St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 20b - 21a; Great Tribulation.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 8. 

The Bible is an interesting book to study.  It is a study of man's belief system.  What does mankind believe?  What belief system has he developed to order his world and make it such that it has meaning and understanding?  Here we are in Chapter 24 of the book of Mathew where Christ is telling his disciples of the coming destruction of the city of Jerusalem.  

What do we believe?   We have prognosticators today that foretell of things to happen in the future.  Scientist foretell of the doom that carbon emission is causing to the planet and what we must do to prevent the consequences of its outcome.  The flooding that will come, the unusual rains, the unseasonal cold weather that will come, all as a result of the outcome of climate change.  These are all predictions being foretold today.

But two thousand years ago no one had the scientific equipment or knowledge to foresee the future, to foresee the coming destruction of Jerusalem.  Except Christ.  Believe it or not. And he told his disciples exactly what would happen.  Pray, he said that it does not happen in winter:  "Or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation."

Here was a man, not just an ordinary man, but one of much power and mystery.  He traveled throughout the country doing good for the suffering people.  He healed the sick, made the lame walk, cured the lepers, made the blind see, fed thousands, gave people hope of a new beginning, taught them to love one another, and gave them new ideas to live by.  He feared not the leaders and the rulers, calling them out for their sins.  Yet he knew that all this would only bring him to his destruction.  What do we believe today?

Does the Bible give us structure to live our lives in these times or is it just another book to read?  What can we obtain from the reading or the study of it?  What message does it have for us today?  

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 24, verse: 12; Iniquity abound.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 9.  

It was a recipe for disaster.  All that could happen would happen, Christ told his disciples.  They should know what was to come.  They should be prepared for any and all outcomes during the trials and tribulations that Christ was telling them.  They were not prepared for all the things that were to come but he put the fear of what was to happen in them to test their faith and belief. 

Did they believe in him?  Did they really accept him as being the Son of Man, the Messiah?  Did they believe all that he was telling them or was this just another tale he created like so many other stories he told to the crowds?  But these were his disciples he spoke with, he said:  "And because iniquity will abound, the charity of the many will grow cold."

Iniquity, injustice, sin, lawlessness, all will abound and love for the many will cease and grow cold.  What will tomorrow bring?  What will this time in history look like?  Will there be war, famine, pestilence, disease?  What will happen to humankind?  What will become of the good qualities of mankind?  Will they cease to exist, will man return to the dark ages?  Even today these are some questions that we can ask ourselves in the present political and civil climate.

What will our God do during such a time?  Can we still rely upon his grace?  Can we still believe that he will provide for us, protect us, show us the way forward in spite of all that occurs around us?  Or should we become afraid for our lives not trusting that our God and Father will provide?

Iniquity my abound.  Lawless may increase.  Sin may become common place in and around us but all this is no reason for us to waver in our faith and trust in our Father who has given us life eternal.  We are but clay vessels in this earthly realm, waiting for the time to be called to our permanent home.  

Christ came to let us know that we are more than just human beings, flesh and blood, skin and bones.  He came to open the door for us that we would know that there is a heavenly kingdom awaiting us when we leave this earthly realm.  He came to let us know that we are spiritual beings given eternal life by the sacrifice he paid on the cross for our sins.  He came to give us eternal life everlasting that no one can take from us except us.  

So despite what is happening around us, our faith and knowledge in who we are should not waiver.  We are children of God, created in his image and likeness given life eternal through Christ Jesus.  Iniquity begone!  Sin begone!  Lawlessness begone!  In the name of Jesus Christ we command you begone!  We are the children of the almighty, ever living 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 24, verse: 2; Temple destruction.

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ foretells the Temple's destruction) Part 2.  
Many came to the city to marvel at the construction and beauty.  They came from near and far because they had heard of Jerusalem's beauty.  They wanted to see it.  They wanted to know it.  They wanted to hear of the history and the culture that caused such a city to be built.  So they came from all nations and tribes, from north and south, east and west to see this great city.  They wanted to learn so they could take that knowledge back to their own cultures.

And the Jews were proud of this fact that the people from all over the known world were coming to Jerusalem to see the majesty of their great city.  The disciples wanted Christ to see all there was of this great city.  They wanted to show him around to all the different parts.  But Christ did not see greatness.  All he saw was destruction.  All he saw was ruin.  "But he answered and said to them, 'Do you see all these things?  Amen I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.' "

And so it was that destruction was in his sight and not the beauty that was in the eyes of the disciples.  They were proud.  He was sadden.  They were joyful.  He was heart broken.  They could only see the here and now.  He saw the future and the destruction that was taking place even as they spoke because it was happening before their eyes and they could not see.  

