St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 16b; Swearing by the Temple.

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

He had called them names in public, names that caused other prophets to be killed.  He berated them for the things they did, for their so called pious behavior, for their religious demeanor on the outside and hypocritical behavior on the inside.  He saw everything that they did and made comment of it to the people.  And the Pharisees and the Scribes did not like what they heard from this man of low demeanor.

Yet he was the Christ that they could not see.  He was the Messiah.  He was the Chosen One and they still could not see the writing on the wall.  The people heard, the people saw, the people understood.  The people believed and knew that he was the one foretold, the one who would come and bring about change.  But they, the religious leadership, could not believe he was the one.  He called them blind guides: "Who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing."

Is it nothing to swear by the house of God?  Is it not something to make an oath and bind it by the house that the creator of the universe lives?  Does that not have any meaning?  We place our hands on the Bible and swear to tell the truth.  If we place our hands on the Temple of God and swear that we are bound does that not have meaning?

We say that a man's bond is his word but how true are those words today.  How often have those words been reversed or taken aback when convenient and to our benefit.  What is truth?  What is honesty?  What is love of brother, or neighbor of fellow man?  We are all brothers and sisters created by one God, given his one image.  Does that not make us the same?  

Least we forget who we are, we come from a different place.  As beautiful and wonderful as this place we live in, it is not the home we are destined for.  We are two in one.  A two-fer, one flesh, one spirit.  Until we come to realize and understand this we loose the truth of who we are in this world.  We loose the opportunity given us from birth to transform into the spirit that we are to become.  For we are truly spiritual beings in a physical body waiting for the transformation to take place at the given time and place designated by God.  Do not be blinded by the physical.  Open your heart and see the true you from within.

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: 4; Heavy Burdens.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 3.  
Christ now teaches the disciples and the people about the Scribes and the Pharisees.  He tells them to follow the rules and the regulations that proclaimed by the Scribes and the Pharisees because they have taken the Seat of Moses.  He wants them to obey the laws.  He wants them to understand the difference in what it means to be a Scribe or a Pharisee and the actions of leadership they take.

We follow our leaders and look up to them as examples.  We practice their ways and model their speech and actions.  But Christ tells the people:  "And they bind together heavy and oppressive burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but not with one finger of their own do they choose to move them."  

We follow those who lead us.  They are the ones we look to, to give us direction and understanding of purpose.  We listen to their speeches.  We believe in their actions.  We obey the rules and laws that they pass down to us because they are our leaders.  We are solders who do without question the commands that are given us.  We do not question their actions even though we may think that the commands we are given are wrong.

Christ wants us to see, to understand that the actions of those who lead us determine who they are.  Their actions speak to the person that we follow.  Their actions show us the contradictions of those that we follow.  Our eyes must see and know the difference in what we hear and what we see.  We should not be blind following those who would lead us to destruction.  

Observe and do but do not act according to their works, he tells the crowd and the disciples.  He came that we would have life and not death.  He lived that we would know of a Father who loves us.  He died that we could be justified as a people from the sins of the world.  He ascended that we would know that he is in heaven waiting for us to come home.  He is the example to follow.  He is the guide.  He is the Lord of all who seek to know his passion for us.  

The Lord is with us in every situation that we encounter.  He is our support and our shoulder in our time of need.  Seek him and you will find your answer to the why of life.  Follow him and he will lead the way.  Trust him and he will give you 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 22, verse: 14; The Called and the Chosen.

Our paragraph topic is:  (One guest is cast out) Part 4.  

Our parable comes to an end with Christ telling the people the final meaning of this story.  He wants the people to have some understanding of the kingdom of heaven.  So he tells a parable that relates the kingdom of heaven to a king who exercises power over his people in his kingdom.

This king wants to give a party, a celebration, for his son and the bride on the union of their wedding.  The king wanted all to attend and celebrate with him this happy and joyous occasion.  He wanted the word to spread of this party for his son so that all would know of his graciousness and his love for his son and the union with his new bride. 

Yet there were many who did not want to attend, many who did not want the word to get out about the party.  He sent out invitations to all in the town and villages in his kingdom but none would come.  So he sent his servants at to the crossroads and invited all the travelers who were passing through to stop and come to the party.  Many were invited and many came both good and bad.

Many came from the crossroads to see the kings hospitality at this event.  And as the party got underway the king came down to view the guest and to celebrate.  As he walked through the crowd he saw one who came without the proper attire, one who decided to come anyway.  He was displeased.  So he had his servants bind his hands and feet and cast them out into the darkness where there was the weeping and gnashing of teeth.  "For many are called, but few are chosen."  

And this was the lesson that Christ wanted the people to hear from this parable.  That all are called to the celebration of the kingdom but few are chosen to remain.  

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: 13; The Guest is cast out.

Our paragraph topic is:  (One guest is cast out) Part 3. 

And now in the final episode of this parable where the king enters the ballroom to find the guests enjoying the celebrations that he has prepared.  At last now he has a party that will be remembered by all.  He has brought together enough people that will remember this celebration of the union of the bride and the groom.  This is a celebration for all to talk about.

