New Bible Study Online - A Daily Reading

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verse: 12, The Lesson: The Pharisees take offense.

2012-03-02T10:36:00.000-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Disciples warned to shun the Pharisees) Part 2.

Christ had called the people unto himself that he may give them instructions. He called their attention that they may hear, that they may listen, and that they may understand the lesson being taught. He told the people that it was not what they put into their mouths that defiled but what came out of the mouth that made a man defiled. And the Pharisees heard and understood. And the Pharisees heard and were angered. And the Pharisees heard and took offense. For they, the Pharisees, had taught, for hundreds of years, that a man was unclean and defiled if he did not wash before eating. They, the Pharisees, had impressed upon the people that they were unclean if they did not follow the traditions as they were taught. And many people felt and believed in the teachings of the Pharisees. Many people believed that they were unclean. Many people, because of the limited availability of water, believed the teachings of the Pharisees.

They did not have flowing water available to them as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful. They could not wash before every meal, as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful were able to do. They could not follow the traditions as handed down by the Pharisees, as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful. So they believed that they were unclean. But Christ came and made a change. Christ came and taught differently. Christ came and made the people clean, for he taught that it is not what is put into the mouth that makes one unclean but what comes out of the mouth that makes one unclean. For from the mouth the heart speaks. And many, spoke evil from their mouths and were unclean because of what came from their heart through their mouths. The disciples came and told Christ .  Then his disciples came up and said to him, "Dost thou know that the Pharisees have taken offense at hearing this saying?"

The disciples listened to the Pharisees. The disciples heard the talk of the Pharisees. The disciples believed in the teachings of the Pharisees because they did not know. The disciples did not know that if the heart is clean and pure then the mouth speaks no evil. The disciples did not know that what is put into the mouth does not make one clean or unclean. And so Christ had to teach. Christ had to inform. Christ had to give a lesson to his disciples and to the people gathered around him. And Christ had to offend the evil in the Pharisees. For the Pharisee took offense to what was spoken by Christ. The evil within the Pharisees arose and brought forth the anger against the teachings of Christ. The evil within made the Pharisees spoke against the teachings of Christ and took offense.

Christ taught a lesson 2000 yrs ago and it still rings true today. The Pharisees objected. The Pharisees were compelled to speak. The evil within them had to come out. Is this still true today? Are you compelled to speak? Does your mouth speak before you have had to time to think about what you are to say? Does your heart know what comes forth from it or not? Defilement comes out of the mouth. Unclean words are an indicator of what lies within.   And when the words of truth are spoken to us the unclean spirits come forth. For we do not speak of and by ourselves. We do not know what is to be said in the heat of an argument. Only the evil that is within us comes out and we are made unclean.  Only the darkness that hides within our hearts comes out and is spoken through and by the mouth giving evidence of the state of our being.

God is love and within his being is love. We are created in his likeness. We are created in his image. Yet we can be infested with evil. We can be filled with evil. We can be taken over by the darkness that is in and of the world. But there is a choice. Christ came, a light into the world. Christ came that we may not walk in darkness but in the light of his life. The choice is ours. Which do you choose? Do you choose darkness or do you choose the light? It is a conscious decision. It is a decision that requires action. It is a decision that means walking a different path than what the world would have us walk. Come! Walk the path with Christ. He will walk with you and give you the light of life to walk with you. And you will know the treasures of the kingdom of heaven in your walk.

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 10 - 11, The Lesson: Hear and Understand.

2012-02-20T17:48:00.000-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Disciples warned to shun the Pharisees) Part 1.

Christ was in the land of Genesar. And the people heard of him through word of mouth. There was no Internet. There was no radio. There was no television. There were no anchor people giving the news hourly or live as it happened. There were no reporters in the field. There was only the local person who kept the latest news and spread it to the appropriate people like himself that would carry the message throughout the land. They were paid for good news. They were rewarded for keeping up with hot topics that the rulers wanted to know about. And the Pharisees wanted to know about Jesus.

He was a miracle worker. He healed the sick. He made the lame walk. He opened the eyes of the blind. Some called him a prophet. Some said he was a great man of God. And some knew that he was the Messiah. So the Pharisees had to find out who this man was that performed miracles. If all that was said about him was true then they had to win him over to their side that he might bring the people under their authority and their rule. But Oh!, were they shocked when they heard the things that he preached and taught the people. They were compelled to confront him. They were moved to action. They had to do something before the people were led astray. For this man, this miracle worker, taught the people against the Pharisees. This Christ allowed the people to go against the teachings of the forefathers. This Rabbi was wrong in their eyes and they had to stop him.

For decades the Pharisees had taught that a man was defiled if he did not wash before eating. For years they preached that one should wash before eating to prevent from becoming unclean. All they had to do was to watch the gentiles who were unclean, defiled men, women, and children that eat without washing. They, the gentiles, were below the chosen people because they did not follow the traditions set by the Pharisees. And then Christ comes along, after years of traditions, and he teaches the people how not to be unclean. He allows his disciples to eat without washing. They, the disciples, set the example for all the followers of Christ. And if this example was not corrected it would corrupt and defile all of Judea, according to the thinking of the Pharisees. But Christ taught them differently. Christ, then he called the crowd to him, and said to them,'' Hear, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not defile a man; but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a man."

A new lesson! A change in direction from the teachings of the past. For it was taught that every man was unclean unless they washed. Every man, according to the Pharisees, was unfit unless they followed the traditions handed down by them. Every man did not have water to wash before eating. Every man did not have flowing water into their homes as did the Pharisees. Every man was not wealthy enough to be able to bath and clean up two to three times a day. So only the wealthy and the well to do and the rich, and the politicians and the rulers and the Pharisees had access to this privilege. So this tradition made all men who were not able to follow the teachings, unclean. And all were made unclean and defiled. But Christ came and changed all that.

He taught people that they were clean. He taught the people that it was not the washing that made them clean but what came from the mouth that made them unclean. For out of the mouth the heart speaks. And if the heart is evil and possessed of evil, then from the heart comes all manner of evil. For the heart is concealed from man and no one knows what is in the heart of men except Christ. And it is from the heart that evil takes possession of men. Christ wiped away the teachings of the Pharisees and opened the eyes of men that they may see the truth of who they are. The door to the soul is through the heart and the heart must be protected against the evil that wants to posses it.

Hear and understand! Christ told the people around him and he tells us today to understand that the mouth is the gateway through which evil comes. The mouth is the archway from which man is defiled and made unclean. For the mouth only speaks what is in the heart. And if the mouth speaks defilement then the heart is unclean.

Hear and understand! Protect the heart. Open the heart to the love of Christ and he will protect it. Open the heart to Christ and he will send the Advocate to guide it. For the Advocate will protect. The Advocate reside in it. The Advocate will counsel with it. The Advocate will fill the heart with the spiritual love of God. And it is this spiritual love that provides understanding and wisdom to the kingdom of heaven.

Christ has given us a way to know that we have received. He has told us what to look for. He has provided a light that we may follow. But it is our decision to follow. It is our decision to seek. It is our decision to wake up from the drug induced sleep of the world and become lamps unto the world. Christ has opened the door. He has provided a way. He has set forth a path for us to follow. Seek and ye shall find! Knock and it shall be opened to you! Ask and it shall be given to you! Come! Receive the Holy Spirit and all will be revealed to you.

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verse: 9 , Vain Worship

2012-02-15T22:29:00.002-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ refutes the Scribes and Pharisees)
Part 6.

Christ gave the Pharisees a wake up call. He called them hypocrites. They had changed the Commandments of God and preached and practiced the precepts of their own making in place of the just Commandments of God. Arrogance guided them. Evil was their companion. Power was their love and rule of the people was their passion. For they were the Pharisees. They knew the Law. They studied the Law; they were the keepers of the Law. Everyone had to obey their words and their commands or suffer punishment as metered out according to the wisdom of the Pharisees and suffer the wrath of God as they professed it. They knew not mercy. They knew not compassion. They knew not love. They only knew the law according to their own interpretations. And the Law was for the people. The Law was not for the Pharisees. For behind closed doors the Law was interpreted differently for them.

And Christ called them hypocrites for what was in their hearts was not of God.  The evil of arrogance had taken them. The evil of self deception had guided them. The evil of the world was with them and they were with the world.   For they believed that they worshipped the one true God. They believed that they followed the commandments. They believed that the love in their hearts was that for the love of God. And they believed that their actions demonstrated that love. But arrogance had blinded them. Evil had deceived them.  And deceit had filled them with hypocrisy that they might maintain their belief in themselves. Christ repeated to them the prophesy of Isaias saying,   "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the precepts of men."

Hypocrisy had led them to believe that the worship that they garnered was for God when in actuality they brought worship to themselves. They loved to receive honor and praise. They loved to have influence. They filled themselves with pride for their positions over the people. For the people honored them. The people respected them and their positions. The people praised them as they were taught that it was praise given to God. But hypocrisy had deceived the Pharisees and the Pharisees deceived the people by leading them to vain worship. For praise was not given to God but to the Pharisees. Honor and glory was expressed to the Pharisees and not to God. The heart was filled not with the love of God but was filled with love of the Pharisees in exchange for the power and privilege that they held.

And so, worship became vain and empty and the people followed the traditions and precepts as handed down by the Pharisees. We worship today out of tradition. For it has been handed down from parent to child that we should go to church and worship God. It is the right thing to do, we have been told. We know not the purpose of our worship. We have not a reason for our worship. We believe not the love that is missing from our worship for we have missed the truth of worship.

God our father has given us life eternal through our Lord Jesus Christ, a precious gift that we value not. For one does not value a gift until it is taken away. One does not value life eternal until one experiences death eternal. Yet, in that utter despair and loss of hope, does one realize the true value of the gift that was given. We try, today, to grasp the value of that gift, without experiencing the despair and loss of hope, by expressing praise and worship to the giver of that gift of eternal life. But in our attempts, our expressions are in vain.  Why?? Because our expressions of praise and worship do not come from the heart.

How does one express love if there is no understanding of spiritual love? We know physical love because that is what we are and what we know through our experiences. And that is the basis of our expression of love. But spiritual love is beyond the physical and requires the input of the spirit to understand. Spiritual love comes from and through and with the human heart and the heart of man is in the world. It is only through the input of the spirit of eternal love that one realizes that spiritual love comes from and through the Holy Spirit.   Then one begins to understand and know and experience the eternal spiritual love of God our Heavenly Father.

Christ came that we may have life. Christ came that we may have the spirit. Christ came that we may know the love of God our father. Yet today, we know not the spiritual love of God. We worship the father weekly, daily, hourly but without the fruit of the spirit. For over time the fruit dies on the vine. Over time, the worship that we express to the father, dies and does not produce. Over time, the world takes hold and entraps us, deceives us, and turns us into hypocrites and we become like Pharisees, clean on the outside and dead on the inside.

Seek the love that comes with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You can know Him! You can see Him! You can be with Him, everyday, every minute, every hour. A transformation will take place. The ways of the world will leave you. The passions of the world will seek to capture you again but you will only know the passion of the kingdom of heaven. Christ came, a light into the world. He gave us instructions how we might find our light. Seek it! Find it! Know it! For it is within you that you may know the truth of who you are, children of our creator, God.

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 7- 8, The Transformation into Hypocrisy

2012-02-05T14:57:00.000-05:00

Our paragraph topic is:   (Christ refutes the Scribes and Pharisees)
Part 5.

Christ called them hypocrites. The Pharisees were the keepers of the law. The Pharisees were the educated of the people. The Pharisees were the elite of the people. They had money, they had power, they had influence, and they knew the Law, handed down by God to Moses. But in their arrogance they opened the door to evil and allowed evil to come into their hearts. And in the arrogance of evil they changed the Commandments of God and preached and practiced their own precepts. Evil persuaded them. Evil helped them. Evil came to them little by little until they became evildoers, the agents of evil. But justice prevailed.

