Our paragraph topic is: (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 3.
Christ now teaches the disciples and the people about the Scribes and the Pharisees. He tells them to follow the rules and the regulations that proclaimed by the Scribes and the Pharisees because they have taken the Seat of Moses. He wants them to obey the laws. He wants them to understand the difference in what it means to be a Scribe or a Pharisee and the actions of leadership they take.
We follow our leaders and look up to them as examples. We practice their ways and model their speech and actions. But Christ tells the people: "And they bind together heavy and oppressive burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but not with one finger of their own do they choose to move them."
We follow those who lead us. They are the ones we look to, to give us direction and understanding of purpose. We listen to their speeches. We believe in their actions. We obey the rules and laws that they pass down to us because they are our leaders. We are solders who do without question the commands that are given us. We do not question their actions even though we may think that the commands we are given are wrong.
Christ wants us to see, to understand that the actions of those who lead us determine who they are. Their actions speak to the person that we follow. Their actions show us the contradictions of those that we follow. Our eyes must see and know the difference in what we hear and what we see. We should not be blind following those who would lead us to destruction.
Observe and do but do not act according to their works, he tells the crowd and the disciples. He came that we would have life and not death. He lived that we would know of a Father who loves us. He died that we could be justified as a people from the sins of the world. He ascended that we would know that he is in heaven waiting for us to come home. He is the example to follow. He is the guide. He is the Lord of all who seek to know his passion for us.
The Lord is with us in every situation that we encounter. He is our support and our shoulder in our time of need. Seek him and you will find your answer to the why of life. Follow him and he will lead the way. Trust him and he will give you 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: (One guest is cast out) Part 4.
Our parable comes to an end with Christ telling the people the final meaning of this story. He wants the people to have some understanding of the kingdom of heaven. So he tells a parable that relates the kingdom of heaven to a king who exercises power over his people in his kingdom.
This king wants to give a party, a celebration, for his son and the bride on the union of their wedding. The king wanted all to attend and celebrate with him this happy and joyous occasion. He wanted the word to spread of this party for his son so that all would know of his graciousness and his love for his son and the union with his new bride.
Yet there were many who did not want to attend, many who did not want the word to get out about the party. He sent out invitations to all in the town and villages in his kingdom but none would come. So he sent his servants at to the crossroads and invited all the travelers who were passing through to stop and come to the party. Many were invited and many came both good and bad.
Many came from the crossroads to see the kings hospitality at this event. And as the party got underway the king came down to view the guest and to celebrate. As he walked through the crowd he saw one who came without the proper attire, one who decided to come anyway. He was displeased. So he had his servants bind his hands and feet and cast them out into the darkness where there was the weeping and gnashing of teeth. "For many are called, but few are chosen."
And this was the lesson that Christ wanted the people to hear from this parable. That all are called to the celebration of the kingdom but few are chosen to remain.
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 3.
So this was their instruction, this was their lesson to master, "Have faith and do not waver." Christ gave them this lesson and he demonstrated the power of faith by commanding the fig tree to wither. They heard his words. They saw the results. And they could not understand how this happened.
Christ told them to believe and to not waver in that belief. He told them to have faith and know that what they say will happen. He told them that there is power in their faith, in their belief, in their trust in something that is much more than the physical understanding. He told them: "But even if you shall say to this mountain, 'Arise, and hurl thyself into the sea,' it shall be done."
We believe in what we see or what we know can happen. And therefore, we understand that something can be done. We find difficult to believe something that we do not see or do not understand, especially if it is beyond our imagination. Christ told his disciples that if they spoke to the mountain and said to it to, hurl itself into the sea, it would be done if they did not waver in that belief.
But how can we not waver in something that is beyond our belief? How can we not waver in something that we do not have an understanding of how that would be possible? How can we not waver if we believe that that something is impossible to our physical knowledge of what can be done in the world? This is the dilemma. In the physical realm and in the realm of the physical thought processes of the mind, what we believe is impossible, cannot be done.
Yet in the spiritual realm of belief and understanding, Christ is telling us and the disciples that faith is the key to opening up the impossible realm of belief and knowledge in the unwavering impossibility and will make it happen. There is another side to who we are. There is another part of what we can do in this realm. There is the power given us through the power of Christ that we can stand upon in our daily lives. His words are truth. His words are everlasting. His words will be fulfilled, in our belief, in our knowledge, in our trust, and our unwavering knowledge of who he is, Christ Jesus, our King and our Savior, the Son of the Living God.
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 2.
