Chapter 10: The Beginning of Many Trials

Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, you who did keep the hope of mankind alive, why have you not accepted Jesus, the reward for your long-suffering patience? Were it not for your perseverance in belief in the One True God, humanity would not have had the hope Jesus has brought; we
would merely have had the pleasures of Earth, which fade even as they surface. Could we, your brothers and sisters in the Family of God, intercede and have you accept Our Father’s Gift? He loves you and awaits your acceptance. He promised your messengers of old that He would send you an Embodiment of His Word, and He has done so. But because the Gift was not exactly what you expected, you have turned away from it, never realizing how much Our Father has been offended.

The time has come for you to recognize the greatness of Jesus, God’s Gift to you and to the whole of the world. During His stay on Earth, your pride must have been shattered. After all, down through the ages you were followers of the One True God and you looked for your Messiah to be a great warrior. When meek and mild Jesus came along, He may have seemed more an affront to you than the promised Messiah. But then how were you to know that this Jesus would surpass all of your hopes and dreams, that one day He would be recognized and known by the whole world? If only you knew that the great warrior you wanted is in fact Jesus! He is the Mighty One who strengthens His believers to become giants.

O Jerusalem, do not forsake the words of your prophets. You have let slip through your fingers the Redeemer of mankind. Pride is a terrible sin and very difficult to overcome, but with Your God, Our God, all things are possible. Come, recognize and accept Jesus.

A loving Father is always happy to have His lost son return. So too with you, Jerusalem; strip away the pride and come join the feast. There will be much reason for rejoicing when you embrace Jesus, when you take advantage of the gift of the Holy Spirit of God promised by Jesus. Come, let us worship together; we can bring down the beams of disorder in the world with praise for our God. United, we can become a powerful force on Earth. Filled with God’s good power, we can clear the path and make way for a condition of peace.

You have seen the greatness of Jesus; this is as it should be for the Son of God. He is in control of the elements and, through His resurrection, He manifested the power He has over death.