Mark 11
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distancea fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.

The withered fig tree speaks to all the branches of Chirst's visible church in every age and in every part of the world. There is a warning against an empty profession of Christianity unaccompanied by sound doctrine and holy living which some of those branches would have done well to lay to heart.

22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain,'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in your prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Confidence in God's power and will to help every believer in Christ and in the truth of every word that God has spoken is the grand secret of success and prosperity in our religion. It is the very root of saving Christianity.

It is always the heart that matters most.