St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 22b; For the Sake of the Elect.

Our paragraph topic is: (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 11.  

Christ continues to talk about the destruction of Jerusalem and how life would end.  He knows what the Father wants.  He knows the anger and the frustration of the Father.  So many times the Father has been merciful and patient with his creation.  He has waited centuries for mankind to become the family, the people, the community of love and understanding that they are capable of becoming.  Yet the world tempts and taunts the people to do evil, to be led astray from the love that the Father has for his people. 

Christ tells the people, pray, that they do not have to experience the great tribulation that comes in winter or on the sabbath.  For on those days such destruction will be seen as man has not witnessed since the beginning of time nor will be.  Jerusalem will be torn asunder.  Many will suffer.  There will be much pain and death.  When you see the signs do not turn back, run for the hills for there will not be time to save anything except yourself.  Christ tells them had those days of destruction not been shortened no living creature would be saved:  "But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened."   

All is not lost.  The elect will save some.  For their sake the world will not be lost, all living creatures will not be destroyed.  Thanks be to God that there are those who are chosen.  Thanks be to God that there are those who meet his favor, who are special to him and worth saving from destruction.  They are the ones who save mankind.  They are the ones who show the best of who we are.  They are the ones who do not yield to the temptations of the world, who do not fall prey to the traps of evil.  

We all are just human, weak and frail, struggling daily, attempting to know his will for us in this world.  We yield to temptation, but do we get up, ask for forgiveness, and repent of our sins.  Seeking forgiveness and repenting is our salvation.  Try and try as we might, we must continue to fight the struggle to live the life of love and trust and faith that Christ has given us to live.  And believe that as long as we believe with all our hearts and minds that he is our lord and savior and that we will be saved.  Believe that those days will be shortened, and we will be part of the elect 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 24, verse: 20a; Fleeing in the winter.

 Our paragraph topic is:  (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 7.  

The tragedy of the destruction of Jerusalem becomes even more disturbing as Christ continues to paint the picture.  He tells of all the odd things that are going to occur to the people who are not aware, those who do not believe and continue to deny what may happen.  He has come from on high to bring a message to the people.  He has come from the Father to save the people, to bring forth a new beginning.  Yet few will listen, few will believe.

If love and tenderness will not move then surely fear will raise awareness.  Fear of impending doom will make people listen.  Fear of death will reach the inner most reaches of the most hardened person and bring them to some sense of reality.  Fear of loss, fear of loosing that which one has, fear of loosing the luxury of the day will cause one to take action to make something happen.  For he told the people:  "But pray that your flight may not be in the winter."

Pray that there would not be a winter if destruction comes.  Pray that they would not have to flee in the cold, in the wind, in the rain, in the ice of winter.  They lived in Jerusalem, in a warm climate.  Winter was non-existent to them.  They knew of it but not to the extent that it would cause them to fear for their lives.  They could prepare for winter by storing up food and planning to have heat in their homes.  But to have to flee during a cold, cold winter with the wind and rain and ice, would be fearfully unbearable.  That would be something no one would want to undertake.

Yet Christ was telling the people to pray.  He was telling them to pray that that would not happen to them, that God would spare them of that suffering of cold during escape from their home.  Would they listen?  Would they hear his words and believe.  They saw the miracles he performed.  They knew of the many he had cured.  They knew of the dead he had raised.  And no other prophet before him had come close to doing the things that he did.  He was the Messiah.  But what did that mean to the people?

What does it mean for us today?  We have the Bible that tells us of all the things that Christ did while he was here on earth.  We have the disciples that he left behind that established the church and taught and trained the early saints.  We have the writings of those apostles and saints to guide us in our daily lives.  We have the whole foundation of the church and the built up ministries to go by to help us live according to the principles that Christ gave us.  But what does it all mean?  

What does it mean for you and me is what we want it to mean in a relationship with ourselves and the one who gave us life.  If we understand one thing it is we have life eternal through the gift that Christ gave us.  Not life today, not life tomorrow, not life for a minute, or an hour but life eternal.  We have life beyond the end of the flesh.  And that one thing should be our waking and living focus day in and day out.  The knowledge that through Christ we are more than just physical.  We were created in the image and likeness of the Father and because he has life in him we also have life through Christ and his grace, his mercy, and his all giving love.

