St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 42b; It is wonderful.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Application of the parable) Part 2. 

So now after relating to them all the parables to help them understand their meaning, he tells them outright the applications.  The chief priests and the elders have been given authority over the people that they may shepherd them to the Lord.  But instead of yielding fruit to the Lord they have produced fruit unto themselves.

Christ tells them about the corner stone upon which the temple is built and how it was rejected by the original builders.  Yet a new structure is being erected and he is the corner stone of this new structure.  They can not believe what they are hearing because they believe that they are the rulers of the people.  And he tells them:  'By the Lord this has been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? 

History has been re-written.  The foretold is being fulfilled.  That which was spoken about long ago is now here today.  Time is complete and that which was from the past has now come to past.  And we are the ones who stand in the past now future.  The past is history.  The past is long ago.  The past is not new and does not apply to today.  Yet there were witnesses who were there in the past.  There were witnesses who saw and lived in the past.  And there were those who lived the true meaning of the past.

Today is today.  We live in today.  And yet the past was so long ago that we must make sense of the past today.  We must find a way to make sense of the past into today.  We must find a way to believe in today and not in the past.  But the Lord said that it was good that the past is now the new.  He said that the rejected corner stone had become the new corner stone upon which a new structure would be built.

Are we a part of the new structure?  Do we rationalize the witnesses of the past that we may believe in today?  Are we the vine-dressers who want to hold unto that which is not ours to have.  The fruit is plentiful.  The wine is rich.  The master calls for the fruit of the vineyard.  Do we submit to his will or do we reject his claim to what is his property.  He paid the price.  He gave his life.  He suffered and died.  He arose again to demonstrate the power of God our Father and creator.  The past is now today and the corner stone has been laid.  Come, be a part of the new structure in the kingdom of heaven.

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, verses: 41b; Other Vine-Dressers.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The vine-dressers kill the master's son) Part 5. 

Our parable continues to talk about the story of the character of men and the opportunity they have to do good.  The chief priest and the elders are given this opportunity by Christ as he tells them this story about the vine-dressers and the householder.  They started out as good men but over time were changed into evil men.  Greed possessed them.  They became hardened.  They beat others, stole what was not theirs and even killed to hold onto their claim.

Christ demonstrated to the elders how they had the same opportunity as the vine-dressers before the master would come and destroy them.  The householder sent two separate messengers asking for what was his proper fruit from his vineyard.  And they denied him his rights.  They the master sent his only son and they killed him.  What did they think that the master would do when he came?  He would utterly destroy them:  "And will let out the vineyard to other vine-dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons." 

We are the fruit of the vineyard and Christ is the vine from which we come.  In him we are one.  In him we have life.  In him we are forgiven and become new sprouts from the one vine.  He has appointed caretakers.  They are the ones who will tend the vines and the vineyard to keep the weeds out and to keep the bugs that would destroy the vine.  Do we have good caretakers?  Do we have those who would till the soil and cultivate the land to aid in the growth and development of a good fruit?  Or do we have those who are only concerned with their own well being and are slack caretakers?

We are the fruit of the vine and Christ is the vine from which we come.  It is the job of the caretakers that the Father appoints to tend the vine to produce good fruit.  Either the vine produces good fruit or bad fruit.  One can tell by those are caretakers.  The vine is good quality because it comes from the Father.  Are they producing good fruit or bad fruit?  Growth is not the key by which the fruit is measured.  Bad fruit must grow also.  What part are you?

The caretakers will pay a double price when the master comes.  It is their job to care for the fruit that comes from the vine.  It is their job to till the soil.  It is their job to protect the vine from harm so that it may produce good fruit.  We are from one vine and the Father has approved of it origin.  He has hand picked the one vine that it may produce good fruit.  Look around you and see if you have good caretakers.  If not, then where do you belong?  Find your place in the vineyard with good caretakers that you may grow and produce good fruit.

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:20; Seeing is believing.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Power of faith) Part 1. 

