St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 27b; The Son of Man.

 Our paragraph topic is: (The sign of the last day) Part 9.  

What are we looking for?  What do we search for each day of our lives?  Is it love?  Is it happiness?  is it money, a good job, wealth, success?  Is it peace of mind?  What is it that we want from life that makes us tick?  If we had lots of money would that fulfill our desires?  Would power to do what we want, make us content?  Would the ability to fulfill our sexual desires when and where we wanted, be enough to make us happy, satisfied, pleasured?  We see others with many of the things that we wish we had, that we desire to have, that we strive to achieve in this life.  What do we really want?

Some are fortunate enough to have the things that we desire.  Many are less so.  And it is those few who have, those few we look up to, with passion in our hearts, that we wish to have the same lifestyle they have.  Yet only a few will achieve that life.  Only a few will reach that top.  Only a few will be chosen to have the riches that they see others with.  The many will strive but fall short of reaching that goal.  

Christ told his disciples that life will not always be the same.  He told them that there will come an end to life when all will be destroyed.  He gave them signs to look for, told them what wonders would happen, spoke to them about people who would become false prophets in order to lead many astray.  Yet there would be no secret meetings, no special conferences, no general sessions that only the few would know about.  The end would come for everyone to see, for everyone to know.  He told them, just as the lightning comes from the east and shines even to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  

He came in the beginning as the son of a carpenter, the son of Joseph and Mary.  Yet he came that man would have life, a second chance at life.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only son as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.  Christ came once to forgive sins; he will come again to end the sins of the world.  What do you want?  Do you want the riches that the world has to offer now, or do you want a second chance at eternal life?  In the end there will be no haves and have nots.  All will see, all will know, all will understand that he is the one who gives life to the world.  

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 24, verse: 26b; In the Chamber.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The sign of the last day) Part 7.  

He has given us all the signs and signals to look for at the end of days.  We know what to expect.  It is written for those who seek.  Do not be fooled by the fake shows that we see today that may appear real.  There will be many that will lead us astray.  He has told us so.  He has given us all the knowledge that we need to survive the deception that will come.  

Christ tells us in his own words, handed down through the disciples, what to expect.  Do not be deceived, he tells us.  Do not be misled.  They will tell you that he is in the desert, do not go there.  They will say to you: " 'Behold, he is in the inner chambers,' do not believe it."  We Know how he will come.  We know how he will appear.  We know how he has told us that he will come on a cloud with his angels for all to see.  So, it is not for us to rush to judgment to see him when we know that he will appear for all to see and not in some place for only a few to see.

We are his children, and he is our Lord and Savior.  From him and through him and with him we have our life, eternal.  We are one with him as he is one with the Father.  For those who love him life without him is meaningless.  He is the source of all our happiness, all our joy, all our peace, all our grace.  Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all that you have given 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 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 24, verse: 23; Behold, here's Christ!

 Our paragraph topic is: (The sign of the last day) Part 1.  

We don't think about the last day.  Why?  Probably because we don't believe that we will be around on that day.  We will be dead and gone before it comes around, or so we think.  Who knows when it will happen?  Christ is telling his disciples that it will happen and what to look for.  He is warning them of all the wrong things that will happen that may lead them astray.

This is the paragraph of signs.  It is the paragraph to his disciples then and to believers today of what to know when the last day comes.  It is important to know for all.  We do not know when that day will come.  It may be tomorrow, or the next, or next week, or next year.  In our minds, in our consciousness, we do not consider it happening, but Christ has given us the prediction of the coming of the last day.  And this is what he tells us: "Then if anyone say to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or, 'There he is,' do not believe it."

Don't believe what you hear others say to you, Christ tells us.  Don't believe the rumors and the lies and the scandals that will come from the fear and anxiety of the coming of the last day.  There will be many false prophets and false rumors floating about to lead many astray.  Do not believe.  Do not follow.  Do not be led astray by those who would use you for their own selfish desires of power and glory.

Two thousand years ago Christ warns those who believe in him and the Father who sent him, of the end days.  He told his disciples so that they would know.  He told those who would listen and those who believed.  He laid the foundation for his church that his work would continue into the future for those who did not know him, those who did not see him, those who did not hear his voice but who would believe in his words.  These are the elect, the chosen ones who believe in him and know the truth of his teachings.

He came to give life and to give it more abundantly.  Anyone who believes in him and repents of their sins will be saved.  He gave his life that we might have life, if we choose it.  The choice is ours if we want it.  The life is ours if we know it.  Today, tomorrow, next week, we can have it if we know it.  It is within us.  The light of life comes from Christ.  He is the Savior from which we receive life from the Father, the source of life.  Ask and you shall receive.  God is rich in love and forgiveness for each of us who believe.  

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 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: 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: 3b; What signs?.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The disciples question Christ) Part 2.  

They wanted to know the when and where the destruction was to take place, the disciples.  Christ had told them that the Temple would be destroyed, that no stone would be left unturned one upon another.  They wanted to know when this was going to take place.  Their minds were full of questions and bewilderment.  

