St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verse:21b; The Knowledge of Faith.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Power of faith) Part 3. 

So this was their instruction, this was their lesson to master, "Have faith and do not waver."  Christ gave them this lesson and he demonstrated the power of faith by commanding the fig tree to wither.  They heard his words.  They saw the results.  And they could not understand how this happened.

Christ told them to believe and to not waver in that belief.  He told them to have faith and know that what they say will happen.  He told them that there is power in their faith, in their belief, in their trust in something that is much more than the physical understanding.  He told them:  "But even if you shall say to this mountain, 'Arise, and hurl thyself into the sea,' it shall be done."  

We believe in what we see or what we know can happen.  And therefore, we understand that something can be done.  We find difficult to believe something that we do not see or do not understand, especially if it is beyond our imagination.  Christ told his disciples that if they spoke to the mountain and said to it to, hurl itself into the sea, it would be done if they did not waver in that belief.

But how can we not waver in something that is beyond our belief?  How can we not waver in something that we do not have an understanding of how that would be possible?  How can we not waver if we believe that that something is impossible to our physical knowledge of what can be done in the world?  This is the dilemma.  In the physical realm and in the realm of the physical thought processes of the mind, what we believe is impossible, cannot be done.

Yet in the spiritual realm of belief and understanding, Christ is telling us and the disciples that faith is the key to opening up the impossible realm of belief and knowledge in the unwavering impossibility and will make it happen.  There is another side to who we are.  There is another part of what we can do in this realm.  There is the power given us through the power of Christ that we can stand upon in our daily lives.  His words are truth.  His words are everlasting.  His words will be fulfilled, in our belief, in our knowledge, in our trust, and our unwavering knowledge of who he is, Christ Jesus, our King and our Savior, the Son of the Living 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 16, verse: 4b, The Test: The sign of Jonas.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The Pharisees and Sadducees ask a sign)
Part 3.     

The Pharisees and the Sadducees came to Jesus with in their plots and plans.  They asked him to give a sign that they would know and believe was from heaven.  They wanted to test him.  They wanted to have him perform a miracle for them even though they knew that he was the Messiah.  The evil within them knew that he was the Christ yet the evil urged their evil doers to ask for a sign to test him.  

Evil was all around. Evil sought to trap.  Evil sought to ensnare.  Evil sought to find a way to discredit what was truth.  So they plotted and planned with their evil doers on ways to carry out their plans.  One worked in the spiritual realm and one worked in the physical realm.  And yet the physical realm did not perceive that which was in the spiritual realm.  The physical body did not or would not accept that there was a spiritual realm of evil that suggested the things to do in the physical realm.  They were blinded.  They could not see.  They did not want to see for their physical passions kept them from seeing, kept them from believing, kept them from know the truth that was before them.

So Christ gave the physical as an example.  He gave them knowledge that they could relate to in the physical realm.  He demonstrated to them the knowledge that they had about interpretation.  They could interpret the morning sky.  They could interpret the evening sky and know what was coming before them.  So why did they not want to see the interpretation of what was before them so that they would know the truth.  They did not want to let go of the physical and accept the spiritual that was before them.  So instead of reaching understanding for themselves and having their eyes opened to the evil that was within them, they accepted the plot of evil and continued to live in the darkness.

They came to Christ and asked for a sign.  And Christ told them:   An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, and no sign shall be given it but the sign of Jonas."  And he left them and went away.

Are we like the Pharisees and the Sadducees?  Do we request a sign?  Do we demand a miracle so that we can say that we believe?  Do we counsel with evil that evil may reside within us?  For a sign will not be given except for the sign of Jonas.   Christ spoke to the Pharisees and the Sadducees to let them know that he knew of their evil.  Even more so, he spoke to the evil within them to let evil know that he was coming.  He told them that he would be with them for three days.  He told them that he would come to bring about a change.  He would reside in the belly of hell to release the souls that were trapped there.  He would come to the belly of hell to right what was wrong and to seal those who walked the earth and possessed men to do evil for them. 