Christ cursed the fig tree because it had no purpose.  It had leaves but no fruit.  It had leaves but no seed bearing fruit.  It had life but no purpose.  So he cursed it and it withered up.  It had life but upon the spoken words it withered up immediately.  The life that was in it was no more.  It ceased to exist.

The disciples heard the words spoken by Christ.  They heard him speak the curse.  They saw the effect of his words.  And they were in disbelief.  And upon seeing this the disciples marveled, saying, "How did it come to wither immediately?"

They saw it but marveled at how it happened.  They saw it but did not understand how.  They saw it but were in disbelief.  Christ was hungry and wanted something to eat.  God gave life to all the world and provided all kinds of fruit bearing trees.  The trees have a purpose.  We have a purpose.  But this tree did not have a purpose.  It existed without bearing fruit.  So Christ cursed it and it ceased to exist. 

Can you see?  Can you believe?  Can you understand that we have a purpose here on this earth?  Can you know that we will not be cursed?  Can you trust that you are loved?  There is something more than just to exist without a purpose.  There is something more than to just live and then to die with no conscience of what lies beyond death.  There is more to the life that we are given than to wither up and cease to exist after death.

Stop and think.  Stop and get off the merry-go-round of life.  Stop and open your mind and your heart and receive the love that awaits you.  For you are loved.  You are alive.  You are filled with the light of life.  Believe and you shall receive.  Accept and you shall know.  Trust and you shall see the miracles that will come to you from the one who loves.  There are those who would destroy.  There are those who would deny.  There are those who would deceive and blind you and take away your ability to understand.  Be not turned by the lust of the world for it is death.  Instead seek that which you know in your heart is truth and life and love.  For he awaits your call.  He awaits your open heart.  He awaits your opening the door that he may come and be with you.  Come!  Join the living and the love of Christ will come upon you that you may live 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 21, verse:19c; The Tree of Nothing withers.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus curses a fig tree) Part 4. 

It is amazing to see the truth that is in Christ Jesus.  He is man incarnate.  He was born of the flesh of Mary.  He is descended from heaven and brought forth from the love of God the Father, first born of all the living.  Yet in his state of union with the Father and common among men he feels hunger.  He fills pain and thirst, love and passion, mercy and forgiveness.  He is Lord and Savior of all mankind. 

He comes upon a tree that has no purpose.  It does not bear fruit.  It does not have seeds that bear fruit.  It only has leaves.  What purpose does it serve man or God?  Christ sees this tree, without compassion, curses it that the tree will not have fruit now or forever.  And this is our sign:  And immediately the fig tree withered up. 

What would we do if Christ told us that we would not bear fruit henceforth and forever?  Would we wither up and die?  Would we cease to exist?  Thankfully, Christ values us a more than the tree.  Thankfully, we are that which he loves that the father created.  Thankfully, we are that which he sees as good in mankind as well as the evil.  Thankfully, we will not be judged as one.  Thankfully, we are that which his passion is so great for us that he gave up that which he was in order to save that which he loves in us from damnation.

The tree of nothing withered up.  For many years mankind withered and died due to the transgression of one.  Yet through the passion of one we are saved.  Through the love of one we are transformed.  And through the mercy and forgiveness of one we are born again into the spirit that was ours from the beginning.  We are given a new life.  We are brought back to life.  We are infused with the spirit of the Advocate, for those who seek to know.  We are brought out of the darkness into the light and taken to our home.

Thank you Christ Jesus for loving us.  Thank you God our Father for forgiving us.  Thank you Christ Jesus for your mercy and your compassion.  Thank you God our Father for the spirit that you have given us.  Thanks be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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:19a; The Tree of Nothing.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus curses a fig tree) Part 2. 

The Earth Made Fruitful:  Genesis: Chapter1, verse: 9-12.

Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place and let the dry land appear."  And so it was.  God called the dry land earth and the assembled waters Seas.  And God saw that it was good.  Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and all kinds of fruit trees that bear fruit containing their seed."  And so it was.  The earth brought forth vegetation, every kind of seed-bearing plant and all kinds of trees that bear fruit containing seed.  God saw that it was good.

And that was how it was in the beginning.  Everything had a purpose and there was a purpose for everything.  The earth brought forth vegetation with fruit and the fruit had seeds that bore fruit.  And there was nothing that was without a purpose.  For God said it was good.  And yet there were trees of a different kind that came to be.  Trees that did not bear fruit but only leaves.  And seeing a tree by the wayside, he came up to it, and found nothing on it but leaves.

Was this tree not according to the purpose of God?  Did it not serve a purpose in his plan?  How did it come to be that this tree did not have fruit and seeds in fruit?  Christ came upon it.  He felt hungry and a need to feed himself.  But the tree of nothing had no fruit.  It had nothing to give to the Son of God, the Lord of the universe.  What purpose did it serve?  Of what good was it to be in existence? 

All creation has a purpose, be it good or bad.  We acknowledge the good that is within us and we accept the evil that can come from us.  Yet there is more than that.  We are spiritual beings held within a clay shell.  We have a purpose, to recognize that which has given us life, to rejoice in the knowledge of who we are, and to know that there is one above that gave us the life that we own.

The choice is ours to see, ours to believe, ours to know, ours to accept.  Some will and some will not.  Some will accept their human reasoning as a hindrance to allowing themselves to believe.  It is that step beyond reasoning that allows those who believe to see, to know, and to understand that they are more than just the physical.  It is that step beyond reasoning that allows us to open the door of the physical and see the spiritual that is within us, the light of life.  And with that giant step beyond reasoning one begins to transform into the living spirit.

It is the light within that transforms.  It is the light within that grows.  It is the light within that shines through the physical and transforms the world.  Death cannot hold it.  Time cannot define it.  Chaos cannot move it.  Love is the force that gives it life.  For within the spirit is the love of God our Father and the passion of Jesus Christ our savior and nothing can separate us from that love.  We have a purpose.  We belong.  We are loved.  We are at 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 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.

St Matthew, Chapter 20, verse: 5, So they went.

Our paragraph topic is: (Parable of the laborers in the vineyard) Part 5.  

What is just?  What is fair?  What is honest?  What is good?  What is right or wrong?  We see and ask these questions on a daily basis.  Christ told his disciples a parable that raised all of these questions.  Why did he do this?  He wanted them to have an understanding that was not openly available to everyone.  Theirs was the understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  Theirs was the knowledge that was not available to wise men.  Theirs was the vision of the Christ in his full glory.  Theirs was the insight given them by God our Father.

They did not yet posses all that was given to them, but the seeds were planted.  They would witness the coming forth of the fruit.  Christ spoke of a house-holder who needed workers in his vineyard.  He spoke to his disciples in plain terms that they could understand.  And yet underlying those plain term was the fruit that would later blossom into the understanding and insight given to them by the grace of God.  So the house-holder hired workers and agreed to pay them what was just.  "So they went.  And again he went out about the sixth, and about the ninth hour, and did as before."  

The house-holder called his workers, even in the middle of the day.  He saw them standing idle in the market place and he called them to work.  Christ calls his workers.  He calls them at all times of the day.  And he agrees to pay them what is just.  He does this again and again and again.  No matter what the time of day he calls workers to come and work in his vineyard.  Are you a worker?  Are you a weed?  Are you the fruit that needs to be harvested?  How do you fit into the kingdom of heaven?

The door is open to all who want to come.  The requirements are easy.  Anyone can qualify.  The choice is yours to make if you understand the offer.  There is another offer also, the offer of the world.  It is the one we are born into.  It is the one we live with.  It is the one that surrounds us daily.  But one must rise above what is seen.  One must view beyond what is obvious.  One must change the perspective to see what is hidden.  We have a choice.  Some understand that choice early on.  Some find that choice later in life.  And some struggle with that choice only to not understand.  And then there are those who see the choice, know the choice, but cannot make the choice.