Now was not the time for them to know.  Now was not the time for all to be revealed to them the full knowledge of what was to happen.  There minds were not ready to accept the fullness of what was to happen.  There hearts were not filled with the spirit to be at peace with the knowledge of what was to happen.  And their faith and trust in God was not strong enough at this time for them to know that they would be secure in the protection of the Holy Spirit in what was to happen.  This is why they came to Christ asking:  "And what will be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?" 

If you drive around today you are liable to see corner preachers with signs proclaiming the end of the world is near.  In many large cities this may be the case to get people to turn from their ways back to church and back to God.  Telling people that the end is near may be true for some for who knows when their time may come.  Anyone could die today or tomorrow.  Anyone could leave their house walk out to the street and get hit by a car, a falling airplane, or even a meteor.  One never knows.  We all take our life as though we will live for a long time, at least until the end of our life expectancy.  We do not prepare as though that day may be the next minute or the next hour.

God is merciful and loving, kind and patient.  He gives each of us the opportunity to come to know him, time to cleans ourselves, time to repent of our sins.  But when that time comes it is final.  Thank you Father for the many opportunities that you have given me to come to know you.  Thank you for giving me the chance to repent of my sins and ask for forgiveness.  Thank you Father for holding my hand and walking with me to let me know the love that you have for me this day and every day.  I pray that I may be able to share that love with others that they too may also come to know you.  In Jesus Christ name I pray, 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 23, verses: 39a; You shall not see me.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Lamentation over Jerusalem) Part 6.  

Christ felt a great passion for his city, for his people.  He loved them in all their glory and in all their sin.  His heart went out to them for he foresaw what he knew would happen to them without his protection, without his love.  Evil was waiting in the wings to take over completely.  Yet he was there to fulfill his destiny to pay for the sins of mankind and put a stop to evil.

Still he lamented over Jerusalem.  All the years of work and pain and toil put into making the city as it was, would come to ruin.  This was the city based on the kingdom of heaven, on the measurements of the city of God.  Evil was coming.  You could hear it in the hills.  You could understand what was happening in the courtyards of the rich.  They were selling their souls and Satan was coming to collect.  

Christ knew.  He came to put a stop to it.  He came to end it all.  His new covenant would provide protection and provisions for all mankind who chose to believe and follow him.  So he wept for the city of Jerusalem.  He lamented for the people therein.  He knew that there would be some who would believe and some who disbelieve.  He said: "For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth."

The time was coming near for his sacrifice, for the payment to be made for the sins of the many.  He would not be available to aid the people in their struggles to come.  He would not heal the sick, cure the lame, open the eyes of the blind, raise the dead, perform all types of miracles as before.  His time was coming to an end.  Yet the people did not know or understand his meaning.

It is hard to believe that such a person walked the earth some two thousand years ago.  Yet we have writings of witnesses of his life and history.  Much is told of Christ over the years.  We have much to read and study of his life, his works, his words, his miracles, interpretations of all that he said and did.  Despite all this, in all that we know ourselves, in all we are taught from early childhood, it comes down to believing what we are given.  We are not scholars.  We have not spent a lifetime studying the books of old to gain the wisdom and knowledge of Christ's life and works.  So we take what is given us in our schools and churches and from our Bibles and Christian readings to help us believe in him.  And yet of this little knowledge the most basic understanding that we can come away with is belief.

Do you believe?  Do I believe?  Do I know?  Yes!  I know within myself, that I live within Christ.  I know within myself that I have life within him.  I know that he lives and therefore I have life because he has given me new life.  Before I was lost in the world, seeking the treasures of the world, not knowing who I am.  But now I seek the treasures of the kingdom of heaven because it is there that I want to be.  It is there that I am from.  It is there that my life originates and not from this world.  

When I seek the treasures of this world I seek darkness.  But when I seek the treasures of the kingdom I seek the light of life that comes from Christ because he has awaken me as to who I am and where I am from.  I am spiritual and not physical and within this flesh lives me, the spiritual being that Christ has awaken and given new life.  My flesh is but dust, but my spirit is alive in him.  Open your heart and seek that which only he can give and you too will know the truth of who you are. 

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: 28; Outwardly appear.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their hypocritical purity) Part 8.  

Christ came down from heaven to walk among mankind that he might experience the depth of life we live as humans.  He came with a purpose to do his father's will and save mankind from the sin committed by Adam and Eve from the beginning.  No one else was able to do so.  Yet his choice was made at a cost of his life on the cross, a horrible cost of pain and suffering for our sins.  He did not have to pay such a cost but because of his love, his passion for mankind, he wanted to give us a second chance to have life eternal.  