Christ came with justice. Christ came that the scales of justice would be balanced and all mankind would be justified before God. He was the sacrifice. He was the propitiation for the sins of man. He was the lamb, the innocent one. He was the gift to mankind that God gave that all would be saved. But hypocrisy had come in. Hypocrisy had taken over the minds and hearts of the Pharisees. They were the givers of the Law. They were the enforcers of the Law to the people. But, they did not live by the Law nor did they believe in the Law, for their hearts were not in and of the Law. And Christ came and told them who they were. Christ said to them, Hypocrites, well did Isaias prophesy of you saying, 'This people honors me with their lips, but
their heart is far from me.'

They pretended to be religious. They pretended to believe in the Law and the Commandments of God. But inside, their hearts were of the world. Inside, their hearts sought after the power, the influence, the wealth of the world. Inside, their hearts did not belong to God but to the world. The arrogance of evil had persuaded them to follow. The arrogance of evil had moved them along the path of self deception and denial that made them believe in themselves. And the Pharisees believed in their authority to rule the people according to their own precepts. So they transformed themselves into hypocrites. They became the face of religion for the people and the face of the world to themselves.

Where does your heart lie? Are you of the world or of Christ? Does the world draw you to watch football on Sunday or does Christ draw you to his supper on Sunday? The world is subtle. It entices you with all its charm and fun and activity that you may slip into darkness without knowing how difficult it becomes to return to the light. For the battle is not in the mind. The battle is not in the actions. The battle is for the heart of men that they may follow good or follow evil. For out of the mouth the heart speaks and the actions of men speak to where lies their hearts.

Can you stop in the middle of a great football game, turn the TV off and pray? Can you stop in the middle of a good mystery or romance, turn the TV off and pray? The enticement of the world is subtle. It captures the mind. And through what we see and what we hear the door is opened so that control of the heart follows.

We go to a movie and our hearts are moved by what we see and hear. Yet the control is so subtle that we are not aware of the change that is taking place. And we like the control that has taken place so we go back for more and more until now our hearts are addicted to the control. We see violence. We see murder. We hear language that is accepted as normal. And our hearts are controlled by the upbeat of the music that we hear. The beat of the music is set to the beat of the heart and the control is subtle. So we go in to the movies being mindful of the things of God and come out being mindful of the things of the world. And the decent into hypocrisy is a slow decline that takes place and we become transformed, our hearts become addicted. Sex and violence and murder become accepted in what we see and hear in our entertainment. It's not real. It's only make believe, we say to ourselves. Is it? It may be make believe but the battle for the control of the heart is real. And we slide a little further along the path of hypocrisy.

Christ called the Pharisees hypocrites. It was a wake up call for them, a slap in the face that they may look in the mirror and see who they had become. What have we become today?  Can we look in the mirror and say with true confidence that we are for Christ?  If there is doubt then there is hope. If there is denial then the heart is lost and the control of the world has taken over. How can you know the difference? It is a difficult task to continue to deceive and deny to oneself who or what we are day in and day out.  Evil will continue to persuade us that we are disciples of Christ when we live in the world. Only those who know the Advocate will be able to withstand the tricks and traps of the devil. Many want to know, many want to believe, many want to find, want to see, but are misled. Seek the truth! Ask Christ for guidance. Believe that he will come!  Be delivered from hypocrisy and live the life that Christ gave us to live. Christ said, "I am the light of the world. I came that those who believe in me will no longer live in darkness." Step out of the darkness and into the light and welcome the Holy Spirit into your life. I did!!

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 5 - 6, Man voids Commandments of God

2012-01-29T19:16:00.000-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: ( Christ refutes the Scribes and Pharisees)
Part 4.

Evil stands with the Pharisees as they challenge Christ about the law. The Pharisees had witnessed the disciples of Christ breaking the Law by not respecting the traditions the Pharisees had implemented. For the Pharisees were the keepers of the law. They were the enforcers of the Law. They were the learned in the law and no one knew more of the law, handed down to Moses, than they.   They held their office in high esteem and believed that they had the authority of God to command that the people follow the Law as they interpreted it. So they challenged Christ, the author of the Law. They did not know. They did not understand. They could not see because evil had taken them.

They had made void the commandment of God through their arrogance. They had cancelled the judgement of the father of Justice according to their own designs, that they may maintain their enforcement upon the people and set aside judgement for themselves. For they had no honor for their fathers and mothers. They had no desire to obey the commandments. They had set themselves apart from the people that they may set themselves above the law. For this was the design of evil and the arrogance of man, to rule the people as they saw fit, without following the commandments of God.   For Christ said to them, But you say ‘Whoever shall say to his father or mother, "Any support thou mightest have had from me is dedicated to God," does not have to honor father or his mother. ' So you have made void the commandment of God by your tradition.

Man was with evil and evil was with man and together they were one. The evil doer became evil, even though they were not made the same. For evil resided with man but man was made from God and still had the spirit of God within him. Yet evil came and took over man and he knows not what he does. For evil persuades with convincing arguments and compelling evidence to the minds of men and man has no defense save to call upon the love of Christ. Evil has no defense against the love of Christ and his Holy Spirit. For Christ was the sacrifice that paid for all mankind to be free of sin. Christ gave his life and his spirit so that man could be restored to salvation. Christ came and died for our sins that man may be justified before God. Yet evil still prevails and man knows not.

The Pharisees voided the commandment of God and replaced it with their own tradition. Today man voids the commandments of God and replaces them with his own interpretation of how we should live. We live in a world surrounded by the presences of evil. Yet we know not that it exists and desire not to know that we are in a battle. For evil tells us that we may set aside the commandments of God. Evil tells us that we may live the life that we desire on this earth and not suffer the consequences of God's justice. God is the ultimate judge and there is no other higher authority. His justice is complete. His justice is true. His justice is honest and fair. For he who transgresses the commandments subjects himself to God's justice, and this is what evil desires of man, that he suffers the justice of God and loose eternal life that is store for him in heaven.

So evil distorts, evil deceives, evil disguises truth, evil lies, and evil does everything that it can to turn man away from his true self. For man was created in the image and likeness of God and his true place is in heaven. But, changed by the designs of the world, man has lost sight of who he is. Man does not know that he is the light of the world. Man does not know that within him the Holy Spirit is to dwell. Man has forgotten that Christ came, suffered and died for our sins that we may no longer live in sin. Yet sin prevails and man continues to live, asleep in a world of sin, as evil grows in the minds and hearts of man.

For the evildoer does the deeds of the evil one and man is not aware. And the evildoer makes void the commandments of God that evil may prevail. Guard your hearts! Guard your minds! Be vigilant of what you see and what you hear. For evil is subtle in its attack upon the children of God. Pray daily that the other advocate will come and live within you that you may be protected against the attacks of evil.  For you can know him. You can see him. You can carry him with you every minute, every second of the day that you will be protected and shielded from evil. Seek him. Ask for him to come. Know that he will be with you for Christ has promised that he will send him. And when he comes, Christ has said that you will be filled with his light that you will see and know the truth of who you are. For the eye is the lamp of the body and if the eye is sound then the body will be full of light as though it shines from a lamp within. Seek it! Find it! Know it, and you will see the spirit of Christ within.

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verse: 4, The Transgression.

2012-01-22T14:23:00.001-05:00

Our Paragraph topic is: ( Christ refutes the Scribes and Pharisees)
Part 3.

The Pharisees questioned Christ. Within themselves they believed that they had the authority to question him. They believed that they were the enforcers of the law and that it was their duty to demand correction where they saw wrong. For the disciples of Christ had taken food without washing. The disciples had made an error and did not follow the laws and tradition laid down by the Pharisees. So in their arrogance they questioned Christ about the behavior of his disciples.

Christ saw into their hearts. Christ saw into their minds. Christ saw the evil within them that they did not know. Christ knew who they were and he knew the evil that was in them. He knew the evil that persuaded them to come and speak about the behavior of the disciples. For this evil had transgressed the commandments of God before. The evil within them decided that they were to rule mankind. This evil decided that they were to control man and decide his destiny. The evil inside decided that mankind would worship them and not the one true God. The evil within the Pharisees decided that they would turn mankind away from God. So they persuaded the Pharisees to question Christ. But Christ saw their evil and he knew who they were.  His question to them was:   "And why do you transgress the commandment of God?"

The Pharisees were only vehicles through which the evil worked. The Pharisees were only instruments through which the goals of evil were accomplished. For evil was suggested to them. Evil worked within them. Evil made their plans with the Pharisees and the goals of evil were completed through the workings of men. The Pharisees did not know why they transgressed the commandment of God, but evil knew. The Pharisees did not know why they believed that they had authority to change the laws of God but evil knew. For evil wanted to turn man away from God. Evil hated the commandments of God and evil wanted to deceive mankind so that they could control his behavior and not God.   For God said, 'Honor thy father and thy mother '; and, 'Let him who curses father or mother be put to death.'

And so it is today. Loving and godly parents lay down the law to their children. Parents provide for their children. Parents protect their children, care for them, educate them, give the love and nurturing that the body and soul needs to come forth and be a witness to the will of God. But then the world takes over. The world gets into the children. The world draws the children into the darkness and without hesitation they become lost in the world. For as the children grow and become older they rebel from the ways of the parents. The children want the desires and the passions that the world has to offer and regard parents and being old and outdated not in tune with modern times. And the world calls them to their death.

What makes us transgress the commandments of God? How do we decide to go against his will? Do we instantly make the decision to do so? Do we see a lie and decide to lie? Do we know dishonor and decide to dishonor? Do we feel adultery and decide to be adulterous? Or are we the pawns of the evil that is within us? Are we whispered to, talked to, have visions from the evil that comes to turn us away? Are we drawn into the transgression through the simple daily prodding of the world around us? For evil is in the world. Evil is through the world. Evil is the heart of the world and it will not let us go until death comes.

Do not be taken by evil! Do not live in the evil of the world believing that it is the reality of life. For the world is inclined towards death and has no life. The world is darkness and leads to destruction. Christ came into the world to bring life. Christ came into the world that there may be light and not darkness. But we must choose. We must be aware of the darkness. We must awaken from the deceit of the world and open our hearts to the light of Christ. We are not of this world but of the kingdom of heaven. For our treasure is in heaven and not in the world. There lies our home. There, in heaven, will we find eternal peace and the eternal joy that the world cannot give. There in heaven will we see ourselves as we are in Christ.

COME! Find your peace. Find your truth. Find your eternal joy and know the truth of the commandments.  For they were given to us to keep us on the path of life, the path that leads us to our eternal home. Be not persuaded by the urgings of the world to transgress the commandments of God. For God is our father, our creator, our protector, our provider. He has prepared great and wondrous things for those who love him. But for those who transgress, the wrath of the justice of God awaits. Turn away from the suggestions of the evil that is in the world and live by the commandments of God.  Come! Have eternal life in Christ!

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verse: 3, The Commandments of God vs Worldly Traditions.

2012-01-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ refutes the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 2

The Pharisees questioned Christ about the practices of his disciples. They did not wash before eating as the Pharisees had practiced and preached to the people. For it was the Law that the people should wash before eating and it was the authority of the Pharisees to enforce the law. So they witnessed this transgression and questioned Christ about why he did not enforce this tradition.

But Christ saw their plan. Christ knew their intentions. Christ understood the hearts of the Pharisees as they came forth to question him. For the Pharisees were men of education. The Pharisees were men of influence. The Pharisees were the authority on the Law. They were the enforcers of the authority for the people of Israel. They were the final source of what should and should not be, the ultimate authority. And in their arrogance and their power they opened their hearts to the evil one. The Pharisees changed the commandment of God.

