Our paragraph topic is: (Christ refutes them) Part 5.
The lines are being drawn. The battle continues. The sides are chosen and the players know the stakes at hand. Christ has given the Pharisees the run down on his prophecy of what is about to happen. They listen and are astonished that such a man, a man in their eyes and not the Messiah as they see it, would give such a statement to them, the men of authority, the men of power. Christ told them that the kingdom of God was upon them and they did not see it. He told them that there will be plundering because the strong man had been bound and all his treasures would be taken from him.
Christ was speaking to the Pharisees and he was speaking to their counsels , the devil. He was giving notice that he came to plunder. He was giving notice that he came to take back the treasures that were stolen from the kingdom. He came to separate the good from the evil, the just from the unjust, the damned from those who would be saved by his actions. let nothing or no one get in his way. For he brought the sword of God with him. He brought the sword that would cut, the sword that would slash, the sword that would slice to the bone. Christ came to bring victory to the house of God and to restore what was taken by force.
He told the Pharisees, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. So the Pharisees knew without a shadow of a doubt where they stood. They knew that they did not follow Christ. They knew that they were against him, for he sought to take away their power over the people and spoke directly against their teachings. So they knew that they were against him and being such, they knew that they were there to scatter. For they wanted to divide the people. They wanted to turn them away from Christ. They wanted to be the leaders of the people. They wanted the people to follow them and not Christ.
Give God the glory for he is worthy of the glory. Give God the praise for he is worthy of the praise. Unity in Christ is our desire and our future. We desire to be one in Him and being in Him we are one with each other. Yet we have those who would scatter, in our churches, in our towns, in our villages, in our homes, in our markets, at work, at school, wherever we are. We have those who would seek their own praise and their own glory instead of giving it to God. Do we go to church to scatter or to gather? Do you go to church to be with Christ or to be against Him? For in our churches, in our synagogues, in our chapels, we are one in union with Christ.
There are many Pharisees in the midst of the believers. There are those who would scatter for their own glory. There are those who would scatter for their own gain. There are those who would scatter for their own praise and yet they are not worthy. And praise be to God that there are those who gather. There are those who, through their efforts, others are brought into the church. There are those who, through their sacrifice and their devotion, work to build up the church. And they are the ones who are with Christ. They are the ones who love Christ. They are the ones who have the spirit of Christ within their hearts and know him. Be not deceived. There are workers in the church who work to build up the kingdom but they do not know Christ. He does not live within them, for they work for their own glory and edification. Give God the praise that all things work for the good. Be not a scatterer but a gatherer with Christ. Be with Him and not against Him. The battle continues, even within you. Come, join the army. Which side do you choose?
The lines are being drawn. The battle continues. The sides are chosen and the players know the stakes at hand. Christ has given the Pharisees the run down on his prophecy of what is about to happen. They listen and are astonished that such a man, a man in their eyes and not the Messiah as they see it, would give such a statement to them, the men of authority, the men of power. Christ told them that the kingdom of God was upon them and they did not see it. He told them that there will be plundering because the strong man had been bound and all his treasures would be taken from him.
Christ was speaking to the Pharisees and he was speaking to their counsels , the devil. He was giving notice that he came to plunder. He was giving notice that he came to take back the treasures that were stolen from the kingdom. He came to separate the good from the evil, the just from the unjust, the damned from those who would be saved by his actions. let nothing or no one get in his way. For he brought the sword of God with him. He brought the sword that would cut, the sword that would slash, the sword that would slice to the bone. Christ came to bring victory to the house of God and to restore what was taken by force.
He told the Pharisees, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. So the Pharisees knew without a shadow of a doubt where they stood. They knew that they did not follow Christ. They knew that they were against him, for he sought to take away their power over the people and spoke directly against their teachings. So they knew that they were against him and being such, they knew that they were there to scatter. For they wanted to divide the people. They wanted to turn them away from Christ. They wanted to be the leaders of the people. They wanted the people to follow them and not Christ.
Give God the glory for he is worthy of the glory. Give God the praise for he is worthy of the praise. Unity in Christ is our desire and our future. We desire to be one in Him and being in Him we are one with each other. Yet we have those who would scatter, in our churches, in our towns, in our villages, in our homes, in our markets, at work, at school, wherever we are. We have those who would seek their own praise and their own glory instead of giving it to God. Do we go to church to scatter or to gather? Do you go to church to be with Christ or to be against Him? For in our churches, in our synagogues, in our chapels, we are one in union with Christ.
There are many Pharisees in the midst of the believers. There are those who would scatter for their own glory. There are those who would scatter for their own gain. There are those who would scatter for their own praise and yet they are not worthy. And praise be to God that there are those who gather. There are those who, through their efforts, others are brought into the church. There are those who, through their sacrifice and their devotion, work to build up the church. And they are the ones who are with Christ. They are the ones who love Christ. They are the ones who have the spirit of Christ within their hearts and know him. Be not deceived. There are workers in the church who work to build up the kingdom but they do not know Christ. He does not live within them, for they work for their own glory and edification. Give God the praise that all things work for the good. Be not a scatterer but a gatherer with Christ. Be with Him and not against Him. The battle continues, even within you. Come, join the army. Which side do you choose?