So the two disciples were sent into Jerusalem with specific instructions. They were given instructions before and knew how to follow them. He had given them powers before to do his bidding. He had instructed them before on what to expect and what they would find in their journeys. So they knew that his instructions were good and that they would find exactly what he had told them.
So they went into the village and followed his instructions. He: saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you and immediately you will find an ass tied and a colt with her; loose them and bring them to me."
So they did as they were told, following his instructions. Jesus knew the purpose of his instructions to the disciples. He knew how he would use the ass and the colt, but the disciples did not. They could only wait patiently until understanding came to reveal itself of the purpose. They had patience. They did not have understanding. They did not have the knowledge of his actions. They only had his words to them to follow. And lo more was revealed.
Christ gives us instructions today. He wants us to follow what he has given us to live by. Why should we follow these instructions? Is there some reason that they apply to us today as we live our lives in this world. Most would say that they do not apply because we live in a different time and place than some two thousands years ago. Do we even believe in those instructions or even the consequences of them?
Christ came that we would know. He came that we would have a reference, an example. He came that we would not have any excuses of not knowing. For at the end of our time here on this earth, here in this realm, we will be transformed and will face the consequences of our actions. He came out of love for us. He came out of compassion. He came out of mercy that we might have the opportunity to a new life. He came that we might not die. For the jury is instructed by the judge and they will return a verdict. There is no deadlock. There is no mistrial. There is only the verdict that awaits us. Follow the instructions and get your reward, eternal life.
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.
Our paragraph topic is:
(The mother of James and John) Part 6.
Often times when we come to our Father asking for something we do not have a complete understanding of what we are doing. We ask with the understanding that we want what we are asking. We ask with the understanding that we are worthy of asking. We ask with the understanding that we will get what we are asking for. And we ask with the understanding that we will get what we are asking for right now or in the near future, according to our timetable. It is oftentimes that we learn that our timetable does not matter and that can be frustrating or disappointing. We must learn patience in order to see that our Father has granted us what we asked for.
It is in the misunderstanding that we get confused. We do not know the consequences of our actions. Our Father knows all. He knows when and how we will get what we ask. He knows the consequences of giving us what we want. And he knows what is the desire of our hearts instead of desires of our request. It is in that knowing, and in that seeing that we are lacking. He is our Father. It was in that same unknowing and unseeing that the mother of James and John asked for her sons to sit at the right and left hand of Christ. They did not know what they were asking. They only desired to be seated with power and recognition. They did not understand that there were requirements to obtain such a seat. This is why Christ asked them: "Can you drink of the cup of which I am about to drink?"
They wanted power and recognition but did not know the consequences of what they were asking. They did not understand what was required of them. They did not know what they would have to suffer, what they would have to endure, what they would have to battle to be with him. For surely they would have to battle the forces of evil. Surely they would have to endure the constant pressure of those who were evildoers. Surely they would have to suffer the torture at the hands of evil to become like Christ. But did they understand the cup of suffering they would have to endure? Did they truly know what they were asking?
One does not suffer in vain. One does not endure the hardships, the pain, the slings and arrows of oppression without a cause to carry them through. And that cause must be justified enough to transform the person into something better, something more wonderful, more lasting, more beautiful than what they had before. For without the cause one suffers in vain. Without the cause one only endures to a point and then gives up. But with the cause one is transformed in the person that will endure to the end. Christ was the cause. He was the be all and end all that allowed the apostles to be transformed into persons that gave all.
Can we drink from the same cup that he did? Can we become transformed into new beings that are willing to suffer to the end? Or are we just those persons that will only go so far and give up without enduring all? Christ gave his all. Can we give our all? What cause do we have that will transform us into new persons that will allow us to give our all to him? We live in a world that is consumed with self. We are given to be wholly in this world. Yet we are not from this world. We are children of our Father and he gave us the life that we have today, true life, eternal life. And the knowledge and wisdom of the understanding of the life that is given us is the transforming factor that makes us who we are, not of this world but of a heavenly kingdom. Do you belong? Are you of the heavenly kingdom? Are you transformed? Then yours is the cup to drink along with all your brothers and sisters.
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: (The rich young man speaks to Jesus) Part 9.
The rich young man is there before Christ as Christ tells him what he must do to enter into the kingdom. He is listening intently. He is taking in all that is being spoken. He is absorbing on a conscious and subconscious level all that which is being given him by Christ. For he has to make sense of it all. He has to understand it. He has to remember it and repeat it so that he can accepts it completely. And Christ has given these commandments to him in simple terms in order that he can accept them.
