St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 24a; False Christs!

 Our paragraph topic is: (The sign of the last day) Part 2.  

The last day is approaching, and we do not know when it will come.  Christ, however, is telling his disciples and those who will listen and believe what to look for, what to believe, what they will see as the last day approaches.  He wants to warn the people.  He wants them to know what to expect.  He wants them not to be caught off guard as the thief comes to rob and pillage the people of their lives.

The last day will come without warning to those who do not know.  It will come unexpectedly for those who have not paid attention to the signs.  It will come as a shock to those who have ignored in disbelief what was shouted from the rooftops that this day was coming.  But Christ warns, beware of the scams and the tricksters who will attempt to mislead.  For he says:  "For false christs and false prophets will arise."  

Be aware of what is coming at the end of days, he says.  Christ tells us that there will be imitators.  There will be false prophets.  There will be soothsayers and people speaking in tongues.  Beware of what you hear.  Beware of what you see and believe for the falsehoods will be masked as truths to mislead one to believe other than the truth.  One must question what is real and what is false based upon the spirit that is given us from Christ.

The end times will challenge us.  The end times question our faith, our hope, our belief in the one true God.  It will strengthen us or weaken us.  It will enlighten us or darken us.  It will add to us or take away from us that which we have not.  For the end times is the final battle for that which is given us by Christ, and it is through him that we will be able to survive it.   

He came that we would have life more abundantly.  And it is that life that he has given us the opportunity to have freely through his sacrifice.  The end times will challenge our knowledge of our life and determine if we will become stronger or weaker through that knowledge.  For knowing who we are in Christ helps us understand our true selves and that knowledge helps us withstand the challenges we may face.  Our life will grow and shine with that knowledge and reach full potential when we become fully aware of who we are in him.  We are one in him as he is one in the Father.  All praise and glory 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 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 23, verses: 27a; Woe to you.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their hypocritical purity) Part 5.  

He cried for them because he knew their fate.  He knew what would happen to them and he wanted to give them the opportunity to change, so he cried out for them.  Woe to you, he said, as though they were going to suffer the fate of those men who were beaten, flogged, hung from the cross, or even worse, suffered the eternal flames of hell.  Christ knew what would happen to them if they continued on the path they followed.

He used the harshest words that he could think of in the worst way he could use them to affect them in the deepest sense.  Did it work?  Probably not.  Did they change.  Probably not.  Yet he still wanted to open a crack in their armor so that maybe some light might get through.  So he cried out for them:  "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!"  

He called them hypocrites and he did it in the public where everyone could hear.  He knew that it would anger them.  He knew that it would enrage them.  He hoped that it would cause them to question their beliefs, their motives, their faith in their religious behavior.  Were they that blind?  Could they not see the purpose of what he was doing?  Were they so far gone that they had no idea of what was happening around them that they failed to see the obvious?

What is life all about?  There are those who are the achievers in life who are in the spotlight.  There are those who are talked about all the time in the news, in the media, on the radio, television, and elsewhere.  There are those who are our favorite persons that we would like to be like, movie stars, persons of interest, people we would like to know.  And there are those who in our immediate circles that we wish we could be like or have the character traits they have so that we can be liked by so many.  

The need to be liked, be wanted, to have friends that like us that we can influence is very strong in our lives today.  It goes a long way in our everyday life both at work, at play, in the community, in social circles, and in all walks of our lives.  We are compelled to be liked, to be known, to be loved, and to do almost anything to gain that attention and to keep it.  Compare this to the quiet person who seeks no attention, the person who is just there being who he is without the need to show off or take the spotlight.  What speaks of his character, his personality, his wants, his desires, his beliefs, his needs to be known.  Are they nonexistent?  Or is he at peace with himself as he is without the need for attention?

Where do we want to be in this world?  The beauty of the answer to that question is, we are already there.  Christ has promised us a new life.  He has opened the doors for us.  All we have to do is walk in and accept him as our savior.  We do not have to fight or struggle to gain his attention.  We don't have to put down or trample others to get to him, because he has a place for all who will accept him, all who will love him.  We can be at peace in this world because he has already given it to us and more.  He has given us more than our hearts can desire if we simply ask to be with him.

