Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus curses a fig tree) Part 1.
So he left the temple. He wanted to get away from the indignance of the chief priests and the scribes. Christ had become man to walk among the people. He became man to show the people that there was a God. He became man out of his love for mankind. He gave up all that he was, king and lord, son of the Father, to become human. He was still one with his father and showed that he could perform many miracles. Yet even those who knew would not accept what they had seen and heard about him.
He was a man like any other man. Yet he was more than any other man, he was the son of God. And like any other man he had emotions. He loved. He felt pain. He was compassionate. He was angry. He was tired, and he slept. Now in the morning, on his way back to the city, he felt hungry.
Christ was just like any other man. He was a physical being. He was the spirit of the father in a physical shell. He came to set mankind free from the judgement that was placed upon it by disobedience. For we had lost something very precious. We had lost our souls. We were dead. We were the walking dead in the flesh. But by his passion, Christ came and restored the souls of mankind. Now anyone who believes in him, repents, and follows his commandments will have eternal life within him.
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 nd 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.
Our paragraph topic is: (Anger of the Jewish leaders) Part 5.
He taught in the temple. He cured the sick in the temple. He was praised in the temple. And the chief priest and the scribes were indignant in the temple. They saw and could not believe. They heard and could not know. They felt the praise and their response was anger and jealousy and fear. They were the leaders. They were the Law. They were the ones that the people feared and looked up to. But Christ came and brought change. He came and was different. He came and the people turned to him and not to the leaders.
The leaders came to him to ask what he was doing. Did he not know that even the children were giving praise to him? Did he not know the effect that he was having on the poor, the blind, the lame, all the people? For they all came to be cured. They all came to hear. They all came to be touched by his presence. But the leaders did not see, they did not know, they did not feel presence of his grace. And he tired of their indignance. And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and he stayed there.
He could have stayed. He could have continued to speak with them in an attempt to open their eyes. He could have continued to show them the miracles that he performed. But they were blind. They were filled with their own importance. They were already under the influence of the evil that was within them and could not change. So he left. He went away. He did not want to continue to be in their presence for it was offensive.
Often times, even today, we may find ourselves in situations that are not tenable. We may find ourselves in situations with others where we are presenting our point of view and trying to sway others. But in some instances the others cannot see, they cannot understand, they refuse to hear what we are saying. This continued back and forth opens the door to anger and frustration that may escalate to aggressive behavior or violence. This is not our intention. It may be better to leave, to walk away, to cut off the argument and not go any further. For continuing to engage opens the door to violence and this is where reason leaves and anger comes in. And with that anger comes evil.
Christ came to teach us how to love one another. He came to help us to understand who we are in the eyes of God our Father. He came that we may have new life instead of death. Death came into the world long ago with Adam. But Christ conquered death. He came that we would have peace in our minds and our hearts, not hatred and anger and jealousy, and envy. He came that we would be able to see and know that we are loved in this world. We are not alone. We are not lost. We are not forgotten.
We are not poor but rich is the love and grace of God our Father. He is the one who created the moon and the stars and the earth and all that is within. He is the one who gave us life out of the goodness of his love. He is the one that will gift to us the riches of the universe if we come to know him and open our hearts to his will. Come join us. Leave the old behind and take on the new. Forget the chaos that you knew and know the peace and joy of the kingdom of heaven. Throw off the darkness of death and take up the light of Christ. You will know the truth of who you are in him.
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 nd 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.
Our paragraph topic is: (Anger of the Jewish leaders) Part 4.
Jesus was a man who came to Jerusalem to preach and teach. Many had heard his words and many had not. He had many followers who praised him for the things that he did for the people. Just like many who had come before him, prophets, preachers, and teachers, sent by God, he came to bring the word to the people.
The Jewish leaders saw him as a threat. They did not want the people to follow him, to believe in his words. He brought new words. He brought new meaning. He brought a new way of life that could threaten the existing power and leadership. And the leaders were afraid of what could happen. They were fearful of what the people would think and believe about their leadership. So they sought every way to destroy him and the word he brought to the people. In the temple when the children were crying out praise to him, the leaders questioned him about what was happening. And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected praise'?"
