St Matthew, Chpater 16, verse: 12, The Leaven: The Enlightenment

Our Paragraph topic is:  (The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) Part 5.

Understanding was not with the disciples.  Wisdom was lost.  Knowledge was foreign.  And they themselves were without sight.  The disciples did not see.  They did not understand.  They did not know what was happening among themselves.  All they knew was that they forgot to bring leaven to make bread and this caused great strife.  They had forgotten who made the bread.  They had not understood the miracle maker and his power.  They were without the wisdom that comes from spiritual insight.  And they were being filled with the leaven that spread from the Pharisees and the Saducees.

But Christ was in their midst.  Christ was there to guide them.  Christ was there to give them sight, to instruct them in the ways of the world.  So, he had to bring them back to the reality of the spirit.  He had to warn them of the plague that was taking over.  He had to instruct them in the wisdom of past events so they would have understanding and love.   The disciples were so filled with what they considered the needs of the now that they forgot that their needs were already given to them.  And Christ had to call forth understanding that they would come back to spiritual reality.  Then they understood that he bade them beware not of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

There is a famous experiment used in psychology where several cards in a deck are altered.  A black spade becomes a red spade, a red heart becomes a black heart, etc.  The deck of cards are then flashed before a patient in shot intervals, asking the patient to identify each card before going to the next.  At short intervals the altered cards are not identified properly.  However, after each round of exposure, the interval of exposure is increased to allow more time to identify the altered cards.  As the exposure time increases most patients are able to identify the altered cards.  But there were some who, even at increased exposure times, still did not identify the altered cards.  Most people can and do understand with increased time to contemplate the internal change.  Others simply will not make the adjustments necessary to understand.  This is explained as an unwillingness to make the necessary internal adjustments to identify change.  Change requires a willingness to let go of the internal reality created by the mind and an acceptance of a new reality. 

We live in a world today that is our reality.  It is given to us at birth and we live within it throughout our lives.  It is our reality.  Yet there is another reality that is before us that we are unable to accept or unwilling to accept.  Most of us accept a reality that there is a God, a higher being that created the world we live in.  Yet our acceptance is only partial, only minimal,  without complete commitment.  We live in a physical world that we see, feel, smell, and hear.  Our acceptance of this world is real, complete, total.  And it is the acceptance of this world that prevents us, denies us, holds us back from accepting completely the reality of the world of God.  Understanding is our vehicle.  More exposure is our tool.  And internal change is the purpose which allows us to know who we are.  Some will accept.  Some will not.  Some will believe partially, partially in the world and partially in the spirit.  And then there are those who will let go of all that is in the world and connect with all that is in the spirit.  Can you make the internal change to let go?  Can you believe, totally, that God lives and the spirit is alive?  Can you make the change that will turn you inside out?  Can you become the spirit that you are?  The change is simple.  Follow the path that is laid out before you and search for the light that is within you. 

Read the sign of the times!  Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ.  Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself.  Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding.  Read it for knowledge.  Read it for faith.  Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.  The Holy Spirit awaits you.  Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in!

St Matthew, Chapter 16, verse: 11, The Leaven: The Understanding

Our paragraph topic is:  (The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) Part 4.   

And there they were, standing among themselves, after having been in a heated argument, listening to Christ chastise them.  They did not yet understand.  They had lost all memory of what had happened with the five loaves and five thousand men.  Their minds were focused upon a simple, what they believed, a failure on some one's part, to bring bread that they would not go hungry.  Yet before them stood the creator of bread and wine.  Before them stood the creator of all things that would provide and protect them.  The leaven had crepted in and was infecting their minds and bodies and spirits.

Christ was appalled.  He could not believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing, and what he felt in his heart for those that he cared so much for and loved.  These were his future candidates.  These were the ones who were to carry the gospel throughout the world.  And here they were arguing among themselves about a material thing called bread.   Why Satan himself must have stood amongst them and laughed at how easily they could be persuaded to loose the one thing that gave them life, love for one another.  Christ had to bring understanding.  He had to call forth order.  He had to bring back their memories of the things that had come before them that they would know and see the pettiness of their behavior.  He said to them:   "Why do you not understand that it was not of bread I said to you, 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees'?"
 