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: 46a; No One?

Our paragraph topic is: (The son of David) Part 6. 

They heard the question put to them by Christ.  The Pharisees came together to ask Christ a question but instead since they were all gathered together he had the perfect opportunity to test them.  So he asked them a question.  Whose son was the Christ?  To whom did he belong?  Was he the son of David?

That is what they thought and believed.  That is what they knew from their studies.  But they did not go further in their studies to understand the knowledge that David knew, in the spirit, when he was present with his Lord speaking to the Lord of Lords.  David knew the outcome.  He knew that the Christ would come from his lineage.  He also knew that the Christ came before him and was his Lord and savior, even though he sprang from the flesh of his flesh.  And no one could answer him a word.   

No one wanted to have the last word.  No one wanted to be in the right.  No one wanted to show his knowledge of the word but failed when he came against the Lord of Lords.  The battle had gone on long enough.  No one had come many times to question Christ.  He had conspired with the Pharisees to trick him on many occasions.  But now Christ had them all together that he could speak to No One and end the constant attempts at questioning him.  He spoke to the Pharisees in a language that they could understand and he spoke to No One in a language that it could understand so that the battle would end.  And No One could answer him not a word.

We speak in words that have meaning beyond meaning.  They go deeper than just the surface of our speech.  And with the deeper meaning comes understanding of a different nature.  Some understanding is good some not so good.  We are mindful that the spoken word comes not, most times, without harmful intent.  Yet in other occasions the deeper meaning is quite obvious as being harmful and malicious.  How we respond determines our inner being?  Are we a loving person?  Are we an understanding person?  Are we a vengeful person who wants to retaliate in kind?  

Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  His passion transcends the trivial darts and arrows that we might suffer from each other.  It allows us to become transparent; it allows such harm to pass through us as we focus on the love of the one who gave us life and the forgiveness of the one whom we shot our arrow of sin against.  Our God is full of mercy.  He is a God of love for all his creations.  I am.  I did not exist but now I am.   I will be thanks to the love of Jesus Christ.  Will you be?  

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: 38; The First Commandment.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 5.  

They put him to the test thinking that he would fail.  One of the Doctor's of the Law asked him the question that they believed he would not know having not studied under their direction.  But they were wrong in their assumption, for he knew the great commandment of the law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind."

And he recited it to them as though he lived it.  But he added more to that statement to let them know that he also was knowledgeable of the Law.  He said:  "This is the greatest and the first commandment."

You see they only knew about the great commandment as being the foundation of the Law.  They did not know that there was another commandment that was also a foundation principle of the Law.  They were the scholars.  They were the ones who studied the Law.  They read it, discussed it, practiced it, applied to their lives and the lives of the people on a daily basis.  So they believed that they knew it like the back of their hand.  Yet here comes a commoner like Christ who knew more about the Law than they did.  How was that possible?

And this was the way of God working according to the promise that was made to the forefathers of those who believed in him.  The prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah and the redemption of the people from sin.  They foretold of his sacrifice, the resurrection, and his ascension into heaven.  All this written down for those future generations to read and believe.  

It is there for those who want to know, for those who seek to find, for those who are tired of what the world has offered.  You see, once your eyes are opened and you are healed, you know the truth of what happened.  So, the struggle becomes keeping your eyes opened, keeping the truth in front of you, and following the path given you by your spirit.  For the Spirit will lead you and guide you every day.  The Spirit will protect you and provide for you.  Your life will be filled with joy and peace because now you have a path, a sense of direction, a purpose and a goal in life that leads to fulfillment.  We are his children and he is our Father.  He will care for 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 22, verses: 36; The Great Commandment.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 3.

Time and time again they came to question his knowledge of the Law.  They could not believe that he had a complete grasp of the Law.  They did not know him.  Their colleagues did not know him.  No one had studied with him.  So how was it that he knew the Law?  How is it that he knew the Torah, the ins and outs, the intricacies of what had taken others years of study to comprehend.  They had to test him.  They had to prove him a fake, a charlatan.

