Our paragraph topic is: (Their persecution of religion) Part 9.
It is amazing and chilling these next sentences in this paragraph because they pose a unique perspective from which we can view the nature of our God. Christ speaks for God the Father because he is one with the Father. Everything that he does comes from the Father. Many times he tells the disciples that a cripple has not sinned as they might believe nor has someone in their family done so. But it is the will of God that the cripple is there before them that he may be cured so that they might believe in him.
God has allowed those things to happen so that they will serve his purpose in showing the disciples who he is and who his son is, that they may believe in him. And it is through his son that he works and performs his miracles. And yet he does not speak. But in this one sentence the voice of God comes forth after offering the Scribes and the Pharisees opportunity to escape hell. God tells them: "Therefore, behold, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them you will put to death, and crucify."
It is the "I" that testifies to the speaker. For Christ does not speak but it is God the Father that speaks through him telling the Scribes and the Pharisees what they have done and will do to those that God sends to help his people. They persecute religion and it is the evil within them that has taken over completely and will not let go of their souls.
They are possessed and ignorant of the fact. They are workers of evil and see no wrong in what they do. They are doomed to the judgment of hell as those before them and do not understand the punishment before them. How can they escape? How can they not reap the rewards of hell?
How thankful are we to have the knowledge and the understanding we have today. It has been given us the way and the truth of who we are. It has been given us the word of God that we may know his will for us that keeps us from harms way. It has been given us the path to follow that leads us to the kingdom of heaven. It has been given us a guide to help us along the way that we may not go astray or be led astray. All this is ours for the asking if we believe in him who came to save us and the one who sent him, our loving Father. God is real, God is ever living, God is loving and forgiving. He is merciful and full of joy and hope and peace for those who love him. God your Father loves you as much as you love him. Open your heart to him and see.
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: (Their persecution of religion) Part 8.
Here they were the religious leaders of the people standing before the Word of the Living God, still not knowing, not believing, not understanding their fate. So bold were they. So arrogant were they. So caught up in their own importance of honor and prestige that they could not see or hear the truth of the Son of Man. He call them a brood of vipers. And that still did not shock them enough to make them think of who this Christ was.
They had seen the miracles, heard of the demons that were cast out, knew of the people that were cured of illnesses, seen those who they knew were lame or blind or cripple or diseased. Yet in their minds it was all a hoax, all unreal. They were lost, the Scribes and the Pharisees, unable to change their behavior. Evil had fully taken over. They had become the persecutors of their own religion. Christ knew they were lost, yet he offered opportunity for redemption. Yet he questioned: "How are you to escape the judgment of hell?"
They were lost, completely engulfed in the prison of their evil spirits. Darkness had taken over in their souls and there was no escape. Where are we today? Are we in the same boat? Are we following the same path? Do we have the opportunity for redemption? Can we be saved from the evil that may be within us or around us or in our society? What must we do to remove ourselves from the bonds of evil?
Everyday we are faced with opportunity to do wrong. We are tempted to do just the little thing that wont hurt anyone. Daily those little wrongs add up until we become immune to wrong and we can rationalize doing something a little bigger something a little more daring, something a little more evil. And it is that path that we allow ourselves to travel that leads us down the road to more and more wrong until we do not recognize the difference.
Our God gave us a conscience that tells us when we do right and when we do wrong. He gave us commandments to guide us in our daily lives. It is those commandments that help us as children to stay safe from evil. We do not know the many ways of evil. We are not of the same spirit as evil but of a human nature, far less than those who seek to turn us against the will of our Father. It is the love of our Father in heaven and Christ Jesus that keeps us in his grace. It is his loving mercy and forgiveness that opens the door to bring us back into his love when we commit wrong. It is the spirit of his love that guides us daily when we seek to know his will in our daily lives that helps us stay in the grace of our Father.