What we see and what we do not see is what we are given to see or not see.  We are given to see the things around us because they are there every day.  We look for them and they are there.  We are not given to see those things that are not there.  They may be there but we are not given to see them.  That doesn't mean that they are not there it's just that we are not given to see them because we don't ordinarily look for them.  They could be right in front of our face and we do not see them because we are not looking for them.  

Christ sees all and knows all, past , present, and future.  He sees us in our daily lives and our daily struggles.  We are his body and together he provides for all, protects all.  We know not where we are going.  We only know that day by day we will eventually get there.  He will carry us through if we call upon his name to see us through.  We are not given to see the outcome of these things but our belief tells us that we can see that he is with us.  We ask him for help with our problems and though they may not get solved according to our time frame, they do get solved if we leave them in his hands.  

Thank you God for that which we cannot see that we know that is there for us.  Thank you Christ for being there for us to help us along the way.  Thank you Holy Spirit for being our guide every day when we need someone to lean on to help us along the way.   

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: 39a; You shall not see me.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Lamentation over Jerusalem) Part 6.  

Christ felt a great passion for his city, for his people.  He loved them in all their glory and in all their sin.  His heart went out to them for he foresaw what he knew would happen to them without his protection, without his love.  Evil was waiting in the wings to take over completely.  Yet he was there to fulfill his destiny to pay for the sins of mankind and put a stop to evil.

Still he lamented over Jerusalem.  All the years of work and pain and toil put into making the city as it was, would come to ruin.  This was the city based on the kingdom of heaven, on the measurements of the city of God.  Evil was coming.  You could hear it in the hills.  You could understand what was happening in the courtyards of the rich.  They were selling their souls and Satan was coming to collect.  

Christ knew.  He came to put a stop to it.  He came to end it all.  His new covenant would provide protection and provisions for all mankind who chose to believe and follow him.  So he wept for the city of Jerusalem.  He lamented for the people therein.  He knew that there would be some who would believe and some who disbelieve.  He said: "For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth."

The time was coming near for his sacrifice, for the payment to be made for the sins of the many.  He would not be available to aid the people in their struggles to come.  He would not heal the sick, cure the lame, open the eyes of the blind, raise the dead, perform all types of miracles as before.  His time was coming to an end.  Yet the people did not know or understand his meaning.

It is hard to believe that such a person walked the earth some two thousand years ago.  Yet we have writings of witnesses of his life and history.  Much is told of Christ over the years.  We have much to read and study of his life, his works, his words, his miracles, interpretations of all that he said and did.  Despite all this, in all that we know ourselves, in all we are taught from early childhood, it comes down to believing what we are given.  We are not scholars.  We have not spent a lifetime studying the books of old to gain the wisdom and knowledge of Christ's life and works.  So we take what is given us in our schools and churches and from our Bibles and Christian readings to help us believe in him.  And yet of this little knowledge the most basic understanding that we can come away with is belief.

Do you believe?  Do I believe?  Do I know?  Yes!  I know within myself, that I live within Christ.  I know within myself that I have life within him.  I know that he lives and therefore I have life because he has given me new life.  Before I was lost in the world, seeking the treasures of the world, not knowing who I am.  But now I seek the treasures of the kingdom of heaven because it is there that I want to be.  It is there that I am from.  It is there that my life originates and not from this world.  

When I seek the treasures of this world I seek darkness.  But when I seek the treasures of the kingdom I seek the light of life that comes from Christ because he has awaken me as to who I am and where I am from.  I am spiritual and not physical and within this flesh lives me, the spiritual being that Christ has awaken and given new life.  My flesh is but dust, but my spirit is alive in him.  Open your heart and seek that which only he can give and you too will know the truth of who you are. 

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: 31b; Those who killed the prophets.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their persecution of religion) Part 5.  

Christ is speaking directly to the Scribes and the Pharisees on how they are destroying the religion of the people.  The things they are doing and the rules and the laws they enforce have little to do with increasing the faith of the people but instead destroying their belief in their God.  Why is it so difficult on the people at this time in their lives?  Why do the leaders proclaim so many laws that they have to follow?  Why are they treated like slaves where every move is watched over by the religious leaders to make sure they are doing no wrong?  Why is there no mercy in the Lord?

God heard the cries and sighs of his people and sent his prophets to warn the leaders of their harsh treatment of the people.  He sent messengers to the Pharisees to tell them of their wrongs. The prophets proclaimed in the streets the message of God but the leaders would not have them stirring up the people with a different word than that which came from them.  To put an end to the messenger they killed the prophets, spilled their precious blood.   And the people were left without the message.  The new leadership followed in the same footsteps as their fathers maintaining the same rules, persecuting the religion as their fathers before them.

