Our paragraph topic is: (Christ warns them not to be led astray) Part 4.
Christ knew that they would be fearful. He knew that fear would enter into them and take over their emotions leading them away from the path that he wanted them to be on. He loved his disciples. He had spent all this time, the last three years, teaching and preaching, and walking and talking with them to letting them know how much he loved them, how much he was as human to them as they were to him, even though he was their God and Savior.
Yet, he had to prepare them for the future. He had to prepare them for the fear that would attempt to overtake them if they were not prepared. So he told them as much as he could to get them ready for what they would face, what they would hear, what they would see, coming. He told them: "For you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars."
Many have experienced war and know the consequences of what it means. Death, and famine, and ruin, and escaping from fear of capture, fear of torture or imprisonment and fear of forced labor. Women being brutalized and raped, children killed, elderly being tortured for sport. All manner of evil existed during the ravages of war. So when Christ spoke of war and rumors of war the disciples understood the horrors that came to mind.
We live in a society today that is far removed from the ravages of war. It is not in our daily experiences to know the meaning of it. We do not live on the streets where we see or hear of bombs or explosions going off to let us know that we are in a war zone. It is not in our lives, in our communities, in our towns or cities. War is something that is far removed from us in another world on another continent. We hear about it on the news at 6 O' Clock or 11 but not as we look out the window of our homes in our neighborhoods. We do not know it personally.
But if Christ was telling us today then are we going to experience war in our community, in our city, in our towns? What if his words to his disciples were meant for us today that we would hear and know of war and hear of war coming to our area? What would we do? How would we react? How would we feel? Would we be afraid? Would we fear what we heard and panic about tomorrow or the next day not knowing what was to come? Who would we turn to for help, for comfort, for support, for protection?
This is where the disciples found themselves. In the mist of their fears and anxieties, they knew not what to do. Yet in the mist of all their emotions, they could find calm because they were with him, they were with the Christ, and with him they found peace. They knew that nothing would happen to them. They believed in him because they knew who he was. They had no doubts as to who he was. They had spent all this time with him, walked with him, talked with him, watched him do the things that he did with others, saw his compassion for the people, come to know that through his miracles he was the Son of God. He was the one and only one person that gave them peace of mind, knowledge, hope, faith, and a solid foundation to stand upon for the future, whatever would come. Let us also have a solid foundation upon which to stand in times of troubles that our Savior will bring us through.
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.
Christ knew that they would be fearful. He knew that fear would enter into them and take over their emotions leading them away from the path that he wanted them to be on. He loved his disciples. He had spent all this time, the last three years, teaching and preaching, and walking and talking with them to letting them know how much he loved them, how much he was as human to them as they were to him, even though he was their God and Savior.
Yet, he had to prepare them for the future. He had to prepare them for the fear that would attempt to overtake them if they were not prepared. So he told them as much as he could to get them ready for what they would face, what they would hear, what they would see, coming. He told them: "For you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars."
Many have experienced war and know the consequences of what it means. Death, and famine, and ruin, and escaping from fear of capture, fear of torture or imprisonment and fear of forced labor. Women being brutalized and raped, children killed, elderly being tortured for sport. All manner of evil existed during the ravages of war. So when Christ spoke of war and rumors of war the disciples understood the horrors that came to mind.
We live in a society today that is far removed from the ravages of war. It is not in our daily experiences to know the meaning of it. We do not live on the streets where we see or hear of bombs or explosions going off to let us know that we are in a war zone. It is not in our lives, in our communities, in our towns or cities. War is something that is far removed from us in another world on another continent. We hear about it on the news at 6 O' Clock or 11 but not as we look out the window of our homes in our neighborhoods. We do not know it personally.
But if Christ was telling us today then are we going to experience war in our community, in our city, in our towns? What if his words to his disciples were meant for us today that we would hear and know of war and hear of war coming to our area? What would we do? How would we react? How would we feel? Would we be afraid? Would we fear what we heard and panic about tomorrow or the next day not knowing what was to come? Who would we turn to for help, for comfort, for support, for protection?
This is where the disciples found themselves. In the mist of their fears and anxieties, they knew not what to do. Yet in the mist of all their emotions, they could find calm because they were with him, they were with the Christ, and with him they found peace. They knew that nothing would happen to them. They believed in him because they knew who he was. They had no doubts as to who he was. They had spent all this time with him, walked with him, talked with him, watched him do the things that he did with others, saw his compassion for the people, come to know that through his miracles he was the Son of God. He was the one and only one person that gave them peace of mind, knowledge, hope, faith, and a solid foundation to stand upon for the future, whatever would come. Let us also have a solid foundation upon which to stand in times of troubles that our Savior will bring us through.
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.
