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CTF Ministries, Branson, MO (2026)

05/28/2026

That “Tree” Looks Pretty

Mark 11:11-13 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 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. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Note: Fig trees were of two varieties the early fig and the late fig. Figs appear before or with the leaves so the leaves indicate that the tree must have had figs, even though the time of the figs to be fully ripe had not yet come.

We see that Jesus, being hungry, went to the fig tree happily expecting something, but ended up experiencing that which was disappointing and because it was not what he thought it was going to be,that tree, he ended up cursing.

Listen very carefully, the tree appeared to be something that it was not, or in this case, the fig tree was guilty of false advertising. The fig tree with its leaves looked pretty, but was producing absolutely no fruit or, in another sense, we could say, it had a form of godliness, but had no power. With that being said, we could easily identify it as a “religious tree” because it looks righteous, it looks holy, it looks like it's Christian, but it's actually lifeless, fruitless, worthless, and empty.

How many of today’s churches and people have leaves, but there's absolutely no fruit? We see a lot of pretty trees with leaves, beautiful church buildings, and people in ministry, but unfortunately there is no power or demonstration of God’s glory in their lives individually nor in their churches corporately and just like the fig tree, they are appearing to be something that they are not and truly do not have and just like Jesus going to the fig tree hungry and leaving hungry so it is with many Christians today who are hungry and thirsty for God and they leave their church dissatisfied, frustrated, and empty.

It is one thing to look like a tree, but to have what it really takes to be effective in ministry, they are lacking severely and significantly. In modern day Christianity, churches and ministers have become an open show of performance professing the power and presence, but not actually possessing the essence of a spirit of honor and excellence which brings the manifestation of his (God’s) magnificence.

Let’s look at this imperative question. How many times have we as Christians met with people and gone to places (churches, jobs, etc.,) and became involved because it looked promising, but the result would be as it was with Jesus and the fig tree and that is discovering that it would be disappointing, discouraging, frustrating, irritating, and contaminating? The reason that this happens is that we saw the leaves afar off, meaning we focused primarily on the exterior from a distance. We were so focused on the fantasy of possibility that we failed to acknowledge God concerning it from a closer perspective, thus causing us to be blind to its reality. In other words, the outside looked appealing and attractive, but once we got involved (drew closer) we found out that it was contaminating and destructive.

WARNING! THE “TREE” WILL SURE LOOK PRETTY, BUT IN ALL ACTUALITY IT IS PRETTY DANGEROUS, DEADLY, AND EMPTY.

05/21/2026

The Sweet Odor Of Honor

John 12:1-7 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: AND THE HOUSE WAS FILLED WITH THE ODOUR OF THE OINTMENT. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

Genesis 8:20,21 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. AND THE LORD SMELLED A SWEET SAVOUR; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

1 Samuel 2:30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; FOR THEM THAT HONOUR ME I WILL HONOUR, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

John says that the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. Another way that we need to see this is in the perspective of, “The house was filled with the odor of honor.”

There is nothing more satisfying and well pleasing unto the Lord as when our lives personally, our churches corporately, and our homes and family are abundantly filled with an odor of honor that the Lord continues to smell a sweet smelling savour/savor (to savour/savor means to deeply enjoy, appreciate, or relish a food, drink, or experience slowly and fully).

Judas, unfortunately, because of the condition of his heart, was only seeing the carnal (money) value, but Jesus was seeing and recognizing the eternal value which was spiritual. Judas was foolishly and ignorantly despising it, seeing it as wasteful and meaningless, but Jesus is showing us that what Mary was doing, which was truly honoring and worshiping him, was tasteful, beautiful, wonderful, and priceless.

The true price and cost of honor is something that can never be measured however; it has to be greatly treasured for in our lives, honor is something that must be attributed to our everyday Christian character and demeanor.

Remember, just like when Noah honored the Lord with a true sacrifice, Jesus smells honor in heaven when he is truly honored on the Earth and just like with Noah, when the Lord smelled a sweet savour, he started making promises so when you truly honor the Lord with and in your life that is when he starts making and fulfilling promises.

QUESTION: JESUS PROMISES US THAT HE WOULD HONOR THOSE WHO HONOR HIM, BUT HOW CAN WE HONESTLY EXPECT JESUS TO HONOR US WITH WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS WHEN WE DON’T TRULY HONOR HIM FOR WHO HE IS WITH WHAT WE HAVE?

05/18/2026

“Death Stinks” Part 2

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

John 11:39,43, 44 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, BY THIS TIME HE STINKETH: FOR HE HATH BEEN DEAD FOUR DAYS. And when he thus had spoken, HE CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, LAZARUS, COME FORTH. AND HE THAT WAS DEAD CAME FORTH, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Philippians 3:10 THAT I MAY KNOW HIM AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death

If Satan can impose (force) in your life something or someone to cause you to experience death, then he can cause you to decompose or decay mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. This can also take place in your family, your finances, your ministry, etc., which is actually producing a foul smell in your life and you always have to be conscious of what your life smells like unto God.

