St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 14b; Witness.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 12. 

And so the story is told for all to hear.  Christ predicts the future and what will happen in the end of times.  He told his disciples and those in the crowd of people who would listen, those who heard and believed.  And they told their friends and their friends told their friends and so on.  And the word spread that Christ predicted the end of times and the people were afraid.  The leaders were in an uproar because they could not have the people in such a panic.  They wanted sheep, not panicked lambs running all over the place spreading rumors about the coming doom of the end of times.

But it was Christ who foretold it.  It was the Messiah who gave the word to the people.  It was the Son of Man that came down from heaven who performed many miracles who told the disciples and the people of the trials and tribulations to come before the end of times.  The disciples feared but they knew his words were true.  Some believed in him.  Some were skeptical.  Others only partly believed.  And then there were those who just had no faith or belief in him at all.  But he said to all who could hear his words that this gospel shall be preached to the whole world:  "For a witness to all nations."

Indeed, today we have it written in stone for all to see and know when the time will come.  The gospel of the kingdom is a witness to the truth of his telling of what is to come that when it happens all will know.  All will see the prediction that was made two thousand years ago of the coming of the end.  Step by step it was told what would happen.  Step by step it was written the words that all could see and compare the truth of what would happen.  Step by step it will be known upon the conscience of mankind the truth of his words as a witness of what was said.

And it is further written in later books the detail of how this will happen.  It is further written the witness of the tribulations and woes that are to come.  It is further written in books predicted by Christ to mankind the wrath of God that will come upon those who have practiced evil and injustice against his children.  All will want to know.  All will want to see.  The whole world will come back to these words of the gospel of the kingdom in search of the truth of what is to come.  And they will know the truth of it all. 

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:15; Praise and Indignance.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Anger of the Jewish leaders) Part 2. 

He cleansed the temple of the money changers and the buying and selling.  He brought prayer and worship back to the temple.  Christ taught the poor and downtrodden in the temple and he cured all that were brought to him.  He was kind.  He was compassionate.  He was loving to all.  He was the Messiah.

He knew what his actions would bring.  He knew that the scribes and the chief priest would not like that he was swaying the people.  He knew that they would fear that someone else was taking control of the people away from them.  Yet his actions brought praise even down to the children.  But the chief priests and the Scribes, seeing the wonderful deeds that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David," were indignant. 

He came into Jerusalem with praise from the people that caused an uproar to all who did not know him.  He went to the temple and caused an uproar with the money changers and the buying and selling in that place of worship.  He taught the people of a new way, a way of faith, a way of peace, a way of love.  He taught them of the Father and the Father's love for all.  For he came to bring about a change.  He came to renew.  He came that all would know the truth of who he was and that the Father in heaven would forgive all of sin.  He came, to be the perfect sacrifice.

We live today with the knowledge and the words that he left for us.  We live today in the belief that there is more to this life than just what we have today.  We live in this world today with the hope that if we follow his life we will be saved for all eternity.  We live today because he gave to us a church, a temple, a place to worship, a place to belong, a membership in his body in the family of God. 

We are blessed, those who know the truth of who we are in the spirit.  Those of this world do not have the same truths.  Their truth is death.  Christ came and gave us a new life.  He came and gave us a new beginning.  He came and paid for our sins that we would no longer live under the cloud of death.  We are new beings in him.  We are spiritual in him.  We are eternal in him.  We are loved and protected in him.  The world does not know.  The world does not believe.  The world wants to take away that knowledge and change us into the living dead.  The world hates those who know and believe because the world is indignant.

Praise be to the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end.  Amen.

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.