He came and he saw the horror and the iniquity that existed from the evil that had come forth upon the people.  They cried out for his help, begged for his assistance, had assurance in his power to heal, believed in his words of faith.  Yet there was still darkness in the shadows that hid from his brightness.  He saw what men could not see.  He looked beyond the outwardly appearance into the inner heart and soul of those who were full of evil and sin.  He heard the inner thoughts of the influence that evil worked upon those of power and prestige and knew their deepest thoughts and feelings.  He told the Scribes and the Pharisees:  "So you also outwardly appear just to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

You could say he had x-ray vision because he saw what men could not see.  He saw the true filth of who they really were on the inside.  Outwardly they appeared like great men, but inwardly they were filled with dead men's bones and all sorts of ugliness.  Yet these were the men that the people honored and praised.  These were the Scribes and the Pharisees they saw everyday in the market place and the synagogue and places of worship.  These were the men that they idolized and wanted to imitate.  Yet Christ saw the other side, the inside and he called them out.  He told the people who they were.  He let the people know that they were not all they were held up to be.

Faith goes deep within the soul.  It is either there or not there.  It is either believed or not believed.  It is either a part of you or not a part of you.  Sure it can be faked.  It can be put upon like a mask and taken off like makeup.  But real faith, real belief is in the skin, in the bones, in the marrow, in the heart and soul of a person.  They know who they are because they are real.  It does not need to be preached on the corners to have substance.  It does not demand that it is shared with others from a door to door campaign to be real.  It just needs to be lived that others may see the light from which it shines within.  

Let your light shine.  Open your heart to the love that Christ has for you and you will know the truth of the living faith within.

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: 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: 21; The Oneness of Him and the Temple.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 12.

You see they had no idea what they were doing.  They were led by their intuitions, by their instincts, by the influences of the world around them which would have them maintain their positions of power and influence.  They were the rulers of the time.  They had positions of power and prestige that they did not want to lose.  And Christ came along and questioned their positions by calling them blind guides in the public eye which challenged their authority and prestige.  Any other person they would have had the temple guards arrest and thrown into jail or beaten.

This was Christ, however, the miracle worker.  He had cured many of the sick and the lame and the blind and the cripple.  There were many followers who believed in him and his teachings.  So the Pharisees and the Scribes and the Elders had to think of another way to capture him so that they could silence him for good.  But they did not realize who they were dealing with.  They did not know the storm that was brewing behind the scenes and the parts they were playing.  Christ had to stir the hornet's nest.  He had to take them to task.  He had to show them up to the people so that everyone would know who they were.  This is why he told them:  "And he who swears by the temple swears by it, and by him who dwells in it."

You see they didn't know.  They were being influenced by the evil in the world, like pawns on a chess board.  To swear by the one who dwells in the temple is to swear by Almighty God.  And to swear by Almighty God is a bond that must be kept, a bond that must not be broken.  Yet here the Scribes and the Pharisees were telling the people that to swear by the temple it is nothing.  How foolish they had become.  How distorted they had rationalized the truth of their religion.  How broken were they making the people against the God of their fathers.

Two thousand years ago Christ came down from heaven to walk among mankind.  He gave up his majestic robe, his kingly spirit and became human that he might experience the truth of humankind.  He walked with us.  He talked with us.  He danced and drank, and eat with us.  He laughed, cried, smiled, sighed, felt human emotions as we do.  He lived a full life with us and he left his legacy for us to know that he was here with us.  And lastly he fulfilled his promise for which he came; he gave his life to pay for the original sin committed in the garden.  

For his life and for his passion we have life again.  We have a new soul.  We have but to believe in him who came, him who is, him who guides and saves our life is anew.  The choice requires daily renewal and confidence for there is one who will test that belief, that faith, that trust of the soul within.  But there is one also that will renew and guide and support and walk with you every minute, every hour of the day to be the light in the darkness that comes.  Keep the faith.  Know the love.  Trust in the truth of the light of life that is within 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: 9; One Father.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 7.  
The Scribes and the Pharisees were worshipped in their day and time.  They were thought to be high priest by the people because of the way they carried themselves and the respect they demanded.  Yet Christ wanted the people to know that their worship of the Scribes and the Pharisees was wrong and out of place.  

There was only one person that they should worship and he is in heaven.  There is only one master whom they should show respect and that is the Christ.  One is the Father and there is not one else.  No one should not be placed above the One Father.  He told them:  "And call no one on earth your father; for one is your Father, who is in heaven."  

What is the difference?  Why the distinction?  Christ helped the people to understand the true meaning of Father in the highest and greatest expectation of the word.  For we have but one.  All others are less than and do not deserve the highest connection with the title of Father.
We call our male parents father.  We call our priest father out of respect for their spiritual position as shepherds of the people.  We give the title to those who have gone before us and have been a part of our heritage.  But not one deserves the highest meaning and understanding of the word than our Father the creator.  One should not confuse this distinction.  And this is the understanding that Christ wanted the people to know.

For they praised the Scribes and the Pharisees.  They worshipped them as though they were indeed the lords of all knowledge and understanding without having any knowledge of the true Father in heaven, a concept that we must not confuse today.  We call our leaders in different fields of study father i.e., father of physics, or father of modern medicine, or father of aviation, because they were the first to discover principles in certain fields of study.  And we revere them because of their knowledge and expertise in their field.

It is important that we realize that we are all brothers and sisters created in the image and likeness of the One.  He alone is the object of our praise.  For from him and through him and with him we have life.  Without him we are nothing.  He is our be all and end all and with him we have everlasting peace that surpasses all understanding. 

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.