Our paragraph topic is: (The disciples question Christ) Part 1.
And so it was that Christ foretold of the Temple destruction. The disciples were awestruck. They did not know what to say or what to expect. They believed that their city and their Temple would exist forever. Little did they know or believe that it would be destroyed and that message would come from the mouth of the Messiah. It must have been an mad idea, a thought of disbelief, something of unbelievable incomprehension.
Yet here was the Christ, the Son of God, telling them of what would happen in the future, something they had to accept as truth. Their minds were buzzing with all kinds of questions, all kinds of doubts, all kinds of curiosities that required answers. So, "And as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when are these things to happen."
They could not wait. They had to know. They wanted to know. They were curious. Their minds were full of thoughts of how this would happen and by what means. Would a flood come? Would there be fire? Would an invader come and destroy the Temple, or would the Romans tear it down and destroy the people as the Pharisees feared? How would this happen? Would it happen today or tomorrow? Would it happen next week? Should they make preparations to leave the city? Should they tell their friends and relatives? So many questions ran through their minds that they had to have answers to what Christ had just told them about the Temple and the city.
What would you do if you knew? Would you run and go to another place? Would you tell your brothers and sisters, mother and father, uncle, aunts, other relatives? Would they believe you? Would they leave with you or just laugh you off as crazy? This man that you have been following, this man that you believe is the Messiah has told you that the city will be destroyed and you believe him. What do you think others will say about you?
You have had an epiphany awakening and believe that the spirit has come to you to open your eyes about the world you live in and who you are. The spirit has enlightened you with the knowledge of your purpose and has given you the means to accomplish it. You want to help others to come out of the darkness into the light. So you tell them of your experience. Would they believe you? Would they seek to know the truth the same as you or would they think that you are crazy? Would you tell your brothers, sisters, mother, father, uncles, aunts, other relatives? Who would you confide in that would understand?
I can only do what has been given me to do and hope others will see. Love is the key to change. I love my mother and father, sister and brothers, uncles and aunts, but I cannot force them to do what I do. I can only love them for who they are and pray for them, asking God for forgiveness and mercy. Thank you Father for your love. Thank you Christ for your passion. Thank you Holy Spirit for you enlightenment.
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 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 hypocritical purity) Part 8.
Christ came down from heaven to walk among mankind that he might experience the depth of life we live as humans. He came with a purpose to do his father's will and save mankind from the sin committed by Adam and Eve from the beginning. No one else was able to do so. Yet his choice was made at a cost of his life on the cross, a horrible cost of pain and suffering for our sins. He did not have to pay such a cost but because of his love, his passion for mankind, he wanted to give us a second chance to have life eternal.
He came and he saw the horror and the iniquity that existed from the evil that had come forth upon the people. They cried out for his help, begged for his assistance, had assurance in his power to heal, believed in his words of faith. Yet there was still darkness in the shadows that hid from his brightness. He saw what men could not see. He looked beyond the outwardly appearance into the inner heart and soul of those who were full of evil and sin. He heard the inner thoughts of the influence that evil worked upon those of power and prestige and knew their deepest thoughts and feelings. He told the Scribes and the Pharisees: "So you also outwardly appear just to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."
You could say he had x-ray vision because he saw what men could not see. He saw the true filth of who they really were on the inside. Outwardly they appeared like great men, but inwardly they were filled with dead men's bones and all sorts of ugliness. Yet these were the men that the people honored and praised. These were the Scribes and the Pharisees they saw everyday in the market place and the synagogue and places of worship. These were the men that they idolized and wanted to imitate. Yet Christ saw the other side, the inside and he called them out. He told the people who they were. He let the people know that they were not all they were held up to be.
Faith goes deep within the soul. It is either there or not there. It is either believed or not believed. It is either a part of you or not a part of you. Sure it can be faked. It can be put upon like a mask and taken off like makeup. But real faith, real belief is in the skin, in the bones, in the marrow, in the heart and soul of a person. They know who they are because they are real. It does not need to be preached on the corners to have substance. It does not demand that it is shared with others from a door to door campaign to be real. It just needs to be lived that others may see the light from which it shines within.
Let your light shine. Open your heart to the love that Christ has for you and you will know the truth of the living faith within.
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 hypocritical purity) Part 4.