Can you make the choice?  Can you choose to be the one?  Can you accept the choice of who you are in Christ?  The world will blind you.  The world will deceive you.  The world will seek to turn you away from your choice.  But the spirit cries out in you.  The spirit burns in you for fulfillment.  The spirit within you knows the truth of who you are.  Can you seek it?  Can you find it?  Can you know the truth of who you are in Christ?  The choice is yours to make.  The thief is out there seeking to steal your choice.  Be careful!  He will not announce himself to you.  He will not knock at your door.  He will come and take you away without your having a choice.  And then you will know.

Christ calls you.  Christ loves you.  Christ gave his life for you that you would have life.  Seek him and know.  Know him and love.  Be with him and be fulfilled.  The spirit cries out for you.  The spirit awaits for you.  The spirit is within you waiting for you to open the door and say: "Come in!"

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.

St Matthew, Chapter 19, verse: 13a, Bring the Children.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Jesus blesses the children) Part 1. 

He gave his disciples lessons to live by: lessons on adultery, immorality, and marriage, lessons on bonding, acceptance, and love.  They were powerful lessons for them.  But as with all things from Christ they took it in until they could understand.  They accepted his teachings because he had demonstrated to them that he was special, he was the chosen one, he was the Messiah.  There were many strange things that he said and did.  They knew that he loved them and wanted them to understand.  While all the time in the back of their minds, in the darkest corner of their being there was always that lurking voice speaking to their doubts and their fears.

So they took a rest and all the children came to play.  The children had heard their parents talking about him.  They had heard about all the miracles.  They knew that this man was special because of the way that the others treated him.  And they played near him, in his sight, in his presence, not knowing who he was.  They wanted to know.  They wanted to see up close.  They wanted to be with him.  So they got closer until they were within his reach.  "Little children were brought to him then that he might lay his hands on them and pray."

They brought the children to him that he might bless them.  Parents brought them that he might impart some spiritual healing upon them, that they might grow up knowing that this man affected their lives.  Lay hands on them.  Pray for them.  Teach them that they might know the true meaning of God.  We are fortunate, those who grow up in a Christian environments.  We are brought to church.  We are taught the history of our religion.  We are given the essentials of our beliefs that we might have a foundation to grow upon as we encounter the world. 

For too many of us, our religion, our beliefs, our faith is based upon what was forced upon us in early childhood.  We did not want to go to church.  We did not know what we were being given through the many lessons and teachings and preachings.  All we knew was that it was required of us.  And if we did not obey then we were taught about the wrath of God.  We would burn in hell.  We would be eternally damned.  We would not go to heaven.  All of this was given to us at an early age.  We would carry these teachings, these thoughts, these beliefs, with us throughout the rest of our lives and pass them on to our children and their children's children.

And yet love was within us, as children.  Love was a part of us as little ones.  For we loved life.  We loved our parents.  We loved our brothers and sisters, most of the times.  We had the seeds of God's love within us but no one cultivated those seeds that they would bring forth fruit.  Are children able to become fruitful?  The seed within us was buried deeper.  Instead a new seed was planted within us as children, a seed that would set our beliefs on a vengeful Father, a Father of wrath, a God of punishment if we did not obey.  Our Father is a God of love.  No matter what we do he will still love us. 

With understanding,  true understanding of who we are in his love, our eyes can be opened, our hearts can beat with a different beat, and we can become aware of the spirit within us.  With that awakening we can know the truth of who we are in Christ.  With that awakening we are able to receive his love.  And the knowledge of his love makes us keenly aware of our sins, our wrongs, our transgressions.  Repentance, sorrow, regret comes with knowledge of his love.  And like little children we are able to free ourselves from the grips of evil and become once again his children.  For He is forgiving.  He is merciful.  He is loving.  He is protective.  He is our provider.  He is Our Father above all.  Open the door and let him lay hands on you that you may become a child again.

