St Matthew, Chapter 12, verse: 28, The Kingdom of God is at hand.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ refutes them) Part 3. 

So the Pharisees wanted to fight.  They wanted to cast doubt upon Christ.  They wanted to create suspicion upon his name.  Consulting with their partners, the devil, they came up with the thought that Christ was a partner with Beelzebub.  And they spoke it to him.  But Christ refuted them and schooled them on what they were doing.  He told them that a house divided will not stand.  He told them that if he was under the power of Satan then how is it that their children were able to cast out demons calling upon the same power that he did.  He told them that because their children believed in that same power, they would be the judges of the Pharisees at the day of judgment.

Christ was meek.  Christ was mild.  But the Pharisees wanted to battle so Christ brought them to the battle.  He spoke to them the words that ran ice chills down their backs.  He told them, "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."   This was a chilling thought.  The kingdom of God had come upon them.  They then had to understand what this meant.  They had to know that they then were fighting with God.  They then had to understand the consequences of their actions, the consequences of their words. 

The thought came and the next thought was that of the demons pulling them back into the pit of their reality, telling them that this could not be.  The demons had them to think that the Spirit of God was not upon this man and the kingdom was not upon them.  The demons told them that these were the ramblings of a possessed man and that they should find some way to get rid of him.  For the people did not see as they saw.  The people did not understand as they understood.  The people did not know as they knew.  So they continued to battle, blinded by the reality that stood before them, Christ Jesus, the Messiah.

Are you blinded by the reality of the world and unable to see the reality of the kingdom?  Are you in the world, unable to let go because of the fear spoken to you by the devil?  Christ wants you to let go.  Christ wants you to let God.  Christ wants to demonstrate to you the awesome power of his love for you.  But you can not experience it until you let go, until you let God direct your life.  When you express you release of the world and speak your dependence on God, the miracle begins.  Once the miracle begins your life will not be the same again. 

The demons will try to pull you back.  They will bring you doubt.  They will try to bring you fear.  They will try to turn you back.  But those who persevere will begin to see the change.  They will begin to know in little ways that God provides.  They will see the miracles taking place before their eyes and the kingdom of God will be upon them.  Patience is required.  Perfect patience is needed.  For a ocean liner is not turned around on a dime and your destiny will not be changed over night.  Walk the path with Christ and he will provide.  Seek the knowledge of the Holy Spirit and he will guide.  Know the words given by Christ and God will protect and provide.  God loves you!

St Matthew, Chapter 12, verse: 26 - 27, They sought Division: Satan vs Satan.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ refutes them) Part 2. 

And they came to him seeking to divide.  They came to him seeking to cast doubt.  They came to him seeking to destroy the power of the kingdom of heaven.  The battle continues, for they did not know to whom they came.  And Christ was meek.  Christ was mild.  Christ was gentle in his response to the accusations of the Pharisees.  For they accused him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub.  They accused him of being evil.  They accused him of having the power of the devil, and they did not know.

Christ refutes them simply by saying,  "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?"   For he had told them that a house divided will not stand.  He had shown them the simple truth of their misstatement.  Yet, from their own mouths, they spoke these words of evil, thereby condemning themselves.  For they said that Christ, the Son of Man, was evil, that he had the power of evil, that he belonged to the house of evil.  For they were fearful.  They feared for their positions and their authority.  They saw Christ as a threat and wanted to eliminate him and separate him from the people.  So they sought to bring division into the minds of the people by making the Messiah look evil to the people.

But Christ had mercy.  Christ forgave them.  Christ opened the door to let them come in.  But they refused to come.  Christ told them,  And if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out?   For the children of the Pharisees called upon the same power that Christ himself called, the one true God, Jehovah.  He called upon his father to give him the power to cast out demons, heal the sick, make the lame walk, and the blind see.  And this is the one and same God that the children of the Pharisees called upon also.  For they believed in God.  They followed his commandments.  They knew of his power.  And they, the children of the Pharisees, loved him.  But the Pharisees did not understand.  They were fearful and followed the counsel of evil. 

