St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 29b; You who pay tribute to the prophets and the just.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their persecution of religion) Part 2.  

Years had come to past as all this took place.  God gave his people the ten commandments to live by.  He gave them the leaders to guide them along the way while they lived in the land that he promised.  He sent prophets to instruct them when they went astray.  But just as when they were in the desert, the Jews had their own way of thinking and evil had slowly crept into their mist.

God warned them of the evil that was among them.  He told them of the wolves that were growing in the flock.  But they were not aware, they did not see, they did not understand until it was too late.  It had come to the time where the evil had grown to the point of taking over the leadership in the highest order of the synagogue and now the Scribes and the Pharisees were turning against and persecuting their own religion.  They were the ones Christ told:  "You who build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the just."  

They were the ones who built the great sepulchres to the prophets and set special days to celebrate the just.  Yet they persecuted the people for the very nature of religion.  God sent the prophets and the just to warn the leaders to change their ways, to eradicate the evil that was taking over the people.  And yet the prophets were killed for their message, persecuted, scourged, crucified because they brought the truth from God to the people.  

Are we no less the same today?  Do our leaders rock the boat or do they go with the status quo?  It is said that for evil to triumph all it takes is for good men to do nothing.  Yet if one good man rises up and speaks out against the evil that is present he is put down, castrated, tarnished, scandalized, or even killed.  This is the nature of the times that we live in and God's will be done.

He told us to ask and it shall be given, to seek and we shall find, to knock and the doors shall be opened.  What if we as a collective asked him to bring us home with him?  What if we as the human race got together and sought peace, knocked on his heavenly door seeking to end this earthly reign in order that we might begin our heavenly spiritual life with him?  Would he grant us that wish?  Would he open the doors of heaven and let us in?  Would he give us our hearts desire and end the final hold of death over us all?  Let us ask and we will see!

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 23c; The Weightier matters.

Our paragraph topic is:  (They overstress the nonessential part of religion) Part 3.  

These were the times of the Scribes and the Pharisees.  The Romans were the conquering rulers of the Jews so they had to abide by their laws.  Yet the Jews had their own religious Law they had lived by for centuries which did not conflict with Roman rule.  But they did not want to have any problems with the new rulers since the Romans were known for their harsh treatment of the nations they conquered.

But the Scribes and the Pharisees went overboard in their efforts to demonstrate to their new rulers they were willing to cooperate.  They found every means to levy new laws upon their people to demonstrate their eagerness to work with the Romans.  They went over and above the law to collect tithes on all manner of goods and services so that they were able to stay ahead of what ever the Romans would ask of them.  

So the basic tenants of their religion went out the window and the people were given new rules to show their appreciation of their God.  They forgot about loving neighbor and helping one another.  It became more about each one for himself.  This is why Christ told the Scribes and the Pharisees they had forgotten about the weightier matters of religion like:  "Right judgment and mercy and faith."

These are the weightier matters of our religion today.  They are the essentials that should be a part of the life of all who call themselves Christians.  Faith is not something that we hear in church on Sundays.  It should be with us everyday, 24 hours a day, everyday of the week, when we are asleep and awake.  It should be in our bones that we have as a part of who we are.  We believe in our God and know that he is ever-living.  He is life and has given life to us through his son Christ Jesus.  This is our faith and what we believe.

Mercy is from the God that we know because he has forgiven us our sins and had mercy on us, just as we should have mercy on those who trespass against us.  Vengeance is his says the Lord and not ours to take.  So we should forgive those as he has forgiven us.

Right judgment is something that we all wish that we had and should prey for daily, for we are but human and subject to mistakes.  It is only through the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we can obtain a right judgment in all things.  For he is our guide, our helper, our protector, our provider that our Father has given us to watch over and keep us.  Through his love we are able to rely on his protection from the trials and tribulations of evil that we will face daily.  It is his love and his protection and his guidance that will lead us down the road to the narrow gate to the kingdom of God.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 1-2; The Chair of Moses.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 1.  
Christ spoke to them, No One and Any One, while the Pharisees were gathered together.  Individually and in a small group, he could not speak to them, No One and Any One.  But now that they were all gathered together he could speak to all of them in a language that they could understand.  They were the ones that influenced the Pharisees to continue to harass and taunt Christ.  They were the ones who spoke through the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  They were the ones who wanted to trick him and trap him.   Christ spoke the truth and they did not want the truth to be spoken.  