Christ did not address the question of the Pharisees. He did not speak to the traditions that they sought to enforce. Christ saw them for who they were. He saw their hearts and knew that they were not followers of the laws of God. But he answered and said to them "And why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?"

The influence of power and the suggestions of the evil one had infected the hearts of the Pharisees. For they had held the seat of power for many years. They had ruled over the tribes of Israel for decades. Their minds and their hearts were filled with the intoxication of power that they knew no wrong. And the arrogance of power opened the door for Satan to come in and turn them. For through his influence the laws were changed. Through his influence men placed themselves above the commandments of God and made their own decisions. How would it hurt if we lusted just a little? How would it hurt if we lied just a little? How would it hurt if we stole a little? How would it hurt if we committed adultery just a little? And how would it hurt if we influenced the people to do the same things just a little?

And so it is today. We are entertained. But through our entertainment we are influenced. We see, through our entertainment, stories of lies, deceit, lust, adultery, murder, false witness, and all manner of evil. And it is accepted as entertainment, entertainment that influences the mind and the heart. For what we see, we practice. For what will it hurt to lie a little? What will it hurt to steal a little? What will it hurt to commit adultery a little, to deceive a little, disrespect our parents a little, to worship idols a little? And the world draws us into its web, we fall asleep, and we become the lost sheep not knowing or wanting to know that we are children of light and children of love.

God is our father and he gives to us things that will keep us away from the evil that is in the world. His love is our protection and our provision. To know him is to love him. To love him is to want to do the things that he has given us that will protect us. Be not conformed to the world but be transformed out of the world. Though we live in the world we do not belong to the world. Our treasure is in heaven, Your peace is in heaven. our eternal joy awaits us in heaven. Do not fall asleep with the temporary fixes of this world. Satan wants you to loose your treasure. He wants you to forget about your eternal joy. He wants to steal your everlasting peace. Awake! And know the true love of Christ. Open your heart to his spirit and you will know the truth of who you are. Experience the abundant life of Christ , here and now and awaken from the sleep of death offered by the world.

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 1-2, The Traditions of the World.

2012-01-01T15:12:00.001-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ refutes the Scribes and Pharisees) Part1.

Christ was in the land of Genesar and the word spread of his presence. People came from far and near to hear him, to be near him, to see him and to just touch the tassel of his cloak that they may be saved. And the Pharisees of Jerusalem heard of the whereabouts of Christ and they came also to see him, to hear him and to know of his teachings. But the Pharisees were the rulers of the people. They were the keepers of the law. They told the people what to do, what to think, what to wear, how to speak, how to pray, how to give thanks to God and all things religious. For they knew the law. They knew the teachings of the Old Testament handed down through the ages from Moses. And they came to hear what Christ was doing since his popularity was widespread.

The Pharisees came. They wanted to know what or who the people were talking about. Christwas the talk of the villages, of the towns, of the beggars, paupers, farmers, the lame.  Everyone was talking about Christ. And the Pharisees wanted to know, needed to know, who was this Christ themselves. So they came to Genesar to see Christ. And when they saw, they were amazed. They were amazed at the disciples of Christ.  They were amazed at those he had chosen to be close to him. They were amazed that he had simple commoners as his close followers, as his disciples.

They were amazed that he had chosen the uneducated, the lowly, the unprincipled, the men of no influence, the nobodies. For these disciples of Christ were not educated in the traditions set down by the law. They did not follow the principles and precepts that the Pharisees instructed the people that they should follow. And this was an affront to their authority. So they questioned Christ.    THEN scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to him, saying, "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? For they do not wash their hands when they take food."

Christ broke away from tradition. Christ called those who did not follow the ways of the world, the traditions of men. He called those that were lowly. He called those that were uneducated. He called those who were without hope. He called those who wanted to believe in something greater than what they were experiencing in the world that they lived in. But the world objected. The world did not want them to change. The world wanted to keep them without hope. The world wanted them to continue to follow the traditions set down by men. Do not pray. Do not believe. Do not know the presence of the Lord. These are the things the the world wanted men to do. The world wants men to continue to live in the traditions of the time. The world wants to capture the hearts of men and to keep them.

Christ calls men to step outside of the world. Christ calls men to give up the traditions of the world and to accept the traditions of the kingdom of heaven. Christ calls men to open their hearts to the presence of the Holy Spirit that he may come and reside with them. For the Holy Spirit is the counselor. The Holy Spirit is the provider. The Holy Spirit is the protector. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God and Christ here on earth.

Step out of the world. Give up the ways of the world, for the world wants to have and keep your heart. What are the desires of the heart? What are the things that hold and keep the heart in the world? There are many lusts and desires and spirits that hold the heart. But the heart can not hold both the ways of the world and the the ways of the kingdom of heaven. One must awaken and stand at the crossroads to choose. Open the heart to the ways of Christ and welcome the spirit within! Christ will send the advocate to come and reside with you and you will know the truth of abundant life.

St Matthew, Chapter 14, vers: 36, The Test of the Heart: the desire of the people

2011-12-24T14:12:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Our paragraph topic is: (Other miracles) Part 2.

The word went out, the healer was in the land. The holy one was in Genesar. We saw him. We walked with him. We heard him speak. Tell all. Bring the sick. Bring the lame. Bring the possessed that they may be healed. For he is the great one. He is the one who performs miracles. He is here.  Let the word spread to those who would hear. And so the word spread by mouth, from person to person, from mother to daughter, from neighbor to neighbor, from traveler to traveler, to all the villages and towns in the district. All were told about Christ who healed all.

They did not know. They did not understand. They only wanted to be healed. They only wanted to see miracles. They only wanted to know that there was one in their midst who cared for them and could make a difference in their lives. Christ came and he taught. Christ came and he demonstrated the power of God amongst the people. Christ came and he loved. For no one had shown love or compassion to the people. In all his power and in all his majesty Christ showed love for mankind through his actions. For he came to earth and became man that he may demonstrate God's love for man. And the people responded to his love for  "They entreated him to let them touch."

To only touch but his cloak. To only touch but his hand. To only touch but his garment. To only be in his presence. These were the wishes and desires of the people. They only wanted to be with him, near him, beside him, to touch him, to feel his presence. Just to touch but the tassel of his cloak; and all who touched it were saved.

The people of Genesar only wanted to touch his cloak. And all who did were saved. All who touched him were delivered from damnation. All who touched his tassel were washed clean and transformed by the healing power of Christ. Oh, that we could be in the presence of Christ today. Oh, that we could know the reality of his presence. For many are caught up in this present world and do not know that he lives. Many are caught up and do not believe that he exists. For they travel down the wide path of destruction following the lead of the world. And the desire of the world is death to the soul.

Christ came to give life. Christ came to transform. Christ came to show the love of God to mankind that they may know that they do not exist alone. To those who will believe and to those who know, God provides, God protects, and God directs their footsteps. To those who know but do not believe, in their hearts, God provides a way out, God provides an open door, God gives the opportunity to know the truth, here on earth, of his presence.

Christ came that we may have life and have it more abundantly, here and now. Do you believe? Do you know? Seek and you will find! Knock and it will be opened! Ask and it shall be given unto you! But you must seek with your heart, knock with true belief, and ask with the desire to know the truth. For we have a loving God and father. We have a just provider. And we have the creator of all things to watch over us. In due time all things will be revealed to those who trust. Miracles will happen for those who have patience. And the light of the Holy Spirit will console those who believe.

We celebrate the coming Christmas holiday for the coming of our savior. Christ gave up his heavenly kingdom to become man. Christ took off his kingly crown to accept a lowly position and birth in a manger. Christ, the Son of God, became man that justice might be served and that the union between man and God could be restored. The price had to be paid. The injustice had to be corrected. The scales of justice had to be balanced.  And Christ came, as a lowly infant to bring mankind back to God. The door is open. Seek the way from darkness with a true heart and the light of Christ will come and abide within you. Faith is the belief in the desire to be one in Christ. How strong is your desire?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 34 - 35, The Test of Heart: the people.

2011-12-12T20:09:00.002-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Other miracles) Part 1.

The disciples were now settled in the boat. The winds were calm and the waves were flat. No longer did the waves overtake the boat in an effort to drown it in the sea. Christ was present and all was calm. The disciples were in awe at the power and majesty of Christ who commanded Peter to walk on the water. And he did. They were in awe of Christ who commanded the waves to calm. And they did.  They were in awe of Christ who commanded the wind to cease and it did. They worshiped him in the recognition of his kinship to God Almighty. For they recognized thatChrist was the Son of Almighty God himself. But in their recognition, did they believe, did they know, did they understand the person who was before them. Or did they worship out of fear?

Peter walked on the water and had that unique experience within himself.  No one can take that from him. It was real and he experienced it himself. It was real for the other disciples also who witnessed the miracle themselves. And they all had a common experience to remember and to share. Was this enough to convince?  Was this enough to make certain? Was this enough for them to know without a doubt who was this Christ, this rabbi that they followed? Only time would tell. So they continued on their journey with Christ, And crossing over, they came to the land at Genesar.   The inhabitants of that place as soon as they recognized him, sent into that whole country, and brought to him all the sick.

The inhabitants recognized Him. How did they recognize Him? How did they know Him? How did they see Him? For the news of Him traveled throughout the land and into the countryside, into the villages and towns and neighboring districts. All heard the story of the man who healed with a touch. All heard of the blind being made to see, the cripple made to walk, the lame made whole again and the dead coming to life again. All heard of him who did such miracles. The disciples knew. They knew him daily, by the hour, sleeping, eating and in his presence at all times. But did they believe? Did they truly know with all their knowledge and wisdom the truth of the person of Christ. He spoke to them with love. He told them of compassion. He gave them of himself that they may believe within themselves the truth of who he was. But did that truth enter into their hearts? Did that truth fill them with joy? Did that truth tell them of who they were in Christ? Did that truth penetrate to their souls that they were open to the light of Christ?

Do we recognized Christ today? Are we truly aware of his presence in our lives today? We can say and speak of him in our churches, in the company of others, in our prayers, at work with our co-workers, in the malls, and at dinner in the restaurants. We can shout his holy name in our worship, but is he within us? We can do all the things that indicate that we are true believers, but do we know him as we should? Christ is the light of the world. He came that we may have life. He gave his life that we may find repentance, be justified in God's sight, and have eternal salvation. He came that we may have life more abundantly. Do we recognize immediately as the inhabitants did? Do we believe that he is a healer? Do we believe that he can make the lame walk? Was it because of the miracles that Christ worked that we the people, the inhabitants of earth recognize him? Christ said to the Samaritan woman at the well, "If thou didst know the gift of God." Do you know God's gift? Do you believe? Faith is the belief in the desire to be one with Christ. How strong is your desire?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 32 - 33, The Test of Heart: The Affirmation.

2011-11-27T10:18:00.002-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Peter walks on the water) Part 5.

Peter was sinking into the water and doubt was taking over. He had questioned. He had wondered how. He had opened the door for everything to came in, doubt, fear, anxiety, and darkness. Christ had said to him, "Come."   And he got out of the boat and he was coming to Christ. He was walking on water. He was filled with excitement, joy, exhilaration. He was walking on water. But then he began to sink. He began to fear. He began to allow doubt to come in. And he called to Christ for help. Peter was a fisherman and his livelihood was made in and on the water. So he was not afraid of water, he knew how to swim. He knew how to tread water. He knew how to survive on the water. But he called to Christ to save him because he was sinking.