So here are the questions that you need to ask the lord being a Christian. What do my sacrifices smell like? What does my church smell like? What does my worship smell like? What do my prayers smell like? What does the current condition of my family smell like? My place of employment? Because if something “stinks” then that means there is something dead and it's been dead for a while. Think about this very carefully! Lazarus was dead for four days and Martha said, “he surely stinks,” but how many people have been in dead relationships, churches, jobs, towns, etc., for years?

We desperately need to experience the power of HIS resurrection in our lives to every degree, but will you choose to believe? Jesus can bring to life your dead joy, your dead peace, your dead finances, your dead ministry, your dead relationship, your dead family, and whatever else has died, but the “stench” of unbelief you have to allow to be crucified. Also, one must realize that the root or the source of what is causing the death has to be exposed, expelled, terminated, and annihilated because if not, then whatever is “brought back to life” will surely die again.

ATTENTION: PEOPLE CONTINUE TO LIVE IN ATMOSPHERES (INCLUDING DOING THINGS) AND GOING TO ENVIRONMENTS THAT CONTINUE TO “STINK” IN THEIR LIVES. REMEMBER THAT JESUS SAID FIRST, “REMOVE THE STONE” AND THEN TOLD LAZARUS TO COME OUT. SO THE QUESTION THAT MUST BE ASKED IS, “WHAT IS OR WHO IS KEEPING YOU FROM COMING OUT OF THAT PLACE (TOMB) IN YOUR LIFE THAT STINKS?”

05/13/2026

“Death Stinks” Part 1

John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, LORD, BY THIS TIME HE STINKETH: FOR HE HATH BEEN DEAD FOUR DAYS.

John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."

LISTEN CAREFULLY WITH YOUR EARS SPIRITUALLY. WHAT WAS ONCE PLEASANT AND FILLED WITH LIFE AND A SWEET AROMA OF LIFE IS NOW DECOMPOSING.

When something dies there begins an immediate process of decay. Cellular structures begin to deteriorate which produce a putrid odor, a foul stench as the organism begins to wither away.

All of us have experienced what it’s like to smell something putrid or foul, and when you understand how smelling works in the natural sense, it is a direct reflection of what takes place in a spiritual sense.

You need to understand that smelling works by actually inhaling airborne molecules that bind to specialized receptors in the nose, triggering neurons to send electrical signals to the brain.

Pay very close attention to this next detail carefully because we will see that this information applies spiritually: A SMELL CAN BE SO FOUL AND PUTRID THAT WHEN IT BINDS TO YOUR RECEPTORS IN YOUR NOSE IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR IT TO DISSIPATE (LEAVE).

When we are in dead or toxic places (churches, relationships, jobs, homes, etc.,) what we do not realize is that “the smell” or the toxicity is binding to our spirit man and it will directly affect us mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and the longer we continue to breathe or inhale (live in or partake of) the toxicity, it is going to affect us severely and significantly.

WARNING! THE DANGERS OF INHALING/SMELLING (REMAINING) IN TOXICITY SPIRITUALLY, IS THAT WHEN YOU GO TO OTHER PLACES, YOU ARE TAKING THAT “SMELL” (OFFENSE, BITTERNESS, ANGER, HATRED, UNFORGIVENESS, FRUSTRATION, DISAPOINTMENT, DISCOURAGEMENT) WITH YOU AND YOU AFFECT THAT ATMOSPHERE (YOUR FAMILY, YOUR CHURCH, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR JOB, ETC.,) WITH THAT SAME “SMELL” OR TOXICITY.

This is why when we finally leave a toxic (dead) environment or relationship, it takes a long time if we do not deal with it quickly to get “the smell” or the toxic effect out of our life. The only way that we can be free from that smell is having Jesus detoxify us of what was contaminating us because since we were in a place of death so long we need his (Jesus’) breath of life to once again make us strong.

ATTENTION! PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS CAN START OFF HAVING A PLEASANT AROMA OF BLESSING AND PROSPERITY, BUT EVENTUALLY IT CAN TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE. IT CAN BECOME A SITUATION OF DEATH AND TOXICITY (PRODUCING A FOUL SMELL IN YOUR LIFE) AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DISCERN WHEN SOMETHING IS NO LONGER LIVING (IN YOUR LIFE IT IS NO LONGER PROSPERING), BUT INSTEAD IT IS CONTAMINATING BY CAUSING WEARINESS, TIREDNESS, EMPTINESS, FRUSTRATION, AGGRAVATION, IRRITATION, DEHYDRATION, AND STARVATION.

CONCERNING A PLACE OF DEATH: THE LONGER YOU STAY, THE GREATER PRICE YOU WILL PAY!