Just as he was speaking to the rich young man, he was also speaking to all that heard, to all that was in ear shot of his words, and all that would hear these words as they are passed on to others. For he has given to all the stepping stones, the building blocks, the foundation for salvation. These are the commandments that have the most meaning and these are the commandments that will open the doors to the kingdom. And Jesus said, "Honor thy father and mother."
Of all the things that we should not do: kill, steal, commit adultery, etc., this is the one thing that Christ tells us that we should do. We should give honor to those who gave us life. We should give honor to those who brought us into this world. We should pay homage to those who came before us. We should show respect and recognition to their contribution to our life.
Why was I born? Why am I here? These are two questions that each and every one of us has asked at some point in our lives. We want meaning. We want purpose. We want direction. We want understanding that we may know what is our purpose, our goal, our destination. And thus we turn back to those who gave to us the who that we are today. We turn to them for purpose, for direction, and for knowledge. Lacking that meaning, that purpose, that direction we must seek it from the world around us. And we must go in search of knowledge and wisdom that we may have purpose.
In search of that meaning and purpose we may, if we are fortunate, come full circle to those who gave us life. For the purpose is meaningless. The direction is full circle. And the question that we seek the answer to brings us back to our beginning. We have life. We have spirit. We have joy and peace and love and hope and faith and belief that our lives do have meaning and purpose. And that meaning comes from what has been give to us. That meaning comes from the life that we have. We are not talking about the physical but the spiritual life that is given to us.
For the spirit is eternal. The spirit is everlasting. The spirit is created from an image and a likeness that is eternal. And the spirit will be light or it will be dark. The spirit will know its meaning and purpose or the spirit will turn to the darkness that is within and be influenced by the evil that is in the world. We all have the choice. What do we choose? Do we know who we are or are we asleep in the world, following the norms that it gives us. The light of life is within all. This is the gift given us by Christ. For he came that we would have life again. He came that we would know. He came that we would believe in the one true God. But the choice is ours. We can believe or not believe. We can know or we can deny. We can see or we can be blind. That is our choice. But the knowledge or the ignorance that comes from the choice that we make can enlighten us to our destiny or blind us to darkness.
If we choose life then we can know the truth of who we are in Christ. We can see the light of life that is within us. We can know the love that our Father bears for us. And we can be with the spirit that will come to live with us. We give homage to those who participated in the creation. We honor those who came before us. We remember those who brought us into physical life that we would have choice. And we honor father and mother for the love and sacrifice that they made for us. For they gave what they had. They loved with what they could love. They gave direction with the direction that was given them. And they died with the spirit that will transform them to the true nature of their existence. May God be with them and may be with our Lord Christ Jesus 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 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 blesses the children) Part 5.
Christ instructed his disciples not to hinder the little ones from coming to him, for he wanted to touch them. He wanted to be with them, to see them, to feel their presences up close. They were the newly born, the new life, the light of life fresh from the tree of life. Christ knew them before they were born into the physical world. He knew them from the tree of life as he knows all. He knew them in heaven as they were still on the tree of life.
So he instructed his disciples to let them be. He told them to come close. He told them to come see him that they may see with their eyes the savior of the world. Though they were still just children, they would remember the day that they met the Savior. They would remember the day they saw him, the time that they felt him, the time that they were near to him in the flesh. For his time was short. His mission was almost complete, his journey coming to an end. And when he had laid his hands on them, he departed that place.
The little ones come into this world without any knowledge or understanding. They depend upon those that came before for wisdom and truth. They take what is given to them and incorporate into themselves the knowledge of those around them. And when the time comes, they may question the validity of what has been given to them. Or they may accept what the world has offered them and seek to conform to the norms of the day. But they came unblemished into the world. They came without malice. They came clean, new, fresh from the tree of life.
And then we laid hands on them. And then we loved them. We gave them the best of what we had. We influenced them and turned them out into the world. And the world took hold of them and molded them into the people that they became. Yet deep within them there was still life. Deep within there was still the light of Christ. Deep within was the spark that came from God our Father who loves them, calling them from the world that they may know the truth of who they are. Did they hear? Did they see? Did they understand what they felt was a deep need that could not be filled from the world?
