St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 22b; For the Sake of the Elect.

Our paragraph topic is: (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 11.  

Christ continues to talk about the destruction of Jerusalem and how life would end.  He knows what the Father wants.  He knows the anger and the frustration of the Father.  So many times the Father has been merciful and patient with his creation.  He has waited centuries for mankind to become the family, the people, the community of love and understanding that they are capable of becoming.  Yet the world tempts and taunts the people to do evil, to be led astray from the love that the Father has for his people. 

Christ tells the people, pray, that they do not have to experience the great tribulation that comes in winter or on the sabbath.  For on those days such destruction will be seen as man has not witnessed since the beginning of time nor will be.  Jerusalem will be torn asunder.  Many will suffer.  There will be much pain and death.  When you see the signs do not turn back, run for the hills for there will not be time to save anything except yourself.  Christ tells them had those days of destruction not been shortened no living creature would be saved:  "But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened."   

All is not lost.  The elect will save some.  For their sake the world will not be lost, all living creatures will not be destroyed.  Thanks be to God that there are those who are chosen.  Thanks be to God that there are those who meet his favor, who are special to him and worth saving from destruction.  They are the ones who save mankind.  They are the ones who show the best of who we are.  They are the ones who do not yield to the temptations of the world, who do not fall prey to the traps of evil.  

We all are just human, weak and frail, struggling daily, attempting to know his will for us in this world.  We yield to temptation, but do we get up, ask for forgiveness, and repent of our sins.  Seeking forgiveness and repenting is our salvation.  Try and try as we might, we must continue to fight the struggle to live the life of love and trust and faith that Christ has given us to live.  And believe that as long as we believe with all our hearts and minds that he is our lord and savior and that we will be saved.  Believe that those days will be shortened, and we will be part of the elect of God. 

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: 22; The Throne of God.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 13.  

You see, it had come to this, gold and silver, precious metals, and jewels were more valuable in the eyes of the religious than the kingdom of heaven.  They did not place much value on the temple and the sacred items in it.  They did not value the altar but they placed value on the gold and silver placed on the altar.  They did not place value upon the temple itself but on the gold that the temple was made of which is how their religious beliefs had become so distorted.

These were the leaders who taught the people what to believe!  How wrong could they be?  They despised Christ for telling them that their beliefs were distorted and that they had it all wrong.  This is why he had to tell them also:  "And he who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it."

They had no idea that they were swearing by God himself.  They had no idea that they were telling their followers that their bond with God was nothing when they swore by the temple.  They had no idea that they were encouraging the people to break their vows that they were making with God himself, thereby bringing forth the wrath upon themselves.  The people only knew that they were following the rules and the laws that were handed down by their religious leaders.

They were sheep being led by their shepherds.  And we prey today that God has given us a true shepherds to lead us along the right path to the kingdom of heaven.  Of course the ultimate choice is up to us to follow.  The ultimate decision is within ourselves if we want to believe what we hear each Sunday.  And the choice is up to us if we want more than what we hear each week.  If our hearts desire to know more about our heavenly Father, it is up to us to seek him out.  If our hearts yearn to feel the truth of his love it is up to us to delve deeper into the knowledge that is available for us.  All we have to do is knock on the door to have it opened to us.  

And if we truly want to know him all we need do is get on our knees and ask him.  We have to be patient to get his response.  We have to listen quietly to hear his voice.  We have to know that he speaks when he calls us in that soft voice that fills us with joy and happiness.  We have to rejoice in his presence when he comes to us with the gifts that he gives us each and every day through the spirit of his heart.  For he is a loving Father, and he is a devoted Savior, and they have an everlasting Guide that will be with you until your time to return home.

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: 20; The Oneness of the gift and the Altar.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 11.  

They had taken the essentials of faith and distorted it to their own beliefs.  Little did they understand the true meanings of religion.  Little did they know the truth of faith.  Little did they believe in the spirit of the living God who brought them out of Egypt into the land of milk and honey.  The Scribes and the Pharisees were only concerned in maintaining the status quo over the people so that they could keep their positions of power.

They did not understand the oneness of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Without that understanding how could they understand the oneness of the altar.  They believed that swearing by the altar was nothing but swearing by the gifts that were placed upon the altar meant that they were bound by the gift.  Christ had to explain to them: "Therefore he
who swears by the altar swears by it, and by all things that are on it."

This is the distinction that had to be made, the oneness of the altar.  Everything that is placed upon the altar becomes one with the altar and is sanctified by the altar.  They are not separate from it but are one with it.  The altar is the sacred table of God upon which Christ made his covenant with the church at the last supper.  He blessed the bread and the cup of wine that he gave to his disciples as a symbol of the new covenant that he made for the sacrifice which he was about the make for the sins of mankind.  And it was upon that sacred table upon which he made that covenant.