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. 

St Matthew, Chapter 19, verse: 5, One Flesh

Our paragraph topic is:  (The question of divorce) Part 3. 

The Creator had a plan.  The Creator had a purpose.  The Creator gave them life and called them male and female.  And they were made for each other and not against each other.  So why do we have divorce?  Why do we have separation?  Why do we not live together as The Creator meant for us to be from the beginning?  Have you not read it?  Have you not heard it?  Have you not believed in it?

He was the one who gave marriage to us.  He was the one who first instituted bonding.  He was the one who made us male and female that we should be together for a purpose.  But today we live not for his purpose but for our own purpose.  And if our own purpose does not work then we divorce, we separate, we get a legal and judicial breaking apart contrary to what we were created for.  Yet he created us for one purpose, male and female.  "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?"

One flesh!  One body!  One mind!  Two spirits!  But we do not know who we are.  We do not know the spirit within.  We have no knowledge of what The Creator made.  So we only know the flesh.  We only know what we see, feel, taste, and smell.  And it is in that physical knowledge that we are trapped.  For we reside in the knowing of the mind and not of the spirit.  We believe in the physical and not the spiritual.   

Taught from childhood, reinforced throughout life, we know the physical.  We are given the desires of the flesh, the aspirations of the world, the beliefs, desires, dreams, and passions of the physical with no knowledge of the spiritual being that we are.  We are loosed into the world to struggle with the tricks and traps of evil.  For evil seeks to kill us.  Evil seeks to possess us.  Evil seeks to have us do evil.  We become evildoers and do the bidding of evil. 

Father, hold my hand and don't let go.  Father, Hold the hands of all your children and keep them from evil.  For we are lost.  We are asleep.  We are without the knowledge that opens our minds, our ears, and our hearts that you may heal us.  We are in the world and the world is around us.  We know not.  We hear the Word but it is stolen from us.  It is choked before it can bear fruit.  It is given to us but we have no roots for it to take hold.  And we become lost. 

Help us to know you, Father, that we may know ourselves.  For you are our source, our life, our joy, our happiness, our fulfillment.  We are male and female.  Help us to know your purpose that we may fulfill your will. 

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. 

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 19, Understanding: The Revelation

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ explains what defiles a man) Part 3.   

The things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and it is they that defile a man.  Christ spoke these words to his disciples and to the people that he had called to himself.  He is the teacher.   He is the instructor.  He is the author of Truth that proceeds from the Father, and Truth is with him.  Yet they did not understand.  They did not know.  They did not see the things that he spoke to them.  Truth reached out to them but their minds and hearts were blocked by the things that filled their hearts.  Christ is the truth that comes from the father and in him there is no lie, there is no deceit.

Yet do we find truth in his words today?  Do we believe that he can not lie and his words are living truth?  He speaks of things that do not make sense.  He speaks of things that are difficult to comprehend.  He stretches the imagination to the limits of understanding that perplex the mind.  Yet he does not lie.  He does not deceive.  His words are truth.  Then he spoke these words to his disciples:  "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, immorality, thefts, false witness, 
blasphemies."    

The Revelation: "Out of the heart come evil thoughts."  Is this truth?  How is it that thoughts come from the heart?  We think with our minds and not our hearts?  Or do we?  Christ, the author of Truth through his Father, tells us that the heart thinks.  Is this truth or is it symbolism?  Out of the heart come thoughts???   Christ praised his father in a previous verse for hiding the things of knowledge and wisdom.   " I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and prudent, and didst reveal them to little ones."

Hear and understand!!  The heart thinks.  The heart believes.  The heart knows.  The heart is!  For we are the children of God and through our hearts we are.  Let not the heart think of evil.  Let not the heart know adultery.  Let not the heart seek murder.  Let not the heart give false witness or think of theft, or immorality.  For it is from these things that open the door of the heart to darkness and the good heart becomes evil. 