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: 19a; Those with child.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 5.  

Take nothing with you.  Run for your life if you are to be saved.  Don't turn back for anything, else you loose your life for death is at your heals.  Christ delivers a dire message to his disciples and to the people about the coming destruction of Jerusalem.  Everyone, all the Jews are praising their city, enjoying the sights and sounds of its beauty.  But not Christ.  He is warning the people of impending doom. 

Those who believe are shocked.  Those who disbelieve ignore, pass his prediction off as idle gossip from those who would spread fear.  The leaders and rulers of the people are terrified that this man who has captured the minds and hearts of the people is now spreading rumors of destruction of their great city.  It means ruin for their leadership.  And most horrified are those who are with child or children.  He is saying:  "But woe to those who are with child."

Women beware that you will suffer most because you are with child!  Death and destruction will find you first and foremost because you are unable to flee fast enough to outrun death.  You will be swallowed up by the oncoming horrors of destruction.  And the women know the truth of what the prediction means because they have seen and heard the meaning of tragedy and war.  Women are the possessions of destruction and those with child are ravaged the most.

Even today we see the loss of life due to natural disasters.  And those most vulnerable are the women and children especially those with child.   Floods and fires and hurricanes and storms and all kinds of natural disasters occur around the world in places where people live that do not have adequate means to prepare themselves for oncoming disasters.  Loss of life is precious, something that tears at our hearts when we see and hear of such in places in the world.

Christ was a sort of early warning system in those days in that he was telling the people what was coming that they might prepare themselves for the event.  The same as we have today, early warning systems that give us knowledge of impending doom that we might have minutes to escape death.  Even at the clutches of death though we must prepare ourselves daily thanking God for his precious gift of life and thanking him for the sacrifice made by Christ Jesus ,on the cross, to give us new life.  Believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and know that the promise of Christ is yours for the asking.  Death is but a door that we must all go through to transform ourselves to the true spirit of life that Christ has given us.  Know that it is yours for the asking, yours for the receiving, yours for the keeping that no one can take away.  Take the narrow path and God will be with 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 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: 17; Flee from the housetops.

 Our paragraph topic is: (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 3. 

Christ continues with his predictions about the destruction of Jerusalem.  He is speaking to his disciples so that they will know of the coming doom and to the crowd around them.  This is new.  It is not heard of before.  He is the one who has brought about miracles, raised the dead, cured the sick, made cripples and the lame to walk, cured lepers.  He is the one all the people are talking about.  And now he is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem.

This new word may cause panic among the people.  It may cause fear to run rampant.  It may cause the leaders to take action to stop this talk of the destruction of Jerusalem.  But Jesus is making a prediction of the coming doom of Jerusalem and he wants the world to know of it.  He is telling the people:  "And let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything from his house."

Destruction will be swift.  It will be keen.  It will be unrelenting.  It will spare no one in it's path.  So flee when you can with only your life and nothing else, less you loose it.  Death is at your heals, one step behind you.  This is the message that Christ is preparing his disciples and the people for, letting them know how they are to survive the coming doom.  They must heed his words and flee for their lives when the time comes or slaughter will overtake them.

What are we to learn today, of this message given so long ago.  Does it have meaning for the people of today.  Jerusalem was destroyed but today it is rebuilt.  Is it due for destruction again?  The Jewish people were proud of what their religion had built.  They were a rich nation.  God provided for them for many years.  Yet they rebelled and Jerusalem fell.  Is there a message in their history for the rest of the Christian world?  Are we provided for by God?  Does he watch over us, does he protect us?  Are we a proud people because of our God?  