Today, all over the world, we have the sacred altars which are blessed by the church before they are used in services.  Our gifts are no longer gifts of food, or animals, or incense, but today we give tithes that are placed before the altar to show our thanks to God for the many gifts that he gives us on a daily basis.  We show our gratitude through what we give back to the church to help spread God's word to his people.  

We are blessed to know our God.  We are blessed to walk in the light and not in darkness and despair.  We are blessed to be able to call out to our God and have our voices heard.  For truly he will respond.  And truly we must be patient.  For he is loving and caring and protective and providing and vengeful of those that would do us harm.  Thank you Lord Jesus for loving us. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 15a; Woe!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 32; God of the Living.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's answer) Part 5.  

They came to him for answers and he gave them knowledge.  They thought that they knew about the resurrection.  They believed that there was no life after death, that there was no resurrection so they came to him for an answer.  He told them that they were wrong, that they knew neither the scriptures nor the power of God.  They thought that they knew, but they did not.  They thought they had the answers but they did not.  They thought that they were right in their beliefs but they were wrong in their assumptions and Christ told them so.

He told them that there would be no marriage in heaven.  Therefore, what took place on earth would not be bound in heaven.  Men and women would not be bound to each other in heaven.  They will be like angels of God in heaven.  This was a shocking revelation to the Sadducees because they assumed that the wedding commitment would be bound over at the resurrection after death.  Christ had to correct them on this point also.  God was a God of the living and not of the dead.  He told them what was spoken by God himself saying:  " ' I am God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living." 

Where does that leave us today, those who believe?  Do we believe in the living God?  Are we right in our faith, in our hope, in our trust in the invisible God?  Can we act on that which we believe, walk by, live by, and know, that we have a living God that we can call on, in our time of need?  Will he hear us?  Will he respond to us?  Will he care for our needs?  Will he provide for us? 

We indeed are weak.  Yet something inside tells us, talks to us, encourages us to think otherwise.  Something wants us to not be humble, to not be dependent, to not trust in the Lord.  History has taught us that he has been there for us.  He has walked with us, showed us the way, done things for us, brought us far without problems.  So why should we stop leaning on him now.  Why should we stop trusting him now.  He was a plan for us, all we have to do is be patient and enjoy the ride.

Our God is patient.  He is merciful.  He is loving.  He saved us from the deep depression that we were in where those thoughts of ending came upon us.  He gave us new life and new hope.  He show us the way.  He opened the door for us to enter the kingdom of heaven.  He opened our eyes to who we are in Christ Jesus and now we see ourselves in a new light.  The Spirit lives with us and guides us daily.  Thanks be to God.  Thanks be to Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to 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 22, verses: 31;Resurrection of the Dead.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's answer) Part 4.  

Christ is patient.  He is loving.  He is merciful.  He is caring.  He is understanding.  He is kind.  He is the kind of teacher who wants all to be able to grasp that which he is teaching.  There are some that will.  There are some that won't right-a-way but, later with time, will come to understand.  Then there are those who just refuse to understand because they are set in their beliefs and refuse to allow themselves to change.  Their eyes are blind, their minds are closed and their hearts are set against that which would bring them joy and happiness.  Instead they cling to that which they have known for years and refuse to allow room for anything else to enter.

God speaks to the heart.  He speaks to the will of those who seek that which is wanting within each of us.  He calls to the need within that would be fulfilled and as yet, has not.  The heart knows.  The heart feels.  The heart yearns.  The heart understands that which comes from the creator and returns to the creator.  Life was given by the creator and returns as it was given, not death.  Death is not of the creator.  Christ told the Sadducees:  "But as to the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God?" 

Christ died on the cross to sacrifice for the sins of all mankind that we would not have to suffer the pains of punishment for our sin.  We are sinners.  From the beginning of time we are sinners and were given the punishment of death through the sin of Adam for his transgression in the garden of Eden.  That transgression was never paid for until Christ came down from heaven, became man, and suffered the pain of death for all mankind.  Through his passion and death he lifted the punishment of death for all mankind.  Those who would believe in him as the son of the father and obey his commandments will have new life eternal.

Have you not read what was given to you from the mouth of God himself?  Do you not believe his words?  Do you not understand?  Are you so blinded by today's world that you have no grasp of the consequences of the actions that you take on a daily basis?  God is patient.  God is merciful.  God is kind.  God is Loving.  God is caring.  He knows all and sees all.  I am thankful that he held my hand along the journey of my transgressions.  I pray that he will be patient with you along your journey.  He is the God of the living and not of the dead.  Are you the walking living today or are you the walking dead? 

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.