What was the strange feeling of sinking when one has just experienced the feeling of walking on water? The water was solid as the ground. The water pushed back when Peter took a step. The water was hard and firm as a rock. But then the water become soft. The water began to give way. And Peter began to sink. Why did he fear? Why did he doubt? Why did he open himself up to the questions of the flesh when his spirit and his heart were filled with joy? He called to Christ for help and Christ reached out and lifted him up and together they walked back to the boat. Together they walked on the water, back to the boat.

Peter was broken.  He could not understand what had happened.   One moment he was walking on water and the next he was sinking as in quicksand. You see, with the coming of doubt the water changed from solid to semisolid, like quicksand, and then back to the consistency of water. It did not change from solid to water at once. There was a gradual transition which made the sinking feel like quicksand and not like water. And Peter did not know how to accept this transition. So he called out to Christ for help. And Christ admonished him that the doubt was the cause of his sinking. The doubt opened the door to fear and with coming of fear the miracle stopped.   And when they got into the boat, the wind fell.

Peter was in shock. His emotions and his feelings were in disarray. He walked on water. What a joy! Then he sank as in quicksand. He was high one moment and low the next. He was in joy and ecstasy one minute and deep fear and doubt the next. How do you experience such extremes? And yet the miracle took place. All, witnessed it. The disciples in the boat were in ecstasy also.  What they witnessed happened before their eyes. The waves were high and they came crashing into the boat. The boat was filling with water, more water was coming in than they could bail out and they were afraid of drowning. And then Christ came walking on the water. They forgot about the water and watched in amazement as Peter walked on the water. They also watched in fear as he begin to sink. But Christ saved him. And then they knew. They experienced it within themselves. No one could tell them otherwise. They saw it, they believed it and they knew it.   This was the Messiah, this was the Son of God became man.  And they were with him. They were before him. They were in him and he was in them.   But they who were in the boat came and worshipped saying, "Truly thou art the Son of God."

That was then, 2000 years ago, and this is now 2011. Christ left the world and returned to his father and the world returned to itself. For we are in the world and the world is in us. From the time we are born the world takes over. It tells us how to think, how to eat, how to act, how to live, how to love, how to enjoy, how to believe, how to fear, how to doubt, the world is in us and we become the world.

The young ones grow up with the world in them. They do not grow up with Christ. Even though they receive the traditional upbringings in a church or a religious environment, most do not grow up with Christ in them and the knowledge of the Holy Spirit. For the knowledge of Christ in not in them or in their parents and the joy and love of the Holy Spirit is unknown. So they are swollowed up into the world and there they remain until they are called.

Where does it all begin? Can we look to our parents? Are we the offspring of our parents, they are in the world and so are we? Where does the cycle end? Christ said, "Come!" Christ opened the door. Christ is our example and the Holy Spirit is our guide. The disciples saw it and affirmed the truth. When will we see it and know the truth. The spirit awaits your awakening. Open the door, say goodbye to the world and say hello to him. Your miracle awaits! It all starts with you. Come receive the light of the Holy Spirit and know that he is with you!

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verse: 31, The Test of Heart: The Admonition from Christ.

2011-11-12T14:21:00.000-05:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Peter walks on the water) Part 4.

The heart was elated. The heart was filled with joy. The heart was in Christ and Christ was in Peter. For Peter walked on water. There was no doubt in this fact. It happened. He experienced it within himself, within his heart, within his being, within his mind, within his soul. And his heart was elated. His heart was overjoyed.  But he allowed something to happen. He allowed the world to come in. He allowed the wind and the waves to change his heart. He allowed what was happening around him to take the focus from his heart to his mind and the mind brought in the world. How is this happening? How am I walking on water? How is the water supporting me that I can step as though I was on solid ground? These and other questions came to mind and invaded the heart to push Christ out.

The joy of the miracle was gone. The elation of the heart was gone. The light of the spirit left and in came doubt. And with doubt the miracle faded and Peter began to sink in the water. The more he allowed doubt to come the more he sank and with the sinking came fear. He was loosing the power of the spirit. He was experiencing the loss of faith in Christ. For it was through Christ the the miracle began. Christ said, "Come." And Peter came. Christ said walk on water and Peter walked on water. Christ said behold all things are possible within me and the possibility of walking on water became true with Peter. Yet just as the miracle happened, the miracle stopped happening when the heart stopped believing, the mind took over, and fear came in.   But seeing the wind was strong, he was afraid; and as he began to sink he cried out saying, "Lord, save me!"

It is hard to imagine something that we have not seen before. It is difficult to believe in something that has not happened before. For history has not recorded anything like man walking on water. History has not given us any recollection of such happening that man can explain. So we do not believe. Our minds do not allow us to believe that such is possible. And thus we maintain a sense of skepticism, a degree of doubt and disbelief. If someone told us that we could be healed just by our belief in Christ, we would naturally doubt the assertion because there is little to no evidence of that fact. It is not established in the world by facts that we can intelligently believe. Yet it is this same doubt and disbelief that separates us from the opportunity to receive the healing powers of the spirit.   And Jesus at once stretched forth his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? "

The kingdom of God is within our midst, if we believe. The kingdom of heaven is upon us, if we open our hearts to the power of the spirit. Christ told Peter to come. Christ tells us today that we can, we are, and we will. Do you believe? Do you know? Can you seek? Will you find? Will it be opened to you to see the power of Almighty God?  Imagine what Peter felt walking on the water! Imagine what you will feel receiving your miracle! The world will hold on to you.  The world will resist allowing you to make your transformation. The world will tell you that you are loosing reality, that we are not sane. The world will do everything to keep you from believing, but belief in Christ and his healing power requires that you let go of reality.

Belief in Christ and the things that are possible through him requires that you leave reality and the world behind. Belief in Christ requires that you take on a new reality in Christ and the kingdom of heaven. Only through this transformation will you be able to step into the kingdom and look back upon the world as another place. Come, experience the miracle of rebirth!  You are not of the world. You are of the kingdom of heaven, only in the world to do the bidding of Christ, only to be his witness to the things that are. Your treasures are in heaven and not of this world. Discover the treasure in you and you will know the joy and peace of who you are. The world does not want you to know. The world wants to steal your treasure. The world wants you to sleep and be deceived about who you are in Christ. Peter was in Christ and Christ was in Peter as he walked on the water. Imagine what miracles you will experience when Christ is in you and you are in Christ. Faith is the belief in the desire to be one in Christ. How strong is your desire?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verse: 30, The Test of Heart: The conflict, the outside vs the inside, the spiritual vs the physical.

2011-10-29T11:24:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Peter walks on the water) Part 3.

Peter walked on water. The disciples watched as he took one step after another. And Christ said "Come." Christ gave the command. Peter heard the command. Peter took courage instead of fear. Peter took action and stepped from the boat onto the water and the water took steps and pushed back upon Peter. And he walked on water just as Christ and told him to do. There was no doubt. There was no hesitation. There was only action. The heart was pounding and the mind was recording everything that it was sensing of this miracle as it unfolded. Peter was walking upon the water.

The experience was in him. The knowledge of his actions were upon him. And he was walking upon water. And then the conflict began. How was this possible? How am I doing this? How does this work? Can I do this again? All these mental questions come to mind and bring to mind the reality of what the heart and the the mind has just experienced. Yet he walked on water. But the conflict of reality came in and so did doubt. The wind was blowing and the waves were crashing into the boat and Peter was walking upon the water. But the reality of the world came into his heart. How do you see tumult of the waves and the force of the blowing wind and not believe? How  do you feel the wet water against your skin and the force of the wind upon your face and your body and not know? The conflict came and Peter faced a moment of decision and choose to allow doubt to come in.    But seeing the wind was strong, he was afraid; and as he began to sink he cried out saying, "Lord, save me!"

Peter walked on water. Of this there is no doubt. Everyone witnessed the fact. Peter was a witness, a participant, and the disciples were witnesses also. The mind took action and the heart was filled with the joy of what was happening. The heart did not stop to analyze. The heart did not see the waves.  The heart did not feel the wind. The heart only knew that something special had happened and the rejoicing of the spirit was taking place. For the heart felt the working of the spirit within. But the mind saw the reality of the surrounding world despite the fact of the miracle. Christ said, "Come," and Peter came. He walked on the water despite the reality of the wind and the waves. But the reality came in and the doubt eased in behind it and then came fear.

Where is your heart? What do you believe? Is it possible to be healed of a disease? Can cancer be erased from my body? Can I walk again after the doctors have told me otherwise? Can God change my life and provide for me? What are your questions of doubt? What are your questions of fear? Will they bring conflict into your miracle? Will they cause your heart to doubt when you are being healed? Will they bring a moment of conflict just when you are beginning to walk? Christ wants you to walk on water. Christ wants you to experience the spiritual. Christ wants you to hear and believe that all things are, in him. He says, "Come!" Will you believe and come. Will you open your heart to experience the power of the spiritual? Will you discard the reality of the world and experience the spiritual of Christ? Christ says, "Come!" The test of the heart is the key.

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 29b, The Test of Heart: The Proof.

2011-10-24T11:46:00.001-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Peter walks on the water) Part 2.

Peter saw the ghost. Peter heard the voice of Christ. Peter believed that it was he. Peter took courage and discarded his fear. Peter wanted to know that what he saw was real. He wanted to believe that what he saw the Messiah, the Christ walking on water. So, he challenged, Christ if it is you then command that I come to you. Christ if it is you, then command that I come to you over the water. Christ if it is you then command that "I" walk on water just as you are walking on water. And Christ said, "Come."

Christ did not say, think about it. Christ did not say maybe. Christ did not say, well you can not do this. Christ said, "Come." And that command made Peter believe that he could come. Christ's command told Peter that he was given the power through Christ to walk on water. That command told Peter that he heard Christ say that he could. And hearing brought faith, and faith brought courage, and courage brought the action that made Peter move from the boat to the water. At first it was trembling and then action. Then there was the first step onto the water, the challenging step, the step of proof. And finally the proof of his feet touching the water and the water pushed back against his feet to hold him up. Such things the eyes have not beheld. Such things the body has not felt. Such things the mind has not conceived. And such things the heart has not felt as that moment when Peter took the first step and stood on water. And the rush of truth pervaded his body, his mind and his heart as he stood there. Then he took the next step and put the other foot out to take another step on the water, and the water pushed back holding him up. The truth took hold of him and he took another step, and another and another. And his heart was filled with the joy and the happiness and the awareness of what he was doing.   Then Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to come to Jesus.

He did not stumble out of the boat. He did not fall out of the boat. He got out of the boat as he normally does and he walked on the water. He placed one foot in front of the other and he walked on the water. He was confident. He was bold. He was knowing, for he was walking on the water as he saw Christ walking on the water and he was joyous. For Christ had commanded him. Christ had told him what to do.   Christ had given him the authority to walk on the water. Christ had placed within him a memory that would never leave him. Christ had given him an experience that would last his entire life. Christ had shown him and demonstrated to him that he was the Son of Man and God was his father. For what man could do such as Christ had done. What man could command as Christ had commanded. What man could perform such miracles as Christ had completed. And all the disciples were his witness. For they all saw. They all were in awe. They all felt the realism of what was taking place with Peter walking on the water. Can you believe?

Christ calls us today to believe. Christ commands us to walk on water as Peter did. For we asked him to save us. We asked him to heal us. We asked him to provide for us. We asked him to protect us from our enemies. But do you believe that he will do these things for us? Do you know within yourself that he will do all these things for us? Peter had faith. Peter had hope. Peter heard the command and he got out of the boat. Do you hear the command, "COME"? Will you get out of the boat of life and leave the world behind that Christ may show you how to walk on water?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 28 - 29a, The Test of Heart: The Challenge.

2011-10-12T13:49:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Peter walks on the water) Part 1.