Christ came down from heaven to show us how to live, to be an example for us.  He was gentle, and kind and loving, and forgiving.  He gave of himself to those in need and those who believed in him.  Do not be afraid he would always say.  Have the faith of a mustard seed.  Seek the kingdom of heaven first and all other things will be given you, for your Father knows your needs.  These were some of his words to us, written for us to read and to know.  Written for us to carry with us in our daily lives that we will have his words to guide us through life.  The key to life is in his words.  It is there for those who desire to find it, there for those who seek to know it, for those who seek to have it to open the door of their life eternal.  Open yours!!  

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: 16; Flee to the mountains.

 Our paragraph topic is:  (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 2. 

Time was an important factor in those days.  Where you lived, and worked, meant a great deal in terms of status and well being.  Yet for the coming destruction, location was also important.  It meant whether you had time to escape the oncoming slaughter.  It meant whether you had time to outrun the danger that was coming.  It meant whether you would live or die.

The farther away you were from the center of destruction meant that you had the time to get away from it all, to outrun death itself before it came knocking at your door.  This is what Christ was telling his disciples.  Do not hesitate.  Do not stop to take worldly belongings.  Run for your lives because death was coming and it would be swift.  He told them:  "Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

Jerusalem, the sacred place for the Jews, was not a place to flee from but a place to go to, a place of sanctity.  The Israelites did not believe that their city would be destroyed.  They believed that they were protected by their god.  They were a sacred people delivered by the hand of God from the bondage of Egypt to the sacred land of Jerusalem.  Why would their city be destroyed?   Why would their temple be torn down?  Why would death ravage their land when God  himself had protected them for all these years?

This is what Christ was telling his disciples, warning them of the destruction to come.  He was the Messiah.  He was the word of God come down from heaven to walk among the people as an example of the one true God.  He came to redeem the people, to show the way to the kingdom of heaven.  He came to pay the price for the sins of all that all might have new life eternal if they believed in him.  He is the key.  He is the gate keeper, the shepherd, the Lord of all.  

God the Father made him human that he might be with us, teach us, show us how to live, how to love, how to follow the commandments that we may be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Let him who reads understand.  The knowledge is here for those who seek to know.  The door is open for those who wish to find it.  His love is fulfilling for those who need.  For there is everlasting peace in the knowledge of his wisdom and love.  Come!  Peace awaits your finding.

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: 10c; Those who hate.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 6.  

To them he looked like an ordinary man, but that was far from appearances.  He was more than what he appeared to be.  He saw more, he knew more, he understood more than ordinary man.  And he told his disciples more.  Hard times were to come and he wanted them to know, to be prepared.  The sheep would scatter.  The leaders would be persecuted.  The believers would become martyrs.  Many would turn against one another and dark times would prevail.  

Christ didn't have a crystal ball to tell the future, he knew it.  It was as if he could see what would happen in the future, as though time stood still and he walked through the future to see it all unfold.  He knew that there were many true believers who would become saints.  They sacrificed themselves for their beliefs.  He also knew that there were those who professed to believe but were hypocrites.  They were the ones who would turn and run for their lives.  He told his disciples, their would be those who would deny their belief:  "And will hate one another."

They had to hate in order to survive.  Survival was important to them because it was what they knew.  They did not know the Word.  They did not hear the message.  They did not accept the Word of God that there was more to life than just the physical.  Christ came to testify to the spiritual.  He came that we would have life, true life beyond just the physical.  And many missed the message of the kingdom of heaven that he came to give us.

Today we have the Word.  Today we know that there is life after death.  Christ came and conquered death.  He arose from death and ascended into heaven back to his Father where he sits at his right hand until the time comes for judgment.  We have a choice today.  We can choose life or we can choose death.  We can choose to believe or choose not to believe.  We can choose to love or choose not to love.  We can choose to be with Christ and have life eternal or death eternal.  This is what we are given today.

There is so much love and joy and happiness waiting for us in heaven.  All we have to do is accept and believe that we have a father who loves us.  Belief opens the door.  Love fills the heart.  Faith allows one to see the truth of his hand at work in your life.  Prayer speaks to him of our weakness, our fears and doubts.  It shows him that you seek his mercy and his love.  Open your heart.  Open your mind.  Open your soul and let him in.  For he is the fulfillment of all your dreams.