After speaking to the Pharisees, Christ spoke to the disciples and the people.  He needed to open their eyes as to why he spoke such to the Pharisees.  Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,  saying, "The Scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the chair of Moses."   

Moses was their leader, who led the people out of the land of Egypt.  He was a spokesman for God.  For God commanded that he should go to Egypt, confront the Pharaoh, and lead the Jews out of Egypt.  He led them from Egypt into the dessert and after forty years into the promise land.  He brought food and water for his people and brought them the commandments of God from Mt. Sinai.  And Moses passed judgement from his chair.  So Christ wanted the disciples and the people to know that the Pharisees and the scribes have sat in the same chair as Moses, the sacred chair from which God spoke to Moses where he passed judgement to the people.

We are his sheep and Christ is our shepherd.  He leads us, guides us, loves us, and protects us from all harm.  He has given his life for us which no other man would knowingly and willingly do.  He was the lamb that was led to slaughter for our sins.  He paid the price for us that we may live again in the eyes of our Father.  He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.  He created his church here on earth that his work will continue so that all can have the chance to know the truth of the Father and his love for mankind.

Judgement day will come.  Will you be ready?  

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St Matthew, Chapter 19, verse: 18e, The commandments: Thou shalt not bear false witness.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The rich young man speaks to Jesus) Part 8.

The rich young man had come to Christ with a question on his mind.  He wanted to know what to do to enter into the kingdom.  He was serious.  He had come a long way to hear the truth for he believed that Christ would tell him the truth and not falsehood.  So he found Christ and asked the question of what he must do.  Christ told him in simple terms what he must do.  He must keep the commandments.  The young man knew the commandments as anyone who was a member of Israel knew. 

The commandments were the rules by which the Jews lived and thrived and believed.  Some of the people kept the commandments completely, some partially, some knew them but did not keep them at all.  This was what the young man saw and knew but was puzzled about.  So Christ told him the commandments to keep: Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, and Thou shalt not steal.  And Jesus said:"Thou shalt not bear false witness." 

This is another commandment given to the young man seeking the kingdom.  Why did Christ tell him this commandment?  Why did Christ tell him the any of the commandments that he already knew?  Why did the young man want to know what to do?  Why do we want to know what to do?  Do we believe in what we must do to gain the kingdom?  In our day and time, it seems as if we live in a world where there is no knowledge of the kingdom, no knowledge of a God, no knowledge of the commandments he has given us to live by.  We go to church on Sundays, fulfill our religious obligations, and return to the world and live by the norms of the world and not by those given us by Christ.

We are the sheep that he left behind and they are the shepherds left behind to guide us in our daily lives.  Do we have guidance?  Are we led in the right direction?  There is the world and then there is the church.  There are our jobs, our homes, our children, our rest, our play, our hopes and our dreams.  Then there is our beliefs, our practices, our thoughts, our knowledge, and our beings, which define who we are.  The two are separate.  The two are not one.  Should they be one and the same?  Should we be one person, one being, one love, one knowledge, one spirit, one job, one home, one parent, one rest, one play?  Or should we be true in one area and false in another? 

We are witnesses to our beliefs.  We are spirits in our lives.  We are truth in our thoughts and our beings.  But are we true or are we false?  Do we bear witness truly to who we are or do we bear witness falsely?  To live separately bears witness to who we are.  To live as two contradicts what we believe.  To bear falsely in one area and truly in another shows the split in the person that we claim to be.  The world drives us to be false.  The world reinforces us each and every day to be separate, to not be one.  The world would divide us, create conflict, lead us away from who we are.  The world would have us bear false witness even to ourselves. 

