Our paragraph topic is: (Their persecution of religion) Part 13.
How could they escape the damnation of hell, the doers of evil who in cooperation with Satan's minions were the perpetrators of the murders of the prophets and the messengers of God. They refused to repent. They refused to believe. They refused to open their eyes and see the evil that was within them. Instead they agreed to go along with that which influenced them. They agreed to believe that they were right in what they were doing.
They continued to believe that they were right in persecuting the religion of God and suppressing the messengers and the prophets he sent. They were lost and could not see. They were blind and had no understanding of who they were, even though the opportunity was given them to change. They could not change. They continued to scourge and persecute from town to town, to pursue from village to village every messenger sent to proclaim the good news. They even pursued Zacharias: "Whom you killed between the temple and the altar."
They were blind in their sight. They had no understanding of what they were doing. Evil led they to commit murder in the most sacred of places. The evil within led their blind rage to commit sin in the Temple before the altar without thinking of what they were doing. And yet they will suffer the consequences of their actions and have the blood of all the just to pay. These words were spoken by Christ from his father God upon the Scribes and the Pharisees to the evil generation of spirits that influenced them.
What a heavy burden to bear to be a part of such a group that must carry such a sin to pay such a price. Adam and Eve made the ultimate sin that stained all mankind with mortal sin that no man could pay the price to lift. It took the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, to come down from heaven to save mankind from the stain of mortal sin. We now have an opportunity to become new. We can now have new life because before we were dead with mortal sin but Christ paid the price for our sin and gave us the chance to have new life.
To have new life all we have to do is believe in him. All we have to do is believe that he is the Son of God and that we have a Father in heaven who is our creator. Belief opens the door for us. Belief creates the spark of life. Belief gives us a new soul that allows us to have eternal life instead of continuing to be dead. Do you believe? Do you know? Do you understand who you are? The Bible says seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened to you, ask and it shall be given. Believe! Ask for your new life and receive it.
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 distorted religion) Part 1.
These were scary times and they did not realize or recognize the nature of it. The Scribes and the Pharisees were gathered together to trick Christ. But while they were gathered together he had the opportunity to address them as one. He scolded them for their hypocrisy. He told them of their false pretenses. He showed them how they made converts for Satan. And told them that they shut the doors of heaven for themselves and for others who wanted to enter.
These were indeed scary times to have the Son of God speak those words to the leaders of the people. We would today shake to our very core and cry for repentance given the opportunity, but not the Scribes and the Pharisees. Their core was filled with anger and rage as they listened to those words from Christ. They did not believe. They did not think. They did not even consider the possibility that this man could be the Messiah. He told them: ''Woe to you, blind guides."
Some of us know but most don't. Some submit to the temptation and ask for forgiveness knowing within that what was committed was against their beliefs. But there are those who do not know and are influenced internally and externally to commit wrongs that go against man and God. And yet God is a forgiving god because he knows that for those who ask he is willing to forgive. Evil must have doers to commit its wrongs and it is the influence that it works within the mind and the hearts of men that brings about the evil that we experience today.
Blind guides, indeed they were, influenced by the ways of evil. So pervasive had evil become rampant in the time of Christ that men were not only influenced by evil but they were possessed by demons also. And the people cried out for help everywhere he went. He came to put a stop to the storming of mankind. He came to pay the price for our sins. He came to set us free from death and dominion of evil. And he arose to open the doors of heaven for all.
Christ is our Savior. He is our Lord. He is our life and our love. Through him we have a new life, a new opportunity, a hand to hold, an ear to listen to our cries, an understanding heart to know our suffering. He is with us. His love fills us if we open ourselves to his heart. He provides and protects. His Holy Spirit will be our guide in daily life to show us the way. He is yours for the asking. Ask and receive!
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: (The authority of Jesus) Part 2.
Christ was a gentle man. He was not pretentious or self seeking. He taught with love and understanding giving the people all they needed to comprehend fully. His words were filled with the spirit of his father and he wanted the people to know his father as he knew him. For God our Father is the creator of all things. He gave life to all the world, all creatures, all things. His creation is good.