The test had begun. The disciples were in the boat being tossed about by the waves and water was everywhere. They did not know who they were becoming but Christ knew. Christ was their teacher. Christ was their provider. Christ was their protector and he knew what they were becoming. But the disciples did not know that the transformation was taking place within them. For they had seen many things with Christ. They had seen the lame walk. They had seen that the blind could see through the miracles that Christ performed. They saw the demons cast out, and they still did not know who they were becoming with Christ. Christ told them to feed the people themselves and they did not know that they could. They wanted to send the people away.

Christ sent the disciples away and now they were alone on the sea in the boat with the waves crashing down upon them. There was no place to hide. There was no place to go. There was no protection for water was everywhere. And fear was their only choice, fear of dying, fear of loosing their lives, fear of all they had sacrificed for naught. They were simple men, not scholars. They had no knowledge of a soul. They did not know about the spirit of life within them. They did not know what would happen after death, so they were afraid. And the evil one was upon them seeking to have them turn from Christ in this hour of trial and test. For he wanted them to believe that they were dying. He wanted them to believe that Christ had failed them. He wanted them to believe that Christ was not the Messiah and that they were lost. But Christ came to them in their hour of trial and test. Christ came to them walking on the water. Christ came to them telling them to take courage and not to be afraid. For fear was upon them.

They thought that Christ was a ghost. They believed that they were seeing illusions in their dying hour. But Peter challenged the test of heart. Peter, amongst all the disciples, wanted to know. Peter wanted to believe. Peter had that spark of hope within that lead him to take action. His heart was opened. His mind believed. His desire for Christ challenged him to take action and so he called to the ghost. He called to Christ to test his faith. But Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is thou, bid me come to thee over the water."

If, Peter said. If, Peter asked. If, Peter challenged. If, Peter believed. If it is thou, he said then command that I walk on water. For Peter saw Christ doing something that he wanted to do. Peter believed that if Christ had commanded all the other miracles to happen then he could command that he, Peter, walk on water. So he challenged that he might prove to himself that this was the Christ. He challenged that he might know within himself that Christ was the Messiah. He called to Christ that he might know without a doubt that Christ was the Son of Man and God was his father. And he said,"Come."

Would you come if Christ called you? Christ walks on air at the edge of a cliff and he calls to you to come would you step out from the cliff to go to him? Would you believe that he has the power to make you walk on air? Would you know that you would not fall? Would you believe with all your being that he is your protector and your provider, your guide and your shield? The world would tell you otherwise. The world would have you believe in yourself, that you are your provider, that you are your protector. The world would have you believe that you can do anything as long as you believe in yourself. For this is the way of the world and as long as you are in the world and succeeding, what need have you of God. You can be your provider. You can be your protector. You can be your own guide without the help of Christ who loves you. And there is the challenge, live in the world without believing in Christ or live in Christ and believe that he can make you do miracles like walking on water or walking on air and achieving all things within him. Christ calls to you, and he says to you,"Come."

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verse: 27, The Test of Heart: The Heart Transforms and the door is open.

2011-10-06T12:24:00.002-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus walks on the water) Part 4.

Christ was on the land and they, the disciples, were on the sea in a boat being tossed about by the waves. They were afraid. They were in fear. They were in doubt and fear was overtaking them. For there was no place to hide.  There was no place to go for protection from the pounding waves of the sea and they believed that death was at their door. For Christ was not with them to protect them. Christ was not with them to stop the waves. Christ was not with them to calm the sea and they were afraid. They saw their lives passing before them. They were the disciples of Christ. He was their teacher yet they were faced with the thought of drowning and losing their lives. And all that they had been taught, all that they had seen, all that they had believed was about to be lost in the drowning of the boat by the waves of the sea.

All they could see was death. All they could see was drowning. All they could believe was the loss of their lives.  All that they had been given was pushed aside.  All that they had transformed from was being lost. For they did not know who they were becoming and fear was entering their hearts. And then their fears were confirmed because they believed they saw a ghost. They saw Christ walking on water and they believed that they were perishing. For ghost only appear when death is at hand. Ghost only come when something evil is about to happen. Ghosts are the fore runners of the coming of death. But Christ was walking on the waters and they did not believe. Christ was with them and they did not know.   In their hour of need, in their time of testing, Christ was with them. For fear had taken them and their hearts were afraid.   Then Jesus immediately spoke to them, saying, " Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid."

Take courage. Take courage in what you see. Take courage in what you believe. Take courage in what you know for it is I, Christ said, to his disciples. Choose courage instead of fear. Choose courage instead of being afraid.   Choose courage as opposed to anxiety for it is I.   For the test was upon them. The test was at hand and the disciples must choose which way to turn, what to believe, what to know. Their senses told them that they were in danger. Their senses told them that the boat was sinking. Their senses told them that the waves were overcoming them and the boat would soon drown. But their senses did not know how to tell them of Christ walking on water. Their senses did not know how to tell them to take courage instead of fear. Their senses did not know what to do faced with this choice.

Christ told them to take courage. Christ told them to believe. Christ told them it was he who was walking on the water. Christ told them to discard their senses and open their hearts. Christ told them to believe with the love that was given to them in their hearts. Christ told them that their hearts would be the key to passing the test and not their senses. For here he was walking on water, a site they had not been seen before. Here he was walking on water and their senses could not understand how this was possible. And yet he told them to take courage and not fear, for what they saw was real. What they believed was true. What they heard were the words from Christ in whom all things are possible. Take courage he told them. Open your hearts and believe. Christ wants to transform you!! Open your heart, let him in, and be transformed.

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 25 - 26, The Test of Heart: The Demonstration of Power.

2011-09-28T15:41:00.003-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus walks on the water) Part 3.

And the disciples were on the sea and Christ was on the land. And let us test them that they may believe. Let us show them the awesome power of God that they may know that Christ was sent by the father to do the father's will. For they saw the multiplication of the loaves. They saw the healing of the sick. They saw the lame walk. They saw the eyes of the blind opened but they did not believe. They did not trust that they could feed the people, Christ told them to feed the people themselves. They did not know who they were. They did not know, yet, who they were becoming. They did not have the faith in Christ through whom all things are.

They were on the sea and Christ was on the land. And the boat was being buffeted by the waves and they were in fear of loosing their lives. They were afraid of drowning. There was no place to hide. There was no place to run. There was no place to seek shelter from the impending waves. But they were the disciples of Christ. They were his pupils and he was their teacher. Yet they were on the sea and he was on the land. But in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking upon the sea.

They did not believe, even with all the miracles that he performed. They did not know, even with all that they had seen. They did not trust even with all they had heard. And they did not know how to feed the people, for Christ had told them to feed the people. But the disciples wanted to send the people away that they may find food for themselves. The disciples wanted to put them back into the world after being with Christ. The disciples did not know who they were becoming. They did not believe. They did not trust. So, a demonstration of power had to be made. An irrefutable image had to be placed in their minds that they would know the true Christ. For no one had seen or heard of a man walking on water. But Christ was not mere man.

But, they were in fear. They were in chaos and the evil one was knocking at their door telling them that all they had sacrificed had come to this. They had dreams of power. They had visions of honor. They had desires of leadership and all the perks that comes with being a ruler. But all that flashed before their eyes and through their minds as they struggled with the wind and the waves that threatened to destroy them. And Satan was there reminding them that they had failed. And Satan was there reminding them that all had come to naught. For they did not believe. They did not know. They did not have the faith in Christ that brings forth complete trust.

And when Christ came to them walking on the water their fear was confirmed. They believed that they were seeing a ghost. They believed that they were near death. They were on the verge of canceling out their belief. They were about to step over the line between belief in Christ and
belief that Christ had failed them. They believed that they were dying. They opened the door to Satan and believed in the lies that he was giving them. And they, seeing him walking upon the sea, were greatly alarmed, and exclaimed, "It is a ghost!" they cried out for fear.

Are you on the sea in a boat that is sinking? Are you being tossed about by the waves of the world? Will you believe in Christ? Will you believe that Christ can calm the sea, speak to the wind and dispel fear? Be not be like the disciples in the test. You have seen miracles and attributed them to the world. You have seen the wonders of his power and accepted them as your own praise and glory.

You have witnessed the awesomeness of his majesty and do not know that Christ is with you. He has made himself known to you in many ways, yet you do not know. The world will deceive you. The world will lead you down the wide path of destruction taking you away from life in Christ into death with the evil one. The world will blind you. The world will block your hearing. The world will steel your heart that you may not know the truth of its longing for God. Wake up!! Know that you are a child of God and know that you are much more than the world offers. Know and believe that Christ in you will bring forth the fruits of the kingdom of heaven and transform you into the truth of who you are in Christ. The disciples were transformed. Are you ready for the change? The test is here!

St Matthew, Chapter14, verse: 24, The Test of Heart: The Test begins.

2011-09-25T20:40:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus walks on the water) Part 2.

Christ was on the land. The disciples were on the water in the boat and they were without Christ. He had sent them away. He put them on a boat and sent them to the other side of the sea, alone. For he was to come later after dismissing the crowds and going up to the mountain to pray. But the disciples did not know that this was their test. They did not understand the training they were receiving through Christ. Time was short. The sacrifice had to be made. And the disciples must be prepared to take their places here on earth for the coming battle for the souls of men. So they had to be tested to make sure that they understood.

They witnessed the miracle of the multiplication. They had witnessed many miracles, the lame walked, the blind saw, and evil was cast out. They saw these things take place before their eyes. They heard Christ say to them, feed the people yourselves. But they did not understand. They did not know. They did not believe what was happening before their very eyes, into their very ears and filling their very hearts with the glory of Christ to come. They would become the leaders. They would become the preachers. They would become the shepherds of the people leading them to Christ, leading them to life. So they had to understand, they had to know, they had to believe what was happening to them, with them, and in them. They were being transformed. But the boat was in the midst of the sea, buffeted by the waves, for the wind was against them.

The wind was against them and they were being tested. For they had not seen such wind before. They had not known such peril before. They had not believed that they would survive before because the boat was being buffeted by the waves. The boat was being tossed about by the sea. The boat was being pushed from side to side to capsize and they were with fear. They were the
disciples of Christ. They had given up their all to follow him. They were being taught the principles of the kingdom of heaven that they may carry the message to others. But now they were alone. Now they were without Christ. Now they were with fear. For they were told to feed the people themselves and they did not know how. They were told to give them something to eat but they believed that they could not. They wanted to dismiss the people and send them back into the world.

Would they believe? Would they know? Would they understand the transformation that was taking place within them? They were without Christ and the test came. The test of belief came upon them that they would believe in the transformation taking place within them. Would they fear for their lives. Would they run away in shame? Or would they pass the test and believe. Christ was not with them and the boat was being tossed by the waves. Fear was coming upon them and they would not believe. Would it become life or death? In this moment of testing would they forsake all that they had seen and heard and believed, to turn away from Christ. Or would they pass the test and take courage, strengthening their faith in Christ completing the transformation.

Christ was not with them and they were in the sea being buffeted by the waves. Would you believe? Would you hold to your faith? Would you glorify God in your last hour? The disciples faced the test on the open waters. There was no place to go. There was no place to hide. There was no place that would protect them. There was only the fear of death and drowning. They were without Christ and believed that they would perish. The miracle of the multiplication did not make them believe. Perhaps a stronger demonstration of the power and the glory of God was needed that they may know the truth of their belief and the solidity of their faith in Christ. Do you believe? Do you see? Do you know the truth of your faith. Do you believe in Christ? Or, do you have faith built upon sand, faith that crumbles in times of sorrow and pain and trials and tribulations. There is but one God. There is but one truth. There is but one belief that gives life. Will you pass the test?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 22 - 23, The Test of Heart: The Disciples sent alone.

2011-09-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus walks on the water) Part 1.

