St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 35a; All the Just Blood.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their persecution of religion) Part 11.  

And now comes the pronouncement of judgment against the Scribes and the Pharisees and all their kind who have persecuted religion throughout the ages.  They have massacred the prophets, slain the messengers, crucified the holy ones sent by God, and scourged those who spoke against them in the temples of the synagogues.  The evil within them has taken over and used them to commit sins against God to prevent the people from believing in the one true God.

Anger, pride, lust, slander, false witness, greed, all the sins of man have come upon the leaders of the religious sect to prevent them from seeing or feeling the sorrows of their people.  And God speaks through Christ Jesus to pronounce judgment upon them saying:  "That upon you may come all the just blood that has been shed on the earth."

They were offered the opportunity.  They were given the chance to change.  The door was opened for them many times but they refused to believe, they refused to see, they refused to go through.  Their anger, their pride, their desires, their blind ambition, led them to follow that which was given them from their lust from within, their desire for power.  They thought that they knew.  They thought that they understood.  Little did they know that they were being led down the path of destruction.  Little did they see that they would be required to do more and more evil to demonstrate their loyalty, until there was no turning back, until they had reached the point of no return and their souls were fully committed to evil.  The slippery slope of evil.  If there is no internal compass to guide one then all hope is lost and deceit will eventually play a part in the downfall.

God help us.  God guide us.  God protect those who fear him and those who love him.  Fear not for the events of the day for he has a plan that will always work to his advantage even if evil seems to win the day.  Our Father watches over us and provides and protects us.  We are in his hands and no one or nothing can take us away.  Today is our day to rejoice and be glad.  For we are protected by our Father in heaven and it is his love that will watch over us day in and day out.  Sleep well and be at peace.

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 18, verse10, The Lost Sheep: Despising the little ones.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The lost sheep) Part 1.   

Christ has instructed his disciples about the little ones, those who are humble like little children.  He has given them a simple example through a little child.  Do not seek to be ambitious, he tells them.  But seek to be like little children, without worry, full of play, having the world before you, as a new place to explore and enjoy.  For such is the kingdom of heaven, he tells them, filled with little ones.  Those that are humble, those that are meek, those that are mild of manner, those that are at peace, will enter into the kingdom of heaven.

But despise not the little ones.  Hold not a grudge against these little ones.  Bear not hatred against those that have turned to become like little children.  For they are protected.  They are watched over.  They are the ones that the angels provide for, protect, and care for.  Christ tells them that these are the ones that the Father in heaven hears about because their angels behold the face of God.  " See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you, their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father in heaven."   

Do not despise the little ones.  Do not despise those that are humble and clean in spirit.  For they are the new life from the tree of life, uncorrupted and undefiled.  They are the ones that are protected.  They are the ones who's angels behold the face of God.  They are the ones who's angels have the ear of God the Father to petition to him for retribution, for wrath, and for
vengeance.  Be careful how you speak.  Be careful how you think of the little ones.  Be careful how you act with, around and influence the little ones, for they are the ones that are protected.

We are adults living in a modern world that requires our physical being to live, to survive, to rest, to play, to work, to be alive.  For we seek to be alive, to live a life of freedom, without fear, without pain, without worries, without restrictions, free to live as we please.  What is this but to be a child?  What do we seek but to not have the cares and worries of the world.  To play with our children, as though we were children ourselves, brings such joy and happiness, such  pleasure.  It makes us feel alive.  But the world comes crashing in and we must return to being adults again. 

Christ offers us that freedom.  He gives us that opportunity.  He tells us that we must turn away from the world and become like little children.  For children do not worry.  Children do not have cares.  Children rest with ease and are at peace.  And children have parents who watch over them and care for them as we have a father who watches over us.  Do we trust him?  Do we rely on him?  Do we believe in his ability to provide for us?  Most do not.  Yet he waits patiently that you may discover his presence, that you may come to him, that he may show you his love, his care, his provisions, his peace. 

Come!  Seek the peace that Christ offers.  He gave you new life.  He came that you would not be lost.  He made the sacrifice that you would live.  Open your heart and let him in.  Open your mind and see the truth.  Open your soul and welcome in the Spirit of the Lord.  You will know his love!  You will know his provision!  You will know his protection!  You will know his peace!  I do. I have come to know that I have a Father in heaven who provides for me, a Father who protects me, a Father who loves me, a Father whom I trust in all things and who gives me peace.  Follow the path before you and awake to the new life that is within you and you too will come to know your Father.  

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 18, verse:4, Pride vs Humility.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Against ambition) Part 3. 