Shudder in your spirits for Christ would come and exact judgement upon the evil in hell for three days.  He would come and release all the souls that lived in purgatory that had waited patiently until his coming.  He would come to hell and give life to those souls that lived by the laws of God and bring punishment to the evil that roamed the earth.  So, he gave the Pharisees and the Sadducees the opportunity to read the signs of the times.  He gave them the opportunity to awaken from their sleep with evil.  He gave them the spark that would ignite their minds and open their hearts that they may be healed.  But they refused to believe.  They refused to see.  They refused to know.  They only wanted to sleep in the bed of darkness.  They only wanted to remain in the web of evil that walked the earth and tempted them to do evil.

Where are we today?  Are we asleep with evil?  Are we not reading the signs of the times and awakening from the blindness of evil?  Many will go down the wide road of destruction.  Many will heed the call of sin.  Many will succumb to the passions of lust and open their hearts to the evil that comes from within.  And yet we refuse to understand truth for its simplicity and its beauty.  God loves us.  God created us in his image.  God wants each and every one of us to live with him in heaven.  But we continue to allow ourselves to follow the world down the path of destruction and death.  WAKE UP!  See the signs!  Open your hearts to the love of Christ who died that you would have life again.  Believe!  And be saved from darkness that awaits you.  Death is a thief and will come when least expected.  Be prepared daily, hourly, that you may not be caught unaware.  A trail of crumbs have been left for you to follow.  Come!  Christ awaits you and the Holy Spirit will guide you on this journey of life.

Read the signs 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, verse: 28a, Heavenly Protection not Fear.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Confidence in divine protection) Part 4.  

As Christ speaks to his disciples about the things of the spiritual realm that they are to repeat in the light, they become afraid.  He has spoken to them on several occasions about fear, telling them that they should not be afraid.  They should not have fear or allow fear to enter into their hearts.  For that fear opens the door for the evil one to enter in and to destroy their defenses.  Instead, he has told them to keep their minds and hearts focused on his words and the words of the father.  They are to remain calm in their thoughts and hearts so that the Spirit of the Father can come in and destroy the plans of the evil one.

Now Christ gives his disciples another warning as to who they should and should not fear.  He tells them,  "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul."   Christ wants his disciples to know the truth of their nature.  The disciples have a body and a soul.  One is distinct from the other even though they exist together as one  being.  The evil that men do when possessed of the evil demons would destroy the body.  They cannot destroy the soul.  As we look back on history one can see how the prophets were persecuted and killed because they obeyed the will of God and not the will of man.  Satan would destroy the body of those he cannot reach.  But he would prefer to destroy the body and the soul in hell. 

Christ tells his disciples not to fear those who would destroy the body.  Do not let fear of the loss of physical life of the flesh take hold of you.  This is nothing to fear.  For those who would destroy the body can do nothing else.  They cannot destroy the soul of a person and therein is the difference.  For those who belong to Christ will leave the physical realm and go to be with him in the spiritual realm.  They will live in heaven with their heavenly father.  So Christ provides to his disciples an explanation of the battle that lies before them.  This is a battle for the minds and hearts and souls of men.  This is the harvest of the ones who are the fruit of the spirit that belong to Christ and not to Satan.  The devil wants to take as much fruit as he can from the harvest.  But Christ and his disciples are there to collect the good fruit that belongs to the father.  The rest will be harvested and thrown into the lake of fire.

Often times death comes like a thief in the night and brings pain and suffering to those who are not prepared for the transition.  Loved ones grieve for their lost friends, spouses, children.  And yet the transition is one of joy and peace and happiness for those who are prepared.  Christ told his disciples in this passage not to be afraid of the destruction of the body because that destruction can not kill the soul.  Instead death is but a transformation.  So be not afraid of anyone or thing that can kill the body.  For happy are they who are prepared. 

When we live in the world and are fully present in the world, death comes as a shock.  The world has led us to believe that we are to live a full life and die at an old age of 80 to 100 years old.  So we do not prepare for that circumstance.  We prepare to live in the world.  We prepare to enjoy the riches of this life.  We prepare for the passion and lust and selfishness of this world without any forethought of the afterlife.  And yet it comes. 

