St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 21b; Great Tribulation from the beginning.

 Our paragraph topic is: (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 9.  

Who do you believe?  What do you believe?  Would you become fearful of the prediction of destruction that you were hearing from this prophet?  Would you not know what to do, where to go, who to trust, who to seek for answers?  Christ was foretelling the destructing of Jerusalem with such horrific detail that anyone would be fearful.  Was this a trick or was this real?  His words had been real before, why not now.  What were they to do with this dire prediction?

Pray, he told them.  Pray that this destruction does not take place in winter.  Pray, that this devastation does not take place on the Sabbath.  For if that will be the case then, he says great tribulation:  "Such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor will be."

Such were the spoken words of Jesus Christ.  Destruction like that which has never been seen or heard of before since the beginning of time will take place if this takes place on the sabbath or in the winter.  God made it rain for forty days and forty nights and destroyed all mankind except Noah and his family.  Christ says that that destruction is nothing compared to what will take place when Jerusalem is destroyed.  Pray, he tells them, pray, that this does not take place.  Pray, that you are spared this devastation, this destruction.

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 22, verse: 22; They Marveled.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Tribute to Caesar) Part 12.  

So finally they heard the words from Christ as to whether one should give tribute to Caesar.  You see they thought that if Christ said that Christians should give tribute to Caesar then that meant that they should worship Caesar as their god.  They believed that Caesar was a god and that there was no other god except him.  But Christ was teaching that there was one and only one God above all including Caesar.  So they wanted to hear his words on this matter so that they would have ammunition for their case against him.

They did not know the truth of who he was.  They were indeed learned.  They were indeed learned in the scriptures, in the Jewish Laws, and text handed down from the time of Moses.  But they did not have the wisdom of God within them.  They did not have the insight of the Holy Spirit upon them that they could interpret the truth in the scriptures.  They only had the words before them and the directions of those who wanted to destroy the living word of God.  Christ spoke his words to them.  And hearing this they marveled, and leaving him went off.

He set them on a different course.  They wanted him to be on one course with Caesar at the head as one god.  But he separated the course and gave them two to follow: Caesar or the living God.  The Jews knew the living God.  He had walked with Abraham, guided Moses, lead them through the desert and into the promised land.  He had protected them and fed them through the forty years, fought the Egyptians to protect them from slaughter.  So they knew their God and what he could do.  Yet they lived under the rule of the Roman Empire and they knew what the Emperor Caesar could do.

They were fearful.  Their rulers sought not to know but only to maintain the status quo, to go along with what was being handed to them through the rulers of the Roman Empire.  The Son of Man came to walk among them and the everyday people felt his presence.  They saw his miracles.  They heard his words.  They walked with him, touched him, lived with him, breathed the same air that he did.  His presence was upon them and they knew.  But the rulers did not.

Each day we live is our trial.  We wake to carry our cross, to be tested as to if we will or will not give way to the temptations that we face.  Will we waver,  will we doubt,  will we give up hope?  The light within flickers and shines less bright.  Yet we must carry on.  We must not falter.  We must find the strength, the courage, to believe, to know, to trust that we are not alone.  We must know that the sacrifice of love and passion was not for naught.  One light shining from a distance can barely be seen, but many shining together light up the universe.  Remember, we are not alone.  He is with us each day, each hour, each and every minute of the day.  We must seek him out and hear his voice within us.  Christ is with us.

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:16b; The Mouths of Infants.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Anger of the Jewish leaders) Part 4. 

Jesus was a man who came to Jerusalem to preach and teach.  Many had heard his words and many had not.  He had many followers who praised him for the things that he did for the people.  Just like many who had come before him, prophets, preachers, and teachers, sent by God, he came to bring the word to the people.

The Jewish leaders saw him as a threat.  They did not want the people to follow him, to believe in his words.  He brought new words.  He brought new meaning.  He brought a new way of life that could threaten the existing power and leadership.  And the leaders were afraid of what could happen.  They were fearful of what the people would think and believe about their leadership.  So they sought every way to destroy him and the word he brought to the people.  In the temple when the children were crying out praise to him, the leaders questioned him about what was happening.    And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected praise'?" 

And so it was, even the little ones gave praise to Lord Jesus.  The leaders did not.  They were fearful.  They were in doubt.  They did not see or believe what was happening before their eyes.  Theirs was the concern of power and influence.  For they were held in power and influence for so long that they could not understand what was written in the word.  Even praise from the mouths of infants came to him.

We are our Father's children.  He created us and gave us eternal life.  Yet even though we lost what was freely given, Christ came and restored the gift of life, eternal life.  And the Holy Spirit comes and waters that gift in those who seek the eternal water of life so that they may grow and prosper in this world.  For our growth is not the growth of death but the growth of life.  And our fruit is not the withering and dying fruit of the flesh but the fruit of life that we freely give to those who are lost and without hope.

We are the example that Christ left for others to follow.  We are the example for the world to see, a light unto the darkness of the world.  We are the example to new life, a new beginning, a life eternal.  For those who can believe, for those who are not blinded by the world, we are the examples of hope, and trust in the promises of Christ Jesus.  He returned to his father that he might build a place for us in his father's kingdom.  And for those who know the spirit of the Advocate, peace be upon them.  For they no longer toil for the fruits of death but work for the fruits of eternal life.  Yours is the gift of life should you choose to accept and believe.  For belief is the key to open the door to the heart and unlock the love that awaits you from the overflowing cup of love from 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.