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, 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!

St Matthew, Chapter 16, verses: 7-8, The Leaven: The Accusation.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) Part 2.    

Christ was in the presence of evil as he spoke to the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  For they were the agents of evil, they were the evildoers.  Evil can not operate of its own but must operate through man.  So they sought the highest authority and corrupted the priest to do their evil.  And they spread the plague throughout the towns and villages that evil would prevail.  And Christ know of the plague.  He knew of the leaven that was being spread by evil through the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  He told his disciples to beware of that evil, to beware of the leaven being spread by the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  But they did not heed his warning.

And so the disciples became infected with the plague.  They themselves began to show signs of the infection.  They began to show signs of the leaven that was spreading about.  But they themselves were not aware.  They did not know what was happening.  They did not see yet how the leaven was affecting them.  So they began to argue among themselves about little things.
They began to show signs of the leaven taking hold of them while they were traveling.  For the leaven brought strife.  The leaven brought chaos.  The leaven brought anger, fear, hatred, hopelessness, jealousy, and many other evils that would infect the person who caught it.  And they did not know.  But Christ knew and he warned his disciples so that they would not be infected.  He warned them that they would know and see the change that it brought about within themselves.  And yet without faith, the cure to the leaven, all would be infected with the leaven.   But they began to argue among themselves, saying, "We have brought no bread."  But Jesus knowing this, said, “You of little faith, why do you argue among yourselves that you have no bread ?   

And the disciples became infected with the leaven because they had little faith in the one who was the source of all faith and hope.  Are we affected with the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees today?  Are we without hope?  Are we without faith that the one who came down from heaven will not provide?  Do we argue among ourselves as to where we are to get bread, where we are to get food, where we are to get clothing, where we are to get money to provide for ourselves?  After all, we are the ones, so we are told, that provide for ourselves.  We are the ones who are not dependent upon a hand out from the government or from others to provide for ourselves.  We are independent.  We have jobs, we have houses, we have cars, and money, and clothes, and big screen TVs, and smartphones, and ipads, and Internet data plans that allow us to be happy in the world we live in.  And those who are without?  Well they must be independent and provide for themselves.  This is the leaven of today.  We are independent and do not need hope, we do not need faith. 

Christ came that we may have new life.  For without belief in his sacrifice, his death and his resurrection we are dead, we have no life.  Yet, we say we believe.  We say we have faith.  We go to church each week in belief of that faith and that hope.  But when the bills come due, the money runs short, when we fear the loss of the jobs we hold, do we believe, do we have faith?  The creator of the universe wants to provide for us.  He wants to protect us.  He wants to show his love for us and yet we are infected with the leaven of the world.  Is it hard to let go?  Is it difficult to trust in the Lord? 

We expect miracles to happen when we pray.  Yet we are not patient enough to see them happen.  We are not faithful enough to allow our God, our Father to work in our lives.  We know not the life that has been given us is not the life in the world but the life of the spirit within us.  Faith is the belief in the desire to be one with Christ.  Are you one with him?  Do you know who you are?  Has your spirit been robbed by the evil in the world?  Mine was but now I am found in Christ.   Come, find yourself.  Come, find the truth of who you are in Christ and heal yourself of the leaven of the world.  For with the truth, you will know the life that is within you and with the truth you will be able to throw off the fears and doubts that are brought on by the passions of the physical life.  You will know the true nature of who you are in Christ.  Follow the path.  Read the signs.  Open your heart and you will see the life Christ has given 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: 5-6, The Leaven: The Warning.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) Part 1. 