And so it was, even the little ones gave praise to Lord Jesus. The leaders did not. They were fearful. They were in doubt. They did not see or believe what was happening before their eyes. Theirs was the concern of power and influence. For they were held in power and influence for so long that they could not understand what was written in the word. Even praise from the mouths of infants came to him.
We are our Father's children. He created us and gave us eternal life. Yet even though we lost what was freely given, Christ came and restored the gift of life, eternal life. And the Holy Spirit comes and waters that gift in those who seek the eternal water of life so that they may grow and prosper in this world. For our growth is not the growth of death but the growth of life. And our fruit is not the withering and dying fruit of the flesh but the fruit of life that we freely give to those who are lost and without hope.
We are the example that Christ left for others to follow. We are the example for the world to see, a light unto the darkness of the world. We are the example to new life, a new beginning, a life eternal. For those who can believe, for those who are not blinded by the world, we are the examples of hope, and trust in the promises of Christ Jesus. He returned to his father that he might build a place for us in his father's kingdom. And for those who know the spirit of the Advocate, peace be upon them. For they no longer toil for the fruits of death but work for the fruits of eternal life. Yours is the gift of life should you choose to accept and believe. For belief is the key to open the door to the heart and unlock the love that awaits you from the overflowing cup of love from the Father.
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 nd 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.
Our paragraph topic is: (Anger of the Jewish leaders) Part 3.
They were angry. They were furious at him. They did not know what to do. They were fearful of losing the power and influence obtained through their positions. They were never praised as he was. They were never sought after as he was. They were never brought the sick and the lame and the cripple to be cured. They were only the keepers and enforcers of the Law as handed down by Moses.
The chief priests and the elders saw what Christ did for the people. He helped the poor. He cured the blind and the lame. And he did this in the temple for all to see. He taught them. He showed love to them. He cared for them as no other elder or priest had before. And all loved what they received from him. Even the little ones felt his influence. And the priests could not understand: And said to him, "Dost thou hear what these are saying?"
Even the little ones were giving praise to him. They understood. They knew. They saw with their on eyes and they believed. Yet those with knowledge and experience did not believe, did not know, did not understand. How was it that the babes could see and believe yet those with years of experience and knowledge could not see or believe? Even today with all the beauty and wonder in the world, how is it that we do not see what is plainly before our eyes? Are we blind? Can we not see the wonders of this world and where they came from? Do we not breathe the air? Do we not feel the warmth of the sun? Do we not have food to eat that comes from the ground itself? Are these not miracles and wonders for us to see and know that we did not create these things?
Our God provides. Our God protects. Our God gives us bountiful gifts to demonstrate his love for us. Yet we cannot see. We cannot believe. We cannot know because we are blinded by the world before us. Science and industry have turned the world around such that we no longer believe that which we are given. We have devised a system that turns us away from the wonders of the natural world we were given and turns us toward the world that is created by man. For man, through his own ingeniousness, has changed the world. Man has created his own world. Man has made anew a world inside the natural world and now calls this the new world that we live in.
And with this new world comes the influence of evil and evildoers. With this new world doors are open that should be closed. Behaviors are common that once were forbidden. Acts are accepted as commonplace and necessary that were once frowned upon as outside the norm and unacceptable. And these same acts and behaviors are permeated throughout society for all to see as normal or necessary to succeed. Black, brown, blue, green, yellow, white, we are all the same, no one above another. For God is our creator and it is he who judges and punishes for their sins.
We are all created in his image and his likeness. We are all spirits. We are all his children. God is not a physical being with blue eyes, or black or brown, with colored skin. He is spirit and we are spirit just as he is, not physical. He gave to us this form that we might live and exist in this physical realm. But upon our death, we are transformed into the true beings that we are, spirits, and our lives begin on a different plane, a spiritual plane. And those that have gone before us await our coming. Even the little ones that were called early are there to greet us. They were the ones who saw. They were the ones who believed. They are the ones who know the truth more than we do today.
Christ has said that the little ones make up the kingdom of heaven and that no one can enter unless they become like them. Let us give shouts and praise like the little ones. Let us see the coming of the kingdom as the little ones. Let us know the truth of who we are like the little ones. For theirs is the true knowledge of the kingdom, theirs is the true glory of the kingdom, theirs is the gift that God has given us to follow and believe.
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 nd 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.
