St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 14b; Witness.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 12. 

And so the story is told for all to hear.  Christ predicts the future and what will happen in the end of times.  He told his disciples and those in the crowd of people who would listen, those who heard and believed.  And they told their friends and their friends told their friends and so on.  And the word spread that Christ predicted the end of times and the people were afraid.  The leaders were in an uproar because they could not have the people in such a panic.  They wanted sheep, not panicked lambs running all over the place spreading rumors about the coming doom of the end of times.

But it was Christ who foretold it.  It was the Messiah who gave the word to the people.  It was the Son of Man that came down from heaven who performed many miracles who told the disciples and the people of the trials and tribulations to come before the end of times.  The disciples feared but they knew his words were true.  Some believed in him.  Some were skeptical.  Others only partly believed.  And then there were those who just had no faith or belief in him at all.  But he said to all who could hear his words that this gospel shall be preached to the whole world:  "For a witness to all nations."

Indeed, today we have it written in stone for all to see and know when the time will come.  The gospel of the kingdom is a witness to the truth of his telling of what is to come that when it happens all will know.  All will see the prediction that was made two thousand years ago of the coming of the end.  Step by step it was told what would happen.  Step by step it was written the words that all could see and compare the truth of what would happen.  Step by step it will be known upon the conscience of mankind the truth of his words as a witness of what was said.

And it is further written in later books the detail of how this will happen.  It is further written the witness of the tribulations and woes that are to come.  It is further written in books predicted by Christ to mankind the wrath of God that will come upon those who have practiced evil and injustice against his children.  All will want to know.  All will want to see.  The whole world will come back to these words of the gospel of the kingdom in search of the truth of what is to come.  And they will know the truth of it all. 

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: 10a; Those who leave.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 4.  

It was like a movie.  Christ was foretelling the future and the disciples were visualizing it all taking place before their eyes.  Christ seeing what the Father was seeing and knowing what he knew walked through time as all these things were happening.  It was like he was standing still and time was fast forwarding around him.  He could see and understand all that was happening.  He could stop, reverse, go from one point in time to another, move from one place to another to see and hear all that occurred at that point at that place in time.

And he spoke to his disciples about all that happened.  Reading a book only gives a general idea of what happens and is incapable of describing in detail what is happening.  But if you are there at the time and place that an event took place you are able to give detail information that would take many pages to describe.  This is why Christ wanted to tell his disciples what would happen because he was able to see first hand in detail the events that would take place.  So he told his disciples after all the tribulation and their deaths, he said:  "And then many will fall away."

Christ could see the great increase in the number of new members coming into the church.  But after the church suffered torture and death of the disciples, many of the so called believers would turn from the church for fear.  They did not have the same belief, the same hope, the same faith, the same spirit as those who were first to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  And so as the persecutions began to spread the members began to scatter for fear of same.

Today we live in a different world where we do not have religious persecution in most of the free world.  However, in some parts of the world religious persecution is still practiced.  Freedom to believe and practice your choice of religion is not allowed in those parts of the world and must be hidden and practiced underground away from the public.

Most religions as a whole are free to practice in the open, free from persecution.  But there is also internal persecution or pressure from within our society as a whole.  Ask a person to attend church with you and you might get push back or even disassociation.  We evangelize everywhere in an attempt to bring new members into our churches.  This is what we are given to do by our religious leaders, to go out and carry the message to others so that they can become new members, new believers. 

Christ came to spread the good news.  He went from village to town talking about the kingdom of heaven because the people did not know during those times.  They knew that there was a God but did not fully believe in life after death and the kingdom of heaven.  He came to show us the truth of who we are and to demonstrate to us the truth of our Father in heaven.  So today we have witnesses to the truth.  We have knowledge of the truth.  We have faith and trust as to the truth of his words.  Today we are the children of the light created in his image.  Ours is the kingdom of heaven if we choose to accept and believe in the word.

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: 24; The gnat vs the camel.

Our paragraph topic is:  (They overstress the nonessential part of religion) Part 5. 

They were so concerned about the minutiae of the Law so they looked for every little detail they could find to burden the people.  The Scribes and the Pharisees were the police of the people.  They were supposed to be the religious leaders, helping the people understand their God, giving praise and glory.  But instead they policed the people in every way they could, making sure that no one transgressed any small detail of what was written or spelled out.

Christ came and called them blind guides because they knew not what they were doing.  They had no idea where they were leading the people.  They thought they were doing the right thing but instead they were moving the people in the opposite direction away from God.  Christ told them they were:  "Blind guides, who strain out the gnat but swallow the camel!"  

They were zealous in their desire to do right for the Lord and their Synagogue.  They wanted to impress their leaders, the high priest, and the Roman rulers to show that they were in control of the people to maintain their positions of power and influence.  

These were hard times for the people.  They were oppressed all around.  For years they had known no hope, only fear and oppression.  But times were changing and a new wind was in the air.  A prophet, John the Baptist, was calling for repentance saying that the Messiah was coming.  This gave the people hope that change was coming.  Maybe the Messiah would come and bring about a change to the oppression of the Roman rule and the oppression of the Scribes and the Pharisees.

What do we look for today?  Are we happy with our current condition or do we seek change?  The nation cries out for a change in the gun laws.  The immigrants seek asylum.  The people seek jobs that pay a living wage.  The students want education without lifelong debt.  The elderly seek the promise of security in retirement with medical care.  What do you seek today?  Does it all matter?  

Will it all make sense to cry out about those things that we need to those who may not care about our needs?  Why do we suffer and worry about what tomorrow will bring when we have a God who will take care of all our needs?  Why are we not at peace?  Why are we not like little children, joyous about today?  Do we trust?  Do we know?  Do we believe?  If we put our faith in him who promised to provide for us, him who promised to be with us throughout all time, what worry do we have?  If we live, if we die, if we suffer, we suffer in his name.  We suffer for his name to demonstrate our love, our faith in him who loved us first.  God is ever-living.  Christ is our savior.  The Holy Spirit is our guide.  Live in peace and joy. 

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.