Yet he came to teach the people in simple ways the love of God.  He came to walk and talk to them.  He came to show compassion and mercy to those who were in pain and sorrow.  He came to give relief to the lost and to open the minds and hearts of all who would hear him and believe in his message that the kingdom of heaven was at hand.   But they questioned him saying: "Master, which is the great commandment in the Law? "

What is the great commandment in the Law?  Is it thou shalt not steal?  Is it thou shalt not kill?  Is it thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife?  Or is it thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and all thy mind and all thy soul?  There shall be no other greater love before you.  Is this true today?  Do we love the Lord more than we love anything else?

To love something we have to know something about that which we love.  Do we know the Lord enough that we can love him?  Or do we love something else more because we know more about that thing which we love?  We love money.  We love what money can buy.  We love what money can bring.  We love what money can do for us.  We love all the things that having lots of money will bring us.  We lust for money.  We dream for money.  Our eyes glaze over when we think of winning millions of money in a lottery.  Yet do we think of winning love of God the same way?

We see with our eyes not.  We hear with our ears not.  We know with our mind not.  We are our hearts.  The heart knows the emptiness.  The heart knows true love.  The heart knows what it needs to fulfill its desires.  Do not be fooled by what you see and hear in the world.  The world is dying.  God is life and through his love we are renewed.  Christ Jesus came to renew life to those who would receive his message.  Now is the time.  Now is the place.  Now is the reason to open your heart and know the truth of who you are in his love.  The heart knows.

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: 34; The Pharisees gather.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 1.  

They, the Sadducees, could not silence him.  They tried several times and did not succeed.  They were silenced in front of the crowds and the crowds marveled at the wisdom of Christ.  The people were not educated.  They received their wisdom from those who came from the temple and the synagogue.  They were not learned.  They were not learned in the Law or the Torah.  They were simple farmers who worked the land for a living.  So they received all their knowledge from those who were trained and educated from the temple.

Christ was not trained in the temple.  He was not taught by the those educated by the masters of the Law and the Torah.  Yet he came and taught the people about the love of God and the ways of God.  He brought miracles and healed many.  The people had not seen such or heard such before.  Such a man of God or prophet had not existed.  Yet here was Christ in their mist and they listened, and they heard, and they saw, and they believed.  The Sadducees were silenced.  But the Pharisees, hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered together. 

Now they knew that he was a threat to them.  They knew that he had to be silenced once and for all.  Christ had come and tore through the half of legal body of the law and made a mockery of it, so now it was time for the other half to come together and create a serious plan to stop him.  They did not consider that he was the Messiah.  They did not stop to think that he was the Son of Man come down from heaven to walk among the people to teach and preach.  They only knew that their authority was challenged.  I wonder if it will be the same in our time.

There are those who know and those who do not.  There are those who want to know and those who do not want to know.  And then there are those who walk the line not knowing and those who question the line asking themselves if this is all there is to life.  These are the ones who seek to find more, the ones who want to know more, the ones who are ready to have their eyes opened or who are opened to the suggestion of deception, and death.

Those who know walk in two worlds.  They straddle the worlds of life and death.  The church gives life and the world gives death.  Yet we must find a way to live in both.  Christ dealt with the death of the world he lived in, we struggle with the same.  We are given his commandments to live by the best we can yet, we live in a world that disregards those commandments.  The Holy Spirit is our guide to lead us along the path of life helping us to avoid the pitfalls that may lead to our downfall.  And the church is our sanctuary in times of struggle and need.  Ultimately prayer to God our Father is our call in times of need and patience and belief in his answer is our assurance in his love for us.  We are his children and he is our beloved father.  Call on him.   

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, verse: 17b; Is it lawful.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Tribute to Caesar) Part 5.  

And there it was the question of the season.  The question that they knew would cause Christ to stumble, the question that would cause him to hesitate because he was a man of God and did not care for the person of man.  Yet Caesar was the emperor and they knew that all had to bow to Caesar and pay tribute.  So they waited with glee to hear what would be the response of this man of God who called himself the Christ.