It was not of physical but of spiritual.  It was not of bread but of leaven.  It was not of death but of life that he spoke to them that they would know the truth.  Yet they were still in the flesh.  They were still in the body.  They were still not in the spirit that Christ wanted to make them aware of who they were.  For the flesh was of death.  The spirit is of life.  The flesh commands attention but the spirit awaits the truth.  The body says I am.  But the spirit knows I am.  The flesh says now.  But the spirit says eternity.

Why do you not understand that it is not of paper and dots and dashes that I write?  Why do you not remember who brought you to this place, this blog, this moment in time that you would be able to read what is written?  Is it just words?  Is it just nonsense?  Or is it the awakening of something more in you that desires life, that desires love, that desires peace?  For your inheritance has been given.  Your light is seeking to be seen.  Your joy is waiting for your embrace that you may know the truth of who you are in Christ.  Created in his image and likeness, your light will shine throughout the world that many may see and know that you are a child of your father and creator.  Come, walk the path that is before you.  Open your heart to the love that awaits you.  Know the truth of who you are and your life starts anew.  Christ 
awaits you.  The Spirit seeks you.  God, your father, loves you. 

Read the signs of the times!  Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ.  Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself.  Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding.  Read it for knowledge.  Read it for faith.  Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.  The Holy Spirit awaits you.  Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in!

St Matthew, Chapter 16, verses: 9-10, The Leaven: The Teaching.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) Part 3.   

The disciples argued among themselves.  They argued.  They were angry.  They opened their hearts to evil thoughts.  They were misled.  They were becoming infected by the leaven of the Pharisees and yet they did not know.  They did not understand.  They did not see what was happening. They forgot the miracles that were given them.  They had no true belief in the one who stood before them and warned them of the things that were taking place in their presence.  Christ called them.  Christ accused them.  Christ warned them that they might see the truth.  Yet they argued over something as petty as to who forgot to bring the bread, even though they had the bread maker in their presence.

It was not the fact that they did not bring bread.  It was not the fact that they had to accuse someone of being negligent.  It was not the fact that they were angered among themselves.  It was the fact that evil was creeping in  among them and they could not see it coming.  They were unable to understand.  They had forgotten the subtlety of its coming.  Christ had to call their attention to what was happening.  Christ had to teach them.  He had to show them.  He had to remind them of what was happening now.  They had witnessed the miracles take place before their eyes to feed thousands and yet they argued over not having bread when they had the bread maker before them.   Christ had to remind them so that they would understand and see how they were being affected by the leaven.    He told them:  "Do you not yet understand, nor remember the five loaves among five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves among four thousand, and how many large baskets you took up?"

Just as Christ taught his disciples then, he is teaching us now.  Have we forgotten?  Do we not understand?  The leaven is among us and is working every minute, every second of our lives.  It is like a plague, a cold, the flu.  It will spread and infect all.  We must be on our guard less we forget, less our memory is blinded, less our sight is taken away.  For the evil one wants to turn us away from the truth that is before us.   He wants us to forget the times when we were down and had no one to turn to.  He wants us to forget when Christ answered our prayers and picked us up from the depths of our despair.  The leaven wants us to call the miracles that have happened in our lives, mere circumstances.  The leaven wants to bring chaos, fear, doubt, frustration, anger, hatred, hopelessness and all the other emotions that will open the door for evil to come into our hearts. 

Let us not forget the times when we were in need and he performed a miracle to help us.  We did not see it as a miracle but our prayers were answered.  We were helped.  Add it up to circumstances but God is the circumstance in our lives.  He watches over us.  He provides for us.  He heals us.  He forgives us because he loves us so much and does not want to see us suffer the fate that was made for the fallen angels and the evil one.   Beware the leaven, it will infect.  Beware the leaven, it will blind your memory.  Beware the leaven it will open the door to evil.  Beware the leaven, it will change you.  Remember all the things that have happened in your life, brought you to Christ that he might save you.  Come, receive the Holy Spirit and live the life of truth.  For once you know who you are, there is no turning back.

Read the signs of the times!  Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ.  Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself.  Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding.  Read it for knowledge.  Read it for faith.  Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.  The Holy Spirit awaits you.  Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in!