We are each made in the image of God as was Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis.
But do you believe that God is within you and that, for His Glory, you can be Godlike?
Pharisees asking Jesus: “When is the kingdom of God coming?”
Jesus answered: “The kingdom of God comes unawares. Neither will they say. ‘Behold, here it is,’ or ‘Behold, there it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Jesus’s resurrection is within each of us. The opportunity, the possibility is innate within each one of us.
Jesus to his disciples: “The days will come when you will long to see one day of the Son of Man, and will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Behold, here he is; behold, there he is.’ Do not go, nor follow after them. For as the lightning when it lightens flashes from one end of the sky to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
Don’t be fooled with worldly remedies of salvation and don’t let fools fool you into believing only they know the way for the way may be different for each of us. Develop a personal relationship with God, have His Son, our Personal Savior Jesus in your heart and be open-hearted and open-minded as to what the Holy Spirit can inspire you to do with your life.
Jesus: “Does he (the master) thank that servant for doing what he commanded him? I do not think so. Even so you also, when you have done everything that was commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what it was our duty to do.’”
We are all God’s servant, foreigners to one another no more. We are all children of one God!
Ten lepers to Jesus: “Jesus, master have pity on us.”
Jesus” “Go show yourselves to the priests.”
One of them, seeing that he was made clean, returned with a loud voice glorifying God,,, he was a Samaritan.
Jesus to the Samaritan: “Were not the ten made clean? But where are the nine? Has no one been found to return and give glory to God except this foreigner?”
Jesus to the foreigner: “Arise, go thy way, for thy faith has saved thee.”
One American, I believe was inspired by God, to change our terminology of each other the same way Jesus did when he said the kingdom of God was within us.
I remember Ted Turner in the early 1990s raising the question and recommending that we utilize the term “international” instead of foreigners. All are nations are connected to one another on our one home planet. Sure there might have been a business angle to it—Turner owned a group of TV networks, including “CNN.” He mandated that his cable news groups rather than use the word “foreign,” begin to use the word “International.” Phrases like “Foreign Affairs,” became “International Affairs” and “Foreign Leaders” became “International Leaders.” No more foreigners, only one inclusive human race.
Forgiveness and Faith follow identifying with all our international brothers and sisters.
Jesus: “Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if seven times in the day he sin against thee, and seven times in the day turn back to thee, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Show us how to forgive and have more faith for this I pray to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Apostles to the Lord: “Increase our faith.”
The Lord answered: “If you have faith even like a mustard seed, you will say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
And remember sometimes it takes persistence as with the widow in the Parable of the Godless Judge…
And he (Jesus) also told them a parable that they must always pray and not lose heart—saying. “There was a judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect man. Mow there was a certain widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Do me justice against my adversary.’ And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself, ‘Although I do not fear God, nor even respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will do her justice, lest by her continual coming she finally wear me out.”
And the Lord said: ”Hear what the unjust judge says; and will not God avenge his elect, who cry to him day and night? And will he be slow to act in their case? I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Yet when the Son of Man comes, will he find, do you think, faith on the earth?
God within me, foreigners no more, forgiveness and faith is the way… with persistence as needed! TROML Baby!
Will he find me a faithful servant?
Day 74: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; God Within Me, Foreigners No More, Forgiveness & Faith is the Way…
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint Luke Chapters 17-18.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
Saint Luke, a pagan by birth and a physician by profession, had never seen our Lord. An early convert, he became a companion and co-worker of Saint Paul.
In the first four verses of his Gospel he explains why he wrote it. Paul’s doctrine that salvation is for all, not for Jesus alone, is the theme of Saint Luke’s Gospel.
Luke Chapter 17: Avoiding scandal; Forgiveness of injuries; Efficacy of faith; The unprofitable servant; Ten lepers; The kingdom of God is in your midst; The coming of the Son of Man; The days of Noe and of Lot.
Jesus: “It is impossible that scandals should not come; but woe to him through whom they come! It were better for him if a millstone were hung about his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”
Jesus: “Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if seven times in the day he sin against thee, and seven times in the day turn back to thee, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Apostles to the Lord: “Increase our faith.”
The Lord answered: “If you have faith even like a mustard seed, you will say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Jesus: “Does he (the master) thank that servant for doing what he commanded him? I do not think so. Even so you also, when you have done everything that was commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what it was our duty to do.’”