PRAYER FOR DETOX

Father, in Jesus name, I thank you for forgiving me for staying in a place of death and toxicity for far too long. I truly repent and renounce all ties (EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY, MINISTERIALLY, and SPIRITUALLY) I had with and in that (relationship, church, job, etc.). I thank you that by your word and your precious blood, I am cleansed and purged of all contamination, pollution and infection. I thank you for the sweet smell of the fruit of your spirit replacing the dead (putrid) smell in my life. I know you are not the God of the dead, but you are truly the God of the living, and I thank you for giving me this day a fresh breath of life that I can smell the sweet aroma of who you are in my life again. In your name Jesus Christ I pray, Amen and Amen!

05/10/2026

Milk Is For Lambs and Meat Is For Sheep

Jeremiah 23:4 AND I WILL SET UP SHEPHERDS (PASTORS) OVER THEM WHICH SHALL FEED THEM: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, NEITHER SHALL THEY BE LACKING, saith the Lord.

John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, FEED MY LAMBS. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, FEED MY SHEEP.He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, FEED MY SHEEP.

1 Corinthians 3:2 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I HAVE FED YOU WITH MILK, AND NOT WITH MEAT: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

It is interesting for us to see that Jesus says to Peter two different analogies. One is to feed his lambs and two is to feed his sheep. We must realize and pay attention that Jesus is referring to two different mentalities or different stages in the Christian walk. In Christianity or in this case God’s flock, you will always have people who are a baby or a lamb in the Lord and you will have those who are adults (mature) or sheep in the Lord.

Jesus tells Jeremiah that he was going to set up pastors or shepherds which would feed his flock and Jesus says they shall not be lacking. However, the problem that has existed and we are still seeing within the church congregation is that the sheep and the lambs are suffering from malnutrition because a shepherd (pastor) has to understand that they cannot give a lamb what is given unto a sheep and cannot give unto a sheep what is given unto a lamb.

ATTENTION: LAMBS HAVE TO HAVE MILK, SHEEP HAVE TO HAVE MEAT.

The problem is that you have shepherds who are not giving or allowing a balanced diet to be given to the flock.
When you have a shepherd or a pastor that's always giving milk, it is the sheep that is going to suffer, but if you have a shepherd who is always giving the meat, then the lambs are going to suffer. Therefore, it is important to have different ministers, especially the operation of the five-fold ministry within the congregation, so there can be a balance of spiritual nutrition.

THE CONCLUSION: JESUS TELLS PETER TO FEED HIS SHEEP AND TO FEED HIS LAMBS. THEREFORE, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR A PASTOR (MINISTER) TO KNOW HIS AUDIENCE AND TO DISCERN WHO ARE THE LAMBS AND WHO ARE THE SHEEP AND TO FEED THEM OR MINISTER TO THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR PERSONAL NEEDS. WHEN THIS IS NOT DONE, THEN THERE IS A SHORTAGE (LACKING) WITHIN THE CORPORATE GATHERING (FLOCK) OR CONGREGATION AND EITHER THE SHEEP OR THE LAMBS ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE STARVATION.

WARNING! IT IS THE SPIRIT OF RELIGION THAT WILL KEEP A FLOCK IN SPIRITUAL MALNUTRITION BECAUSE IT WILL PROHIBIT THE FULL COUNSEL OF GOD'S INSTRUCTION.

05/05/2026

The Venom Of Religion

Matthew 3:7 But when he (John the Baptist) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, HE SAID UNTO THEM, O GENERATION OF VIPERS, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Matthew 12:34 O GENERATION OF VIPERS, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 23:33 YE SERPENTS, YE GENERATION OF VIPERS, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, AND STUBBORNNESS IS AS INIQUITY AND IDOLATRY. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

WARNING! JESUS IS TELLING US THAT WHEN DEALING WITH THOSE WHO ARE REIGIOUS IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS, TREACHEROUS, VICIOUS, HORRENDOUS, VENOMOUS, AND POISONOUS BECAUSE IN THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS IS STUBBERNESS AND THAT WHICH IS IDOLATROUS.

04/27/2026

Crossing Over Can Take You Under

1 Samuel 13:8-14 And he (Saul) tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I FORCED MYSELF THEREFORE, AND OFFERED A BURNT OFFERING. And Samuel said to Saul, THOU HAST DONE FOOLISHLY: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. BUT NOW THY KINGDOM SHALL NOT CONTINUE: THE LORD HATH SOUGHT HIM A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

What happened in this situation is that Saul, who is just supposed to be “the king” ended up crossing the boundary when he stepped over into “the priest's” ministry.

When Saul foolishly and presumptuously stepped over into another form (aspect) of ministry in which he did not have the legality, it cost him severely.

WARNING! WHEN MINISTERS (LEADERS) TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO STEP OVER INTO ANOTHER FACET (ASPECT) OF MINISTRY WHICH THEY ARE NOT ANOINTED NOR APPOINTED FOR -IT WILL OPEN UP THE DOOR FOR CALAMITY, CASUALTY, TRAGEDY, AND AGONY SPIRITUALLY TO TAKE PLACE IN THEIR LIVES PERSONALLY AND WITHIN THAT LOCAL AND PARTICULAR CHURCH BODY.

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