Christ told them that they had to turn.  He told them that they had to change.  He told them that they were in the wrong place and that they had to leave that place and get to another place.  Satan was in their midst and had persuaded them to come to his place.  He influenced them to think about the future, to think about themselves, to think about fame and fortune and greatness.  He influenced them to think about all those things that were of this world and not of the spiritual world of heaven.  Satan wanted to turn them around, to turn them away from Christ.

Christ told them that they had to turn away from where they were.  He told them that they had to see what was needed to enter into the kingdom of heaven and that ambition would not lead them there.  Just as a child had no ambition, so the disciples had to become.  Just as a child had no desires, so the disciples had to become.  Just as a child was full of joy and wonder, so the disciples had to become.  Just as a child was humble, so the disciples had to turn away from pride and become humble.  Christ told them: "Whoever, therefore, humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven".

Christ gave the disciples an example to follow.  He showed them the humility of a little child that they would know true humility.  Here they could refer back to this example and remember what they saw and what they felt to know who would be the greatest.  This is a simple example for us to follow if we can.  We live in a world filled with examples of how not to be humble.  We ware fed through all our senses the world's view of how we should live, how we should think and how we should be.  Humility is not a part of what the world teaches us.  Humility is not a part of what we see in the world.  Humility is not a part of what we believe today.

Yet Christ tells us that to be like a child is the key to entering the kingdom of heaven.  How can we do this?  How can we turn from the world and espouse humility?  How can we practice this principle in a world that presents everything to the contrary?  It all starts with the knowledge of who you are in Christ.  What knowledge is this? 

God, our father, created man in his image.  He created man and woman in his likeness as  spiritual beings and not physical beings.  God is not a man.  God is not a physical being.  God is not of this earth.  And yet we are created in the image of our God.  We are spiritual beings and not physical beings.  We belong to the spiritual world and not to the physical world.  Our life and our light comes from the light that was given back to us by the sacrifice made by Christ. 

Christ is the most humble of all.  He gave up his power, his majesty, his glory to become a physical man to save us from destruction.  And it is through his humility that we have life today as spiritual beings not physical beings.  The body dies, decays, and returns to dust.  But the spirit is eternal in Christ, if we choose it to be.  It is our choice. 

It is only that we do not know who we are that we follow the principles and precepts of the world.  For with the knowledge of the light of Christ we know who we are and we can see ourselves as we truly are in him.  Christ gave us the way.  He told us what to do.  He created the path to follow, the path to discover the joy and the peace and the happiness that is ours to have, if we choose. 

Follow the path that is before you.  See the light that is within you.  Know the truth of who you are and the world will no longer have a hold over you.  For you are a child of God, your father, and he will provide.  He will protect.  He will love you as no other can love.  Christ knocks at the door.  Open it!

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 18, verse: 2-3, Pride: Closes the door to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Against ambition) Part 2. 

They had discussed it among themselves.  Their minds were filled with the desire to know who would be the greatest.  Satan had entered into their midst and into their minds and into their hearts.  They were inflamed with the desire for ambition, the desire for fame, the desire to be great.  Not having an answer to their question and not being able to settle it between them, them came to Christ for an answer.  Who, they asked, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Jesus knew what had happened.  He knew that they had been influenced.  He knew their hearts and he gave them a simple answer that would dispel the influence of Satan and bring them back to the simplicity and peace that had been stolen from them.  They were the disciples of Christ.  They would be the future of the new church.  They would be leaders and preachers and teachers of the flock.  So they had to understand the true nature of who they were.

Christ gave them a simple example to demonstrate who they were.  And Jesus called a little child to him, set him in their midst, and said, "Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Christ gave them an example.  He put the child in their midst to show them who they were not.  He put the child in their midst the show them who they were.  He put the child in front of them to help them to understand what they had become, seeking ambition and pride.  And then he told them that they would loose the kingdom of heaven if they continued to be the persons they had turned into.  Satan was in their midst.  Satan had influenced them.  Satan sought to turn them into disciples of pride and ambition, but Christ knew in their hearts that they were his disciples.  He knew that they belonged to him and not to the evil that sought to turn them.  So he put the child in front of them to show them that they must turn away from the influence that sought to fill them with pride and ambition.

How are we to turn into children today?  How are we to become childlike that we may gain the kingdom of heaven when the world demands and declares that we must be ambitious.  Do we want to turn away from ambition, turn away from our passions, turn away from those things that we think will make us better persons, better spiritual beings.  The world demands that we have pride.  The world demands that we have passion and drive and courage and belief in ourselves before we are able to reach our goals, find our dreams, fulfill the desires of out hearts.  These are the principles and practices that we are raised with from childhood.  In order to be successful in this world we must espouse these principles and make them our own.  Or, are we going in the wrong direction in following the principles of the world?