All were filled and the baskets of leftovers were collected. And there were twelve basketfulls left when the fragments were collected. The miracle took place before their eyes. Only now did they realize. The people were in need. The disciples did not know how to satisfy their needs so they wanted to send them away. But Christ told his disciples to feed the people themselves. They only had five loaves of bread and two fishes to feed multitudes, thousands of people. But the disciples did not know who they were becoming. They did not know the truth of the nature of Christ. And they did not know what he was training them to do. So they wanted to send the people away.

Christ told them to feed the people themselves but they did not know how. After the miracle had taken place and all were filled, Christ made his disciples leave.   And immediately afterwards he made his disciples get into the boat and cross the sea ahead of him, while he dismissed the crowd.

And now they are to be tested. For they were sent away and Christ remained with the people.   The disciple did not know what to do. They did not know what to think, for the first time they were alone without Christ. He was on the land and they were in the boat. He was the Christ and they were his disciples. He was their coach, their teacher, their mentor, and they were his pupils. But Christ was not with them and they did not know what to do. They did not know where to go or what would happen next. And confusion came to them and remained.   And when he had dismissed the crowd, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. And when it was late, he was there alone.

So the disciples wanted to send the people away instead of tend to their needs, but Christ sent the disciples away. He made them get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake ahead of him for he was to catch another boat, this is what the disciples thought. They were to wait for him on the other side. They were to be without him during the travel to the other side. They were to be tested without Christ at their side.

Are you ready for the test? Are you ready to be sent forth into the world and wait for Christ?  We live in the world today, without the knowledge and the truth of Christ. Many carry the word within them but yet do not know the truth of who they are. Therefore, when the test comes we have no strength to draw from since we do not know who we are and from whom our strength comes. We call on the Lord in times of need. We beseech his help in times of trouble. We seek his assistance when all else fails, but we do not know the truth of who we are in Christ and the strength that he has placed at our disposal.

Are you ready for the test? Do you seek to know the truth of your true nature or do you just seek to know what is given to you? We go to church. We go to religious studies. We go to conferences, but do we go to Christ. For he is our source and our strength and our comforter in times of need, always. Yet we seek him not. Instead we seek the temporary fix of church. We seek the temporary good feeling that church service has to offer and we return to the world for our fix. Turn to Christ and receive the truth! Turn to Christ and receive the power! Turn to Christ and receive the knowledge of who you are in Christ! He has redeemed us. He has saved us from eternal damnation. He has justified and sanctified us before our Father that we may become holy in his eyes. Hear the good news! Seek the gospel truth for yourself and he will come to you. The truth is not in the sanctuary. The truth is not in the Sunday service. The truth is not in the religious teachings, religious books, music, shows, conferences. The truth is within you. Read the gospel, read the good news, read the new testament and find it for yourself. Are you ready for the test?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 20b - 21, The Needs of the People: All are Satisfied and the Leftovers

2011-09-11T14:22:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus feeds five thousand) Part 4.

All ate and were satisfied. The people were in need. They needed food. They needed guidance. They needed leadership. They needed hope. All were in need. John the Baptist was their voice in the wilderness. John preached repentance. John showed the people the way to salvation and told them that the Messiah was coming. John gave the people hope. And then John was no more. And chaos came. And doubt came. And fear came and the people did not know what to do. But Christ came and saw their hopelessness. Christ came and saw their needs. Christ came and had compassion and all were satisfied. For he healed the sick, cured the lame, opened the eyes of the blind and fed the multitudes.

The disciples did not understand. The disciples did not see. The disciples did not know who they were and who they were becoming in Christ. For he told them to feed the people themselves. But they wanted to send them away for they were fearful of the needs of the people. But Christ satisfied their needs. Christ fulfilled the needs of the people and showed his disciples what they were to do. Do not send the people away because you do not understand! Feed the people. Christ told his disciples, bring them here to him and he would satisfy their needs. And so he demonstrated to the disciples what they were to do when they are faced with the needs of the people. Bring them here to Christ and he will satisfy their every need.

And they all eat and were satisfied. For Christ blessed the five loaves and the two fishes, broke them and gave them to is disciples to give to the people. And the baskets were passed around to the people.  The people took their fill from the baskets and the baskets replenished themselves. The baskets did not empty. The baskets did not overflow. The baskets continued to fill the needs of the people and the miracle took place before their very eyes. And when every one had taken of the baskets and no one was left to take from the baskets, the baskets stopped replenishing itself. And as the people broke the bread and the fish and ate, the bread and fish replenished itself and all were filled.

And when the people stopped breaking the bread and the fishes, the bread and the fish stopped replenishing itself and there were leftovers.    And they gathered up what was left over, twelve baskets full of fragments. Now the number of those who had eaten was five thousand men, without counting women and children.

Five thousand men were fed. Many women and children were fed. All were satisfied. All ate till they were filled.  And the baskets stopped replenishing and the bread and the fish stopped replenishing when all were filled. And there was no one left to take from the baskets or no one left to break the bread and the fish. But twelve baskets were left from the five loaves and the two fishes. The miracle took place before their eyes and all were amazed that had eaten. For Christ had satisfied their needs and no one was sent away.

Why do we not have miracles today like this one? Why do our disciples of today not feed the people? Why do our disciples of today send the people away? Each Sunday and everyday of the week the people come to places of worship in need. They come seeking faith. They come seeking hope. They come seeking to have their needs met and are sent away with crumbs without being filled. And they return again to receive the crumbs and are sent away without being filled. Christ said bring them to me. And yet the people are not being brought to him. Can we go to Christ and be filled? Can we go to Christ and not thirst again? Can we go to Christ and see the miracle take place before our eyes?

How do we go to Christ? How do our disciples, our pastors, our ministers, lead us to Christ? Do they know how to lead us to him? What is the path to Christ?  Have they been lead to Christ themselves? Will we have to come back again and again to only receive crumbs or will we be filled, no longer needing temporary satisfaction? Christ said, bring them to me.  He will satisfy their needs. How do we know when we are with Christ? Can we tell when we are with Christ? What sign do we have to know that Christ is with us? How can we know?

Each Sunday we listen to sermons on various subjects from the bible by ministers and preachers. Can they show us how to come to Christ? Have they come to Christ that they can show us the path to have Christ with us? What must we do? What is the way? How do we receive Christ within us that we no longer thirst? For he will satisfy our needs. He will not send us away. He will come and abide with us that we may know. And he will give us a sign that we may know the truth of who we are in him. For through him, and in him, and with him, we become one with the father. Come, ministers and preachers, feed the people. Bring them to Christ! Show them the way that they may be satisfied eternally!

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses:19 - 20a, The Needs of the People: The Multiplication Miracle.

2011-09-07T17:08:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus feeds five thousand) Part 3.

And Christ told his disciples to bring the five loaves and the two fishes to him and he would demonstrate what needed to be done. The disciples wanted to dismiss the people. The disciples wanted the people to leave. The disciples wanted the people to go away, to be on their own, to leave them, so that they could find peace. But Christ did not want the people to leave. Christ did not want to dismiss the people. Christ did not want to send them away because they did not have food to feed the people. Christ was their food. Christ was their drink. Christ was their clothing. Christ was their all and the disciples did not understand.

The disciples did not know. The disciples did not totally see Christ. They did not see who he had made them to become and therefore did not understand. For Christ wanted the disciples to feed the people. Christ wanted the disciples to give them drink. Christ wanted the disciples to clothe the people, to provide shelter, to provide protection, to provide for all their needs. And they did not understand that they could do these things or, that they would do these things in Christ's name.  So they wanted to send the people away. They needed to have the people leave. They needed to separate themselves from the people that they may find rest for their own needs. But who would provide for the people? Who would give them food? Who would teach the ways of the kingdom of heaven if the disciples did not understand who they were and what was their mission?

So Christ had to demonstrate the power that they would be given. Christ had to show the disciples who they would become. Christ had to, once again, provide an example for them to follow.   And when he had ordered the crowd to recline on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.   And all ate and were satisfied.

And so Christ gave his disciples an example to follow to do the multiplication miracle. He showed them what to do. And they saw with their own eyes how the miracle happened. Yet it happened before their very eyes. He gave them the loaves that was broken. He gave them the fish that was broken into pieces. And they gave it to the people. The basket was passed around and each person eat from it. Each person took their fill. Each person ate their fill and the basket never emptied. The basket never stopped multiplying. The food continued to fill itself until the last person took from it. And the basket was never empty. The basket never stopped replenishing itself. The basket continued to multiply the fish and the pieces of bread to feed the people. This was the miracle. This was the multiplication. This was the work of Christ and the work that the disciples would do, to feed the people.

We live in a rational world today. We have science and math and history and believe that all is possible through our own ability to understand and explain our world and how it works. Our achievements have surpassed all other achievements in the entire history of mankind. We have achieved space. We have reached for the stars. We can see the distant Milky Way and other galaxies. In our eyes our achievements are endless. All this is given to us as men of achievement that we may believe in ourselves. We must believe that we can achieve. We must believe that given time we will achieve all things. We will tame the winds, calm the storms, understand the earthquakes, create rains and make the sun shine to our liking. All these things we believe that we can do if we only believe in ourselves and throw off the beliefs of the past.

What, would you believe? Christ tells us that he is the son of the one true God who is the father of all creation. Christ tells us that the father loves us, will provide for us, will protect us if we only believe in him and heed his commandments. And to those who do believe, he will provide a counselor to come and abide with him/her that we may know the truth. Christ performed the miracle of multiplication of the loaves and the fishes before the eyes of his disciples. The name of Jesus still brings forth miracles today, to the sick, and the lame, and the downtrodden.   But, we live in a world of achievements, a world that turns our beliefs away from God and towards ourselves. How would you respond to a miracle performed before your eyes? Do you believe that our achievements will be able to explain how it happened? Would our science give meaning to the miracle? Christ performed miracles. The disciples performed miracles. When will you realize that you are a miracle in Christ? Come, feed the people. Satisfy their needs! For you are one in Christ and in Christ all things are.

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 17 - 18, The Needs of the People: Christ's Demonstration.

2011-09-02T09:21:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus feeds five thousand) Part 2.

And the disciples did not know. They saw with their eyes, heard with their ears, but they did not perceive with their hearts. For they had not seen of such before. They had not heard of such before. They had not understood of such before by any man. Yet Christ was before them. Christ was with them. Christ was in them and they did not understand. They were surrounded by masses of people. They were with hundreds or even thousands of fellow countrymen who were lost. There were many with needs that they could not fill. And the disciples were overwhelmed. And Christ saw their needs and the needs of his disciples.

Christ understood. Christ knew of their needs. Christ wanted to fulfill their needs but his time had not yet come, for his sacrifice would fill the needs of all mankind for all eternity. And the disciples did not know. For life was in Christ. Life flowed from Christ and he wanted to give it to the people and his disciples that they would know the truth. The people were in need. They needed a leader. They needed a guide. They needed love. They needed. And Christ was their to fulfill their needs. But the disciples did not know. The disciples did not understand. The disciples did not see the truth of fulfillment within themselves. So they brought their needs to Christ.

But Christ told them, you, yourselves feed them. Christ told them, in so many words, they had to power to feed the people. Christ told them, in so many words, they could feed the people, but they did not understand. They did not comprehend his words. They only thought in terms of their earthly being. They did not see the seed that was growing within them through Christ. For he had planted the seeds of life within his disciples and growth was taking place. Christ had watered the seeds of life and they were growing. Christ had nurtured the seeds of life and they were growing. Christ had protected the seeds of life within them and the evil one wanted to destroy the seeds. The disciples did not understand. Christ told them, you, yourself feed the people. And they only thought with their human minds and responded with, "We have here only five loaves and two fishes."