When Christ confronted them about their fathers, they tried to escape their heritage but they only convicted themselves by their own words.  He told them that they can not deny: "That you are the sons of those who killed the prophets." 


They, indeed, were the heirs of their fathers who killed the prophets.  As much as they might try to hide from that fact it would be part of their heritage.  Their fathers trained them, taught them how to rule the people.  They taught them the ins and out of leadership, and getting ride of the opposition was one of the key tools handed down to the children.  This was how they ruled the people.  Keep everyone in line.  

We see this even today, in every corner of industry, government, management, finance, business, etc.  As long as you stay in line with your leaders and do as they ask, keep your head down, don't make trouble, no matter what, you will be fine.  If you see something wrong, ask too many questions, speak up at the wrong time, you are subject to find yourself at the back of the line and out the door.  These are the rules of our society and they are enforced down to the man.

Ask yourself, where do you want to be in life?  On the inside or on the outside?  How far are you willing to go to achieve your goals?  What are you willing to do to get there?  Are you willing to lie, cheat, steal, slander, cause harm, murder, lower your moral standards, whatever? We are driven to get ahead.  We are motivated daily to have the things that we see that others have.  We want the same things and we will have them!  And then there is that little voice that sits on our shoulder that tells us how to get what we want if we only have the guts and the courage to take it.  Evil has come full circle.

Christ came to redeem us from the evil in the world.  He came to give us a new life, a life rich with all the joy and happiness that this world cannot offer.  He came that we might have peace within, knowing that we are already wealthy, rich beyond the worldly material of mankind.  Our joy lies with him.  Our peace is in him.  Our love is from him.  We are in him and he is in those who will accept him.  

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: 23d; Things you ought to have done.

Our paragraph topic is:  (They overstress the nonessential part of religion) Part 4.  

They were blessed to have known their God.  He spoke to them through the prophets.  He sent messengers to the leaders giving directions and instructions.  He guided them through hard times and he chastised them when they did not listen to his words of wisdom.  Yet they were a hardened people, prone to their own ways.  They had the Law handed down to them by their forefathers to guide their daily lives.  But they had the desires to live in a world of riches like other men.

The Romans ruled over them so they had to obey Roman Law.  They had to keep the peace or suffer the heavy hand of Roman justice or punishment.  Some of the people did not like it and would have rebelled.  But it was up to the leaders of the synagogue to keep the people in line and prevent any uprising.  So the Scribes and the Pharisees, out of fear, found every way to clamp down on the people to keep them in line.  Christ called them hypocrites because they did not believe in their faith.  They only knew the positions of power they wanted to keep.  They did whatever was necessary to rule over the people to keep the Romans happy.

They had a God who created the universe and yet they feared the Romans.  They had a God who separated the Red Sea for their people to cross over yet they gave up their belief and faith in him for fear of the Romans.  They had a God who brought plague upon the Egyptian nation but they stopped having mercy and forgiveness as their God had instructed them.  Right judgment was a thing of the past in the face of the Imperial Roman Cohort even though their God was the God of all mankind.  Christ told them:  "These things you ought to have done, while not leaving the others undone."

Faith, right judgment, mercy Christ tells us are an essential part of our religion, what we believe.  Despite all that happens in the world around us today, we should have a solid foundation in the knowledge and belief that we have a God and Father who cares for us.  He will provide and protect us no matter what happens in the world.  If all else fails, if the world comes to an end, if the sun explodes and the moon crashes into the sea, we will always have our Father to rely upon to take care of us.  We are his children and he is our Father and his love is ours to count on.

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: 18a; Swearing by the altar.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 6.  

They did not know, for they had created a religion based upon the knowledge of man and not the wisdom of God.  Their beliefs were based upon the limited wisdom of man.  Christ called them blind fools.  They had no understanding of the wisdom of God nor had they sought or asked for his wisdom.

They ruled the people based upon what they could conceive themselves.  The wisdom of the prophets was not known to them.  The knowledge that came from the God to the prophets was killed, buried with their bodies because they could not hear the message that the prophets brought from God.  This is why they believed: "And whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing."  

They had no idea of sanctity or purity or even of the knowledge of God himself.  Generations had passed since their forefathers were brought out of Egypt and lead through the dessert by the hand of God.  They were many generations away from their forefathers with very little knowledge of what truths were experienced by their parents.  They knew not and even those who had access to the readings of the past did not talk about it or tell about the times past.  Only in the synagogues on Sundays when the readings were held did one have the opportunity to hear of the miracles wrought by the hand of God.  And those miracles were attached to the Law that one must keep, the Law that was interpreted by the rulers who created them and changed them.