Christ came to give his life for the children, that they might have new life. He came that all would have the opportunity to know that they are spiritual and not physical beings. He came that we would all have new life in him. But it is up to us to know it. It is up to us to see it. It is up to us to grasp the true meaning of our spiritual being. For our life is in him and not in the world. Our hope is through him and not in the sky. Our dreams are fulfilled from him and not in the dreams of death in the world. He laid hands on the little ones just as he lays his hands on each and everyone of us. Reach out and take his hand. Reach out and hold it. Reach out and feel him. And then, you will know the joy of your Father who loves you. You will know the peace of your Lord who believes in you. You will know the excitement of the Holy Spirit who will live with you until you make the transition into the kingdom of heaven.
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 blesses the children) Part 1.
He gave his disciples lessons to live by: lessons on adultery, immorality, and marriage, lessons on bonding, acceptance, and love. They were powerful lessons for them. But as with all things from Christ they took it in until they could understand. They accepted his teachings because he had demonstrated to them that he was special, he was the chosen one, he was the Messiah. There were many strange things that he said and did. They knew that he loved them and wanted them to understand. While all the time in the back of their minds, in the darkest corner of their being there was always that lurking voice speaking to their doubts and their fears.
So they took a rest and all the children came to play. The children had heard their parents talking about him. They had heard about all the miracles. They knew that this man was special because of the way that the others treated him. And they played near him, in his sight, in his presence, not knowing who he was. They wanted to know. They wanted to see up close. They wanted to be with him. So they got closer until they were within his reach. "Little children were brought to him
then that he might lay his hands on them and pray."
They brought the children to him that he might bless them. Parents brought them that he might impart some spiritual healing upon them, that they might grow up knowing that this man affected their lives. Lay hands on them. Pray for them. Teach them that they might know the true meaning of God. We are fortunate, those who grow up in a Christian environments. We are brought to church. We are taught the history of our religion. We are given the essentials of our beliefs that we might have a foundation to grow upon as we encounter the world.
For too many of us, our religion, our beliefs, our faith is based upon what was forced upon us in early childhood. We did not want to go to church. We did not know what we were being given through the many lessons and teachings and preachings. All we knew was that it was required of us. And if we did not obey then we were taught about the wrath of God. We would burn in hell. We would be eternally damned. We would not go to heaven. All of this was given to us at an early age. We would carry these teachings, these thoughts, these beliefs, with us throughout the rest of our lives and pass them on to our children and their children's children.
And yet love was within us, as children. Love was a part of us as little ones. For we loved life. We loved our parents. We loved our brothers and sisters, most of the times. We had the seeds of God's love within us but no one cultivated those seeds that they would bring forth fruit. Are children able to become fruitful? The seed within us was buried deeper. Instead a new seed was planted within us as children, a seed that would set our beliefs on a vengeful Father, a Father of wrath, a God of punishment if we did not obey. Our Father is a God of love. No matter what we do he will still love us.
With understanding, true understanding of who we are in his love, our eyes can be opened, our hearts can beat with a different beat, and we can become aware of the spirit within us. With that awakening we can know the truth of who we are in Christ. With that awakening we are able to receive his love. And the knowledge of his love makes us keenly aware of our sins, our wrongs, our transgressions. Repentance, sorrow, regret comes with knowledge of his love. And like little children we are able to free ourselves from the grips of evil and become once again his children. For He is forgiving. He is merciful. He is loving. He is protective. He is our provider. He is Our Father above all. Open the door and let him lay hands on you that you may become a child again.
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:
(On the coming of Elias) Part 5.
The disciples had questions that needed to be answered. Jesus knew that they were puzzled. He had told them to speak to no one about the vision. Yet their minds were abuzz with all the questions that they needed to have answered in order to make sense of what they witnessed. They had heard the voice of God speaking to them, telling them to hear Christ and to listen to him, to listen to what he had to say. They listened and now they had questions. And Christ spoke to them about the questions that they had.
They needed to make sense of all they understood. The disciples needed closure. They needed understanding. They needed clarity. They needed focus. And Christ intended that they should have focus, to have clarity, on all things in due time. For the time had not yet come for the sacrifice. The time had not yet come for the lamb to be slaughtered. And the time had not yet come for the disciples to take their place as the teachers and leaders of Christ, giving witness to his divinity. Indeed Elias had come, and all things were being prepared for the coming of the Lord. So, the disciples were right in seeking to know the truth. They were right in seeking to know of the coming of Elias. And with that truth, they understood. Now they knew. Now they could make sense of all that had transpired. Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist.
They understood. They knew. They had clarity of what had happened and what would happen. Do we understand what has happened? Do we understand what has transpired? We all have to make sense of our world to ourselves. We live in this world and it has to make sense to us in order for us to function in it. There is much that goes on around us and we have to find some way to understand all that we experience. If we do not understand then we do not accept and acceptance is the key to helping us as human beings survive in this world.
