St Matthew, Chapter 15,verse: 35-37a, Jesus feeds four thousand: All were satisfied.

Our paragraph topic is:  ( Jesus feeds four thousand) Part 1.

They were all in a desert place where there was not much to eat.  And the people came to him in the desert.  They came from the villages, from the towns, from districts far away.  They came into this desert place because the word came to them and told them about the one they heard people talking about.  The word told them that they would be healed.  The word told them that they would see.  The word told them that they would walk.  The word was God and God was with the people.

And they came to him that they would be filled, that they would be healed, that they would know the truth of who he was.  And Christ had compassion on the crowd.  He felt their pain.  He felt their sorrow.  He felt their love.  He knew their confusion, their loss, their fears, their hopes, and their dreams.  And he wanted to feed them.  He wanted to fill them.  He wanted to love them.  He wanted to guide them through the tricks and traps that they would face in the world.  For they had been transformed by Christ and now they would face a new world with all of its temptations.  And Christ had compassion on the crowd.  But time had not been fulfilled and the sacrifice had not been given and the absolution was not complete.

So he fed the crowds.  He gave them physical food for their bodies.  He gave them fish and bread that they would not faint on their return to their villages and towns.   And he bade the crowd recline on the ground.   Then taking the seven loaves and the fishes, he gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd.  And they all ate and were satisfied.     

How do you see a miracle?  If you watch closely will you see it happening?  If it happens before your eyes will you know that it is?  How did the lame walk?  How did the blind see?  How did the deaf hear?  How did the loaves multiply?  Christ blessed the fish and the loaves and gave them to the disciples to give to the people.  And they eat and were satisfied.  But how did it happen?  We are spiritual beings living in a physical world.  Do we recognize who we are?  Do we know that we are spiritual beings in a physical shell?  Are we aware of our spiritual nature?

Christ told us in the New Testament how to see ourselves.  He told us how we should look.  He gave us the words that indicate how we are to know who we are.  Yet, we live in a physical world not knowing that we are spiritual beings.  We strive for physical things not knowing that they are not eternal.  And we are unaware of the spiritual things that are eternal, everlasting, God given.  And we ask God  to help us in this physical world not knowing who we are.  Christ wanted to feed the crowd because he had compassion.  He wanted to give to them eternal food that would sustain them in this world, but the time was not fulfilled, the sacrifice was not given, and the absolution not complete.

Today, the sacrifice has been given, the time has been fulfilled, and the absolution is complete.  We are reborn in his image that we may share in eternal life with Christ.  But how can we share in something that we do not know?  How can we share in something that is hidden from us unless we seek it, find it, and know it to be true.  The miracle awaits those who seek it.  The knowledge awaits those who search for it.  The treasure is buried for those who want to find it.  And when it is found one will sell all to own it.  For Christ has completed the miracle.  The food awaits us.  Come!  Recline and partake of the the spiritual food that will awaken the spiritual life in you. 

Come! Know the truth of who you are. 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 14, verse: 31, The Test of Heart: The Admonition from Christ.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Peter walks on the water) Part 4.  

The heart was elated.  The heart was filled with joy.  The heart was in Christ and Christ was in Peter.  For Peter walked on water.  There was no doubt in this fact.  It happened.  He experienced it within himself, within his heart, within his being, within his mind, within his soul.  And his heart was elated.  His heart was overjoyed.  But he allowed something to happen.  He allowed the world to come in.  He allowed the wind and the waves to change his heart.  He allowed what was happening around him to take the focus from his heart to his mind and the mind brought in the world.  How is this happening?  How am I walking on water?  How is the water supporting me that I can step as though I was on solid ground?  These and other questions came to mind and invaded the heart to push Christ out.  

The joy of the miracle was gone.  The elation of the heart was gone.  The light of the spirit left and in came doubt.  And with doubt the miracle faded and Peter began to sink in the water.  The more he allowed doubt to come the more he sank and with the sinking came fear.  He was loosing the power of the spirit.  He was experiencing the loss of faith in Christ.  For it was through Christ the the miracle began.  Christ said, "Come."  And Peter came.  Christ said walk on water and Peter walked on water.  Christ said behold all things are possible within me and the possibility of walking on water became true with Peter.  Yet just as the miracle happened, the miracle stopped happening when the heart stopped believing, the mind took over, and fear came in.   But seeing the wind was strong, he was afraid; and as he began to sink he cried out saying, "Lord, save me!"