Yet still with all their learned knowledge and their wisdom, they did not understand the words that they had studied, the words that they had heard, the words that came forth from the mouth of Christ.  They were blind and deaf and without understanding of the knowledge that comes from the children of God so they asked the question:  "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?"  

How he must have felt for them at that moment that they asked him this question.  What volumes it must have told him about the persons that were before him at that moment and what they wanted from him.  How shallow they must have seemed as he gazed upon them and through them to see the emptiness within, that they did not or could not comprehend the nature of the question that they asked of him.

He was the Christ, the Son of God, who came down from heaven to walk and talk among the children of God.  He came to experience first hand the nature of who we are and the life we live.  He wanted to be an example to us, to show us how life should be and is in heaven without hatred and lust, and murder and slander, false witness, and all the other sins that have came from the fall of man and the triumph of evil on earth.

Yet there were those who were under the influence of evil and wanted to continue the reign and dominance of evil for all eternity.  But Christ came to bring an end to death, an end to the dominance of evil.  He came to be a light in the darkness, a door open to those who sought a new life, a life without the influence of evil.  Oh what a glorious day it must have been to walk in the presence of the Lord, to experience his light, his mercy, his love, his peace.  Heaven awaits those who have not seen but still believe.  For the soul hungers for the presence of the Lord and nothing can satisfy that hunger except his 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 21, verse:25b; The Argument.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The authority of Jesus) Part 5.  

There was the Question: "Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven or from men?"  Jesus posed this question to the chief priest and the elders to test their honesty and sincerity in seeking the truth.  Did they really want to know of his authority or were they asking him for proof of his authority to set another trap for him? 

They came with a plan to questioned him.  They were angry and jealous of his attraction to the people.  They did not know him or from whence he came.  He taught in the temple but his teachings were different from theirs.  His teachings were commonplace and reached the hearts and minds of the people.  And this was something that the leaders did not like.  They were afraid that he would sway the people against them.  So,  (They) began to argue among themselves. 

They had prepared their question and knew what they would do with his answer.  They did not know that he would pose a question to them.  So they had to step back and prepare an answer for him.  They had to consider all the possibilities of their answer.  They had to respond in a way that they knew would not be controversial or that would cause themselves harm in the eyes of the people.  So they argued among themselves.

They were like children who had done something wrong and were preparing their story of what happened.  They did not want to cast doubt upon themselves.  They did not want to be seen as culprits.  So they had to get their story strait.  Guilt or innocent.  Right or wrong.  Acceptance or blame.  Punishment or forgiveness.  These were the emotions that they dealt with, the same emotions that we deal with today.

We do not want to be wrong, we want to be right.  Our fear of punishment persuade us to try and escape, attempt to place blame on someone or something else.  We learn this from childhood and the more it is practiced the more we rely on it to find solutions to wrongs that we commit in life.  And our conscience influence aids us in finding ways to explain or to get out of the punishment that awaits us.

Is there remorse?  Is there shame?  Is there a true feeling of regret for what we have done?  Only the heart knows and our God knows our hearts.  He sees within our deepest thoughts and feelings.  He knows the truth of who we are.  He is our judge and jury.  He is the one who will issue punishment.  And he is the one who can dispense mercy.  He is the one who can forgive.  He is the one who knows who we are and knows our weaknesses.  Yet it is up to us to ask for his mercy, to ask for his forgiveness, to seek his love.

Deep within is the spirit of his creation, the object of his love.  We are his children and he is our Father.  He gave us life and it is that life that he sees as loving and caring and wonderful.  But we live in a world where that life can be tainted, dulled, corrupted, and killed, if it is not protected and nourished.  We are loved.  We are cared for.  We are provided for, if we only allow ourselves to be.  The choice is ours.  The peace is ours.  The rewards are ours, waiting to be accepted.  Open the door and let him in.  Open the door and receive the nourishment of life.

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:25a; The Dilemma of the Question.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The authority of Jesus) Part 4. 

Shocked by his response, the chief priest and elders were in turn asked to answer a question before their question was answered.  They wanted to know the origin of Christ.  They wanted to know where he was taught, who taught him, what school he attended, where did he obtain such knowledge.

