Matthew 16:1-12 KJV
1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Pharisees and Sadducees came seeking a sign from heaven. Remember there was sign from heaven at Jesus baptism, and with the anouncement of pregnancy and then the birth. Those were signs from heaven. Yet Pharisees and Sadducees did not believe necessarily at that moment. What about Simeon coming into the temple taking Jesus up in his arms and praising God(Luke 2) and also Anna. Wisemen even believed because of the star in the east made them aware that a new king was born. Yet the Pharisees and Sadducees believe not even Zacharias the priest that came out of the holies of holies and could not speak that the forerunner of Christ and the Christ child would be born. Evidence of God hardening the heart, but also proof that Pharisees and Sadducees that were present might not of been witness of these events and would not be believe on testimony alone. The only sign would given was the preaching like Jonah(jonas). Beware of these religious leaders that claim signs, for even normal people read the signs of the time in the sky from whether it will be fair because the sky is red or red sky is lowering it will be foul/bad weather, or if the snow will fall by the smell of the air. There is all kinds of saying for weather that actually bear truth, but the world does not slow down enough to listen to the earth sing her voice or speak her signs. God gave that voice to the earth that tells those that listen what the weather is. It snows in my region now I will be surprised, because it feels like spring has sprung here. Probably meaning to be a hot summer, because it setting in early, not rainy like last summer. Point being buy an air condition on the agenda maybe, because of weather.

Okay we laugh at the signs and know that sometimes they are false and sometimes true, but often they bear truth in them. Pharisees seek signs why because they not sure he really the Messiah, they looking for something they just can put their finger on. Then they hear no sign will be given it be like the time of Jonas and the warning of a revengeful God coming is upon them. They are given a preacher, they want not, they are given evidence by those coming to the temple to worship and to show themselves to the priest because of healing. The list goes on of signs presented to the religious leaders that believed not.

Interesting fact that when one wants to keep up with the Jones, they also want to keep up with the Smiths and the Johnsons, but what they can not do compete with their availability to supplies that allows smiths and Johnsons to keep up with the Jones. The problem occurs the big lies begin to be spread this is not the Messiah, one needs to be killed to hush the crowd. The Pharisees and Sadducees would look for a way to eventually entrap Jesus. Jesus is teaches about the lies, the deceit and destruction of the religious leaders, that he warns others of the lies. This is the leaven in the Pharisees and Sadducees teaching and so forth. They could not compete with John the Baptist or Jesus. Many people were baptized and saved. One of the biggest lies out there by the Pharisees was perhaps the prophecy of one person must die for the nation, for temple would be later destroy in 90 A.D. because of uprising, they thought that Jesus was their problem, no the sins within the temple spreading into the streets. Like false witness at the trial of Jesus.

The struggles of religion can come down to control, and yet there is only one controller that is God(Father, Son and HOly Spirit our Creator. Church can be a social game, or it can be truly about worship of God. Jesus was teaching worship when he leave the disciples and go off and pray. Private pray is necessary in one's relationship to God, but it something that can be done corporately as well. A meeting lead by God is not a minister necessarily behind the pulpit but all done through prayer. It like a singing and the singers continue to come back to back with no prompting or not necessarily planned singing. Songs may of been learned but there is no preparation as far as a set line up. Seldom do churches do their meetings sololy this way, and it doesn't mean that service with a schedule and preplanned is not anointed, but when it not planned, it becomes meaningful to the hearers and listeners of the congregation and they know it not by program, but by God's Spirit. The people know God is at work in the message if one comes forth. It like standing in a grocery line sharing or in the middle of the sidewalk, it not planned usually but God can minister to someone that way. It is to be prayed up, prepared with knowledge to use it as God directs. Pharisees were use to reading of the laws that they had forgotten God and hearing God in the signs and miracles he was giving them through the healings and so forth that were done even in their presence. Can you go with the flow of the service, can you minister with throwing human caustion to the wind. Can you talk to someone about Jesus as God directs. This type of ministry can not be done with a robot only by the Holy Spirit. Yet the Pharisees were seeking evidence of God and yet the crowd would question Jesus and he freely gave a correct response. What do these men want that were suppose to be religious leaders to know Jesus was who he claimed to be.

Who do you claim Jesus is, for we do live in the time of the warnings of Jonah, with some miracles across our land and other place the churches seem so dead. Do you wonder if God sent a lightening bolt that when it struck hurt no one would they believe it, though it passed right through the people. What is it going to take for people to see the science mystery to understand there is a higher being at work? We got weather forecaster and not the knowledge of the weather anymore. We discern weather and know whether the weather man/woman is telling the truth by the numbers on the screen. What I saying the people followed Jesus because of the signs, miracles and the teaching. They knew who he was because of it.

Dear Heavenly Father, open the eyes of the blind to see the miracles of faith, the wonders of faith, the questions of faith, to your honor and your glory that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Jonah 1:1-2 KJV
1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

Luke 11:30-36 KJV
30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.