It is amazing that in this world that we live in, our lives are dictated by our environment. We see, we hear, we smell, we touch, and we believe what is given to us by the world, by our environment. Different people live in different environments and sometimes those different environments cross, intersect and become one. But it is the environment that determines who we are, who we become, and what we believe. There are common threads that cross most environmental boundaries that are common to our experience of the world. We believe in, a god, a higher power, a higher transcendence, something that is greater than ourselves that helps us to know that there is good in the world despite all the evil, and violence, and pain, and suffering in the world. Our belief in a god helps us to believe that there is something good that prevails over all.
Despite our belief in the good in the world, we do not believe in the evil in the world. We do not hold fast to the belief that evil affects, influences, causes, or has real impact on our way of life. Instead we believe that people make decisions to do evil acts, commit violence, cause pain and suffering in the world. Yet there is an overall good God or something, that helps us believe in the good nature of the world. But we do not believe that there is an overall evil in the world that causes us to do evil. And there in lies the subtlety of evil, not to be known but to still have influence.
To those who know and are aware of the evil, they are awake. But to those who do not know and are not aware, they are still asleep. And when one awakes there is still the need for understanding, the need to make sense, the need to know for certain that there is good in the world. Some believe without knowing. Some live their lives thinking that they know and yet do not know. And with that half belief they are open to falling asleep again. For one must know for certain. One must have a knowledge of the truth. One must see through different eyes the world around us and the influence of evil in it to be truly awake.
I was asleep. I was lost. I was dreaming a dream of my own desires led by the beliefs fed to me by the world and the evil therein. I was unknowing and yet lived my life thinking that I knew. And that half knowledge led me down the path of destruction and back to sleep again in the world. Today I know. Today I see. Today I have something real to go to in times of need, in times of pain, in times of temptation, in times of joy, and in times of sorrow. For he was given to me a guide. He was given to me a protector. He was given to me eyes to see the way. And I walk a different path, very thankful that it has been given to me. Come! Walk the path with me. Walk a different path that you may know the truth of who you are in Christ. He awaits you. He seeks you. He desires to know you. And the Holy Spirit will be with you, to guide you along the way. Your treasure awaits. Come! Follow the path.
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: (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!
Our paragraph topic is: (The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees) Part 4.
And there they were, standing among themselves, after having been in a heated argument, listening to Christ chastise them. They did not yet understand. They had lost all memory of what had happened with the five loaves and five thousand men. Their minds were focused upon a simple, what they believed, a failure on some one's part, to bring bread that they would not go hungry. Yet before them stood the creator of bread and wine. Before them stood the creator of all things that would provide and protect them. The leaven had crepted in and was infecting their minds and bodies and spirits.
Christ was appalled. He could not believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing, and what he felt in his heart for those that he cared so much for and loved. These were his future candidates. These were the ones who were to carry the gospel throughout the world. And here they were arguing among themselves about a material thing called bread. Why Satan himself must have stood amongst them and laughed at how easily they could be persuaded to loose the one thing that gave them life, love for one another. Christ had to bring understanding. He had to call forth order. He had to bring back their memories of the things that had come before them that they would know and see the pettiness of their behavior. He said to them: "Why do you not understand that it was not of bread I said to you, 'Beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees and Sadducees'?"
It was not of physical but of spiritual. It was not of bread but of leaven. It was not of death but of life that he spoke to them that they would know the truth. Yet they were still in the flesh. They were still in the body. They were still not in the spirit that Christ wanted to make them aware of who they were. For the flesh was of death. The spirit is of life. The flesh commands attention but the spirit awaits the truth. The body says I am. But the spirit knows I am. The flesh says now. But the spirit says eternity.
Why do you not understand that it is not of paper and dots and dashes that I write? Why do you not remember who brought you to this place, this blog, this moment in time that you would be able to read what is written? Is it just words? Is it just nonsense? Or is it the awakening of something more in you that desires life, that desires love, that desires peace? For your inheritance has been given. Your light is seeking to be seen. Your joy is waiting for your embrace that you may know the truth of who you are in Christ. Created in his image and likeness, your light will shine throughout the world that many may see and know that you are a child of your father and creator. Come, walk the path that is before you. Open your heart to the love that awaits you. Know the truth of who you are and your life starts anew. Christ
awaits you. The Spirit seeks you. God, your father, loves 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!
