St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 26a; Blind Pharisees!

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their hypocritical purity) Part 3.  

The God of all truth and knowledge came to them.  The God of all wisdom was in their presence.  The God of all creation walked with them, talked with them, attempted to give them insight into his understanding and the mysteries of the universe but they could not see.  They could not hear.  They could not understand what was transpiring before them.  They were lost in their own beliefs and desires.  They were lost in their own religious purity.

We can look back upon all this and wonder how frustrating this must have been, the king of wisdom dressed as a pauper seeking to give wisdom to the wise men who are supposedly learned beyond all wisdom.  The wise men are so puffed up in their own knowledge that they have no room for the wisdom of a simple pauper who has the wisdom of all ages.  Christ called them: Thou blind Pharisee!"  For surely they were without spiritual sight and could not see what and who was before them.

Are we the same today, blind without sight?  Can we not see the truth of who we are?  Do we not know our own nature or are we just asleep with our eyes open not able to see what is within.  The darkness prevails if we look.  But we are given the knowledge to look deeper beyond the darkness in search of the light of life given to us by Christ himself.

He came down from heaven that he might show us how to live a new life.  He came down from heaven that he might walk with us, talk with us, eat with us, laugh with us, dance with us, cry with us, feel the emotions of our sorrows and our pains.  He brought joy and happiness to those whom he healed and restored physically.  He touched the hearts and minds of those who were with him day in and day out throughout his life.  What a joy and a pleasure it must have been to be in his presence during those times.

Yet evil creeps in and takes hold of those on the fringe of life.  It corrupts and distorts the meaning of life.  It steals the life light within and covers it with darkness such that one looses the way and walks in darkness.  Time passes and life becomes meaningless except for those moments when carnal pleasures takes one deeper into darkness.  The light of life is snuffed out unless the call of God is heard through some tragedy.  

God is loving and forgiving.  He is merciful.  He knows we are week and because he is full of mercy he is willing to forgive if we are honestly seeking his forgiveness.  His love is boundless.  His mercy is endless.  His patience is enduring.  He loves all his children he created.  He wants all to be with him in his heavenly kingdom.  Come!  Take your place.  Seek his forgiveness and it will be 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 23, verses: 15a; Woe!

Our paragraph topic is:  (Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 8.  

Jesus was bold.  He was outspoken.  Only the prophets and those who were crazy spoke to the Pharisees this way.  No one would dare speak out loud to them in public for all to hear.  Yet Jesus did.  He spared no words and did not hold his tongue.  He wanted all to hear what he had to say of the Scribes and the Pharisees.  He wanted all to know of their wrongs.

They did not believe.  They did not see.  They did not understand that the kingdom of heaven was at their doorstep.  The Scribes and the Pharisees only heard the words of a man calling them out to the public, something no one dared do to their honor.  But Christ did.  He said to them: "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!"

In this paragraph he calls them hypocrites three times.  He tells the disciples what they did and how they did it so that all will know their sins.  He gives them three times to repent of their ways.  Yet they do not.  They can not hear.  They can not see.  They can not understand what is happening before them.  They are deaf in their hearing.  They are blind in their seeing and their understand has been taken away.

Where are we today?  Are we in the same boat?  Can we hear the calling?  Can we see the miracles before us?  Can we understand the things that are happening around us that give us the opportunities to repent of our ways?  We have a choice.  God is merciful.  He is loving and forgiving.  He is patient in his mercy and wants all to have the chance to receive his love.  The choice is ours if we can only hear, if we can only see, is we can only understand the gift that is given to us. 

 I am so thankful that I heard.  I am so thankful that I was able to see.  I am so thankful that I was able to understand the gift that I have received, that I am here today to write to you about it.  Seek it and you shall find it.  Knock on the door and it shall be opened to you.  Know that you have a heavenly Father who loves you and who will come to you and embrace you with his love.  I am a witness. 

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, verses: 41; Jesus questions the Pharisees.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The son of David) Part 1.  

Christ was merciful.  He was kind.  He was gentle.  He was forgiving in that the Pharisees constantly tried him time and time again.  They came at him every way they could because they wanted to show that he was a fraud, a charlatan.  They could not allow themselves to be embarrassed before the people the way that Christ made them feel.  

But that was not the intention of Christ.  He wanted to open their eyes.  He wanted to heal them.  He wanted them to know him for who he really was and not for who they thought that he was.  He wanted to love them but they would not let him.  He taught the people and they were open to him but the Pharisees were not.  Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them.  

Before it had been that they had came to him with their questions seeking to find ways to trick him.  He played their game each time giving them the opportunity to understand the truth of who in him.  And each time they came away lacking the understanding but filled with anger and hatred that their plans had failed.  So this time Christ decided that he would turn the table and question them attempting to pull the truth out that they might see with their own eyes who stood before them.

Who stands before you today?  Do you walk by the ways of the world or do you walk by your faith?  Today your faith is challenged and hard pressed for direction.  Strick the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.  Where do you go?  Who do you follow?  What do you believe?  Do you still have the strong faith that you had yesterday?  Your church is under attack and is infected by a disease.  Christ said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church but he did not say that it will not suffer attacks.

Evil exists in the world both inside and outside of the church.  Just like the human body has an immune system to fight diseases so the church body must have the same.  Our faith keeps us strong and it is that faith that we must nourish and protect.  Christ gave us a new life, a new beginning.  It is that newness within that we must protect and nourish.  We are the light of the world placed of a lamp stand for all the world to see.  Now is the time for our little lights to shine together for the world is watching.