They were angry and indignant at him and his teachings.  He captivated the people.  The people were drawn to him, listened intently, more than they had listened to the priests and the elders.  More than that his words stayed with them long after they were spoken and were pasted on to others.  They Word spread.  So the dilemma to the question:  "Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven, or from men?" 

Most of the common people knew and believed that John the Baptist was anointed, a prophet.  He inspired the people from near and far to come and repent of their sins.  He was the one written of in the Bible as the messenger who came before the coming of the Messiah.  Yet here were the chief priests and the elders, learned men, who knew and studied the Law and the books of the Bible, faced with the question of the origin of John the Baptist.  How could they answer?  How could they speak of this prophet?  How should they respond?

We are faced with a similar question today:  Is Christ the Son of God or is he just the son of Mary and Joseph?  The question goes to the core of what we believe today, or values, our hopes, our dreams, our life, and our being.  If he is the Son of God and the writings of the Bible are true then we can have faith and hope in what was written.  If he was the son of Mary and Joseph, just a man, then those writings are fiction and not believable.

Where lies the truth?  From what realm do we operate our lives?  How do we fit what we know and what we believe in the world we live in?  Is it a mystery, something that we cannot fathom and must store in our minds as a mystery, not to be questioned, only to be accepted?  There is the world around us that we accept with truth and fact, facts that we see everyday.  Then there is belief, a leap beyond facts and what we can see and feel daily.  And it is that leap that allows us to go beyond the everyday, the mundane, the mysterious. 

Some have that ability to leap.  Some do not.  Some only rely on facts that they can see and feel and know within themselves.  But those who have that ability can do more than see and feel.  They can understand the life within.  They can see the truth of what was sacrificed and what was given.  For we are two in one.  We are spiritual in the physical.  We are eternal and perishable.  We are children of the one who created us in his image and likeness.  And it is that image and likeness that Christ came to restore to those who can make the leap, to those who can believe, to those who know the truth of his passion and the love of God our Father.  It is real.  It is truth.  It is eternal.  It is here and now waiting for those to take the leap of faith and 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 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:24; The Question.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The authority of Jesus) Part 3. 

The chief priest and the elders came to Jesus with the question.  They wanted to know from where he obtained his authority to preach.  They wanted to know where he trained, who taught him, and how he came to do such miracles, since they did not know of him or from whence he came.  So they came with the question of his authority.

They were incensed that he taught the people without their permission.  He taught in the temple where they taught and the people listened to him rather than their teachings.  The people were leaning away from the teachings of the Law and leaning towards the teachings of Christ.  And the chief priest and elders witnessed the change that was taking place and they did not like it.  So they came and confronted him directly and asked the question.  Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you answer me this, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do these things." 

And so it became a standoff.  The chief priest and the elders wanting to know the answer and Christ having a question for them, wanting to know how they would respond.  Would they come to an agreement or would they have a standoff each taking a different side? 

The Mexican standoff was at play here.  Good verses evil, left verses right, your side verses mine.  Were do we go from here or do we continue to stay divided?  This sounds like a position that we face everyday in our lives.  Where do we stand?  And that question is put to us so often that the answer comes automatic because of our programing.  We have a choice but which do we take.

Do we go right or do we go left?  Are we naturally inclined to the right but the persuasion and influence of the left draws us in.  We fight.  We struggle.  But it is only with the help of something stronger than ourselves that we are able to stay the course.  Where do we find the strength?  Where do we find the courage, the enlightenment, the belief, the faith and the hope to continue each day.  

We are spiritual beings encased in a physical body.  We live in the physical but we belong to the spiritual.  Our physical existence is given to us without our asking.  Yet our spiritual being requires feeding, requires nourishment, takes exercise and practice for it to grow and develop into the life of its own.  It is there but we need to recognize it and feed it.  And we have a source that will lead and guide us along the way.  But the need and desire to grow is up to us.  It is our decision where to stand, to the right or to the left.  Where do we want to be?  Do we want to be with the authority of the universe or do we want to be with physical realm of death?  The answer is ours only.  No one can make it for us but many can influence.  Will you answer my question or will I answer 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.