We are blessed to have this opportunity to know who we are and to know the truth of the love of God for us. It is that truth and that love that we can carry with us in our daily affairs to show others what God has to offer and what he gives to those who know him. Spread the word. Show the love. Let the spirit of his love shine in 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 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: (Their persecution of religion) Part 7.
The words of the Son of Man came down upon the Scribes and the Pharisees. He described them as they are. He tells them to their face how he sees them and he spares no words. The people do not see as Christ sees. He offered opportunity to the Scribes and the Pharisees. He offered an open door. He gave a chance to change but that was not forthcoming.
They were so entrenched in their way that nothing could save them. Nothing could change their minds about who they were or how they thought about their religion. They were persecutors. They were destroyers. They were recruiting newcomers to hell and that was not the religion of God. Christ called them: "Serpents, brood of vipers."
Slithering, sliding, hissing, these were the Scribes and the Pharisees. They would just as soon be your friend then turn to bites you in the back when the opportunity presented itself. They were opportunist, using their position as religious leaders to dupe the people any way they could. When they saw the chance to take advantage they did. When they saw the opportunity to steal they did. When they saw the opportunity to be who they were then their true nature, serpent, came forth. The evil within them had completely taken over.
Judge for yourself, but judge carefully. Seek the wisdom of your spirit within that you may know who is friend and who is foe. Many will come in sheep's clothing but may turn out to be wolves. We are given a spirit of peace within. Let no one take that from you.
Seek always to build upon your peace. Find ways to strengthen it daily, weekly that you may not be taken advantage of at the wrong time. Always know that Christ has promised that he will send the Advocate to be with us, to guide us along the way. We all seek companionship, friendship, family, love, community, membership with others. This is our heritage. But seek the membership of those who love, those of the fellowship of Christ. He is our beginning and our end and our God is our all.
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: (Their persecution of religion) Part 6.
They were taught well, the sons. Their fathers were the leaders of the people who killed the prophets in order to keep the people in line with their interpretation of religion. They did not want to change. They did not want to show love, or mercy, or faith, or hope in God that they could show the people. They only had what they knew to be their own way of knowledge and understanding.
They had the writings of the prophets and the commandments. They had the rules as given by Moses. But those were from ancient history passed down from centuries ago. Their fathers needed new rules and new laws to fit their needs and their ways of thinking so they made their own. And they taught those new learnings to their sons to rule the people so that they would continue to persecute the people. Christ told them: "You also fill up the measure
of your fathers."
Their fathers would be proud of the way they rule over the people. They would be honored because their sons carry on the traditions that they established. The sons continued the sins of the fathers and persecuted religion the same as their fathers. They know no difference. They seek no change. They understand no sorrow or pain for the people. They know no mercy or love, for they live in palaces away from the common people, they fill themselves with fine foods, dress in the best of clothing and live a life of luxury.
Has time changed so drastically today that we are that much different from the past? Some live in poverty, some live just above poverty. Some live, in the median, and then there are those who live above the median and those that live ultra median. And above all those are the generational life that has known luxury for many lifetimes. This is our society today. This is our way of life today. This is our religion today.
Christ came, to bring about change to the system. He came to open our minds and our hearts to a different way. We live in the system but we do not have to be a part of it. We are in the system but we are not bound by it, if we choose. We are flesh and spirit but we are bound by spirit. He has given us a new spirit, a new life, a new light. He has given us the key to the kingdom if we choose to accept it.
Our key allows us to step out of the worldly system and into the spiritual system. In our new life we are given the riches of the world plus the wealth of the kingdom of heaven. We are given the eternal joy and the peace and the everlasting happiness that the worldly system cannot buy or give us. We are given the love and protection of the ever-living creator of the universe, our Father Almighty God. We are given the promise of Christ that he will be with us always, that he will guide us and protect us from harm. All this we are given because of his love for us. If you have ever been down and out, know that he is with you. All you have to do is call upon him and you will know his love. And his love for you will fill you with a love for 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.
