“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?

I tell you, Nay (No) : but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 

Or Those eighteen, upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem?

I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

He spake also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard: and he came and sought fruit on the fig tree, and found none. 

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 cumberteth it the ground (take up ground space unproductively)?

And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it (trench and fertilize the tree): 

And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”  Luke 13: 1-9

This is one of the parables that display the incredible depth of the mercy of God.

While others often see persecution or hardship as proof-positive of sin or transgression in a life , that is not aways the case.

As Christ asks them point blank, do they suppose that these tragedies befell those whom he had mentioned because  there were sinners and quickly corrected them to the fact that those who are unrepentant will also perish.

We all suffer at times, some more than others as it is often quoted that “It rains on the just and the unjust”.

These died while worshipping, refusing Pilate who had them murdered as they sacrificed in the temple.

The owner of the vineyard had grown weary of the tree that failed to bear fruit, such as spiritually when we are unable to bear fruit for whatever reason.

When we hear the Gospel and believe the Gospel but we do not apply those teaching to our lives, we can have beautiful flowing leaves and look completely pest-free, healthy and yet remain barren producing no spiritual fruit.

We are at such a defining moment in the history of civilization.

The truth of Christ has been distorted as never before in human existence and those things which were of old black and white (as they should be) have no been muddled grey.

The false teaching and the constant bombardment  of confusion, false teaching, and Jew hatred from those who are enemies of Christ, (though they profess him) have left many whirling toward a spiritual black hole of no return.

The Gospel is truth, it is self governed, it is not up for debate because God himself sent his word and he is his word, it is infallible and irrefutable, yet humans weary their own soul in attempting to do so.

“Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet, ye say, Wherein (In what way) have we wearied him?

When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them: or, Where is the God of judgment?”  Malachi 2:17

This is covering two issues rampant current issues, the constant calling good evil and evil good, trying to reconcile Gods commands and words to allow for sin and actions that are profane to him and then question him as to why humans suffer and bad things happen, when his word explains this all, bad things happen to every lining being, that is part of this realm but God can deliver and this realm is not our eternity nor is it the final chapter of the universes.

And instead of placing the blame where it belongs, circumstance, part of life, and the enemy causing the misfortunes and troubles, people want to blame God and question him and sow hate and discord to his chosen and spread that hate and discord and bring others into their own damnation.

What truly amazes me is how many will flock to this nonsense and teachings and theories of those who have absolutely no expertise on Biblical subjects, they have an audience, they have podcast, they have quite the forum given by satan himself.

And when questioned as to their authority, they quickly quip “I’m a Christian.”

Any one of us can say or even falsely convince ourselves that we are experts in any subject, doesn’t me that we actually are.

Conveniently professing Christ as the foundation for ones argument, doesn’t make one a preacher of the Gospel anymore than taking fencing lessons once every six months makes a swordsman.

It is opinions, it is opinions of people, whom if they truly knew God would not even dare say the things that are said.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily (secretly) shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

And many shall follow their pernicious (harmful) ways: by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

And through covetousness (desire of wealth and power) shall they with feigned (fictious and intentionally skewed) words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” 2 Peter 2:1-3

They pervert, twist, and attempt to rewrite the Gospel with their own ideology for clicks, hits, and money.

They hate God and they hate everyone who serves him in truth, as one such recently stated his “dislike” for Christian Zionists, which is hysterical, given the fact that this term means only that you are  a follower of Christ and rightly adhere to his word.

Nothing more, nothing less.

But as we read in that passage, God is very aware and his judgment will come upon those who pervert his truth in exchange for a dollar.

The consummate description of what we are witnessing:

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God:

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with diver lusts (chronic desires)

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:2-7

They check every box with their over the top, in your face attitudes and  as they profess, Christ, Catholicism, whatever denomination they have disgracefully chosen to align themselves with, they are in effect having a form  and denying the power as they are so proud to publicly display that it has no true bearing on their behavior nor any affect on their lives.

The reference to silly women, applies to people that they cater to. Those who will follow after anything that appears new, or trendy. every new religion, every new thought and popular idea, even when its to the determent of their own people.

I always think of these lily white chicks seen on social media screaming about white privilege and whites being a born racist. I find this very insulting and incredibly idiotic, not all white people are racist and no one is born with any prejudice in place, those are taught behaviors.

There are plenty of poor, underprivileged, and underserved people of all skin colors, poverty knows no ethnicity.

Its really not about all that anyway, is it?

This is why it states that they are ever learning and never come to the truth.

Tearing your own people down because of skin color is not the smartest thing to be doing and the hate sown is the hate that is one day sure to bloom.

Like that fig tree, we have to be have all the hard clumps of clay dirt removed from our roots and in order for that to happen, we must rid ourselves of everything in this world that is contrary to the truth of his word, which you can read or listen to for yourself.

Don’t let the entertainment of this world hardened what God has planted in your heart because once it is in, it is in, still hearing till troubling the mind and more importantly the spirit.

Any teaching can be twisted and glossed and made to sound good, and war against the truth that we already know, that is why it is making merchandise of us and why it is secretly brought in.

It is not expanding our minds, or enlightening us, it is poisoning our souls to the only truth that will save us.

The antidote to that poison is the word of God.

It is the nourishment we must have and is the food of the flock, Gods word .

Until that fig tree was rid of the clumps and clay and given good soil and the right  nutrients it would be incapable of  producing fruit and the same is so true spiritually.

As we begin a new spiritual year, think on the mercy of God in giving the fig tree one more year, one more year to bud, bloom, and produce all that it was created and planted to bring forth.

God prunes us, as those trees but we can also be proactive in being careful and wise to our lives and what we allow in our minds, and be quick to to rid ourselves of any influence contrary to his word and teaching for our lives in how we should live.

Love & Peace till next time!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2026/ Rev. N. Brown Johnson