It comes when one is not prepared.  It comes sometimes in unexpected ways.  It comes in illnesses.  It comes in disease.  It comes in accidents.  It comes by design.  It comes through the actions of those possessed by the suggestions of demons who kill without any forethought or remorse.  And sometimes it comes through a move of God who allows nature to take its course.  Yet we are not prepared and find death unexpected. 

The medical miracles of our modern times imply to us that we will live forever.  With time we will be able to cure diseases.  With time we will be able to repair broken limbs and hearts and replace organs.  With time man may be able to live eternally.  Yet death comes and man can not stop its progress.  Christ has given his disciples spiritual principals by which to do battle.  He has told them not to be afraid of one who can kill the body and not the soul.  Will you believe in Christ and prepare yourself for the coming of death?  Are you afraid of those who would kill the body?  Christ tells us not to!!!

St Matthew, Chapter 10, verse: 21, The Enemy and his Tricks.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Opposition foretold) Part 8.  

In the previous parts of this paragraph Christ has given his disciples tools of war, weapons to fight the evil spirits that they will encounter and do battle with.  He has trained them for the spiritual realm in which they will fight.  This battle is not in the physical realm but the spiritual realm, even though the results of the battle can have physical consequences.  This is what Christ now shows his disciples.  He tells them that there will be physical consequences to this battle.  There will be separation.  There will be division.  There will be blood shed by the people.  The demons will not go easily.  They will cause their own evil disciples to bring about destruction and death and bloodshed upon the believers.

Christ gives his disciples a glimpse into the future, showing them the results of their teachings.  He tells them,  "Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and put them to death."   All this will happen because of the spread of the message of the kingdom of heaven.  The demons will cause believers to fight against unbelievers and this will bring about destruction.  Brothers who grew up together and loved one another will turn and become enemies.  One will give up the other to death because of the evil that is in man's hearts.  Fathers will sacrifice their children to death because the children will not change from their belief in the message of Christ.  Children will rise up against their parents because they think that their parents do not embrace the old teachings of the kingdom.  Destruction will reign and this is the will of the evil one.  They will not be able to change the beliefs of those who hold to the beliefs of Christ so they will persecute, and torture, and beat, and kill the bodies of those who believe.  And Christ will accept them into his kingdom as saints.

Today in our society and in societies all over the world believers in the one true God face the same persecution.  They are tortured, slain, and put to death for their beliefs because the devil has taken control of those areas of the world and invaded the hearts of men.  In this society, in America and more civilized countries, we still have the same persecution but not quite as severe.  Fathers deny their children and cast them out because of their beliefs.  Children give up their parents when they enter into the world because of the teachings that their parents instilled in them .  They are indoctrinated and blinded by the dazzle of the world and give up their spiritual values handed down by their parents.  Brothers separate and build walls between themselves because of their religious beliefs.  The principles of love and family die and the evil one cuts the ties that bind them together and places a wall of separation between them.  We still face the same enemy today, only hidden from us in the cloak of industrialization, glitz and glamour.

Love conquers all and the love of Christ  will open doors to fight the enemy.  The lessons that Christ  has given his disciples must be applied today.  Do not be surprised if you are separated from your family for following the message of Christ .  Do not be surprised if you are persecuted, ostracized at work, unpopular with friends, left out, denied opportunities, talked about, and looked down upon.  All these are the tactics of the devil to sway you into his plan.  Keep the faith.  Hold the course.  Rely on the Lord for your strength.  He will provide.  He will see you through.  You will not be alone because there will be others to share your burdens and walk with you along the path of life given  you by Christ .  Keep the message of the kingdom of heaven and remember the words of Christ , "Do not be anxious!"   Keep your hearts calm and free from anxiety, for the Spirit of the Father will come to you and will speak through you.  Are you ready for the coming separation, brother against brother, father against child, children against parents?  Prepare yourself.