St Matthew, Chapter 19, verse: 23, Entrance into the Kingdom for rich men.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The danger of riches) Part 1.

Christ gave the rich young man the opportunity of a lifetime and he went away saddened.  The young man turned away.  He did not know how to accomplish it.  He did not know how to do what was being asked of him.  He did not understand the greatness that stood before him which would change his life forever.  The physical had a hold of him.  The riches of this world would not let go.  The things that he had so treasured in this life possessed him.  He could not let them go.

This is what Christ wanted to warn his disciples about, the dangers of riches.  He wanted them to know the depths to which riches could and would possess mankind.  For the deception was real.  The hold was crippling.  The unrelenting grip would so lock a person that with difficulty one would struggle to find a way out.  And this young man could not find a way out.  Christ saw the struggle and warned his disciples that they would know the truth of what physical riches would do to the spiritual life within us.  But Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen I say to you, with difficulty will a rich man enter the kingdom of heaven.

Those were the words that Christ spoke to his disciples that they would know the effects of the physical riches of this world.  What are the riches of this world?  We scrap and grab and claw at, wish for, desire and work for our whole lives to have that which is presented to us from our time of birth.  Have the good life.  Paper money or wealth gives us the opportunity to do as we please.  We become free to live a life that others dream about.  We have the opportunity to buy whatever we see that pleases us.  For we are rich.  We are wealthy.  We have the buying power to own that which our heart desires.

And it is this power, this wealth that will drive us to keep it, to maintain it, to hold onto it least we loose it.  And it is in that struggle that we become possessed of the things that we desire.  For we continue to want that which we have and that which we have continues to hold us.  It is with difficulty that we will enter the kingdom of heaven Christ says.  It is with difficulty that we will let go of that which we have struggled so long and hard to have.  It is with difficulty that it will let go of us once it has possessed us.

Through this possession we loose sight of that which is most precious and dear, our life, our soul.  For more than anything else in this world, the life within us is more precious, more valuable than anything this world has to offer.  The life within is more precious than ten thousand diamonds, precious gems, or tons of gold.  For all this is dirt compared to the life that was given us by Christ through God our Father.  And yet we are not able to see, not able to understand, to know this one simple truth.  Be not blinded by the glitz and glamour that the physical world has to offer in exchange for the true light of life given us by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.

He came that we would know.  He came that we could see.  He came that we would have that life eternally.  Yet darkness prevails.  Darkness is all around us.  Darkness wants to put out the light.  Darkness wants to take control of us and influence us to do evil.  And darkness wants to destroy us in the eternal pit of fire in hell.  We are the children of God our Father.  We are children of the creator of the universe.  We are children of the one who created the wealth that is presented to us.  And as His children we already have the wealth of the world.  Not only do we have the wealth of this world but we have the wealth of the entire universe.  The universe that we can barely perceive is ours.  It belongs to us as our inheritance.  It is our treasure, our gift, and our joy.  It is already given.  It is not something that we must exchange to obtain.

But more than the physical treasures of the universe is the spiritual love of the Father.  Things cannot satisfy us.  Riches cannot fill the hole.  Physical passions, physical desires, wants and needs cannot begin to fulfill the longing within.  The love that our Father bears for us is the only thing that can fill us completely.  For it is overwhelming.  It is uplifting.  It is like nothing that we have experienced before.  It is there for the asking, there for the receiving, there for the knowing. 

Be not deceived by the riches of this world.  Do not exchange that which is real and eternal for that which is not.  Entrance into the kingdom awaits you.  Fulfillment of that which your heart desires, is yours.  Seek that truth within yourself and you will know the love that the Father has for you.  He has given you the path to follow.  He has placed the Advocate at your door waiting for you to open it.  He has given you the keys to unlock your treasure once you find it.  The choice is yours.  Chose to see it.  Chose to open it.  Chose to believe that it is there for you and you will find it.

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: 18b, The commandments: Thou shalt not kill.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The rich young man speaks to Jesus) Part 5.