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: 9c; For my name's sake.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 3.  

The Bible is but a short story of what happened some two thousand years ago.  We live our lives today and can imagine the multitude of things that can happen in a day's time.  But to think about all the things that were happening during the life of Christ in a day's time and to have all of that written down would be immense.  Yet there they were, the disciples, walking with the Lord our God, talking and being in his presence.  It must have been the joy of a lifetime.  We only hope for what we desire to have in our future.  They lived in his presence in the past.

One can only imagine the effect he had upon their lives, their being, their souls, during his stay here on earth.  To walk with him, talk with him, touch him, feel him, hear his voice, then to see the torture and sacrifice he made would have been unimaginable.  But even more unbelievable would be to see him again after death and to know that he was alive again, that death had no power over him.  What power and majesty that must have given those who were witnesses to his glory.  And he told them: "And you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake."

We think today of the honor and prestige of working and being in the presence of men and women of power such as presidents and kings, and ceo's, billionaires, etc.  We seek to be like them to attain traits that they have so that we might become like them.  There is but one God and one Lord of all and no other.  There are powers and dominions in heaven and angels and saints but only one God and one Lord of all.  

Christ came and walked among us.  He spent time with mankind.  He loved us so much that he gave up his kingship and became like us.  He took up physical form that he might be with us.  And the disciples and many others had the opportunity to be with him during his stay.  But that was not the end of the story.  

He came that we might all have the opportunity to be with him, to walk with him, talk with him, hear him, see him, feel him, know him.  He came and opened the door for each and everyone of us to have that chance to be with him as the disciples did, if we choose.  The choice is ours.  All we have to do is ask him to come into our lives and believe that he will.  God is our Father.  He gave us life.  He loves us and wants us to be with him.  Come!  The door is open.  Let us go home and be with our 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 24, verse: 9b; Put to Death.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 2.  

The disciples are all sitting around listening to the things that Christ is recounting to them of the events to come as though he was telling them a bedtime story.  Their minds intently absorbing all that is said without understand fully the meaning of how it will impact their lives.  It is almost as if they are in a dream listening to him speak not knowing what he is saying but taking it in for later reference.

Christ spoke to their souls.  He spoke to things that would happen in the future.  He spoke of things that they did not completely understand.  Yet they listened, they heard, they remembered, they recalled all that was said and put to written word what they witnessed, saw, and what was said.  The spirit works in ways that they did not understand yet it was within them and came forth from them for us today.  He told them they will deliver you:  "And will put you to death."

And death was the word that brought them back to reality because it was something that they all understood.  They lived it daily.  They saw it regularly.  They knew it at the hands of the Romans frequently.  It was something that brought both anger and fear.  Anger because it came at the hands of an outside invader and fear because no one wanted to suffer the brutal consequences of death by Roman torture.

This was the way of life during the life of Christ.  The people did not know or believe in life after death.  They did not completely believe in heaven and the God of their ancestors.  They read the Torah on Sundays as part of their ritual and heard from their elders but mostly were forced to follow the Law by the scribes, the elders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  Christ came to change all that.  He came to bear witness to the truth, to open the gates of heaven, to allow all the waiting souls to enter, to pay the price for the sins of the world.  He was the sacrificial lamb, the innocent one, the one born without sin.

Today we live our lives in pursuit of happiness.  We seek to have those things and those ones in our lives that will give us pleasure and joy and make us feel good about ourselves.  We care not about others as long as we are satisfied in our own world.  We seek to surround ourselves with like individuals of the same mindset to create a circle of friends that make up our world.  And as long as our world is complete we are happy.  Death is the final goal in life and time is the gate keeper.  And when that time comes the door opens and we must enter whether we are ready or not. 

So life ultimately is about a choice.  We have so many years to come to a knowledge and to make a decision based on that knowledge of who we are.  Christ came that we would have the truth of that knowledge.  He came that we could have life and have it more abundantly.  For life is temporary here and permanent, eternal, there.  Which we choose is up to us.  Death is only the doorway to the truth.  Christ awaits our choice.  He has open arms for those who love him and want to be with him for eternity.  The choice is ours to make.  Make the choice to accept his open arms of love.   