God created the stars and the moon and the earth and the air we breathe.  He gives us food to eat.  He provides for us by giving us the materials that we need to make a life for ourselves and to live comfortably.  And he loves us.  For those that love him and know him, he will make provisions. 

There was a time in my life when I thought that I needed to follow the world.  There was a time in my life when I believed in the principles of the world.  There was a time in my life when I believed that I could do anything that I set my mind to if I only believed that I could achieve.  I espoused the principles of the rich and famous, of the wealthy and successful, the principles of the achievers in the world.  I failed, thank God.  I did not achieve, thank God.  I lost my way, thank God.  I hit my bottom, thank God.  And I called for help, thank God.  He held my hand.  He did not let go.  He pulled me up and let me know that I am his child, that I am loved, thank you God.  Thank you Father. 

Today, I know that the success that I have comes from and through him.  Today I know that I am not proud.  Today I know that I no longer have to follow the practices and principles of the world because I have a father who loves me.  I know that I do not have to be ambitious because I have a father who created the stars, the moon, the earth, the sky the water, and the air I breathe.  And today I know that my life is not without but within the mortal shell in this world.  For today I see the true spirit that Christ Jesus has given me which is the joy in my heart and the light in my life.  And today I am able to see my brothers and sisters as they are, spirits of the light of Christ that is within them.  If they only knew.  If they could only see.  If they could only experience the truth of who they are then they too will know who they are and where they belong.  My joy is the kingdom of heaven and not the kingdom of earth.  Christ loves you and the Holy Spirit awaits you. 

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 18, verse:1, Pride: Who is the Greatest

Our paragraph topic is:  (Against ambition) Part 1.    

So the disciples were in the house with Jesus.  Simon Peter was off fishing to deal with his thoughts of anger and frustration with the taxing system.  But the others were debating and dealing with other issues.  Satan was at work, never resting.  He was dividing.  He was instigating, he was seeking ways to turn the disciples away from Christ so that he could use them for his own purposes.  

The disciples were young in the spirit.  They did not completely understand what they were doing or who they were dealing with.  It was spiritual warfare and Satan was on the prowl.  He could not directly affect the disciples because of Christ but he could influence them with little suggestions.  He could plant thoughts in their minds.  He could give them ideas like seeds that would grow and fester in their minds until they became full blown thoughts that would lead to actions that were against the spirit.  So, at that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 

Who is the greatest?  Who is the best?  Who is the prettiest?  Who is the strongest?  We could think about all these superlatives all day and wonder where we fit in the grand scheme of things.  What are our greatest qualities?  How can we maximize upon these qualities to get ahead, to make ourselves noticed, to put us above the rest of the crowd.  Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?  The disciples discussed this question among themselves and wanted to know the answer.  They thought about and argued the question among themselves with each having their own opinion as to the answer.  And while they were arguing the answer Satan was working in their midst.

We all want to feel proud.  It is a natural human emotion that makes us feel good about ourselves while at the same time making us feel bad about ourselves.  For in considering the question of what we have done and what we have accomplished, we can also think about what we have not done and what we have not accomplished.  We are proud of what we have.  We are proud of who we are in the community.  We are proud of our accomplishments, our titles, our homes, our cars, our clothes, how we look, our physical being, and all the things that will make us feel good about who we are and how other people will see us.  We are proud of the physical and not the spiritual.

For how can we be proud of the spiritual?  How can we have others see the spiritual being that we are and make us feel proud that we are spiritual?  Do we become religious?  Do we become knowledgeable of the scriptures that we can show others our spiritual growth?  Do we speak of religious things among our friends and associates that we can demonstrate our spiritual being?  Do we do all these things that we may become spiritually proud of who we are?  Only God sees our true spirit.  Only God knows what is in our hearts.   Only God is the true cause of how we feel about who we are. 

For it is the truth of the knowledge of who we are in Christ Jesus that leads us to know the true nature of our being.  And without the knowledge of our spirit we are still just physical beings, lost in the physical world.  We are spiritual beings not knowing the light of the spirit that is within us.  We are spiritual beings unable to perceive the light within us, unable to see the light of life given us by Christ Jesus through his sacrifice.  And without true knowledge we are walking in darkness, simply physical beings. 

Christ told us that the eye is the lamp of body and if the eye is sound then the body will be full of light.  Do you have a sound eye?  Can you not see the light within you?  Do you not know the light of your soul?  Come!  Follow the path before you.  See the spirit that you are.  Know the light of Christ that is within you and you will no longer be in darkness.  Christ has opened the door for you.  He has given the path to walk.  He will come and send the Holy Spirit to be with you for the rest of your days, if you simply ask. 

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.