St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 9c; For my name's sake.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 3.  

The Bible is but a short story of what happened some two thousand years ago.  We live our lives today and can imagine the multitude of things that can happen in a day's time.  But to think about all the things that were happening during the life of Christ in a day's time and to have all of that written down would be immense.  Yet there they were, the disciples, walking with the Lord our God, talking and being in his presence.  It must have been the joy of a lifetime.  We only hope for what we desire to have in our future.  They lived in his presence in the past.

One can only imagine the effect he had upon their lives, their being, their souls, during his stay here on earth.  To walk with him, talk with him, touch him, feel him, hear his voice, then to see the torture and sacrifice he made would have been unimaginable.  But even more unbelievable would be to see him again after death and to know that he was alive again, that death had no power over him.  What power and majesty that must have given those who were witnesses to his glory.  And he told them: "And you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake."

We think today of the honor and prestige of working and being in the presence of men and women of power such as presidents and kings, and ceo's, billionaires, etc.  We seek to be like them to attain traits that they have so that we might become like them.  There is but one God and one Lord of all and no other.  There are powers and dominions in heaven and angels and saints but only one God and one Lord of all.  

Christ came and walked among us.  He spent time with mankind.  He loved us so much that he gave up his kingship and became like us.  He took up physical form that he might be with us.  And the disciples and many others had the opportunity to be with him during his stay.  But that was not the end of the story.  

He came that we might all have the opportunity to be with him, to walk with him, talk with him, hear him, see him, feel him, know him.  He came and opened the door for each and everyone of us to have that chance to be with him as the disciples did, if we choose.  The choice is ours.  All we have to do is ask him to come into our lives and believe that he will.  God is our Father.  He gave us life.  He loves us and wants us to be with him.  Come!  The door is open.  Let us go home and be with our Father.

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: 37; The Great Commandment.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 4. 

The Pharisees came with their questions seeking to test the knowledge of Christ.  Others came before him and failed.  But the Pharisees were determined.   They gathered among themselves and came up with a question that they thought no one who had not studied the Law as they had would know the answer.  They believed that their great knowledge and wisdom of the Law came from the years of study with the masters.  No one knew or had heard of Christ studying with any of the Doctors of the Law.  So they came to question him with this one question that they believed he did not know and would not be able to answer.

They wanted to know what was the one great commandment in the Law.  One had to discern this commandment after years of study for it was not given outright.  So one Pharisee asked Christ and:  Jesus said to him,  "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind." 

This is the great commandment upon which all the Law is based and upon which we should practice.  But, one should ask how to practice this commandment?  How do you love the Lord with your whole heart, your whole soul and your whole mind when you only know physical love?  Our love is based upon that which we can see, taste, touch, smell, and feel.  Can we see the Lord, or taste, him?  Can we touch him or feel him?  How then are we to know how to love him?  

What is love?  Love is what moves us inside, what makes us feel good about ourselves and someone else.  Love is the thought of someone we picture, how they look, the little things about them that we like, how they smell, reminding us of them and bringing back fond memories of them.  Love is the emotions that we have of a person and how they make us feel.  Love is a touch, a whisper, a breath, a breeze, a flower, a blue sky, a rainbow, the smell of freshness in the air.  Love is all these things and more.  Love is awakening to a beautiful day and realizing that life is joy and life is happiness and life is full.  Love is the happiness in the understanding that we are children of God and he is our creator, and our provider and our protector.  Love is our whole being in 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.