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: 9a; Deliver you to Tribulation.

Our paragraph topic is:  (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 1.  

Christ has shattered the dreams of his disciples concerning their precious Jerusalem.  He has given them a vision of the destruction that will take place with all the beauty and wonder that has taken years to build.  They wanted him to see what they saw in the beauty and majesty of Jerusalem through their eyes but all he saw was death and destruction.  So he had to open the eyes of his disciples so that they would be able to understand what was taking place and what would happen in the end of days.

But before the end would come they, the disciples, needed to know the part they would play in all of this.  He opened their eyes and told them what would happen so that they would not be led astray by all the fear that would flood the land.  He wanted them to stand fast during the storm that would come.  But more than that he had to let them know what would happen to them.  Christ told his disciples:  "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation."

You see, they did not know.  They did not understand.  Christ had not been sacrificed yet.  He had not suffered yet.  He had not risen yet or been glorified.  He had not ascended into heaven to his father yet and they had not received the Holy Spirit.  So the idea that they would be delivered up to tribulation was new and shocking to them.  They knew that they were with him and he would protect and provide for them as he had always.  They knew that he had the power to do so because they were witnesses to the many miracles he performed.  So their minds were at ease when he told them so.  Yet this was something new to them that they would suffer hurt and pain, sorrows and oppression being delivered up to the powers that be.

Is this the fate that we follow if we become disciples of Christ?  Will we be delivered up to tribulation?  Will we suffer for being his followers?  What price will we pay just to be a follower?  What does it mean to be a follower of Christ?  What does it mean to be a Christian?  We go to church on a regular basis, we practice Christian principles, we pray, we read the Bible, we give tithes and alms, we help our brothers and strangers in need.  We try to follow all that Christ has given us through the church that he left here on earth.  

We believe that he is the son of the living God and that he will return one day to reign over all the earth.  We believe that there is life after death and that there is a heaven and a hell.  Our hope and faith is that we will attain heaven when our time ends here on earth.  God is merciful and we pray that he will hear our prayer and grant us eternal life with Christ Jesus. Amen.  

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: 6d; The end is not yet.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ warns them not to be led astray) Part 7.  

It was like a horror story they were hearing.  Destruction upon destruction, evil events coming to pass in the near future that would tear the world apart and the end of the world would come.  They wanted to know.  But Christ had to prepare them before telling all that would happen.  The disciples must be prepared.  Their minds, their curiosity, their anxiety were raised to the point of high expectation, but it had to be brought back to reality in order that they would not be led astray by fear.

Christ was coming to the end of his journey.  His time here on earth was almost finished.  It was now up to the disciples to take over and continue the tasks he started.  They were his followers.  They were his students.  They were the witnesses of all that was said and done by the master.  They will be the ones who would receive the spirit of Christ to carry on the message of hope and love.  But as he told them:  "But the end is not yet."

More was yet to come.  More was yet to be revealed.  More destruction, more evil, more hardship, more sorrow, more pain, more suffering, more death.  More was yet to come before the end would come and Christ would return triumphant.  The disciples needed to know some of what would happen but not all.  They had not received the spirit and their souls were not ready to accept what was to come.

Are we ready?  Are we prepared to accept what is to come today, tomorrow, anytime.  Have we made our peace with our Father, repented of our sins, asked of his forgiveness?  Or is that something that we will do later at the last minute when the world comes crashing in?  

I thought so myself.  I was so busy chasing after the golden ring that I did not have the time to stop and repent of my sins.  The things that I did were necessary to survive and thrive in this world.  I did not do enough, I thought, to get ahead.  I needed to do more.  I needed to cheat more, lie more, play the game more, be more aggressive, steal more, do anything and everything I could to get ahead like others.  

And when I crashed from my failures he picked me up and showed me that I was not a failure.  He showed me that I was his precious child that he loved from the beginning.  He told me that the things that I sought here on earth were nothing compared to the things that he had prepared for me in heaven.  I am already rich beyond my wildest imagination.  I am loved beyond any love that I can find.  The peace that I might find here is nothing compared to the peace that I know through him.  I have new life, now and nothing can take that from me.  I am ready, today, tomorrow, forever.  My soul is at rest.  May your soul know peace and be at rest.