Ten lepers to Jesus: “Jesus, master have pity on us.”
Jesus” “Go show yourselves to the priests.”
One of them, seeing that he was made clean, returned with a loud voice glorifying God,,, he was a Samaritan.
Jesus to the Samaritan: “Were not the ten made clean? But where are the nine? Has no one been found to return and give glory to God except this foreigner?”
Jesus to the foreigner: “Arise, go thy way, for thy faith has saved thee.”
www.Reddit.com (Early 1990s):
Ted Turner, one might recall, owned more than just a wrestling company. He owned a group of TV networks, including “CNN.” Turner sent out a message to his cable news groups that rather than “Foreign,” the word “International” would have to be used. This was, of course, not referring to a “Foreign Object,” but instead things like “Foreign Affairs,” vs “International Affairs.” “Foreign Leaders” vs “International Leaders.” The idea being to avoid what we might call ‘Othering,’ by raising the specter of some outside group.
Pharisees asking Jesus: “When is the kingdom of God coming?”
Jesus answered: “The kingdom of God comes unawares. Neither will they say. ‘Behold, here it is,’ or ‘Behold, there it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Jesus to his disciples: “The days will come when you will long to see one day of the Son of Man, and will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Behold, here he is; behold, there he is.’ Do not go, nor follow after them. For as the lightning when it lightens flashes from one end of the sky to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
Jesus to his disciples: “And as it came to pass in the days of Noe, even so will it be in the days of the Son of Man… Or as it came to pass in the days of Lot…. In the same wise will it be on the day that the Son of Man is revealed… Whoever tries to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses it will preserve it. I say to you, on that night there will be two on one bed; one will be taken, and the other will be left. Two woman will be grinding together; one will be taken, and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other will be left.”
Disciples to Jesus: “Where, Lord?”
Jesus to the disciples: “Wherever the body is, there will eagles be gathered together.”
Luke Chapter 18: The godless judge; God’s just punishment; The Pharisee and the publican; Jesus blesses the children; The rich man’s question; The danger of riches; Reward for leaving all things; The third prediction of the Passion; A blind man at Jericho.
And he (Jesus) also told them a parable that they must always pray and not lose heart—saying. “There was a judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect man. Mow there was a certain widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Do me justice against my adversary.’ And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself, ‘Although I do not fear God, nor even respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will do her justice, lest by her continual coming she finally wear me out.”
And the Lord said, ”Hear what the unjust judge says; and will not God avenge his elect, who cry to him day and night? And will he be slow to act in their case? I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Yet when the Son of Man comes, will he find, do you think, faith on the earth?
Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican
Jesus: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and began to pray thus within himself: ‘O God, I thank thee that I am not like the rest of men, robbers, dishonest, adulterers, or even like this publican. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all I possess.’ But the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went back home justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”
Jesus to the disciples: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Amen I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter into it.”
Certain ruler/Rich man to Jesus: “Good Master, what shall I do to gain eternal life?”
Jesus said to him: “Why dost thou call me good? No one is good but only God. Thou knowest the commandments: Thou shalt not kill. Thou shall not commit adultery. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not bear false witness. Honor thy father and mother.”
Certain ruler/rich man: “All these I have kept ever since I was a child.”
Jesus said to him: “One thing is still lacking to thee; sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
When he heard these things, he was much grieved, for he was very rich.
But Jesus, seeing him become sad, said” “With what difficulty will they who have riches enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
And they who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus said to them: “Things that are impossible with men are possible with God.”
And Peter said: “Behold, we have left all and followed thee.”
Jesus: “Amen I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive much more in the present time, and in the age to come life everlasting.”
Jesus to the Twelve: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that have been written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and scourged and spit upon; and after they have scourged him, they will put him to death; and on the third day he will rise again.”
And they (the Twelve) understood none of these things and this saying was hidden from them, neither did they get to know the things that were being said.
As he drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting by the wayside…
Blind man: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”
Blind man: “Son of David, have mercy on me.”
Jesus: “What wouldst thou have me do for thee?”
Blind man: “Lord that I may see.”
Jesus: “Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee.”
And at once he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people upon seeing it gave praise to God.
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