Dr. Terry Threadwell's Blog

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. “But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” (Mat 17:1-12 NKJ)

Jesus takes three disciples up a mountain to experience a deeper spiritual dimension.  The very essence of divinity shone through and around Jesus. This new experience allowed them to see into another dimension where Elijah and Moses were, not heaven but Paradise.  Elijah and Moses were still waiting for the day of redemption.  Then the full weight, power, and presence of God’s glory are revealed, and they fall to the ground, such a presence would have pushed them to the ground, unable to stand in God’s presence.

James and John say nothing, and Peter misses the whole thing completely, his thinking is purely carnal. ‘Jesus, why don’t we build a ministry center here and charge admission and make some good money?’ It’s the same carnality expressed by the Israelites in the wilderness as they chose to dance around a golden calf instead of climbing the mountain.

An old saying goes like this. ‘Some people are so heavenly minded that they’re no earthly good.’ I believe some people are so earthly minded that they’re no heavenly good either.

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, `It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; “and in the morning, `It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed. (Mat 16:1-4 NKJ)

How many times have we looked at the sky and made a prediction about the weather and been totally wrong? Just like the Pharisees, we see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe.  The Pharisees had seen the lame walk, the blind recover their sigh and the mute speaking again, yet, because it didn’t fit their theology, they rejected them and demanded more signs.

Today, if we’re not discerning , we can find ourselves in the same position.  The keys are as follows:

1.       Knowing the Word of God for yourself.  We’re told in Acts 17:11, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Act 17:11 NKJ) Not just the preacher, or the latest fad book.  What does the scripture say, in its original context?

2.       Does everything line up with God’s word? A word can be prophetic but is it doesn’t line up morally and ethically; then it is not of God.

3.       The books and letters of the Bible do not give us a book of ethics.  Sometimes we have to piece things together. For instance, if God says that his creation is good, should we be supporting policies and practices that destroy creation? No!

In the end, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves.  If we are kings and priest, a priesthood of believers, a royal priesthood and a holy nation, we are responsible for what we offer to God.

After that, Pharisees and religion scholars came to Jesus all the way from Jerusalem, criticizing, “Why do your disciples play fast and loose with the rules?” But Jesus put it right back on them. “Why do you use your rules to play fast and loose with God’s commands? God clearly says, ‘Respect your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ But you weasel around that by saying, ‘Whoever wants to, can say to father and mother, What I owed to you I’ve given to God.’ That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God’s command by your rules. Frauds! Isaiah’s prophecy of you hit the bull’s-eye:

These people make a big show of saying the right thing,

    but their heart isn’t in it.

They act like they’re worshiping me,

    but they don’t mean it.

They just use me as a cover

    for teaching whatever suits their fancy.”

He (Jesus) then called the crowd together and said, “Listen and take this to heart. It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up.” (Mat 15:1-11 MSG)

The Pharisees were quick to point out that the disciples had broken the rules that they had laid out for the people.  This is a bit like all the add-ons churches give to new members, or in the past, rules about what to wear or where you could go. Jesus responds by pointing out that the Pharisees don’t break the rules, they twist what the Word of God says to fit themselves.

Jesus quotes Isaiah, pointing out that is not the exterior that counts, it’s the heart that determines who you are and what comes out of a person that determines who you are.

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;  Matthew 13:24 

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, Matt 13:31

Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” Matthew 13:33 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Matthew 13:44 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, Matthew 13:45 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, Matthew 13:47 

Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Matthew 13:52 

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. Matthew 18:23 

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Matthew 20:1 

“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, Matthew 22:2 

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. Matthew 25:14 

Eleven times in Matthew’s gospel Jesus tells us that the ‘kingdom of heaven is like,’ like what, well that’s the problem because eleven times he tells them something different.  The people were having problems understanding even one parable, let alone trying to comprehend eleven. Perhaps that’s what Jesus is trying to tell is, the ‘kingdom of heaven’ is incomprehensible.  If Jesus was to truly show you what the ‘kingdom of heaven’ is like, it would blow our minds.