He had to teach them. He had to help them to understand where they were. He had to break through the darkness inside, to open a door so that they might have light to see what was inside. They only cleansed the outside and thought they were pure. But on the inside they were full of dirt and uncleanness. All kinds of iniquities had taken over on the inside and they believed that it was okay to appear this way. This was their purity on the inside and Christ had to teach them to see the truth of what was really inside.
So he called them out. He told them they were impure. He told the Pharisees they were like whited graves full of rotted bones on the inside, painted white on the outside to look clean. This was the religion they practiced. He told them: "Clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside too may be clean."
Clean the inside first. Get all the garbage out of the inside. Clean the mind, clean the thoughts, clean the actions, do right, do no wrong, speak good of your neighbors, be at peace with yourself and others, love your neighbor as yourself, hold fast to the beliefs given us by Christ as handed down through his teachings.
There is so much that we must live with in this world in accordance with Christian beliefs. Life does not offer opportunity to live according to the teachings of Christ. There are times when we will be tempted. Times when we will be put to the test to do otherwise. There will be times when we must ask for forgiveness for not having the strength to follow our beliefs. Yet if we can remember our teachings we can come back to the path we are given and seek his mercy to return to his wisdom of life for us.
Surrender to his will and peace will be yours. Seek to know his purpose for your life and you will find your way. He came to unlock the chains of bondage to free us from slavery to sin. He came to teach us how to live a life of peace and love, a life of knowledge and understanding. He came to light the path that we may know the way to his kingdom, the path to the Father.
Seek the knowledge that he has left for us to know. Understand the wisdom that is within you to see. Trust in the spirit that connects you to his love and to the Father, the creator of all things. For he is the fulfillment of all desire and all joy and all happiness and desires of the soul.
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: (Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 7.
We are crying for the Scribes and the Pharisees. Woe to them. They are being called out to the public for their wrongs. The spotlight of the kingdom of heaven shines upon them and they are being called out for their wrong doings to the people. The kingdom of heaven is at hand and Christ is passing out mercy tickets to those who are willing to repent. But the Scribes and the Pharisees are angry and will not relent in their desires to seek revenge upon Christ.
He calls them hypocrites to their face in public. He tells them that they do not go into the kingdom of heaven but they close the door to the kingdom for those who want to go in. They devour the houses of widows who have no means after their husbands die by praying long prayers. And he gives them their judgment by telling them: "For this you shall receive a greater judgment."
He walked the earth and he talked to the earth. He spoke to the wind and the rain, the sea and the sky, the trees and the fish and the grain. He was here on this planet and yet we knew him not. Even today we not know him. For he is that which is within us, that which is without. He is around us each and every day. He has given us the means of being, the being of seeing and the reasoning to know him. Yet we have not fully known that which we are.
Each waking day is an opportunity to discover. What are we here for? Why do we exist? Is it just to be a part of the collective, to work, play, to love, to create, to procreate, to unify a family, to be a part of a community, a part of a church, a part of an organization? Or are we given what we consider a greater purpose, to create something that will move humanity along the time line of knowledge and understanding? Where are we going? Why are we here?
We walk the time line of death knowing what the future holds for us. Christ did the same knowing that this was why he was born, why he came, why he died. Yet he conquered death. He rose and ascended above the grave. He tells us that we will do the same that we will have life eternal. Is this why we are here? Is this our ultimate goal, to die, to rise again? Should we not rejoice then! Should we not be happy! Should we not seek to know the how and the wherefore of him who made this promise to us?
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: (Tribute to Caesar) Part 9.
They had crafted their question with precision so that every word would weigh upon a given response. Was it lawful to give tribute to Caesar? Christ was not concerned with local politics. He was not steeped in regional or national politics. His was the concern of his father, the kingdom of heaven. His concern was the politics of the universe and the whole human race not that of the local, regional, or national leader. Yet the Herodians sought to test him with this question on tribute.
He knew not Caesar. He knew not the local coinage. He only knew that which his Father had given him to know and see and do. He had a mission and a purpose given him by his heavenly father and there were those who sought to impede his progress. There were those who sought to trap him. But they were not successful. He knew about their scheme, their plan and he went along with what they were doing. So he asked them for the coin of tribute and he asked who's image and inscription it was upon the coin. They said to him, "Caesar's."
They were in his world and he was in theirs. They did not know him but he knew them from eternity. He saw them but they did not see nor hear him. They were blind, deaf, and dumb to the word. So he played their game, answered their questions, and gave them what they thought that they wanted to hear. His was the universe, theirs was the grain of sand on the earth. His was the augh and majesty of the Father, theirs was the pain and death of the flesh. They knew not nor sought not.