We are children of God our Father who created us in his image.  We are spirits housed in the flesh, eternal beings given new life through the sacrifice of Christ our Lord.  Live true to the nature that is within you and falsely according to the world.  Be the spirit that is within you and seek to know who you are in Christ.  For he came that we would know.  He is that we will see.  He loves that we will love with the love that is given to us.  And he guides us that we will not be lost in the world.  To know is to seek.  To find is to understand.  To understand is to see the truth of who you are.  Be the truth that is within you and the Holy Spirit will come and be with you always.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in.

St Matthew, Chapter 19, verse: 18a, Which commnadments to keep.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The rich young man speaks to Jesus) Part 4.

The rich young man approached Christ and asked the question that we all ask.  What must I do to attain heaven?  Christ told him to keep the commandments.  Is it just that simple?  Is it just that easy to attain heaven?  Keep the commandments.  So as we review the commandments handed down to Moses and the Jews of Israel, what must we do today.

Today is different from the time when Moses lived.  Today is different when the Jews lived.  Today people live in cities, drive cars, watch TV, work in office buildings, go to schools, and do all sorts of things that are completely different from the time when Christ walked the earth.  How do we apply them today?  How do we keep the commandments today when times are so different?  The rich young man was puzzled by Christ's reply.  He did not know what commandments to keep.  So, He said to him, “Which?”

Of all ten commandments the young man asked, which ones should he keep.  And our question today is the same.  Do we keep all the commandments or do we observe some of them? Our society has rules.  Our families have rules.  Our jobs have rules and regulations that we follow in our daily routines.  Do we follow these rules or do we seek to find shortcuts around those rules that will benefit us more than they will benefit others?  Do we lie?  Do we cheat?  Do we lust?  Do we bear false witness?  Do we honor our fathers and mothers?  Do we hate or do we love our brothers and sisters?  Do we love all mankind or are we selective in who we care about and love?  These are some of the problems that present themselves to us on a daily basis.  It is how we respond to them that speak to what is in our hearts and minds.

We are born and breed in a society that teaches us how to survive.  That survival may mean stealing or taking what we want and desire or it may mean that we are given the tools needed to provide for ourselves adequately.  But as we look around in our environment we are faced with all that the world has to offer.  And if we do not conform to the way of the world then we do not have the opportunities to experience what the world offers.  We are left out.  We are denied.  We become outsiders looking in on what others have that we do not.  Is this what we want?  Do we want what the world offers?  Or does our Father in heaven offer more?  

Our desires and passions motivates us to conform.  Our desires and passions tell us that we must find a way to have all that our hearts desire.  And as we follow that path of our passions we toss out the guidelines given us by our heavenly Father as to how we should live.  We throughout the love that is a part of our spiritual nature and replace it with the desires of the world.  And we forget.  We compromise.  We adapt.  We change and rationalize that which is in our hearts for that which is in the world.  Slowly we move along the path of the world and get farther from the path of that which is of the spirit.  And finally we are so far down the road of the world that we forget who we are and fall asleep in the realm of the desires and passions of the world.

Which commandments do we keep?  Christ came that we would have life and have it more abundantly.  He gave of his own life to pay the price so that we could have our life.  And we give our lives to the world.  We turn away from the spirit that is within us and turn to the darkness that is in the world.  Keeping the commandments is keeping the life that is within us.  Keeping the commandments is maintaining the love that Christ has for us.  Keeping the commandments is holding onto the love that our Father has for us and the protection that he provides.  If we only knew.  If we only understood.  If we only allow ourselves to see the truth of who we are then we would not decide to fill our hearts with the passions and desires of the world. 

Our Father loves us.  We are his children and he is our Father who will provide and protect us.  And death is but a door that opens to the joys and happiness that is ours through Christ.  Or, it can open to the pain and sorrow of what life offers without our Father.  The choice is ours to make.  Seek to know the truth before making the decision.  Seek to find out who you are in Christ before traveling down the road of passion and desire for the world.  For great are the treasures that are sacrificed.  Great are the joys that are lost.  Great is the happiness that is forsaken without him that is the source of all happiness.  Come!  Seek to know the truth of who you are in Christ and you too will find peace, joy, and happiness that is everlasting.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you.  Open the door and let him in.