Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus transfigured) Part 5.
And the voice of God spoke from the bright cloud. The voice spoke to the disciples telling them to hear Christ. God spoke to them telling them that Christ was his beloved son and that he was well pleased with him. They did not know where the voice came from. They did not know how it spoke to them. They did not know how they were hearing this voice. All they knew was that it spoke to them telling them to hear him.
Did they not hear him before? Were they not listening to him all this time? They walked with him everyday. They talked with him everyday. They slept with him, eat with him, listened to him preach, saw him work miracles, everyday. So why did they not hear him? Why did they not listen to him? Why did they not know him in their hearts that God the father had to tell them to hear him? God spoke directly to them, and them only, that they should know the truth of who Christ was. And they heard the voice of God speak to them. But it was this voice that made them tremble. It was this voice that caused them to fear. It was this voice that brought them to their knees and made them fall to their faces with fear. And on hearing it the disciples fell on their faces and were exceedingly afraid.
Christ loved his disciples. He watched over them. He fed them, made sure that they had food to eat and wine to drink. He protected them from the evil that sought to destroy them. And he nurtured them for they would become the future leaders of the church here on earth and would bear witness to his life, death, and resurrection. But they did not hear him. They were not listening to him. They did not understand him with the knowledge and certainty of a truth taken from the world we live in. It was only after the coming of the Holy Spirit that they knew him with certainty, only after his death and resurrection.
We know with certainty that the wind blows. We know with certainty that the seasons change. It gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer. We know that there is gravity that will cause us to fall from high places. These things and more, we know with certainty because we have experienced them with our bodies. But then there are those things that we do not know with the certainty that we know worldly truths. We believe that Christ lives. We believe that we will come to live with him after we die. We believe that there is a heaven where all God's children will go to, to live for eternity. We know that there is evil in the world because we see it and experience it everyday in our lives. Most of us do not know it directly but hear of it and see it on the news and in the media. We believe that Satan does exist but we do not know it the way we know the things of this world.
The disciples heard God speak of his son. The disciples were told to hear him. The disciples were listening but were not hearing. Why do we not hear today? What stops us from knowing? Can we not know the truth of Christ as we know the things of the world? Is it not possible for us to have the certainty in our beliefs as we have about worldly things. You see, we have our inner beliefs and we have our inner counter beliefs. Evil is in the world and evil influences us from within. We believe the truths that God has given us through Christ Jesus and then we are given doubts. We know within ourselves that Christ lives but evil would have us doubt. Evil would have us disbelieve. Evil would have us not know with certainty Christ Jesus.
With the certainty of the spiritual knowledge of Christ and the life that he has given us, we know no doubt. With the certainty of the truth that comes from the Holy Spirit we know who we are. But evil will plague us. Evil will continue to throw darts. Evil will continue to talk to us and set traps to catch us off guard. For evil wants us to doubt. Evil wants us to question. Evil wants us to ask what if. Evil wants us to not know with certainty who we are in Christ. For with certainty comes power. With certainty comes wisdom. With certainty the light within us is born and we know who we are without doubt, without uncertainty.
Christ knew who he was. Evil knew who he was also and sought to announce to it the world. But Christ would not have his name proclaimed for fame and fortune. He was not of this world and sought not the false riches of this realm. Christ was from the Father and so are we. Yet we do not know who we are or where we are from. And evil would not have us know. God , our father, proclaimed to the disciples to hear his son for they heard so much more. They heard Christ. They heard the people. They heard evil speak to them from within themselves. Just as we do today, they did then. Defend yourself! Stand up to the doubts of evil! Know with certainty that Christ is within you and you are within him. Seek the light given to you, for it is the key that opens the door of the certainty of who you are. Christ told us: "The eye is the lamp of the body and if the eye is sound then the body is full of light." Find your light within and know the truth of who you are in Christ. For certainty is the key to the power that Christ has given you in this life.
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!
And the voice of God spoke from the bright cloud. The voice spoke to the disciples telling them to hear Christ. God spoke to them telling them that Christ was his beloved son and that he was well pleased with him. They did not know where the voice came from. They did not know how it spoke to them. They did not know how they were hearing this voice. All they knew was that it spoke to them telling them to hear him.
Did they not hear him before? Were they not listening to him all this time? They walked with him everyday. They talked with him everyday. They slept with him, eat with him, listened to him preach, saw him work miracles, everyday. So why did they not hear him? Why did they not listen to him? Why did they not know him in their hearts that God the father had to tell them to hear him? God spoke directly to them, and them only, that they should know the truth of who Christ was. And they heard the voice of God speak to them. But it was this voice that made them tremble. It was this voice that caused them to fear. It was this voice that brought them to their knees and made them fall to their faces with fear. And on hearing it the disciples fell on their faces and were exceedingly afraid.
Christ loved his disciples. He watched over them. He fed them, made sure that they had food to eat and wine to drink. He protected them from the evil that sought to destroy them. And he nurtured them for they would become the future leaders of the church here on earth and would bear witness to his life, death, and resurrection. But they did not hear him. They were not listening to him. They did not understand him with the knowledge and certainty of a truth taken from the world we live in. It was only after the coming of the Holy Spirit that they knew him with certainty, only after his death and resurrection.
We know with certainty that the wind blows. We know with certainty that the seasons change. It gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer. We know that there is gravity that will cause us to fall from high places. These things and more, we know with certainty because we have experienced them with our bodies. But then there are those things that we do not know with the certainty that we know worldly truths. We believe that Christ lives. We believe that we will come to live with him after we die. We believe that there is a heaven where all God's children will go to, to live for eternity. We know that there is evil in the world because we see it and experience it everyday in our lives. Most of us do not know it directly but hear of it and see it on the news and in the media. We believe that Satan does exist but we do not know it the way we know the things of this world.
The disciples heard God speak of his son. The disciples were told to hear him. The disciples were listening but were not hearing. Why do we not hear today? What stops us from knowing? Can we not know the truth of Christ as we know the things of the world? Is it not possible for us to have the certainty in our beliefs as we have about worldly things. You see, we have our inner beliefs and we have our inner counter beliefs. Evil is in the world and evil influences us from within. We believe the truths that God has given us through Christ Jesus and then we are given doubts. We know within ourselves that Christ lives but evil would have us doubt. Evil would have us disbelieve. Evil would have us not know with certainty Christ Jesus.
With the certainty of the spiritual knowledge of Christ and the life that he has given us, we know no doubt. With the certainty of the truth that comes from the Holy Spirit we know who we are. But evil will plague us. Evil will continue to throw darts. Evil will continue to talk to us and set traps to catch us off guard. For evil wants us to doubt. Evil wants us to question. Evil wants us to ask what if. Evil wants us to not know with certainty who we are in Christ. For with certainty comes power. With certainty comes wisdom. With certainty the light within us is born and we know who we are without doubt, without uncertainty.
Christ knew who he was. Evil knew who he was also and sought to announce to it the world. But Christ would not have his name proclaimed for fame and fortune. He was not of this world and sought not the false riches of this realm. Christ was from the Father and so are we. Yet we do not know who we are or where we are from. And evil would not have us know. God , our father, proclaimed to the disciples to hear his son for they heard so much more. They heard Christ. They heard the people. They heard evil speak to them from within themselves. Just as we do today, they did then. Defend yourself! Stand up to the doubts of evil! Know with certainty that Christ is within you and you are within him. Seek the light given to you, for it is the key that opens the door of the certainty of who you are. Christ told us: "The eye is the lamp of the body and if the eye is sound then the body is full of light." Find your light within and know the truth of who you are in Christ. For certainty is the key to the power that Christ has given you in this life.
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!
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