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like someone who planted good seed in his field.  While people were sleeping, an enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and went away. When the stalks sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. “The servants of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Master, didn’t you plant good seed in your field? Then how is it that it has weeds?’ “‘An enemy has done this,’ he answered. “The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ “But the landowner said, ‘No, because if you gather the weeds, you’ll pull up the wheat along with them. Let both grow side by side until the harvest. And at harvest time I’ll say to the harvesters, “First gather the weeds and tie them together in bundles to be burned. But bring the wheat into my barn.”‘ (Mat 13:24-30 CEB)

A field, a farmer, and some seed. They plant the wheat, and weeds grow alongside.  The farmer tells the servants to leave the weeds until harvest time. The difference between the wheat and the weed is fruitfulness.  The wheat produces food, while the weed produces nothing.  But what about planting corn? I decided one year to plant some sweet corn.  I went to the local store, purchased the sweet corn, or so I thought, planted, watered and waited.  Eventually, the corn was ready for harvest. I picked the corn, cooked it and through it away—why? I had purchased cow corn and not sweet corn. Cow corn is grown, harvested and used to make silage for cattle.  It’s hard and tasteless.

Christians, at times, can become so concerned with the weeds, that they ignore their own spiritual condition.  Instead of being sweet, tender and enjoyable, they become hard, tasteless, and not what you would expect.

Don’t worry about the weeds, be more concerned with your own life, and fruitfulness.

Jesus’ disciples came and said to him, “Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowds?” Jesus replied, “Because they haven’t received the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but you have. For those who have will receive more and they will have more than enough. But as for those who don’t have, even the little they have will be taken away from them. This is why I speak to the crowds in parables: although they see, they don’t really see; and although they hear, they don’t really hear or understand. What Isaiah prophesied has become completely true for them: You will hear, to be sure, but never understand; and you will certainly see but never recognize what you are seeing.  For this people’s senses have become calloused, and they’ve become hard of hearing, and they’ve shut their eyes so that they won’t see with their eyes or hear with their ears or understand with their minds, and change their hearts and lives that I may heal them. “Happy are your eyes because they see. Happy are your ears because they hear. I assure you that many prophets and righteous people wanted to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they didn’t. (Mat 13:10-17 CEB)

This may be a surprise to you, but did you know that the heart can affect your hearing, and that can affect your brain? Now, don’t try and convince your medical doctor of this, because they will never believe you. The heart is not that organ that pumps blood through your body, but the heart that is the seat of your emotions.

When the heart becomes hard, you can not hear spiritual truth.  You’re not deaf; you just can’t comprehend.  That hardness stops the heart from expanding to encompass fresh truth. Your spiritual life plateaus, and when you’re challenged by a greater understanding, you react with aggression, because it all sounds like nonsense.

So this is the prescription:

1.       Keep the flow of the Holy Spirit moving in your life.

2.       Be a passionate lover of God.

3.       If you don’t understand something, don’t throw it away.  Instead, put it on the shelf and ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding.

4.       Push your self to go higher, deeper and wider in God—there’s always more!

God has more for you, but only a healthy heart can receive it.

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. “And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  “Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. “But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. “But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mat 13:1-9 NKJ)

The other day God sent a prophet onto the world stage. The event was the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. I didn’t watch the whole event, but I did hear the preacher.  Not the usual stuffed shirt, dry and lifeless, just going through the motions. The preacher was an American, Bishop Michael Curry.  Did nobody warn him he was addressing a nation who’s catchphrase is ‘keep calm and carry on.’

A key part of his sermon was about the power of love. He said,

“Stop and imagine for a minute. Think and imagine. Think and imagine a world where love is the way.

Imagine our homes and families when love is the way. Imagine our neighborhoods and communities where love is the way. Imagine governments and nations where love is the way. Imagine business and commerce when love is the way. Imagine this tired old world when love is the way. When love is the way — unselfish, sacrificial, redemptive — when love is the way, then no child will go to bed hungry in this world ever again. When love is the way, we will let justice roll down like a mighty stream, and righteousness like an ever-flowing brook.