Therefore, Christ had to demonstrate to them what was possible. Christ had to show them what to do. Christ had to lead them that they may understand who they were in him. So he told them "Bring them here to me." This is what the disciples had to do, bring all things to him. Bring all problem, bring all sickness, bring all needs, bring all sorrows, bring all to him, for he would satisfy all needs. And the disciples did not understand that the seed in them was Christ.

I found myself in a store the other day buying something to eat. And a man was sitting at the table. When I approached the condiments table he spoke to me. His first question was how much was the sandwich I purchased. I did not know because it was not an issue with me that I should be concerned with the cost of the item. I knew that the cost was within my means to pay because I picked a place where I could buy something to eat for under $3.00. Yet his question to me was how much did one sandwich cost. I told him that I did not know and gave him an approximate amount that I thought it cost. He continued to talk saying that they reminded him of a sandwich from his home town. He was from up north.

The conversation was nothing special but what stayed with me was my reaction. You see, I was afraid of the conversation. I did not know who I am in Christ. I feared that he was about to ask me for some money to buy something to eat. I was afraid and I was only concerned for myself. It was not about the money, it was about the need in him that I did not see. I did not understand who I am in Christ and who he is in Christ. Fear entered me and I was only concerned for myself. I wanted him to ask me for some money so that I could give it to him and he could buy something to eat. I am accustomed to giving to beggars and street people but this was up close. I wanted to help him but I was afraid also. I wanted him to ask me for some money that I may give it to him and then I could be on my way and not be concerned or committed with his needs. I was selfish and only concerned with myself. You see, I was detached and did not want to concern myself with his needs. For concerning myself with his needs meant getting involved, it meant getting close, it meant becoming attached. And I was afraid for myself.

Christ is my provider. Christ is my protector. Christ is in me and yet I failed to be in him. I failed to see the needs of that man. I failed to listen to his concerns. I failed to open my heart to his conversation that I might help his needs. For I feared that it may concern me and I would be involved. How do you help a person? How do you love a stranger? How do you fill the needs of a person that you do not know? How do you overcome the fear of injury, the fear of harm, the fear of loss? How do you open yourself up to a stranger? He started the conversation and spoke out of his need. I withdrew from the conversation and spoke out of my fear.

I missed the opportunity to feed the people. I missed the opportunity to bring him to Christ. I missed the opportunity to open my heart up to show the love of Christ in me to another person. I missed the opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ in me. Be open to the opportunity! Realize that Christ is your provider, your protector. He will provide and protect you no matter where you are or what you are doing, if you carry him with you. Do you carry the seed within you? Let him show you the way. Open your heart to the opportunity and he will lead you to overflowing love and abundant life. You, yourself, feed the people!

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verse: 16, The Needs of the People: Christ's ability.

2011-08-28T14:25:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus feeds five thousand) Part 1.

The people came. They came looking for Christ. They heard the word. They heard that John the Baptist was murdered and they came looking for Christ to satisfy their needs. Christ saw their needs and was moved with compassion. He cured their sick. He preached the good news of the kingdom. He restored hope. He instilled faith. He gave them assurance. For chaos had come. Doubt had come. Fear began to spread throughout, taking away faith, taking away hope. But Christ was there and the people sought him for guidance.

The disciples walked at his side. The disciples saw the miracles first hand. The disciples heard the words of heavenly wisdom from the King of Kings, yet not really knowing him. They watched him cure the sick. They watched him heal the lame and oppressed. They saw the casting out of demons. They knew that he was different. But they did not know. The disciples were filled by his presence. The disciples were at peace in his surroundings because he protected them. The disciples knew hope from the present day worries through him, but they did not know him. Christ filled them. Christ nurtured them. Christ taught them. He gave them his blessings that they may perform miracles. Yet they did not know. They only knew what was before them and not what was in them.

The night was drawing near and the crowd was large. There was no food to feed the people and the disciples became worried. They thought about the needs. They thought about the consequences. They thought about the anger and frustration of the people. The people would come upon them with their frustration and they did not know what to do. They did not know what was in them so they feared. The disciples came to Christ and pleaded that he release the people that they may go into the villages and towns and buy food to eat. The disciples wanted Christ to dismiss the people and send them away for they feared of not meeting the needs of the people. But Jesus said to them, " They do not need to go away; you yourselves give them some food."

The disciples did not know what was in them. They did not know the power that Christ had bestowed upon them. They did not see the strength that he had given to them within. They did not understand the glory of his presence that rubbed off on them. But they wanted to send the people away. They did not understand what to do with the people. They did not know that they had the power, through Christ, to feed the people, to satisfy their hunger. They only wanted to send them away, back to the pits, the trials, the temptations, the sin. Christ said to the disciples, you yourself feed them, but they did not understand.

Too often today lost souls come to Christ through the church. Christ said, you yourself feed them but we do not. They hunger for spiritual food and we do not feed them. They are fed scrapes. They are fed crumbs. They are fed pieces of what is to be, only to return hungry for more. Church people are addicted to pieces. They are addicted to scrapes, not knowing that they can be filled and hunger no more. But how can you feed the people if you are hungry yourself? How can you feed the people if you are not filled yourself? How can you feed the people if you do not know what is in you, yourself? You will only give scrapes. You will only give pieces. You will only give crumbs if you are not filled and overflowing yourself. Christ told his disciples to feed the people themselves. They did not know they had the Holy Spirit within them. They did not know the power of the Holy Spirit to satisfy all needs. Do you know the Holy Spirit? Feed the people!

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 15, The Needs of the people: The Disciple's inability.

2011-08-23T17:16:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Hunger of the crowd) Part 2.

And the people were lost. The people needed a leader. John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod and Christ was there to fulfill their needs. For when he arrived from the boat, the people were waiting. The people were in need. The people had come from all around to hear his words, to see his face, to be near him that they may be comforted. For chaos had come. Fear had come. Doubt had come since the word spread of the murder of John the Baptist. For John was their beacon. John was their voice. John was their inspiration for the things that were to come. John baptized the people. John called the people to repent. John told the people of the coming of the Messiah. And then he was gone.

And Christ came ashore and saw the crowds. And Christ came ashore and saw the people waiting. And Christ came ashore and saw the need in the hearts of the men, women, and children. And Christ came ashore and he cured the sick that they may believe. But then the disciples came, the disciples that followed Jesus and knew of his teachings. But then the disciples came, the disciples that knew of the power and majesty of Christ. But then the disciples did not know. The disciples did not see. The disciples did not understand the truth of the Christ they followed. For they were concerned about the people. They were concerned about the needs of the people that they did not believe that they could fulfill. They did not understand that they followed Christ who could fulfill all needs. They did not understand that they followed a Christ who was the fountain of satisfaction. They did not understand that they followed a Christ that was filled with the spirit of fulfillment and they did not know.

So they came, with their concerns of their own needs for feeding the people. They did not believe. They did not understand. Their needs were pressing upon them so they brought them to Christ. Now when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, "This is a desert place and the hour is already late; send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."

So often today we see the same scene repeating itself. Many, come to a place of spiritual worship, seeking. They come seeking hope. They come seeking faith. They come seeking relief. They come seeking truth. They come, with their needs, seeking fulfillment. And what do they find? They find momentary relief. They find momentary hope. They find momentary faith. But they do not find lasting peace, they do not find lasting fulfillment. For we do not give them what they seek. We only give them a daily piece of bread, we give them something that will only last for a moment. For we do not know. We do not understand. We do not believe that Christ is our satisfaction. Man is not our satisfaction. Pastor is not our satisfaction. Priest is not our satisfaction. Apostle, nor preacher, nor minister, nor anyone can be our satisfaction. God is our satisfaction and through Christ we have the opportunity to find eternal satisfaction, eternal peace. But man does not lead us to Christ. Man turns us to himself.

Preach the gospel! Preach the word! Tell all the nations about the Christ who came down from heaven to save the world. Be the shepherd! Lead the people! But where do you lead them? Do you lead them to the church? Do you lead them to the synagogues? Do you lead them to the temples, the places of worship? Resoundingly, we say yes. But why do they still need? Why do they return again and again to hear the same sermons, the same preachings, the same words without having some relief. Christ saw the need in the people. Christ knew the satisfaction that would fill the hole in their hearts. Christ was their need. If you do not know Christ how can you lead someone to him? If you do not know Christ how can you show someone how to find him? If you do not know Christ how can you tell someone how to find the satisfaction they seek? If you do not know Christ how can you demonstrate hope and faith and love? Is Christ in you? Can you show the people the way to Christ. Words will not get them there. Only your example of knowing him will show the people the way to their satisfaction. If you do not now the way how can you lead?

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 13 - 14, The Needs of the people: Christ's compassion.

2011-08-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Hunger of the crowd) Part 1.

And so it was. John the Baptist was murdered by Herod, Herodias and her daughter, agents of evil. They had planned their plot with the advice of evil and carried it out. John had warned the people of the evil of Herod. John had spoken to them about his lies and deceit. And John was imprisoned for speaking out against evil. For evil wanted to silence John the Baptist. Evil wanted to put John to death. Evil wanted to stop John from winning souls to Christ. John baptised the people. John preached to the people of repentance. John won souls for Christ and turned people against the evil that existed in the kingdom. And evil wanted him dead. And so it was. John was murdered and sent home to his father. His mission accomplished on this earth to prepare the way for Christ.

And the disciples of John came and removed his headless body from the prison and gave him a proper burial. For Herod and Herodias were gloating over the head of John the Baptist. They were rejoicing to his lifeless head how they had triumphed over him. And evil watched on the sidelines as they became embolden in their merriment of their power. For the people did not revolt. The people did not cry out in shame over the death of John. But the word spread how Herod was against his death and how he swore an oath to Herodias' daughter to give her anything that she asked for her reward to dance at his birthday party before the people. Their plan was crafty. Their plan was deceitful. Their plot was carried out flawlessly. And they rejoiced over the death of John the Baptist.

And the word spread of the death of John the Baptist. The people were lost. The people were in need and without a guide. The people were in chaos. For John was their leader. John was their prophet. John was their sign, pointing to the Messiah. They were in need. When Jesus heard this, he withdrew by boat to a desert place apart; but the crowds heard of it and followed him on foot from the towns. And when he landed, he saw a large crowd, and out of compassion for them he cured their sick.

Jesus traveled by boat and the crowds traveled by foot. And they were in need. A great loss had taken place here on earth and a new beginning was unfolding. And the people were in chaos. They new not where to go. They knew not what to do. They knew not any more of John the Baptist so they turned to Christ for their answers. And the word spread of the loss of John the Baptist. And the word spread of the whereabouts of Christ. The people were in need and when Christ landed and saw the crowds he was moved with compassion because of their need for direction, their need to believe, their need for hope, their need for guidance. And he gave them their direction. He gave them their hope. He gave them their belief. He showed them that God was still with them and he cured their sick.

The time is coming and is almost here. Chaos is coming. Unbelief is coming. Doubt is coming. Fear is here. And the people are lost and without direction. With the uncertainty in the world today, people are feeling uncertain. People are loosing faith. People are loosing hope for themselves and their God. For the evil one is bringing about uncertainty that the people will know doubt. The evil one is bringing about uncertainty that the people will loose their belief. The evil one is bring about uncertainty that the people will loose their hope and open the door to fear.

There is no fear in Christ. There is no doubt in Christ. There is no uncertainty in Christ. For all things are in Christ. There is no impossibility in Christ for all things are in Him. Those who know will stand tall in this time of uncertainty. Those who are rooted will not be moved by uncertainty. Those who believe will see the truth come forth in spite of the fear and doubt in the world. And those who practice perfect patience in the Lord will see the certainty of his love. Christ is Lord of all and he sits at the right hand of God our Father in heaven.

St Matthew, Capter 14, verses: 9 - 12, Herod's murder plot: The Act of Murder committed.