Christ is a spirit of power and majesty. And yet with all the power of the universe he was humble, quiet, gentle, loving. His rage, his wrath could have destroyed anyone and everyone that displeased him. Yet not often did that side of him show. He performed miracles. He made the dead rise, cured the lame, cast out demons, made the blind see, the lepers whole, calmed the stormy seas and walked on water. But little did you see or hear of the awesome power he commanded, used.
And then came the chief priest and the elders, and said, "By what authority dost thou do these things? And who gave thee this authority?"
They were wise men. They were leaders and teachers and elders. They were learned men, men of the world, knowledgeable of all that concerned the Law and the people of Israel. But they did not know him. They did not know the Christ. They did not know from whence he came or from what part of the world he came and they were fearful.
He brought change. He brought peace, he brought harmony, he brought love. He brought a knowledge of something more to life than what the people knew as their daily routine. He brought knowledge of the kingdom of heaven to a people who knew of their God but did not know of his kingdom, of his plans for them, of his love for them.
We today live in the same world as those of yesteryear. We eat, work, play, love, cry, search for truth, and die the same as they did thousands of years ago. We know through our churches that there is a heaven and a kingdom of God. Yet do we believe this? Are we sure of this? Is this a certainty in our lives today? We are challenged. We will be questioned of our faith. We will face the winds of change that seeks to turn us in another direction. How solid are our feet planted in the belief and truth of the authority of Christ that nothing will turn us away from him.
He is our provider. He is our protector. He is our caretaker no matter who rules, who is in office, who calls the shots. God's will be done and we who believe and know will not be turned away from the gift of life that has been freely given to us through the passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the authority upon which we stand.
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: (The rich young man speaks to Jesus) Part 5.
The young rich man sought Christ for direction, for truth, for honesty. He had heard the word. He was touched by the miracles. He felt that there was something in this man that was not in any other man. So he traveled, he asked directions, he followed the signs until he came to the place where he was in the presence of Jesus Christ. Looking back, how wonderful must that moment have been. Looking back, how exciting must that time have been. Looking back how joyous and enlightening must that moment have been to be in the presence of the Son of God.
Christ came down from heaven to be with us. He came down from heaven to walk with us, to talk with us, to see us in the flesh. He gave up his majesty, his glory, his crown, to take on a lowly position in the form of a man. He came down from heaven to teach us, to show us, to give to us, to die for us that we might regain the life that was given to us from the beginning. And the rich young man asked him what must he do to attain heaven. Christ told him to keep the commandments. But this was not the answer that the young man wanted to hear. He asked which ones to keep. And Jesus said, "Thou shalt not kill."
Which ones shall we keep today? Shall we kill or shall we keep the commandment? Shall we walk down that path that will lead us to kill? Shall we face the anger and the rage that swells up within us when we feel wronged. Shall we allow this anger and rage to lead us down this path? Shall we face the anger and resentment that may cause us to consider this action? Or shall we, in the fit of rage and passion, act without thought to commit such a deed? We live in a world of passion. We breathe the desires and wants of what the world has to offer and it is with those passions and desires and wants that we are guided. Are we beings of passion, beings without thought or direction, beings without a soul? Or are we led by the spirit of the one who created us, the one who gave us life. Shall we follow the commandments he has given us?
What would lead us to kill? What would guide us down the road of allowing ourselves to consider the thoughts of committing such an act? Are we open to the suggestions of ourselves or are we influenced by other means. Passions are strong. Passions will lead, pull, drag us in a direction that we may not want to go, or they may speed us in the direction that we want. It depends on the influence. Do we have an influence of darkness or do we have an influence of the light of life given us by the sacrifice of Christ through God our Father. Death is but a door. The door swings in two directions. One direction leads us to the glory of God our Father. The other direction leads us to the death and destruction of the life that is within us and away from the joy of the Father. Which path will you take? Keep the commandments. "Thou shalt not kill."
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.