Who do we know today? Do we know our Father? Do we know Christ the redeemer? Do we know the life he has given us? Do we know the light of life that is within each of us? Can we get in touch with the living energy that is ours for eternity? Or are we only here for today and gone tomorrow to the darkness? What do we see when we close our eyes? Is it darkness or is it the light of life?
Christ is with us if we only seek to find him. He will come if we call him. He will provide if we ask for his help. He will protect us if we know him and believe in him. He is the living Son of the Father. He is the Son of Man. He is the Son of God our Father, the creator of the universe. And he is the origin of the love that we seek to fill our needs. For nothing on this earth can satisfy the need that is within us except that which comes from God. He awaits your call. He will rejoice at your voice. He will reward you with riches if you only believe in him and seek his wisdom and knowledge. God loves. God is!
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: (Parable of the two sons) Part 6.
Where would we be without the law. For the law sets boundaries that we live and breathe by. The law gives justice to the people who are aggrieved and oppressed. The law is the standard by which we live. One cannot say that the punishment is not just if it has not been spelled out for all to see and believe. For the law sets those standards by which justice is given. It is a warning to all that these are the boundaries by which you will be judged and by which justice will be dispensed.
John came in the way of justice. He came to announce the coming of the kingdom of heaven here on earth. He came as a precursor to announce the law and give notice to all to repent to avoid the punishment of justice. Many heard his words and believed. Many heard and did not believe. And justice came to those who did not believe for they were given the warning and the opportunity to repent. Christ told the chief priest and the elders: "But the publicans
and the harlots believed him."
What was the difference between the priests, the elders, and the publicans and the harlots? What allowed one group to believe and another to disbelieve? What stands in the way of those today who believe and those that do not? Is it just human nature that separates the two? Is it complete and utter doubt that prevents one from seeing through the inner being who they are? One has the choice. One can believe. One can decide. But one does and one does not. Why is the question?
We are in a world that ultimately makes us question our being, our self-worth, our purpose in life. This world gives us all the opportunity to achieve the desires of the heart through what it has to offer. The young see a world of opportunity that allows them to be all that they desire. The old see either those desires fulfilled or those desires fade. And it depends from which perspective that we view the desires of the heart that tell us who and what we are in this world.
We judge our self-worth by what we have achieved in this world. Yet our Lord and Savior judges us by who we are, who he created in his image and likeness. Even those who have fulfilled the desires of their heart find themselves still wanting more of what this world has to offer but time runs to completion and death awaits. God is life. He is the great I Am! In him is no death. And in the life he has given us there is no death, only transition.
We believe or we do not. We know or we do not. We seek the truth or we do not. We are more than what this world has to offer and the life within us is everlasting. Believing is the key to open the door to that which is within us. Believing is the path which will lead us to the truth of the kingdom of heaven. Believing is a leap from the physical to the spiritual that allows us to know the truth of who we are and that truth is in him. The desires of the heart are in him. The desires of peace are in him. The desires of complete love are with him and no other. Believe and you will 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: (Power of faith) Part 1.
Christ cursed the fig tree because it had no purpose. It had leaves but no fruit. It had leaves but no seed bearing fruit. It had life but no purpose. So he cursed it and it withered up. It had life but upon the spoken words it withered up immediately. The life that was in it was no more. It ceased to exist.
The disciples heard the words spoken by Christ. They heard him speak the curse. They saw the effect of his words. And they were in disbelief. And upon seeing this the disciples marveled, saying, "How did it come to wither immediately?"
They saw it but marveled at how it happened. They saw it but did not understand how. They saw it but were in disbelief. Christ was hungry and wanted something to eat. God gave life to all the world and provided all kinds of fruit bearing trees. The trees have a purpose. We have a purpose. But this tree did not have a purpose. It existed without bearing fruit. So Christ cursed it and it ceased to exist.
Can you see? Can you believe? Can you understand that we have a purpose here on this earth? Can you know that we will not be cursed? Can you trust that you are loved? There is something more than just to exist without a purpose. There is something more than to just live and then to die with no conscience of what lies beyond death. There is more to the life that we are given than to wither up and cease to exist after death.
