Sweetwater Recorder
By Ronald G. Currell
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church,
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The
Kingdom of God Has Come Upon You
Sweetwater Recorder By Ronald G. Currell St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, |
It was said of old that it was easier to raise up a grove of olive trees in Galilee than a single child in Judea. The hill country was lush and green and the earth brought forth its bounty, so that throughout Galilee it was relatively easy labor. The lakes were exquisite to behold and they gave up a good living to fishermen. On the surface, it was a good life. But underneath, there were forces at work that shattered tranquility.J
esus said, "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Jesus had just sent His Disciples to go throughout Galilee to visit the towns and villages to spread the message that the Kingdom of God was coming, when a man was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute. Jesus healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. All the people were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."
Jesus answered the Pharisees first, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? …. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." But to the people, He said, "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."
So, the Kingdom of God had not been brought to this world by the Son of David, as they had expected, the Kingdom of God was brought into the world by one calling Himself the Son of Man, a Messiah radically different from their expectations.
Let us look around to see this Kingdom of God, which Jesus had brought.
| Just as the people of Sweetwater need different Christian experiences, the various Christian Churches offer different expressions of the same faith. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church offers a quiet, respectful hour dedicated to God every Sunday Morning at 11:00 AM, preceded by a thought-provoking Bible Class at 9:45, where we discuss intriguing passages from the Scriptures. Drop by some time. See us on the Internet and experience our online chapel at www.ststephens.net. |
Please make plans to attend your Church-of-choice this coming Sunday.
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