Christ, therefore, told them that because they did not believe, their children, "Therefore they shall be your judges."   On the day of judgment, their children would be present.  On the day of judgment, their children would give witness.  On the day of judgment their children will be their judges, condemning them to hell.  Christ wanted them to see.  He wanted them to understand.  He wanted them to change their ways and turn from evil that he might love them.  But they would not.  They could not.  They were lost and captured by evil and kept imprisoned by their own wills, their own desires, their own fears.

Will your children judge you or will you have to give judgment for them on the day of judgment?  Do not be captured by evil, for it will imprison you and not let go.  It will drag you to the deepest darkest corner of despair and offer to end your life as an option.   Christ will come for you, if you only ask him.  He will help you, if you become open to him.  He will guide you, if you will only follow him.  Be not trapped with evil.  Turn to Christ for salvation.  For salvation is not something that is shunned because it signifies the church.  Salvation is in the world, with you.  Salvation is with you at all times, in daylight and darkness.  Salvation is ever present even outside of the church in your time of need.  Seek not the four walls of the church but seek first the salvation of Christ and the church will welcome you.  The church will accept you.  The church will know you.  For through Christ is your salvation.  Through Christ is your deliverance from evil.  And through Christ is your life eternal in heaven.  Come, take his hand and he will lead you to salvation!

St Matthew, Chapter 12, verse: 25, They sought Division.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ refutes them) Part 1. 

They sought to divide.  They sought to bring doubt.  They sought to create fear.  They sought to bring Scandal to turn the people away from Christ.  The Pharisees have proclaimed that Christ cast out demons by the prince of devils, Beelzebub.  They want to scare the people.  They want to cast doubt upon Christ.  They want to bring Scandal upon his name.  But Scandal does not come.  Doubt is in hiding.  And fear cannot erase love for the people.  These are the tactics that they use against Christ.  The battle continues.

Christ knows of their desire to scatter the people.  He knows of their desire to cast doubt upon his name.  He knows of their need to bring fear into the people to prevent them from following.  But he deals with their tactics.  He tells the Pharisees,  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand."   Christ demonstrates to the Pharisees and the people a simple rule which they all are aware of and know as truth, a divided house does not stand.  

History has revealed that a divided husband and wife will not stay together.  History has revealed, a divided kingdom with father and sons pulling in different directions will not last.  Treachery and deceit will eventually take over and the house will fall.  History has been written of great cities and towns that have withstood the test of time but fell from the division within its wall and not from the attacks from outside its walls.  Deceit and treachery and larceny and greed take hold and the kingdom falls.  How is it then that the Pharisees speak of Christ as a member of the house of evil when he brings the message of the kingdom of heaven?  The Pharisees do not understand the source of his power.  They do not know how he is able to perform such miracles.  They do not believe that he is the one greater than they, the one who came down from heaven.  For the Pharisees were full of pride.  The Pharisees were full of vanity.  The Pharisees were so drunk with power and authority that they feared loosing it.  And they clung to their positions of authority, refusing to recognize the change that was taking place before their eyes.  The battle continued, they fought for their positions, and they accepted the reasons of the evil one.

On the verge of starvation, Christ was tempted.  On the verge of death Christ was offered the life and riches of this world.  On the verge of separation from his physical body Christ was offered to separate from His heavenly Father.  He was offered division.   Are you divided from God today?  Are you divided from your spouse and do not know how to stop the division?  Are you divided in your church taking sides with others allowing division to come into the church?  Division comes to scatter.  Division comes to separate.  Division comes and brings with it confusion, doubt, fear, anxiety, and loss, spirits of even greater evil.  Christ is one in the Father.  Are you one in Him?  Do you know Christ?  He seeks to know you, if you would only let go of the world and come into His world.  Are you afraid to let go?  If you only knew the difference, you would have no fears, no doubts, no anxieties.  Your joy will be complete.  Your peace will be fulfilled.  Your love will abound and overflow.  For in Him, and through Him, and with Him, we become one with the Father and there is no division!  He fulfills all!