Stop and think. Stop and get off the merry-go-round of life. Stop and open your mind and your heart and receive the love that awaits you. For you are loved. You are alive. You are filled with the light of life. Believe and you shall receive. Accept and you shall know. Trust and you shall see the miracles that will come to you from the one who loves. There are those who would destroy. There are those who would deny. There are those who would deceive and blind you and take away your ability to understand. Be not turned by the lust of the world for it is death. Instead seek that which you know in your heart is truth and life and love. For he awaits your call. He awaits your open heart. He awaits your opening the door that he may come and be with you. Come! Join the living and the love of Christ will come upon you that you may live forever.
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: (Jesus curses a fig tree) Part 4.
It is amazing to see the truth that is in Christ Jesus. He is man incarnate. He was born of the flesh of Mary. He is descended from heaven and brought forth from the love of God the Father, first born of all the living. Yet in his state of union with the Father and common among men he feels hunger. He fills pain and thirst, love and passion, mercy and forgiveness. He is Lord and Savior of all mankind.
He comes upon a tree that has no purpose. It does not bear fruit. It does not have seeds that bear fruit. It only has leaves. What purpose does it serve man or God? Christ sees this tree, without compassion, curses it that the tree will not have fruit now or forever. And this is our sign: And immediately the fig tree withered up.
What would we do if Christ told us that we would not bear fruit henceforth and forever? Would we wither up and die? Would we cease to exist? Thankfully, Christ values us a more than the tree. Thankfully, we are that which he loves that the father created. Thankfully, we are that which he sees as good in mankind as well as the evil. Thankfully, we will not be judged as one. Thankfully, we are that which his passion is so great for us that he gave up that which he was in order to save that which he loves in us from damnation.
The tree of nothing withered up. For many years mankind withered and died due to the transgression of one. Yet through the passion of one we are saved. Through the love of one we are transformed. And through the mercy and forgiveness of one we are born again into the spirit that was ours from the beginning. We are given a new life. We are brought back to life. We are infused with the spirit of the Advocate, for those who seek to know. We are brought out of the darkness into the light and taken to our home.
Thank you Christ Jesus for loving us. Thank you God our Father for forgiving us. Thank you Christ Jesus for your mercy and your compassion. Thank you God our Father for the spirit that you have given us. Thanks be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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: (Jesus curses a fig tree) Part 2.
The Earth Made Fruitful: Genesis: Chapter1, verse: 9-12.
Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place and let the dry land appear." And so it was. God called the dry land earth and the assembled waters Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and all kinds of fruit trees that bear fruit containing their seed." And so it was. The earth brought forth vegetation, every kind of seed-bearing plant and all kinds of trees that bear fruit containing seed. God saw that it was good.
And that was how it was in the beginning. Everything had a purpose and there was a purpose for everything. The earth brought forth vegetation with fruit and the fruit had seeds that bore fruit. And there was nothing that was without a purpose. For God said it was good. And yet there were trees of a different kind that came to be. Trees that did not bear fruit but only leaves. And seeing a tree by the wayside, he came up to it, and found nothing on it but leaves.
Was this tree not according to the purpose of God? Did it not serve a purpose in his plan? How did it come to be that this tree did not have fruit and seeds in fruit? Christ came upon it. He felt hungry and a need to feed himself. But the tree of nothing had no fruit. It had nothing to give to the Son of God, the Lord of the universe. What purpose did it serve? Of what good was it to be in existence?
All creation has a purpose, be it good or bad. We acknowledge the good that is within us and we accept the evil that can come from us. Yet there is more than that. We are spiritual beings held within a clay shell. We have a purpose, to recognize that which has given us life, to rejoice in the knowledge of who we are, and to know that there is one above that gave us the life that we own.
The choice is ours to see, ours to believe, ours to know, ours to accept. Some will and some will not. Some will accept their human reasoning as a hindrance to allowing themselves to believe. It is that step beyond reasoning that allows those who believe to see, to know, and to understand that they are more than just the physical. It is that step beyond reasoning that allows us to open the door of the physical and see the spiritual that is within us, the light of life. And with that giant step beyond reasoning one begins to transform into the living spirit.
It is the light within that transforms. It is the light within that grows. It is the light within that shines through the physical and transforms the world. Death cannot hold it. Time cannot define it. Chaos cannot move it. Love is the force that gives it life. For within the spirit is the love of God our Father and the passion of Jesus Christ our savior and nothing can separate us from that love. We have a purpose. We belong. We are loved. We are at peace.
