
Welcome my diligent students! When we first met together, we studied about faith, which can only be gotten through the grace of God bestowing it upon us. There is nothing we can do that brings God’s gift to us, through our Christ Jesus. Then we moved on to study the Mysteries of the Trees. Remember that this study is NOT about faith, but rather, it is about WORKS.
Faith is something you believe.
Works is something you do.
And the mysteries of the trees are given to you to understand the fullness of works and the expectations of your Lord. Leaves are one part of that mystery, and we will gain great insight into the Lord’s will as we study them together.
Matthew 21:18–19 (KJV 1900)
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 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 ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
1. Leaves on a tree do not necessarily mean that it will fruit.
2. If a tree does not produce fruits, it will wither away.
3. The Lord Jesus Christ did not curse the tree to wither it. The Lord Jesus Christ cursed the tree to “Let no fruit grow on these henceforward for ever.” This shows the significance of producing fruit that are standing in the midst of Christ. And it shows the insignificance of leaves only, without the fruit.
Mark 11:13–14 (KJV 1900)
13 And 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. 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
Mark 11:20–23 (KJV 1900)
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
4. When the Lord Jesus Christ saw the fig tree from afar, he observed the leaves, and had hope that possibly fruit was upon it.
5. The fig fruit had not grown upon the tree because it was not in its timing.
6. The disciples of Jesus Christ audibly heard his curse. There was no doubt that Jesus was unhappy because fruit was not upon the tree to feed Him and satisfy His hunger.
7. The next day after the curse, the fig tree dried up from the roots. Our study has led us to know that roots are the foundation upon which the tree grows.
8. When Peter asked about the curse causing the fig tree to wither away, the Lord used that example of the importance of faith in God to accomplish works, no matter how big a project.
Teachings of Kathy L McFarland
We had put a large half-acre garden in to feed our kids. Everything was growing beautifully and fruiting in its time. The tomatoes had huge fruits on them. But we noticed one day that the leaves were dying. The plants had been doing so well, and were watered daily, and the dirt seemed good. The next day, we found all the plant leaves had completely withered away, and most disappeared. So, we had plants that showed their branches, no leaves, and big green tomatoes hanging from the drooping branches. By the next day, the tomatoes had begun withering and soon shrunk into wrinkled dead fruit because there were no leaves on the plants. Since a tomato plant grows tomatoes, and the dying leaves withered it, it seems it had no endurance to survive.
We come to the LORD God through His promise of salvation for those that embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. That is FAITH; The LORD God gives the amount of faith He chooses. There is nothing we can do outside His Word.
However, our WORKS are also measured by the LORD God. We choose to give our lives to Him, to be guided by Him into doing the things He wills. Those that release their personal doings and depend upon God to guide their works have a great reason to survive and continue.
Those Christians that fail to do or consider works as directed by Him often wither. When their leaves cease, so does their fruiting.
Leaves are the part of the tree (spiritual life creating living works) that shows how it is flourishing. More importantly, leaves show the PREPERATION that God is making for the coming events of living works. If the branches (Christian) are bare after spring thaw, and no leaves by the beginning of summer, it is not flourishing, but rather, withering.
If it is not connected to the vine of Christ, it does not live. If it withers, there will be no fruit (living works).
Flourish means healthy. It is the rapid development, that is so alive with potential, fruits are assured. The Lord Jesus Christ expected the development of fruit by observing the leaves as they flourished; when the fig tree did not have fruit according to His timing, he cursed it. The potential of the tree was not the flourishing leaves; the leaves flourished so the fruit could grow (living works).
Let us consider that potential for a moment. It is a fact that when Christians begin doing spiritual works as branches of the spiritual life, that is rooted in the Doctrine of Christ and fed by His vine, we experience a supernatural something that is happening through us that we have not experienced in normal life. Things of Christ’s will develop quickly, as Christians are provided with all the tools and knowledge, they need to carry out the living works in His timing.
Sadly, confused Christians look at the “flourishing” of the leaves, and think that it is wealth, popularity, worldly desires, good clothes, and self-achievement, that develops so the works can be completed. That usually never happens in the real spiritual life of Christians.