The Pharisees and the Sadducees came with their demon conceived plans to trick him.  They wanted a sign from heaven to make them believe, so they said.  And Christ told them how they could understand.  He gave them a sign that they already had.  But the demons inside wanted their plans put into action.  They were the evil inside the evil doers.  They were the influence that spoke to the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  They were the ones.  Christ warned them that he would visit them and that would be their sign.  He would come to hell for three days and bring destruction to their plans.  For their sign was the sign of Jonas in the belly of the whale.  And with this he left them.  He left the presence of evil in the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

And while they were crossing the sea, Christ warned his disciples of the plague.  He warned  them of the leaven of the evildoers.  For Satan had influenced the Pharisees and the Sadducees and they in turn spread the plague.  They spread the leaven to the people and throughout the world.  They were contaminated first.  They received the leaven.  They held the 
original strain and were the carriers of the resident evil.  Yet many were not aware.  Many did not know.  And the evil spread amongst the people without hindrance.  And Christ warned his disciples to be on guard.    And when his disciples crossed the sea, they found that they had forgotten to bring bread.   And he said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

Are you aware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees today?  What are the influences that they play in our lives?  We see it everywhere, on the TV, in the movies, in magazines, on the Internet, in the news, on billboards, wherever we look, we see, hear, and accept the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  It is accepted as a part of our lives.  It is a constant assault on the spiritual purity of our souls.  It is handed down to us as we are children.  It is fed to us  as we become teens.  It becomes our desires as we mature.  And yet it is not until we face destruction in our lives that we wake and become somewhat aware of the leaven that has become a part of us.

Save the children!  Protect the teens!  Guard the mature against the leaven that we live with in our lives.  If the destruction of the world came today many would be lost to the leaven.  Many would face damnation.  Many would not know the love and the gift that God, our Father, has provided to us through Christ Jesus.  For without belief in him we are dead, without life, without the light of new life that comes through Christ.  Are there no alternatives to leaven?  Are there not antidotes?  Is there no solution to what has become so much apart of what we accept today as ordinary and common?  We go to church on Sunday and neglect the other six days of the week to return to the leaven of the world.  Wake up my brothers and sisters!  We have work to do.  Open your minds and your hearts that you may be saved and be born again in Christ.  For without new birth we are dead inside.  We have no life.  We have not the light of Christ within us but only darkness.  Here is a trail to follow.  Christ awaits you.  Come receive the light of the Holy Spirit and be born again.

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 13, verse: 33, The Kingdom of Heaven: like Leaven.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the leaven) Part 1. 

Christ continues to talk to the people and his disciples in parables.  His topic is the kingdom of heaven.  He wants the people to have an understanding of the kingdom.  He wants them to know what it is like.  He wants those who hear and understand to be enlightened about the kingdom.  For there are those who came to be entertained.  There are those who came to be healed.  There are those who came to understand.   And there are those who came to destroy.

So, he spoke to the people in parables, for it was not given to all to understand.  It was not given to all to perceive.  It was not given to all to know the mysteries of the kingdom.  Some would hear and understand.  Some would hear and not understand.  Some would hear and be entertained.  And then there are those who would hear and want to correct, to change, to destroy what was being given to the people.   So he spoke in parables.  He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and buried in three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened."

The kingdom of heaven is like a seed.  The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard tree.  The kingdom of heaven is like leaven.   These are the things that Christ spoke to them about the kingdom of heaven.  But did they understand?  Did they know the meaning?  Did they hear the message and perceive?  Take the seed and grow!  Take the mustard tree and grow!  Take the leaven and grow!  Become all that the seed enables you to become.  Produce fruit!  Grow to full potential and you will be the greatest tree in the garden of the kingdom.  Spread the measure of the leaven and you will become part of all.  Hear the message and understand.  The kingdom of heaven is within you.

Christ spoke in parables because he wanted the people who sought the knowledge of the kingdom to search for meaning, to search for understanding, to seek the wisdom of the kingdom.  For to him who has more will be given and to him who does not have even that which he has will be taken away.  Do you seek to understand the kingdom of heaven?  Do you know the meaning of the parables?  Do you desire to understand?  Enlightenment will come to those who seek.  Understanding will call to those who want to know.  Wisdom will follow those who search for the truth.  And the Holy Spirit will teach all to those who know him.  Do you know that you have received the Holy Spirit?  How do you know?  Are you certain or do you just accept what is given you?  Christ has given you the opportunity to know the kingdom today, right now, for those who wish to know.  Come, seek the kingdom and you will understand.