The young rich man sought Christ for direction, for truth, for honesty.  He had heard the word.  He was touched by the miracles.  He felt that there was something in this man that was not in any other man.  So he traveled, he asked directions, he followed the signs until he came to the place where he was in the presence of Jesus Christ.  Looking back, how wonderful must that moment have been.  Looking back, how exciting must that time have been.  Looking back how joyous and enlightening must that moment have been to be in the presence of the Son of God.

Christ came down from heaven to be with us.  He came down from heaven to walk with us, to talk with us, to see us in the flesh.  He gave up his majesty, his glory, his crown, to take on a lowly position in the form of a man.  He came down from heaven to teach us, to show us, to give to us, to die for us that we might regain the life that was given to us from the beginning.  And the rich young man asked him what must he do to attain heaven.  Christ told him to keep the commandments.  But this was not the answer that the young man wanted to hear.  He asked which ones to keep.  And Jesus said, "Thou shalt not kill."

Which ones shall we keep today?  Shall we kill or shall we keep the commandment?  Shall we walk down that path that will lead us to kill?  Shall we face the anger and the rage that swells up within us when we feel wronged.  Shall we allow this anger and rage to lead us down this path?  Shall we face the anger and resentment that may cause us to consider this action?  Or shall we, in the fit of rage and passion, act without thought to commit such a deed?  We live in a world of passion.  We breathe the desires and wants of what the world has to offer and it is with those passions and desires and wants that we are guided.  Are we beings of passion, beings without thought or direction, beings without a soul?  Or are we led by the spirit of the one who created us, the one who gave us life.  Shall we follow the commandments he has given us?

What would lead us to kill?  What would guide us down the road of allowing ourselves to consider the thoughts of committing such an act?  Are we open to the suggestions of ourselves or are we influenced by other means.  Passions are strong.  Passions will lead, pull, drag us in a direction that we may not want to go, or they may speed us in the direction that we want.  It depends on the influence.  Do we have an influence of darkness or do we have an influence of the light of life given us by the sacrifice of Christ through God our Father.  Death is but a door.  The door swings in two directions.  One direction leads us to the glory of God our Father.  The other direction leads us to the death and destruction of the life that is within us and away from the joy of the Father.  Which path will you take?  Keep the commandments.  "Thou shalt not kill."

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 18, verse: 8, Occasions to Sin for the hand or foot.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Avoiding scandal) Part 5.

Christ continues to instruct his disciples about scandal and sin in the world.  He has given them the truth concerning the misleading of the little ones and the punishment that one will suffer.  He has instructed them on the causes of scandal and the wrath that will come upon one who brings forth scandal.  Now he tells them about occasions to sin.  He tells them about the eyes and the hands and the feet, if they lead one to sin.

It is far better to cut off those parts if they are occasions to sin.  If the feet lead one in the direction that causes one to sin then cut them off.  If the hands lead one to pick up sin then cut it off.  If the eye is the sight of sin then pluck it out.  For it is far better to not have these parts of the body that will lead us to sin than to enter into the fire of hell with them.  He tells them:  And if thy hand or thy foot is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off and cast it from thee!  It is better for thee to enter life maimed or lame, than, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.

How drastic these statements seem.  Who would dream of cutting off their hands or their feet?  Who would consider self mutilation?  How destructive is the occasion to sin that it could compare to such drastic measures?  What Christ is telling us is that the everlasting fires of hell are even more destructive than the actions that he suggests.  If thy hand or thy foot is an occasion of sin to thee then it is better to separate oneself from them in life.  Can one imagine such an occasion where the hand or the foot is totally out of the control of the rest of the body? Can one imagine where the hand or the foot does not yield to the control of the mind?  Can one imagine such an occasion where the hand or the foot leads one to sin despite all efforts to not sin?  Such is the possession of evil.  Evil in the would have us kill or steal or be controlled by parts of the body to commit sin.