The leaves that flourish in a working Christian’s life are often things like helpers, specific monies dedicated to very specific items, a movement of the Holy Spirit that increases the knowledge of the worker, faster timing than would be accomplished by a mere human, increased feelings of blessings that seem to surround the project, successful events that build-up to the works, a deeper understanding of the Word of God as situations develop, and the Christian is equipped with the next path to take.
Participants in the development of a communal work will see each other dedicated to the fruit, and not to the leaves. They are attentive to God’s will, and not worried about the comforts of life to themselves. Remember: The LORD God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit move quickly and allow the preparatory works to flourish so the works can prosper.
One of the specific areas that I teach all Christian students, is the handling of money, donations, and real property that comes into their hands during this flourishing time. You are given that money to accomplish a very specific task for the purpose of developing a specific work for the Lord. If the Lord gives you new resources, you should spend every cent that is given for that specific work. He will not give you one cent more than you need to accomplish the very specific work.
Now, you are going to see a lot of Christian ministries argue with me on this point. They are going to say that God wants me to be rich and successful and powerful, and that His grace will bless me as I work for Him. That is not true. There is no Biblical support for this. Instead, we see that it angers the Lord Jesus Christ greatly when leaves “flourish” greatly upon a tree, but do not produce any fruit in His timing or will. If leaves flourish, you can be assured that every bit of that flourishing is to be attached to the new works that will soon grow.
Mark 13:28–29 (KJV 1900)
28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: 29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
9. When the fig tree puts on leaves, we know that summer is near.
10. When summer comes, the fruit should begin fruiting according to the expectations of our Lord in Matthew 21:18-19 and Mark 11:13-14.
11. The branch is tender when leaves begin growing.
12. “Tender” means soft and ready to sprout.
13. When the fig tree branches are sprouting branches and leaves, we recognize the season of summer is near.
Matthew 24:29–34 (KJV 1900)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 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: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
14. The Lord wants us to recognize the time of His coming through our observations of the signs of the time, through witness of the tribulation, sun darkening, moon not giving light, stars falling from heaven, and powers of the heavens shaken. When the sign of the Son of man is in heaven, and tribes of the earth mourn, the Son of man will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Come Lord Jesus, quickly!)
15. And when He comes, He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect.
16. These events are timed by the LORD God, and no man can give you the date it will happen. Christ’s return to the earth timing is Top Secret. No one knows!
17. But Christ tells us that if we watch the season unfold, we should be able to recognize as signs He spoke about in Matthew 24, just as we watch the signs of the fig tree leaf in preparation for the fruit to grow in the summer.
Teachings by Kathy L McFarland
When we see the Christ’s leaves of preparation flourishing concerning the End Times of this Earth, recognize that preparation, and watch for His coming:
The Signs of the Times Preceding Christ’s Return
Matthew 24 (KJV 1900)
24 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 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: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Teachings by Kathy L McFarland
Many strong Christians and Christian leaders are anxiously awaiting prophesized events in Jerusalem, to fully be able to declare with strong belief that the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is soon. Certainly, in our generation, many of the signs of the times spoken in Matthew 24 have happened. The events in Israel, give promise that just maybe we will be a witness of the Coming of the Lord in our generation!
Certainly, we wait for Him, a bit impatiently, and many pray that He come quickly. Things are getting tough in life, and the world is rumbling. The strongest Facebook Christians are proclaiming the signs and working harder and faster to spread the Gospel of Christ.
We cannot know the exact date, but we can recognize the times, just as we recognize the times of the fruits of the fig tree developing through the appearance of the leaves on its tender branches. It is time for your faith to be solidly formed, your knowledge to be increased, and your spirit to soar with the Holy Spirit’s guidance. It is time to make certain you are strong and walking toward the LORD God, with the Lord Jesus Christ through the dedicated study of the inerrant Word of God. It is time to increase your efforts at witnessing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As soon as that works is completed, the Lord Jesus can come back! Get to work! Come quickly Lord Jesus!