They had a distorted idea of religion.  Christ came down from heaven to be with us, to walk with us to talk with us, to show us the truth of who we are and how we should be.  We are the children of our creator, our Father, a father who loves us.  He wants us to stay out of harms way just as we would want our children to not be harmed.  It is amazing to think that the son of the creator walked this earth among mankind, lived with us, died for us, arose from the dead to return to heaven so that we would know the truth of the cycle of life.  We have life within us just as he has life and the Father has life.  Our belief in him is our belief in his life and the life in the Father.  Our belief in him is our oneness in him as he is one with the 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 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 22, verse: 24; His Brother Widow and their Issue.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The Sadducees question Christ) Part 2.  

The Sadducees were a part of the ruling party.  They had their own teachings according to the Law of Moses.  They believed that there was no resurrection after death.  You see it had been a long time since the Jews were released from slavery in Egypt.  They had wandered in the desert for forty years.  So they knew of the writings of old, how God protected their forefathers from death and fed them in the desert.  They knew about the prophets and all the miracles wrought in their name.  But they still did not believe that their was life after death.

Christ comes on the scene and he draws large crowds.  The people are talking about him everywhere.  The word is spreading and the rulers do not like that they are loosing popularity to this newcomer.  So now they have the opportunity to question him to determine his knowledge and education in the Law.  They come, saying, "Master, Moses said, 'If a man die without having a son, his brother shall marry the widow and raise up issue to his brother.' " 

And so they came with a rule from Moses that had come down through the ages to the people of the present time.  They wanted to set a foundation upon which to build their premise that Christ would accept.  They did not want to have contradiction so that they could then add the extra conditions.  Moses was their father and he was given authority from God to rule the people.  So their premise and his rule was acceptable by God was their belief and their foundation.

They had the premise right and the foundation right.  For they were speaking directly with the  Word of God.  For Christ spoke and did what his father showed him and told him to do.  He was the mouth piece of the living God.  His words came directly from the mind of God.  And the Spirit was his guide.  

The words we see and read today have come to us down through history, down through time as written and directed by the Holy Spirit of God himself.  Some believe those words and take them to heart.  Some do not believe and claim the words as false, being the writings of man to control the people.  Some doubt and half believe what is written.  Then there are those who hate the words and use them for dark purposes to call upon evil to rise and take control of mankind.

The words are written.  Take them as you choose.  They are a tool to open the door to the heart.  And within the heart lies the key to belief.  Without belief we cannot transform.  Without belief we cannot see.  Without belief we are blind, living in the darkness of time and the emptiness of space.  But with belief the door is open to the light of life that is given us freely through the sacrifice and the passion of Christ.  It is only through this belief in him that we are able to transform ourselves and to see the truth of who we are, new beings, new life, new light.

No more emptiness.  No more darkness.  No more loneliness.  Now we can know who we are and who he is in our lives.  And the truth will be given to us through the guidance of the Holy Spirit for we are not orphans left alone.  We are his children, his precious ones, his loved.

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 22, verse: 21c; God's things.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Tribute to Caesar) Part 11.  

They would not cease in their endeavor to trap him in his words.  Christ knew their plans.  This is why he was angry with them because they continued to test him.  They didn't know that he was the Christ, the Messiah.  They only thought that he was a fake, a fraud, a charlatan, some one who sought to turn the people away from the rule of law of the Jews.  And it was their duty, their responsibility to show him as such.

They didn't believe.  They didn't see.  Despite all their wisdom and knowledge they could not come to see what the little people were seeing and believing.  No prophet before Christ had come to perform the miracles or come to do the things that he did or spoke such words of truth.  But the people of wisdom and knowledge were blinded.  They could not see.  They could nor believe.  So they continued to test him and ask questions to trap him.  They asked: "If it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar."  And Christ gave them their answer.   "Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  

And that was part of the answer that they wanted to hear but part of the answer that they did not want to hear.  For it was complex in it's response.  Give to Caesar the things that are his and to God the things that belong to God's . 

What belongs to Caesar?  Of course the tribute belongs to Caesar because the people lived under the rule of Caesar and the Roman Empire.  What belongs to God?  We belong to God because he made us, gave us life, gives us the sun and the moon and the water and the plants and the food and all the things that we need to live.  We give praise and glory to God for his love and provisions and protection.  We give tribute to Caesar.  And we give hope to God for the life that he promises after we leave this shell here on earth.  We give our obedience to Caesar because he sets the laws of the land.  We give our faith, our belief, and our praise and our glory to God for the tomorrow that he provides for he is our life and our promise for all eternity.