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: (Jesus sends two disciples into Jerusalem) Part 4.
What was his purpose? What was his goal that he sent the two disciples into Jerusalem? They didn't ask. They didn't know. They only followed the instructions they were given. They were even given words to say if they were questioned as to what they were doing with the ass and the colt. And all went as they were told without any changes.
Many times throughout the Bible we find instructions that were given by God. Those instructions were meant to be followed without question. Yet we as humans have to make meaning of what we do. We have to try and understand, to rationalize, to make things fit into our world. Where it pertains to God we cannot understand his ways. Only in retrospect do we come to understanding. The disciples were given instructions and they followed them. They only understood later the purpose of what they were doing. Now this was done that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled.
The whys and wherefores of his actions had already been foretold. The words of what he would do were already written so that all would know and have knowledge of what would happen. Even to the ends of the world the words are written for those who seek to know, for those who look to see, for those who want to understand. The word was fulfilled and will be fulfilled. Christ came as it was written. He spoke to us. He walked with us. He led us to his sacrifice and redemption that we would know who we are. He gave us new life.
All this is being done so that what was spoken will be fulfilled. The God of mercy, the God of love calls us to his name. He calls us to come home to him where we belong. We are not of this world. We are not of this realm. We are not physical beings even though we live and breathe in a physical realm. We are his children. We are created in his image and his likeness, waiting for the day that we will be transformed and become new beings. We are like the caterpillar that lives as a worm crawling the earth. And then one day it crawls into its cocoon and is transformed into a beautiful butterfly.
Happy are those who know. Peaceful are those who understand. Fulfilled are those who see that which they are. Knowledgeable are those who know and trust in him. Wise are they who worry not the trials and tribulations of their daily lives. They are the ones who have been given purpose, who have been touched by his love, who know the reality of his presences in their lives.
He awaits your calling. He awaits your belief. He awaits your needs that he might come and sit with you and show you his love. The words have been spoken through the prophets. They await fulfillment. They await your awakening from darkness into the light.
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.
Our paragraph topic is:(Jesus sends two disciples into Jerusalem)
Part 1.
We begin this new paragraph as Jesus is drawing near to Jerusalem. He knows that his journey is coming to an end. He knows what his task is as given him by the Father. He knows that he will complete the Father's will despite all the obstacles, pain, and suffering he will face. Fear is not with him. Courage and the love of his Father is his mainstay. He knows that he is going home, the place from which he came.
His disciples do not know what will happen. They have followed Christ from the beginning. They have heard his words, witnessed his deeds. They have wondered at his origin, the nature of his power, the goal of his journey. He has told them on several occasions what will happen to him. But they are in disbelief. They do not know. They do not see. They do not completely understand, but they continue to follow him because they know that he is the Messiah. AND when they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples.
They loved him, the disciples. They believed in him, the disciples. They walked with him, eat with him, listened to his words, spoke with him, touched him, saw him, and knew his gentle presence. They experienced in themselves what no one has experienced since the beginning of time. They knew Christ. They had a physical experience of him that no disbelief could erase. He gave them his heart. He gave them his soul. He gave them his love. And he gave them the life that was in him that they too would know spiritual life.
They were sent. They did not know the why and the wherefore. But they went in accordance with his will. They followed his instructions. They believed in him. They loved him. We today do not have the physical experience of knowing Christ Jesus. We can not walk with him in his presence. We can not talk with him in his presence. We can not know him with all certainty the way that the disciples knew him. Yet his words live on through their experience. His presence lives on through their words. His love comes through because of the love that he gave to them. And his spirit lives on through the words.
Christ gives purpose and meaning to our lives. Because he came and walked among us, he has understanding of who we are, understanding of how we feel, understanding of our lives and our struggles. He knows our wants and our desires. And he loves us despite of the sinners that we are. I sinned in my life, grossly. I turned away in disbelief. I was bitter, isolated, struggled, and died to his love. But then I was touched by his love. I was moved by his compassion. I was given new life and I was sent forth to share with others what has been given me.
I write that others may know. I write that others may see. I write that others may receive what has been given me. I have purpose. I have direction. I have love. I have his protection, and his provision, and the knowledge of who I am in him. I am sent. Come! When will you receive your blessings? When will you know who you are? When will your eyes be opened, your heart released, your life given to you? Come! When will you be sent?
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.