2011-08-17T15:16:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Herod murdered John) Part 3.

Herod was a murderer. He was a liar. He was possessed of evil. John the Baptist spoke to the people of the many evil acts committed by Herod. John made the people aware of the evil that was in the heart of Herod. John spoke to the people of Herod's evil with Herodias, his wife, and Herodias wanted to have him killed because he spoke against her, the queen. Many a lesser person would have been killed on the spot. But John was a prophet. John was loved by the people. John was the messenger of God. He baptized the people and prepared the way for Christ.

Herod heard about the John's popularity. Herod heard about the message that John preached to the people. And Herod heard that John spoke of him to the people. John had not committed any crime so Herod had no reason to exact justice against him. But Herod and Herodias were agents of evil. John was baptizing souls for Christ. He preached repentance to the people that they may be saved. And people came from the neighboring countrysides and many far and distant districts. They wanted to be baptized. They wanted to repent of their sins. But evil did not like John. Evil wanted John dead. And evil worked through Herod and Herodias to have John murdered.

They plotted and planned and created a scheme to murder John the Baptist. Evil and Herod and Herodias came together and hatched a plan to have him killed. On Herod's birthday an oath was given to Herodias' daughter to have her dance for Herod. Anything she asked for would be her reward to dance for Herod and his guests. So the plot was planned and the dance was given and the request was made, "Give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter." was her request. And this was the plan. But Herod had to appear grieved before the people as if he was against the plan. If he did not show that he was grieved the people would not believe that he did not want to have John beheaded. So he had to feign grief before the public so all would see that he was tricked into the act by Herodias' daughter. But in actuality it was the plan of evil to get rid of John the Baptist and it was carried out by Herod, Herodias and her daughter.

And grieved as he was, the king, because of his oath and his guests, commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. And his head was brought on a dish and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

And so it happened. John the Baptist was murdered by Herod and his wife and evil. They completed the plot. They carried out the plan. They committed the act. The evildoers acted as agents for evil. They committed the act. They carried out the plan. They became evil. And so it was to be the same with Christ. Evil plotted and evil planned. They wanted to kill Christ. So they planned with the evildoers and crucified Christ on a cross. Do not become an agent for evil. Evil wants you. It seeks you. It plans for your enlistment. Christ calls you from evil. Christ saves you from becoming an evildoer. Christ gives you new life in himself. And the Holy Spirit will teach all to you that you may know the truth of who you are. Be not an agent of evil. Become an agent for Christ and he will give you your reward.

St Matthew, Capter 14, verses: 6 - 8, Herod's murder plot: The promise with an Oath.

2011-08-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Herod murdered John) Part 2.

Herod was a deceitful King. He was a liar and a murderer. He was filled with his own passion and guided by his wife Herodias. For Herod loved Herodias. He desired her. He lusted that he would do anything for her. John spoke against Herod and Herodias and they did not like it. How dare he speak against the king. How dare he speak against the king's wife. Any lesser man would have been put to death immediately. But John was a prophet. John was the messenger of the Messiah. John proclaimed the coming of the savior and the people revered him. But Herodias was filled with hatred and passion against John and she would have his head for speaking against her.

To appease Herodias, Herod had John arrested and imprisoned. Herod would have liked to put him to death but the people would have revolted against him for such actions and that would have involved the Romans coming in to calm the crowds. So Herod was perplexed as to what to do about John the Baptist. He wondered, he planned, he schemed, and he plotted. And finally he came up with a plan. The demons were with him. The demons helped him to plan. The demons that possessed Herod had him do their actions to murder John the Baptist. This was their plan.

On Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask of him. Then she, at her mother's prompting, said, "Give me here on a dish the head of John the Baptist.

And so the plot enacted. John was to beheaded because of an oath by the King to give anything to his wife's daughter. This was the plan. This was the plot. This was the scheme of the demons to get rid of John the Baptist. The demons were loosing disciples because of John the Baptist. They were being cast out. They were loosing souls to John the Baptist who was baptising souls to Christ. But the demons had a plan. The demons had a plot. And the demons had agents to work for them. The demons had Herod and Herodias to do their will in killing John the Baptist.

Be not an agent for the devil. Become an agent for Christ. There is no middle ground. You are either one or the other. You are either working with Christ or you are working against Christ. And the demons are recruiting daily. They are plotting. They are planning. They are running every kind of scheme to steal the souls of men, women, girls and boys, children and all mankind. For they work for the evil one who's goal is to capture as many souls as he can and destroy them in hell.

Christ said beware the one who can kill the body and destroy the soul in hell. He it is whom you should fear. There are agents in this world for the evil one. Do not become one of them. Repent and be born again in Christ. For he will cleans you of the evil that would possess you. He will sanctify you that you may be made anew. He will justify you that you will be made holy before the father. He will protect you that you may not fall again to the tricks and traps of the evil one. His word is truth. His word is life. His word is love. Become one in Christ and he will become one you.

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 3 - 5, Herod's murder plot: Imprison John the Baptist.

2011-08-11T11:01:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Herod murdered John) Part 1.

Herod was fearful. He thought that Christ was John the Baptist resurrected. And he knew that he had murdered John. He knew that he had planned and plotted to get rid of John. John was loved by the people. He was a prophet. He carried the message of the kingdom preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. Many came to John to repent. Many came to John to be baptized. Many came to John that they may prepare themselves for the coming of the kingdom. And John was the messenger. John was the voice of one crying in the wilderness calling people to repent, telling them of the evil in the world. And John spoke of Herod. This is why Herod wanted to get rid of John. For Herod had taken John, and bound him, and put him in prison, because of Herodias, his brother's wife.

John told the people of Herod. John told the people of the sins of Herod. John told the people to repent of their evil ways and not to follow the ways of Herod. For Herod was their ruler. He set the morals of his people by his own example. And the people followed what they believed was true and correct as set by Herod. Herod had married his brother's wife. Herod had his brother murdered so that he could marry his wife, Herodias, for he wanted her. Lust had filled him with desire and he wanted his brother's wife. So he created a plot to get rid of his brother that he may have Herodias. And she, Hereodias, participated in the plan. For she lusted for Herod. She lusted for power. She lusted for the position to be the mate of Herod the king. So together they plotted that they may be together. And John spoke to the people of this evil. "For John had said to him, “It is not lawful for thee to have her."

John had spoken of the evil that existed in the kingdom. John had preached of repentance to the people. John preached of the coming of the Messiah and told the people to repent of their evil ways that they may be saved. Do not follow the ways of Herod, he preached. Do not fall into temptation as Herod did, he told the people. Do not lust as Herod does, he told the people. For Herod was living in sin and should repent of his ways. Herod should repent and rid himself of Herodias. But Herod did not follow the preachings of the prophet. Herod did not believe that he should rid himself of Herodias. Herod lusted of her pleasures and wanted to rid himself of John and his preachings. And he would have liked to put him to death, but he feared the people, because they regarded him as a prophet.

John spoke of the evil in his time. He told the people to repent. He spoke to them of the coming of the Messiah that they may be saved. John was bold. John was outspoken. John was a man of God. He spoke to the evil wherever it stood. John feared not. Are you like John the Baptist, today? Are you fearless? Are you outspoken? Are you a man/woman of God? Speak to the evil wherever you see it. Speak to the evil wherever you encounter it. Be bold yet be loving. Be courageous yet be understanding. For God is the ultimate judge of evil.

We speak to evil that our words may open the eyes and the ears of those who may hear the message of the kingdom, helping them to repent of their sins and be healed by Christ. We are not to judge. We are not to condemn. We are to love. We are to understand that those who commit sin are like us. We are all human. We are all sinful. But with the light of Christ within us we sin no more. And if we do sin we have his forgiveness and his love to bring us back from sin. For it is through our repentance that we are justified. It is through our repentance that we are sanctified. It is through our repentance that we are born anew and glorified in Christ. Be a John the Baptist today. Preach the gospel wherever you go. Call for repentance with whoever you meet. For God is our creator and our father. He loves us all and would have us with him in the kingdom of heaven for eternity.

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 1 - 2, Jesus' fame causes fear in Herod

2011-08-09T13:08:00.000-04:00

Our paragraph topic is: (Herod fears that Christ is John the Baptist)

And the word spread. It spread from the mouth of one person to the ear of another. It spread from the market of one town to the market of another. It spread from the village of one town to the village of another. It spread from the town of one district to the towns of other districts. And Christ was known by many. His works were spoken of by many who had seen, many who had heard, many who had witnessed his miracles and those who were recipients of his works. He was the latest news. He was the latest talk. He was the latest whisperings of the people of the towns through the kingdom. And the word came to Herod. The word was spoken to Herod. The word was received by Herod from his news keepers in the streets.

The news keepers were the eyes and ears of Herod. He paid them well to keep him informed of what the people were talking about. He planned his life around the people. He planned his policy around the people, and he planned his lies and deceit around the people to keep them in line. For Herod was the King. He was the ruler of the people, appointed by the Roman Emperor. It was his responsibility to keep his people calm and to have them follow the rules of the Romans. Herod had to know. He had to hear. He had to see what was going on in his towns, in his villages, and in his kingdom. So he put people on the streets to listen to the latest news. And he heard of Jesus. At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus.

Herod heard the news. Herod heard the whisperings. Herod listened to the stories that were told of Christ. And Herod could not believe. Herod could not understand. Herod could not make sense of what the people were talking about because Herod was full of John the Baptist. John had spoken to the heart of Herod. John had spoken to the people of the evil in Herod. John the Baptist had brought forth the truth in the relationship of Herod and Herodias, his wife. And Herod wanted him dead. Herod wanted to kill John the Baptist and that is what he did. Herod created an elaborate plot to murder John the Baptist and he was full of himself when he carried it out. He gloated over the sweetness of the plan that he carried out in the face of the public that allowed him to murder a prophet. And now comes Jesus, another prophet, another man of God. And he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are working through him."

Herod was fearful. He was fearful of what he had done to John the Baptist. He loved his elaborate scheme to murder John the Baptist, but he was fearful that John would come back and exact revenge upon him. Herod was the ruler and no man was supposed to have more fame than he. No man was supposed to be talked about by the common people more than he. No common man was supposed to be more loved by the people than he. And jealousy came to him. Vanity came also. Then hatred, and fear and doubt came. And finally came larceny who helped him create a plan to murder John the Baptist. For John was loved by the people. John was revered by the people. John was spoken of by the people more than Herod. And John was number one with the people over Herod. Herod wanted to be number one so he sought a way to remove John.

Satan seeks a way to remove Christ from our lives today. He wants to murder Christ. He wants to get rid of Christ. He wants the people to talk about him and not Christ. He wants to be number one in our lives today. So he creates schemes to rid us of Christ. He makes plans to turn us away from Christ and to turn us to him. He builds worlds around us to blind us to the light of Christ that we may not see. He creates playgrounds for us to have fun so that we will forget about Christ. He fills our eyes and our ears with pleasures that compel us to enjoy and he fills our bodies with passions that make us want. He does all this to distract us from Christ, to turn us from God, to hide us from the truth. We were made for God and he is our father. He is our satisfaction and our pleasure. Nothing else can replace him in our lives.

But Satan wants us to believe that we can be happy and have joy and peace if we turn from Christ and from God our Father. Just as Herod feared that Christ was John the Baptist resurrected, Satan fears the resurrected man in Christ. For in Christ we have power. In Christ we are miracles. In Christ we are the light of the world that he cannot turn off. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Hear the message of the kingdom. Become new life in Christ. Seek the Holy Spirit and you will know true life in Christ. Seek the Holy Spirit and you will become the miracle. Seek the Holy Spirit and you will know the truth of the kingdom of heaven here on earth.