It is hard to imagine something that we have not seen before.  It is difficult to believe in something that has not happened before.  For history has not recorded anything like man walking on water.  History has not given us any recollection of such happening that man can explain.  So we do not believe.  Our minds do not allow us to believe that such is possible.  And thus we maintain a sense of skepticism, a degree of doubt and disbelief.  If someone told us that we could be healed just by our belief in Christ, we would naturally doubt the assertion because there is little to no evidence of that fact.  It is not established in the world by facts that we can intelligently believe.  Yet it is this same doubt and disbelief that separates us from the opportunity to receive the healing powers of the spirit.   And Jesus at once stretched forth his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? "

The kingdom of God is within our midst, if we believe.  The kingdom of heaven is upon us, if we open our hearts to the power of the spirit.  Christ told Peter to come.  Christ tells us today that we can, we are, and we will.  Do you believe?  Do you know?  Can you seek?  Will you find?  Will it be opened to you to see the power of Almighty God?  Imagine what Peter felt walking on the water!  Imagine what you will feel receiving your miracle!  The world will hold on to you.  The world will resist allowing you to make your transformation.  The world will tell you that you are loosing reality, that we are not sane.  The world will do everything to keep you from believing, but belief in Christ and his healing power requires that you let go of reality. 

Belief in Christ and the things that are possible through him requires that you leave reality and the world behind.  Belief in Christ requires that you take on a new reality in Christ and the kingdom of heaven.  Only through this transformation will you be able to step into the kingdom and look back upon the world as another place.  Come, experience the miracle of rebirth!  You are not of the world.  You are of the kingdom of heaven, only in the world to do the bidding of Christ, only to be his witness to the things that are.  Your treasures are in heaven and not of this world.  Discover the treasure in you and you will know the joy and peace of who you are.  The world does not want you to know.  The world wants to steal your treasure.  The world wants you to sleep and be deceived about who you are in Christ.  Peter was in Christ and Christ was in Peter as he walked on the water.  Imagine what miracles you will experience when Christ is in you and you are in Christ.  Faith is the belief in the desire to be one in Christ.  How strong is your desire?   

St Matthew, Chapter 12, verse: 28, The Kingdom of God is at hand.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ refutes them) Part 3. 

So the Pharisees wanted to fight.  They wanted to cast doubt upon Christ.  They wanted to create suspicion upon his name.  Consulting with their partners, the devil, they came up with the thought that Christ was a partner with Beelzebub.  And they spoke it to him.  But Christ refuted them and schooled them on what they were doing.  He told them that a house divided will not stand.  He told them that if he was under the power of Satan then how is it that their children were able to cast out demons calling upon the same power that he did.  He told them that because their children believed in that same power, they would be the judges of the Pharisees at the day of judgment.

Christ was meek.  Christ was mild.  But the Pharisees wanted to battle so Christ brought them to the battle.  He spoke to them the words that ran ice chills down their backs.  He told them, "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."   This was a chilling thought.  The kingdom of God had come upon them.  They then had to understand what this meant.  They had to know that they then were fighting with God.  They then had to understand the consequences of their actions, the consequences of their words. 

The thought came and the next thought was that of the demons pulling them back into the pit of their reality, telling them that this could not be.  The demons had them to think that the Spirit of God was not upon this man and the kingdom was not upon them.  The demons told them that these were the ramblings of a possessed man and that they should find some way to get rid of him.  For the people did not see as they saw.  The people did not understand as they understood.  The people did not know as they knew.  So they continued to battle, blinded by the reality that stood before them, Christ Jesus, the Messiah.

Are you blinded by the reality of the world and unable to see the reality of the kingdom?  Are you in the world, unable to let go because of the fear spoken to you by the devil?  Christ wants you to let go.  Christ wants you to let God.  Christ wants to demonstrate to you the awesome power of his love for you.  But you can not experience it until you let go, until you let God direct your life.  When you express you release of the world and speak your dependence on God, the miracle begins.  Once the miracle begins your life will not be the same again. 

The demons will try to pull you back.  They will bring you doubt.  They will try to bring you fear.  They will try to turn you back.  But those who persevere will begin to see the change.  They will begin to know in little ways that God provides.  They will see the miracles taking place before their eyes and the kingdom of God will be upon them.  Patience is required.  Perfect patience is needed.  For a ocean liner is not turned around on a dime and your destiny will not be changed over night.  Walk the path with Christ and he will provide.  Seek the knowledge of the Holy Spirit and he will guide.  Know the words given by Christ and God will protect and provide.  God loves you!