Hear the revelation, hear the lesson.  Hear and learn!  Hear and understand!  Truth seeks to know you.  Truth seek to find you.  Truth seeks to give you joy and peace.  For from it and with it and through it comes the blessings of the spirit within you.  Let it not be contaminated with evil.  Let it not be defiled.  Let it be cleansed with the living words of Christ.  Fill it with the knowledge and truth that comes from the father and his blessing will flow unto you.  His seed will be planted in you to grow and bring forth much fruit.

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verse: 13, The Lesson: Plants to be uprooted.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Disciples warned to shun the Pharisees)
Part 3.  

Christ called the crowd to himself.  He spoke to them concerning what makes them clean and what makes them unclean.  For the Pharisees had taught the people that they were unclean when they did not wash before eating.  And many followed the teachings of the Pharisees.  Many believed that if they did not wash before eating then they were unclean.  So everyone made an effort to wash in order to practice the teachings of the Pharisees.  But the disciples did not follow that teaching.  They were the disciples of Christ.  They were the disciples of the Messiah.  And Christ did not teach them that they were unclean when they eat before washing.  And the Pharisees saw this.

They saw the teaching of Christ.  They saw the actions of the disciples.  And they were not pleased.  Here was a teacher, a Rabbi, who did not follow the traditions and the teachings of the Pharisees.  So they questioned him about his teachings.  Christ in turn questioned them about their authority to change the commandments of God.  Who gave them the authority?  Who made them greater than God?  Who told them that they could make changes to the laws of God, handed down to Moses?  And yet, in their arrogance, they made changes and taught the people to follow the changes that they made to God's Laws.  And now they questioned Christ about his teaching against the traditions they had made and instituted to the people.  

They took offense to Christ.  They took offense to his teachings.  They took offense to his popularity.  They took offense to his miracles.  They took offense to everything that Christ did for the people.  And the evil within them brought them to anger.  The evil within them made them mad.  The evil within them had them conspire against Christ.  And the evil seed within them made them speak out against the actions of Christ.  But Christ instructed his disciples against the Pharisees.   But he answered and said "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up."

The disciples did not know.  The disciples did not understand that within each of us there is a seed planted.  There are two types of seeds, a seed for good and a seed for evil.  There is no in between.  There is either one or the other.  The two do not exist within us together.  We may not believe that we are evil but the seed is there in a small way.  And the seed grows.  It starts to germinate from its shell and pushes outward.  It expands and branches out into our soul and our mind and our heart.  And the result of a full grown seed of evil is to become a tree with evil fruit.  Christ has said that we know a person by their fruit.  The parable of the weeds tells us the state of the world we live in.  It tells us the nature of the people in the world.  And it gives us an understanding of the environment we live in.  What seed do you have?  Do you know?  Do you care what seed grows within you?

Most of us are so in the world that we do not concern ourselves with the good seed or the bad seed.  We only concern ourselves with the day to day issues we face in living our lives.  We put aside the long term issues as to our spiritual nature and growth.  Yet the seed grows, without our knowledge and our effort.  It is only with the knowledge of who we are and the daily and hourly maintenance of our seed that we are able to separate ourselves from the world that would have us sleep in the knowledge of who we are.  Wake up! Christ's seed is within each and every one of us.  But evil will come and take the good seed away.  Evil will come and choke and kill the good seed planted by Christ.  The decision is yours.  Choose the seed of Christ.  Nurture the seed of Christ.  Water the seed of Christ and watch over its growth.  For your seed will grow.  Your seed will flourish.  Your seed will blossom and produce fruit that will be pleasing to God. 

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verses: 36 - 39, The Kingdom of Heaven: The symbols of the weeds explained.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the weeds explained) Part 1. 