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: 6a; Rumors of wars.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ warns them not to be led astray) Part 4.  

Christ knew that they would be fearful.  He knew that fear would enter into them and take over their emotions leading them away from the path that he wanted them to be on.  He loved his disciples.  He had spent all this time, the last three years, teaching and preaching, and walking and talking with them to letting them know how much he loved them, how much he was as human to them as they were to him, even though he was their God and Savior.

Yet, he had to prepare them for the future.  He had to prepare them for the fear that would attempt to overtake them if they were not prepared.  So he told them as much as he could to get them ready for what they would face, what they would hear, what they would see, coming.  He told them:  "For you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars."

Many have experienced war and know the consequences of what it means.  Death, and famine, and ruin, and escaping from fear of capture, fear of torture or imprisonment and fear of forced labor.  Women being brutalized and raped, children killed, elderly being tortured for sport.  All manner of evil existed during the ravages of war.  So when Christ spoke of war and rumors of war the disciples understood the horrors that came to mind.

We live in a society today that is far removed from the ravages of war.  It is not in our daily experiences to know the meaning of it.  We do not live on the streets where we see or hear of bombs or explosions going off to let us know that we are in a war zone.  It is not in our lives, in our communities, in our towns or cities.  War is something that is far removed from us in another world on another continent.  We hear about it on the news at 6 O' Clock or 11 but not as we look out the window of our homes in our neighborhoods.  We do not know it personally.

But if Christ was telling us today then are we going to experience war in our community, in our city, in our towns?  What if his words to his disciples were meant for us today that we would hear and know of war and hear of war coming to our area?  What would we do?  How would we react?  How would we feel?  Would we be afraid?  Would we fear what we heard and panic about tomorrow or the next day not knowing what was to come?  Who would we turn to for help, for comfort, for support, for protection?

This is where the disciples found themselves.  In the mist of their fears and anxieties, they knew not what to do.  Yet in the mist of all their emotions, they could find calm because they were with him, they were with the Christ, and with him they found peace.  They knew that nothing would happen to them.  They believed in him because they knew who he was.  They had no doubts as to who he was.  They had spent all this time with him, walked with him, talked with him, watched him do the things that he did with others, saw his compassion for the people, come to know that through his miracles he was the Son of God.  He was the one and only one person that gave them peace of mind, knowledge, hope, faith, and a solid foundation to stand upon for the future, whatever would come.  Let us also have a solid foundation upon which to stand in times of troubles that our Savior will bring us through.

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: 38; A Desolate House.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Lamentation over Jerusalem) Part 5.  

God sent his messengers to warn them, but they would not listen.  He sent prophets to prophesy but they would not hear.  They were stubborn.  They were arrogant.  They were full of their own beliefs.  They could not see the changing of the tides, the coming storm.  God wanted to protect them.  They refused to believe in the God of their fathers.  It was so long ago that it was a distant memory and no one cared.  The people had forgotten.

The signs were there for everyone to see.  Some saw and believed.  The faithful knew what was coming.  They heard the messages and believed.  They heard the warnings.  They prepared themselves for the coming storm.  But the leaders failed to warn the people.  They failed to carry the message to the general public.  They failed their responsibility to the people because they were to busy partying in their palaces.  So:  "Behold, your house is left to you desolate."

Torn down, destroyed, burned, years of architectural wonder desiccated for all eternity.  They were warned but would not listen.  They given signs but could not see.  Over and over again opportunity was given them to heed the message but they refused to do so and now the house is gone, the beauty is destroyed, the joy of yesteryear is no more.

It is said that you don't miss your water until the well runs dry.  All the signs are there telling you that the water is drying up but you do not see.  The water is getting lower and lower but you believe that it will always be the same, today, tomorrow and forever.  We are only as old as we think but our bodies say otherwise.  This is the fact of life that we must recognize no matter how much science breakthroughs may want to change our minds about our health.  Death is our inevitable end.