When love is the way, poverty would become history. When love is the way, the earth will be a sanctuary. When love is the way, we will lay our swords and shields down by the riverside to study war no more. When love is the way, there’s plenty of room for all of God’s children. When love is the way, we actually treat each other, well, like we are actually family. When love is the way, we know that God is the source of us all, and we are brothers and sisters and children of God. Brothers and sisters — that’s a new heaven, a new earth, a new world, a new human family.”

Some seed fell on the stony ground, among the thorns, scorched by the sun, but perhaps some found fertile ground.  One thing was for sure; God had the final word.

The Sabbath came, and Jesus walked through a field. His disciples, who were hungry, began to pick some of the grain and eat it.

Pharisees: Look! Your disciples are breaking the law of the Sabbath!

Jesus: Haven’t you read what David did? When he and his friends were hungry, they went into God’s house, and they ate the holy bread, even though neither David nor his friends, but only priests, were allowed that bread. Indeed, have you not read that on the Sabbath priests themselves do work in the temple, breaking the Sabbath law yet remaining blameless? Listen, One who is greater than the temple is here. Do you not understand what the prophet Hosea recorded, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”? If you understood that snippet of Scripture, you would not condemn these innocent men for ostensibly breaking the law of the Sabbath. For the Son of Man has not only the authority to heal and cast out demons, He also has authority over the Sabbath.

Jesus left the field and went to the synagogue, and there He met a man with a shriveled hand. The Pharisees wanted to set up Jesus. (Matt 12:1-9. The Voice)

Eating grain didn’t break the law, however, picking the grain did, and the Pharisees knew it.  Jesus was quick to point out that King David actually ate the showbread, that was kept for the priests alone.  Even though they broke the law, they were declared blameless. Quoting Hosea, Jesus reminds them that God desires mercy more than sacrifice.

‘Bye, the way,’ Jesus says, ‘God is here in front of you, in the flesh, if only you realized it.’ He walks away leaving them with a conundrum, “For the Son of Man has not only the authority to heal and cast out demons, but He also has authority over the Sabbath.”

The Sabbath was instigated to give man a day to rest and worship God.  Somehow it had been turned around, and the focus was about keeping the law.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  (Mat 11:28-12:1 NKJ)

Sitting in McDonald’s this morning, on Patton Ave, in West Asheville, it became evident that I was not in the richest neighborhood. Some were clearly transient, wanting to get out of the rain. Others just seemed to have the weight of the world on their shoulders. I doubt if they cared about the Russia investigation or if they even knew where North Korea was geographically located.  Also, there were those who clearly were, as they have said to me more than once, were ‘not from around here.’ Immigrants through the centuries have struggled with assimilation into their new culture without losing the identity of who they are.

Senior with health issues and no insurance, single parents with part-time jobs, low wages and no security. The poor all have one thing in common, they all wear the shackles of debt, a bondage that will last as long as they will live.

Hate crimes have spiked since the election. Budget cuts on the horizon, cutting meals to impoverished children and seniors, Medicaid, Medicare, welfare, and SNAP programs.

What a burden to carry, and so you wonder why more people don’t take Jesus’ offer to come to him and find rest.  It doesn’t mean that their problems will vanish, but their outlook would improve. In the meantime, we as the Church need to refocus and start to see the Church as a community and not a corporation, to reach out and not down, making our buildings a resource and not a requiem, a vibrant movement for life and not a mausoleum of a bygone era. Where faith grows, instead of fear stifling. Jesus expects the Church to be an alternative to the systems of this world.  His yoke is easy and his burden light.

Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Mat 11:1-6 NKJ)

John the Baptist was in prison and began to have doubts, was Jesus the one or is there somebody else?  He probably wondered if he might have got it all wrong.  So he sends his disciples to Jesus with that same message. Jesus responds “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ” We can only imagine how John felt when he heard the reply.  Did he dance, praise the Lord or pray, or perhaps all three, we can only surmise?

What if John were in prison today and he sent word to the Church, “is this the church of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit and ready with the gospel of peace, love, and reconciliation?” How would you reply?

Sometimes I feel that we have lost our way and become the blind, the lame, the deaf and the dead. Father, forgive us for we know not what we do.