St. Matthew, Chapter 18, verse: 13, The Lost Sheep: Rejoicing over the one.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The lost sheep) Part 4.  

The Son of Man came.  He came to reclaim what was lost.  He came to save.  He came to take back the little ones.  For they are the lost sheep, scattered by the evil one.  They are the ones without a shepherd.  They are the loved ones of the Father.  Even though he had many, he came to reclaim the one.  Even though he loved all, he came to find the lost.  Even though he is all powerful, he has mercy.  Even though he passed judgment, he is forgiving.  Even though he issues wrath on those who trespass, he is compassionate.  For Christ came to carry out his father's will, to bring back the lost, to save the little ones.

There will be rejoicing.  There will be happiness.  There will be sorrow.  There will be sadness for each little one that is lost.  But there will be rejoicing at each little one that is saved.  The choice was given to each.  The decision is ours to make.  But the influence leads us in a direction that we do not know.  The turn of the head, the blink of the eye, the sound of the music can lead astray, away from the flock and into lost territory.  But Christ came to save.  Christ came to restore.  Christ came to take back what was lost.  He came to pay the price that we may have life.  And there will be rejoicing for each that returns to the flock, for each that returns to the Father.  "And if he happen to find it, amen I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray." 

And if he happens to find it, the lost one, he rejoices.  Christ tells this parable to demonstrate to his disciples and to us the depth of love that the Father has for his little ones.  For they were created from his heart.  They were created from his love.  They were brought forth from nothing into life that his love and his passion may be shared.  We have a God and Father that loves us deeply.  We have a God and Father that protects us totally.  We have a God and Father that provides for us completely.  The question is will we let him.  Will we seek him?  Will we open our hearts to him?  Will we allow our minds to comprehend that which is incomprehensible to the mind but lies hidden in the heart?

We have all the documentation in history.  We have the facts laid before us.  We have the institutions that help us to understand.  We have the grace of Christ, the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to provide for us, if we believe, if we seek, if we desire to know, if we love, if.  And it is that if that deters us.  It is that if that delays us.  It is that if that causes us to pause.  It is that if that turns us away.  For that if, is what is used against us in the world. 

Can we not believe?  Can we not see with the eye that was given us, the key to the soul?  Can we not understand that which is within us, within our nature, within our being, within our soul?  If we are told otherwise, we can not.  If we are fed lies, we can not.  If we are deceived, we will not believe.  For deception is the tool of evil.  Deception is the blindfold that allows us to continue to sleep, to turn away, to follow the path of destruction.  But Christ came to save.  Christ came to take back.  Christ came to give new life.  Will you accept it?  Will you believe in it?  Will you be open to it?  Or will you be deceived?  Come!  Follow the path before you.  Seek the truth that is within you that you will know the truth of who you are in Christ.  Believe and you will see.  For he told us how to find the truth that is within us.  He gave us a path to follow.  Will you follow it?  Will you seek to know it?  Will you find you?  Christ awaits.  The Holy Spirit beckons.  The Father will rejoice at your coming.

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 17, verse: 13, The Vision: John the Baptist.

Our paragraph topic is:  (On the coming of Elias) Part 5. 

The disciples had questions that needed to be answered.  Jesus knew that they were puzzled.  He had told them to speak to no one about the vision.  Yet their minds were abuzz with all the questions that they needed to have answered in order to make sense of what they witnessed.  They had heard the voice of God speaking to them, telling them to hear Christ and to listen to him, to listen to what he had to say.  They listened and now they had questions.  And Christ spoke to them about the questions that they had.

They needed to make sense of all they understood.  The disciples needed closure.  They needed understanding.  They needed clarity.  They needed focus.  And Christ intended that they should have focus, to have clarity, on all things in due time.  For the time had not yet come for the sacrifice.  The time had not yet come for the lamb to be slaughtered.  And the time had not yet come for the disciples to take their place as the teachers and leaders of Christ, giving witness to his divinity.  Indeed Elias had come, and all things were being prepared for the coming of the Lord.  So, the disciples were right in seeking to know the truth.  They were right in seeking to know of the coming of Elias.  And with that truth, they understood.  Now they knew.  Now they could make sense of all that had transpired.    Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them of  John the Baptist.  

They understood.  They knew.  They had clarity of what had happened and what would happen.  Do we understand what has happened?  Do we understand what has transpired?  We all have to make sense of our world to ourselves.  We live in this world and it has to make sense to us in order for us to function in it.  There is much that goes on around us and we have to find some way to understand all that we experience.  If we do not understand then we do not accept and acceptance is the key to helping us as human beings survive in this world. 

It is amazing that in this world that we live in, our lives are dictated by our environment.  We see, we hear, we smell, we touch, and we believe what is given to us by the world, by our environment.  Different people live in different environments and sometimes those different environments cross, intersect and become one.  But it is the environment that determines who we are, who we become, and what we believe.  There are common threads that cross most environmental boundaries that are common to our experience of the world.  We believe in, a god, a higher power, a higher transcendence, something that is greater than ourselves that helps us to know that there is good in the world despite all the evil, and violence, and pain, and suffering in the world.  Our belief in a god helps us to believe that there is something good that prevails over all.

Despite our belief in the good in the world, we do not believe in the evil in the world.  We do not hold fast to the belief that evil affects, influences, causes, or has real impact on our way of life.  Instead we believe that people make decisions to do evil acts, commit violence, cause pain and suffering in the world.  Yet there is an overall good God or something, that helps us believe in the good nature of the world.  But we do not believe that there is an overall evil in the world that causes us to do evil.  And there in lies the subtlety of evil, not to be known but to still have influence. 

To those who know and are aware of the evil, they are awake.  But to those who do not know and are not aware, they are still asleep.  And when one awakes there is still the need for understanding, the need to make sense, the need to know for certain that there is good in the world.  Some believe without knowing.  Some live their lives thinking that they know and yet do not know.  And with that half belief they are open to falling asleep again.  For one must know for certain.  One must have a knowledge of the truth.  One must see through different eyes the world around us and the influence of evil in it to be truly awake. 

I was asleep.  I was lost.  I was dreaming a dream of my own desires led by the beliefs fed to me by the world and the evil therein.  I was unknowing and yet lived my life thinking that I knew.  And that half knowledge led me down the path of destruction and back to sleep again in the world.  Today I know.  Today I see.  Today I have something real to go to in times of need, in times of pain, in times of temptation, in times of joy, and in times of sorrow.  For he was given to me a guide.  He was given to me a protector.  He was given to me eyes to see the way.  And I walk a different path, very thankful that it has been given to me.  Come!  Walk the path with me.  Walk a different path that you may know the truth of who you are in Christ.  He awaits you.  He seeks you.  He desires to know you.  And the Holy Spirit will be with you, to guide you along the way.  Your treasure awaits.  Come! Follow the path.

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.