Cast it from thee!  Throw it away!  Get rid of it if it causes you to sin continuously.  Compulsions!, Passions!, Strong desires!, drive us to do things that we otherwise would not do.  Lust clouds the mind.  Anger blinds the judgment.  Jealousy, revenge, rage causes us to see red and drives to the final conclusion of those desires without consideration of the consequences.  All these are the keys that open the door to evil that will posses us and lead us to sin.  Patience, love, repentance, forgiveness, all allow us to close the door to sin and return to the knowledge of who we are in Christ.  

We are the children of a loving God.  Our father does not want us to perish in the everlasting fire.  So he gives us these warnings to help us understand the seriousness of the sins we commit.  And he provides us a way out that we may find forgiveness and repent against the actions that we committed.  But far greater than all this is the opportunity to share in the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit so that we may fully understand who we are. 

For Christ gave us life.  He restored the life that is within us.  And he has given us an opportunity to understand who we are, to understand ourselves as we will be known in heaven, outside of the flesh that we occupy.  We are spiritual beings in a physical shell.  And it is through the spirit that we can come to know our true nature. 

Come!  See the light that is within you and know the spirit that you are.  Shake off the shackles of the flesh.  When you know the truth of who you are in Christ you began a journey of discovery that comes from and through the Holy Spirit.  Open the door!  Let him in!  Seek his presence and you will know the truth.  Christ sacrificed his life that you may have yours.  See the true light that is yours.  Follow the path that is before you and discover the other side of the physical realm.  Christ awaits you.  The Holy Spirit is welcomes you.  The Father adores you because you are his own.

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 10, verses: 9-10, The Instructions

Our paragraph topic is: (Instructions to the Twelve) Part 3.  

Now after Christ has given his disciples instructions on what they are to tell the people and the miracles they are to perform, he tells them about their appearance.  Christ instructs his disciples to not carry a wallet.  He tells them that they are not to keep gold or silver or money in their girdles.  They are to not take two tunics, or sandals.  They are to go barefoot into the villages and towns.  They are not to take a staff to lean upon, to indicate some degree of prestige of being a prophet.   He tells them, "The laborer deserves his living."  

The disciples of Christ are to become laborers.  They are to perform honest work amongst the people.  They are to deserve, through the contributions of the people, their daily bread.  They are to be dependent upon the people for their clothing, for their shelter, for their food.  They are to perform miracles by casting out demons, healing the sick, raising the dead, and cleansing the lepers.  Through these acts the love of God in the people will provide for them.  Through these acts the spirit of love will open the hearts of the people and give them shelter.  Through these acts the charity of the people will feed them.  They will be taken care of through the love of the Holy Spirit.

The instructions that Christ gives to his disciples are the principles by which he has lived.  He has told us that "The foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."   Christ had no home to sleep in, no roof over his head, no bed to lay in.  Yet he slept on this earth.  He was fed.  He had clothes to wear and sandals for his feet.  He worked for the living that he received.  His work was honest.  His work was pure.  His work was without deceit or trickery.  He did not want.  Yet he did not own.  The love of the people that he ministered to provided for him.  His heavenly father knew his needs and sent the people to take care of them.  These are the principles that he wants his disciples to possess and to live by.  An honest days work for an honest living.  These are the principles that he instructs his disciples to practice on their journey into the villages and towns to preach the good news.

We work today in the industries of the world.  For our labor we are paid a salary, a compensation, bonuses, perks, etc.  In this society it is OK to lie, to steal, to cheat to get paid.  We are encouraged to do anything to get ahead, to make more money, to live the good life.  We get angry when we see others getting ahead when we are left behind.  We search for ways to get more than we deserve without doing the labor that deserves the pay.  We want more than what we receive based on our individual labors.  Our passions tell us that we deserve more than what we receive based upon the work that we perform. 

Christ tells us that the laborers in his employ deserve their living by the honest work that they perform.  They are shepherds.  They lead the flock.  They work to bring the flock to pasture and to protect them from the hungry wolves that would kill them and scatter them.  They deserve their living by the sweat of their brow.  Will you deserve your living by the honest works that you perform as a laborer for Christ?