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:26; The Dilemma of the Question.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The authority of Jesus) Part 6. 

They were befuddled, not knowing how to respond.  One person believed that they should say this, another person said that they should say that.  There was no consensus among them as to how to answer the question asked by Christ.  They heard of his wisdom.  They knew of his insight from others who had spoken to him or tried to capture him in a falsehood.  So they gathered together to determine the best answer to give.

Jesus knew their uncertainty.  He knew of their plot.  He foresaw their scheme to trick him to answer their question.  But they did not foresee that he would pose a question in response.  So they argued among themselves:  saying, “If we say, ' From heaven,' he will say to us, Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, ' From men,' we fear the people, for all regard John as a prophet." 

And so it was that they came to an impasse.  They did not know how to respond.  They were befuddled and without answer.  How do you respond to such a question?  How do you say things one way so as not convict yourself?  Our minds work with lightening speed to give us answers.  But will the answer free us from harm?  If that is the case of where you would like to be, then you are practiced in the art of deception.  For we deceive ourselves when we give way to the influences of what comes to our minds in the way of deceit.

Do we intend to deceive?  Do we intend to lie?  Do we intend to sway others to think differently of ourselves, contrary to the real us?  Do we intend to exercise power over others to lead them along a path of our beliefs?  And who leads us in such a direction?  Are we led by fear, anger, hatred, disgust, pity, sympathy, love, care, understanding or wisdom.  Or are we led by the influence of evil. 

Our Father gave to us the joy of life.  He gave to us a life similar to his own spirit.  He is love.  He is joy.  He is peace.  He is merciful, and forgiving, and understanding, and truth.  It is his truth that guides us through life.  It is his knowledge and wisdom that sets us on a path that will change our entire destiny of who we are and who we will become not who we were in the past.  We are his children.  He is our loving Father.  He provides.  He protects.  He guides.  He directs.  And when the time here on this plane of existence ends, we rejoice in our transition to spend eternity with him.  Everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die.  And yet it is in death that we escape from this plane and enter into his realm. 

Peace be with you.  The knowledge of who you are awaits your coming.  The reward of heaven awaits your acknowledgement.  The struggle of this existence will concede to you when you accept who you are and rejoice in the life that is within you.  Come!  The Spirit awaits your awakening.  It awaits your rising up from the slumber of this world and your embracing that for which you are.  Christ loves you.  The Father loves you.  The Holy Spirit feeds you and you will live.

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 17, verse:16-17; Unbelieving and Perverse Generation: The Cure.

Our paragraph topic is:(Jesus cures him by casting out a devil) Part 2.

They were unbelieving.  They were perverse.  They were scoffing.  They manipulated, lied, cheated, gave false witness, possessed the hearts of men to do the evil that was perpetuated upon the people.  And Christ knew who them.  He saw them for who they were.  He bore witness to their deeds and cast them out of men that they could not continue to do evil.  Yet there were those who wanted the evil to continue.  There were those who were possessed and influenced by evil so much that they perceived that it was right and just.  But Christ was meek.  Christ was mild mannered.  Christ was loving.  Christ was reserved.  He knew that the cups of God's wrath were being filled and the day of judgment was at hand.  But the sacrifice was not made and the justification was not yet complete.

Christ tired of their presence.  He would rid himself of their evil.  He would send them back to the pit where they belonged in due time.  But what was before him was a child.  What was in the child was evil.  And what had to be done was a cure.  So evil had to be cast out of this innocent child.  Evil had to be removed from this child of God so that it would never return again.  And evil had to be expelled so that the child within could be released from the prison where it was being held captive.  " How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to me."  And Jesus rebuked him; and the devil went out of him; and from that moment the boy was cured.

The boy was cured.  From the moment that Jesus spoke the devil left the boy and he was cured, He was free.  He was no longer possessed.  This is the power of Jesus.  He had the power to cure.  He had the power to change water into wine, the power to multiply loaves and feed thousands, the power to raise the dead, heal the sick, make the lame walk, and speak to nature to calm the seas.  Yet the demons continued to pester, to bother, to seek to insight, to do everything that they could to interfere with the mission of Christ.  Christ was loving.  He was compassionate.  He was understanding.  He was forgiving.  And he was patient.  He knew that the people did not understand.  He knew that they did not see with a sense of knowing.  Yet he continued to do the will of God that the love for mankind would be demonstrated in his actions.

The sheep are lost.  The sheep do not know where they are going, so they follow the crowd.  They go where others go and do not know where they go.  Where is the leader?  Where is the one who will turn them around and lead them away from harm?  Where is the one who will be a guide, a protector, a provider, a teacher, and a preacher to the lost sheep?  Christ came that we each would have a choice.  He came and made the sacrifice that we could know the truth of who we are.  Do you know?  Can you see?  Can you believe?  Are you certain of the knowledge and the truth that he has given us?  Do you acknowledge each day the truth?  Do you show the love of Christ that is supposed to be in us to the world?  For they must see.  They must know.  They must understand through our actions that Christ lives, that Christ loves, that they have an all powerful father who loves them.

Come!  Follow the narrow path before you.  If you are reading this page then you have a choice.  Know the truth and awaken from the sleep of the world, or continue to sleep and be led by the untruth that the world offers.  There is power in the truth.  There is enlightenment in the truth.  There is love in the truth.  There is peace in the truth.  And there is reward in the truth, a reward like none you can imagine or that the world can offer.  The devil offered Christ the world if he would only worship him.  Who will you worship?  Whom will you love?  Who will you believe?  It has been given to me that I may pass it on to you.  God loves you and so do I!

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.