Things have been spoken.  Understanding has been lacking.  Knowledge is missing.  And the people do not know.  Christ has talked about the kingdom of heaven and given several examples of what the kingdom is like.  He talked about the good seed.  He talked about the mustard seed and how it grows and he talked about the leaven and how it spreads to all parts.  Do the people understand?  Do the disciples understand?  Is knowledge given to them that they may know the mysteries of the kingdom?  Christ has finished his preaching and retires to the house.

The disciples follow and inquire of him the meaning of the parable of the weeds.   And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."  So answering them he said, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world; the good seed, the sons of the kingdom; the weeds, the sons of the wicked one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil."  

The disciples wanted to know his words.  They wanted to understand clearly.  They wanted the knowledge of Christ.  There minds sought him.  Their hearts desired his fruit.  So they came and inquired of his wisdom.  And he fed them with rich fruit that they may be satisfied.  He fed them with riches that they may know within their hearts the truth of the kingdom and they were blessed.  Christ loved his disciples.  He was patient with them.  He was loving of them.  He was understanding of their needs.  And he gave bountifully of his heart that theirs would be full.

We live in a world that we know not.  We are consumed by its constant flow, by its constant drive, by its constant movement.  Nothing remains the same.  Everything is changing and we are caught up in the change.  And that is our dilemma, we must keep up or be swept away.  We must constantly know the latest news.  We must constantly see the latest shows.  We must constantly have the latest gadgets.  We must constantly be in a state of change at all times that we may be in the world.  To stop being in the world means to be left behind.  To stop being in the world means not knowing the latest.  To stop being in the world means to fall out of the crowd.  And Christ said, beware the wide path that leads to destruction.  Do not follow the crowd!  Follow the narrow path that leads to life.  Open your heart, open your mind and let Christ feed you, as he did the disciples.  His love is fulfilling.  His knowledge is all knowing.  His understanding is permanent.  And his truth is from the Father of all truth.  Fall out of the world and fall into Christ and he will keep you forever.

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verse: 31 - 32, The Kingdom of Heaven: Like a Mustard Seed.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the mustard seed) Part 1. 

Christ continues to reveal information about the kingdom of heaven.  He has spoken about the kingdom of heaven as a field that is planted with the good seed.  Now he speaks in another parable about the kingdom of heaven being like a mustard seed.  A mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds.  Yet the plant the comes forth from this seed becomes a giant tree.  Other produce fruit.  The mustard seed produces a giant tree that birds make their nest in. 

Christ tells the crowd and his disciples,  "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.   This indeed is the smallest of all the seeds; but when it grows up it is larger than any herb and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and dwell in its branches." 

The kingdom of heaven is likened to a seed.  It is like the good seed that a man plants in his field.  It is like a mustard seed that a man plants in his field.  The kingdom of heaven is a seed that is planted within us.  It grows just as a seed grows.  It produces fruit just as the seeds of a fruit tree  or the seed of grain grows to produce fruit.  The kingdom of heaven like an herb that is planted in a garden.  The herb seed grows to produce an herb.  Some are small.  Some are medium sized, but the mustard seed is the the largest herb in the garden.  For when it grows up, it produces a tree that is greater than any other herb in the garden.

Christ speaks to us in a language of planting.  He tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like a seed.  It is planted within us.  And we are the soil that brings forth the life of the seed.  We can bring forth the life of the kingdom.  We can produce the fruit of the kingdom.  In some cases we can produce 30% of the time, or 60% of the time or 100% of the time if the seed is planted in good soil that will nurture the seed and bring forth growth. 

Christ tells us further that the kingdom of heaven is like the seed of a mustard plant.  When planted and grows up it brings forth a tree that is greater than any other herb in the garden.  So now we have two choices of what is in the kingdom of heaven.  We have fruit or grain and we have an herb that produces a giant tree.  Which type of seed are you today?  Are you the result of a fruit seed or are you the result of a mustard seed?  One grows tall and strong where the birds of the air come to rest.  The other produces fruit of the kingdom.  Both are in the kingdom of heaven.  Come, let us prepare our soil for the planting of the seeds from the kingdom of heaven!