We live to share in the life that he has promised through Christ Jesus.  We share that belief with all our brothers and sisters with love.  For it is through love that we are all bound together as one.  For out of love we came forth.  And it is through the love of his son Christ Jesus that we exist today.  We are the creation of love 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 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 21, verse:25a; The Dilemma of the Question.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The authority of Jesus) Part 4. 

Shocked by his response, the chief priest and elders were in turn asked to answer a question before their question was answered.  They wanted to know the origin of Christ.  They wanted to know where he was taught, who taught him, what school he attended, where did he obtain such knowledge.

They were angry and indignant at him and his teachings.  He captivated the people.  The people were drawn to him, listened intently, more than they had listened to the priests and the elders.  More than that his words stayed with them long after they were spoken and were pasted on to others.  They Word spread.  So the dilemma to the question:  "Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven, or from men?" 

Most of the common people knew and believed that John the Baptist was anointed, a prophet.  He inspired the people from near and far to come and repent of their sins.  He was the one written of in the Bible as the messenger who came before the coming of the Messiah.  Yet here were the chief priests and the elders, learned men, who knew and studied the Law and the books of the Bible, faced with the question of the origin of John the Baptist.  How could they answer?  How could they speak of this prophet?  How should they respond?

We are faced with a similar question today:  Is Christ the Son of God or is he just the son of Mary and Joseph?  The question goes to the core of what we believe today, or values, our hopes, our dreams, our life, and our being.  If he is the Son of God and the writings of the Bible are true then we can have faith and hope in what was written.  If he was the son of Mary and Joseph, just a man, then those writings are fiction and not believable.

Where lies the truth?  From what realm do we operate our lives?  How do we fit what we know and what we believe in the world we live in?  Is it a mystery, something that we cannot fathom and must store in our minds as a mystery, not to be questioned, only to be accepted?  There is the world around us that we accept with truth and fact, facts that we see everyday.  Then there is belief, a leap beyond facts and what we can see and feel daily.  And it is that leap that allows us to go beyond the everyday, the mundane, the mysterious. 

Some have that ability to leap.  Some do not.  Some only rely on facts that they can see and feel and know within themselves.  But those who have that ability can do more than see and feel.  They can understand the life within.  They can see the truth of what was sacrificed and what was given.  For we are two in one.  We are spiritual in the physical.  We are eternal and perishable.  We are children of the one who created us in his image and likeness.  And it is that image and likeness that Christ came to restore to those who can make the leap, to those who can believe, to those who know the truth of his passion and the love of God our Father.  It is real.  It is truth.  It is eternal.  It is here and now waiting for those to take the leap of faith and believe. 

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 21, verse:22; Believing, all things in prayer.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Power of faith) Part 4. 

It is amazing what Christ did for the disciples.  He taught them about the things that come from the kingdom of God.  He demonstrated for them the power of words, his words.  And he told them that they could do the same if they did not waver in their belief.  This was the lesson that they had to learn.  This was the lesson that they had to remember after he had ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of his Father.

They were amazed and astonished at the miracles he performed.  They believed that he was the Messiah, the Son of God, and that he had the power to do many things.  They did not know or believe that they would be able to do the same.  Yet he gave them the instructions that they could follow.  "And all things whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you shall receive." 

What do we pray for?  Is it money?  Is it to pay our bills?  Is it to feed our families?  Is it to keep our home and not be set out in the street?  What is it that we pray to God our Father and ask for?  After we pray do we believe that he will hear us and answer?  Do we believe that he will provide?  If we want it now do we believe that he will provide now?  If he does not provide for us now do we continue to believe or do we waver and give up our hope and belief in him? 

We are humans in nature and do not know how to ask for that which will provide for our future.  We are humans and do not know what will truly make us happy.  We are humans and do not know what will bring us true peace.  If we ask for a snake, do you think that our father would give us a snake?  If we ask for something that he knows will not bring us peace do you think that he would give to us that thing that will create chaos in our lives?

Yet we ask for those things that we know not how they will affect our lives in the future.  We pray not for humility.  We pray not for patience.  We pray not for forgiveness, love, mercy, hope, faith, piety, etc, those things that will help us to be more like him.  We know not.  We only know what is in this world and what we believe, by what has been given us, will satisfy and help us.  He know the truth.  He knows the way.  He knows the love and the peace that we need.  He is our father and he gave us and continues to give us life.  His lesson is seek and you shall find.  Knock and it shall be opened to you.  Ask, in prayer, believing, and it shall be given to you.  Do not give up five minutes before the miracle happens.  Patience is the key.  Belief is the door that will open your heart.

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.