St Matthew, Chapter 12, verses: 13 - 15, John is Elias.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's witness concerning John) Part 5. 

Christ has spoken about the assault on the kingdom of heaven that has taken place since the coming of John the Baptist.  The war is on.  The evil one knows that Christ has come to turn the tide of the battle.  Out of desperation the evil one has taken the lead and increased the attacks on the kingdom.  The evil one has stepped up the assaults to the point of becoming violent with the people.  People are being possessed more.  People are being afflicted with more diseases. Believers are dying at the hands of possessed people who are driven to violence by their evil spirits.  And Christ comes on the scene.  But first there was John who preached to the people to repent.

John was a great prophet.  Christ attests to his greatness by telling the people that of all men born of women, none is greater than John.  Christ tells the crowds, "For all the Prophets and the Law have prophesied until John."   Now that John is here the prophesies come to conclusion.  The Messiah has come and the war has begun.  Before the coming there was no battle.  Before the coming the devil had free reign.  Before the coming the people had no defense against the onslaught of the enemy.  But John came and prepared the way and Christ came and gave the people the sword of God to do battle with the enemy.

John was the great one.  He was Elias as had been written.  Christ said,  "And ifyou are willing to receive it, he is Elias who was to come."   So the scriptures had been fulfilled.  The scriptures were complete.  Elias had come just as prophesied and now the Messiah was here.  His mission was to preach the message of the kingdom.  His mission was to establish the church here on earth.  His mission was to anoint his followers.  And his mission was to die for the sins of the world.  John fulfilled his mission.  Christ fulfilled his mission.  And sword of God came to earth to separate the believers from the unbelievers, the saved from the damned, the just from the unjust, and the followers of Christ from the followers of Satan.

Christ told the crowd, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."   We all have ears but we all do not hear the words of Christ.  We all receive with our ears the message that is preached, but we all do not understand the meaning of the message.  Can you hear the message?  Can you understand the message of the kingdom of heaven?  When we go to school the purpose of education is to advance.  But when we go to church the results of the spiritual education is to become stagnant.  Why do we not hear?  Why do we not understand the message and become college graduates in our spiritual education rather than retarded children?  He who has ears to hear let him hear!   Preachers preach from week to week on the same problems, the same issues, the same sins.  Yet we do not grow in godliness.  We do not grow in spiritually.  We do not hear the message of the kingdom and the gift that God has given us.  With all the years that religion has been around and all the churches, we should have millions of spiritual giants.  But instead we have millions spiritual midgets filling the pews of churches each week trying to figure out the message of Christ.  Thank you Father for your patience.  Thank you Father for your love.  Thank you Christ for your sacrifice.  Thank you Holy Spirit for your coming to teach all.  More is needed and more will  be revealed!

St Matthew, Chapter 11, verses: 12, The Assualt on the Kingdom of Heaven.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's witness concerning John) Part 4. 

Christ has been talking to the crowd about John the Baptist.  He told them of all men born of women, up to now, no man is greater than John.  Yet in the kingdom of heaven, even though John is great, the least  in the kingdom of heaven is even greater than he.  Christ wants the crowd to know about John.  He wants them to understand who he was.  But by telling them this, he wants them to understand that there is one greater than John.  John prophesied about the coming of the Messiah.  He spoke of one greater than he who's sandals he was not worthy to untie.  John knew Christ.  He knew the greatness of Christ.  For it was John's job to make way for the coming of Christ.

Before the disciples of John came to Christ to ask the question of Scandal, Christ spoke with his disciples about the coming battle.  He spoke to his disciples about the peace that he did not bring and the sword that he did bring that would cause turmoil and chaos to families and friends.  He tells the crowd and his disciples what is happening in the kingdom.  Christ tells them, "But from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault."   The kingdom of heaven is under attack.  It is being assaulted by the forces of evil and they are gaining ground.  They are taking the kingdom by force.  John was the advance guard to take back the kingdom.  He prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah.  He pushed back the forces of evil.  He cleansed the people and kept the forces at bay until the Messiah arrived.  Until now the kingdom was under assault.  But Christ has come to put an end to the battle.  Christ has come to end the war.  Christ has come to be the victor.

Christ goes on to tell the people, "And the violent have been seizing it by force."   Until now the violent have been winning.  Until now the violent have been gaining ground.  Until now the violent forces of evil have been taking souls from the kingdom by force and Christ has come to take them back.  Christ has come to cast out demons.  Christ has come to remove the evil sickness from the bodies of the infirmed.  Christ has come to make the lame walk after they have been possessed by evil that has transformed their bodies grotesquely.  Christ is the victor and the assault stops now.

Two thousand years ago the battle started and continues today.  Though the forces of hell will not prevail against the church that Christ built, the battle continues.  And the forces are like creeping vines, inching their way into the lives of the people, steadily growing into the churches of the world, taking root into souls of those shepherds who lead the people.  Just as in Christ's time where the people lived under the occupation of the pagan Romans, today we also live under the rule of the pagan world.  Christians are like fish in a fish bowl, having to live and breathe in the environment of evil.  The kingdom is being assaulted.  Are you breaking down the kingdom of heaven or are you building it up?  Are you a soldier for Christ or a soldier for Satan?  There is no middle ground.  There are no neutral position.  Christ gives us the armour to protect ourselves.  Christ gives us the battle plans to follow.  Christ gives us the weapons to fight with.  Are you a soldier for Christ?