And yet death is only a transition from the physical to the spiritual.  Christ came to demonstrate that fact to us.  He overcame death.  He rose from the grave.  He ascended into heaven and he awaits for each and every one of us who chooses to receive him as our Lord and Savior.  For he paid the price for each of us to have a new life.  And that price is simply asking for forgiveness of our sins and accepting and believing in him.  He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  Thank you Christ Jesus for your great gift.  Thank you for opening my heart and showing me the way to 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 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: 37d; Gathered thy children.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Lamentation over Jerusalem) Part 4.  

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I loved thee.  From the foundation of your beginnings to the finishing touches of your crowning, I watched you grow.  I watched as you were planned and sketched out on the grounds to become the magnificent city that you are.  Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, the crown jewel of the Jewish nation, how I loved thee.  How I watched over thee making sure that nothing or no one would harm thee as you in your infancy were growing to become the jewel that you are today.

I wanted to protect thee.  I wanted to provide for thee.  I wanted to love thee as a mother hen loves her young.  O Jerusalem:   "But thou wouldst not!" 

They were his chosen people, the Jews.  From the beginning, he picked Abraham to be the father of a great nation of people as numerous as the stars in the sky, as great as the grains of sand on the beach.  Yet when the time came for their glory to be recognized as the people of God they turned away.  The kingdom of heaven was at hand and they did not accept it.  The Prince of Peace came down from heaven and they crucified him.

The price had to be paid but why at their hands.  Why did they have to be the ones who made the decision to betray the Messiah?  Evil won the day.  The price was paid and mankind was freed from sin.  But the chosen family of God were left in darkness to walk the earth until the day of their reunion.  For God has not forgotten his family.  He has not given up on them.  He is patiently waiting for their day to come when he can bring them back into his family to reunite all as one.

Christ paid the price.  He overcame death.  He rose from the grave and ascended into heaven to take his seat at the right hand of his father.  There he sits waiting for that day when he will come to reign over all.  Come.  Let us rejoice that he is our savior, our king, our provider and our protector.  It is he who has brought us out of the darkness into the light and given us eternal life forever. 

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: 37a; Jerusalem, Jerusalem!

Our paragraph topic is:  (Lamentation over Jerusalem) Part 1.  

Love hurts.  Those who have experienced deeply the pleasure of love know the pain that comes from rejection, separation, and breakup.  The experience is one that all humans must go through at some point in their life.  It is important to know it in order to know how to overcome the pain and the sorrow.  It is important to know how to overcome that experience in order to know how to go on living.  

We experience love in life and in death.  We love in life and we love lost those that are taken away from us in death.  It is a part of how we live, a part of how we learn to live, a part of how we must grow and accept who we are in this world.  Living is pleasurable but it is also painful in many ways.  Yet it is something that we must accept.  We loose mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, love ones, children, relatives, and yet we must find some way to accept and go on living in this world.  

Christ cried for those that he loved.  He lamented for the many times that he sent love messages that were rejected, scorned, trashed, burned, and ignored.  His passion for those that he loved burned deeply within his soul.  He lamented deeply for the souls of the people knowing what they would do to the people that he sent.  He cried out:  "Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Thou who killest the prophets, and stonest those who are sent to thee!"

We were children together.  We played in the same yard, ran on the same streets, grew up in the same schools, had the same friends, yet you know me not.  Have you become so high and mighty, so proud, so famous, that you do not know from where you come?  Jerusalem wherefore have thou come?  Jerusalem, the high and mighty city on the hill.  The one where kings and rulers live.  Forget not from which from which you have come, for you are but the same as the man in the street or the village down the road.  It is God's love that has brought you forth, that keeps you in the light of time.  It is God's love that will leave you in the limelight and shine on another, least you forget who you are.

We are but children of God, our Father who created us and gave us life.  For he has life within him and it is that life that he shares with us.  We have a choice.  We can choose life or we can choose to remain in death.  The passion of Christ gave us that choice.  Which do you choose? 

 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.