But wait.  All were talking about something else.  They were talking about a guest at the wedding feast that did not wear a wedding garment.  They were talking about a person who came to the wedding feast who dared to come without the appropriate attire in defiance of the king, in defiance of the host of the celebration.  And the king was not going to have this person spoil his party.  "Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet and cast him forth into the darkness outside, where there will be the weeping, and the gnashing of teeth.' "  

The party was not going to be spoiled by one guest who came with the intent to disgrace the host.  This was an important celebration that the king wanted all to remember.  He wanted all who came to spread the word of this one celebration.  He wanted all who came to tell everyone so that all would remember the wedding feast held by the king.  And this was not going to be a feast that one guest spoiled.

So this one guest was cast out into the darkness.  He was thrown outside where the animals who are hungry were wanting to get into the party.  They smell the food and they want to come in.  The teeth were gnashing and the mouths were watering and the stomachs were hungry for the great feast of food that inside the great hall.  But they could get in.  And that is the way that it was. 

There are some parties that we would like to go to.  There are some parties that we would die to be invited to.  There are some parties that would kill to get into but the guards at the gates will not let us in.  What do we do?  We accept with anger that we are not invited.  We accept with disgust that we are not a part of that crowd.  We accept with frustration that we will get even with those guys when we see them again.  But we still cannot get into the party.

This is not the case with the kingdom of heaven.  All are invited.  All are welcomed to come.  All are given the message about the celebration to come and be a part of the wedding feast.  But you must wear a wedding garment.  You must wear the proper attire.  You must come prepared to enter or you may be asked to leave or you may be thrown out into the darkness.  You may be embarrassed in front of all your friends and asked to leave by the host.  God wants all to attend but you must come prepared for the feast.

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 Mathew, Chapter 18, verse: 19, The Power of Agreement.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The power of united prayer) Part 1.  

Christ has given his disciples specific instructions on how to win the battle with sin.  For the battle is with sin and the weapon is love.  So, he tells them to bind sin on earth.  Bind sin, that it will not enter into thy brother or sister.  Bind evil, from thy brother or sister.  Bind lust, bind false witness, bind hatred, bind anger, bind greed, bind wantonness, bind all evil that would possess thy brother or sister and take them away from thee.  For sin will come.  Sin will tempt.  And sin will seek to take away thy brother or sister.  But Christ has given them the tools that they need to do battle with sin. 

With all these tools he gives them even further instructions as to what they may do to combat sin.  Loose sin from thy brother.  For once sin takes hold it will not let go.  So Christ told his disciples that whatever they loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Whatever evil they separate from thy brother or sister on earth will be carried out in heaven.  Evil will be separated by the powers in heaven.  And then he gives them another tool to use against sin.  He provides them with the ultimate tool that they can use against evil, the power of agreement.  "I say to you further, that if two of you shall agree on earth about anything at all for which they ask, it shall be done for them by my Father in heaven."

They will ask for help.  They will ask for forgiveness.  They will ask for mercy.  They who are in need, they who believe in the truth, they who awaken from the darkness, will seek thy help.  They will seek the help of thy brother.  They will seek the help of thy sister.  They will seek the help of the church to break the grip of sin from all the brothers and sisters .  And it is the duty and responsibility of the church to use all the powers given it by Christ to combat sin.  For sin will come.  Sin will tempt.  Sin will take hold.  And sin will not let go.

But Christ told his disciples that they must agree.  He told them that they must recognize that they have the power to combat sin.  For within them and through them sin will be defeated.  But it will take the combined efforts of the spirit of two or more.  It will call for the agreement of two or more spirits.  It will require the agreement of the life force, of the light within, of the spiritual soul, to break the hold of sin.  They will ask for thy help.  They will need thy assistance.  They who believe in the love of Christ, will look to the light of Christ from the depths of their darkness and ask for forgiveness to overcome the grip of sin.  And it is up to two or more of you to reach into their hearts and see the call of the light of Christ that pleads for help.

Christ has given us a new life.  He has restored us to the life that our Father in heaven gave to man before the fall.  And with this new life we are the light that shine forth into the darkness.  For the Advocate is with us.  The light of Christ is with us.  The spirit of awareness in the truth resides in us.  And it is with that truth that we go forth into the world to carry the message that Christ has given us of the new life that is within each of our brothers and sisters.  If two or more agree in the light of life within Christ then whatever they ask for will be done by the Father in heaven.  This is the tool that Christ gave to his disciples and to us today. 

Know the truth of who you are in Christ.  See the light of new life that is within you.  Welcome the light of the Holy Spirit that will come to you and you shall know the truth of who you are.  For the Advocate will come.  The Advocate will reside.  The Advocate will protect.  The Advocate will provide.  And the Advocate will counsel in all things.  For it is with the Advocate that we walk in the faith and truth of who we are.  All things are given to us on earth.  Yet we are not of the earth but are citizens of heaven, created by our heavenly Father in his image and likeness.

Come!  Seek the knowledge and truth of your salvation.  For in it and with it and through it you will see a new light.  You will know a new truth.  You will open a new door to path of your life.  And you will know a new peace that surpasses any fleeting peace held here on earth.  For the Father loves you.  And Christ is with you.  And the Holy Spirit will come to you.  And you will be set free.

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.