Our paragraph topic is: (Their distorted religion) Part 13.
You see, it had come to this, gold and silver, precious metals, and jewels were more valuable in the eyes of the religious than the kingdom of heaven. They did not place much value on the temple and the sacred items in it. They did not value the altar but they placed value on the gold and silver placed on the altar. They did not place value upon the temple itself but on the gold that the temple was made of which is how their religious beliefs had become so distorted.
These were the leaders who taught the people what to believe! How wrong could they be? They despised Christ for telling them that their beliefs were distorted and that they had it all wrong. This is why he had to tell them also: "And he who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it."
They had no idea that they were swearing by God himself. They had no idea that they were telling their followers that their bond with God was nothing when they swore by the temple. They had no idea that they were encouraging the people to break their vows that they were making with God himself, thereby bringing forth the wrath upon themselves. The people only knew that they were following the rules and the laws that were handed down by their religious leaders.
They were sheep being led by their shepherds. And we prey today that God has given us a true shepherds to lead us along the right path to the kingdom of heaven. Of course the ultimate choice is up to us to follow. The ultimate decision is within ourselves if we want to believe what we hear each Sunday. And the choice is up to us if we want more than what we hear each week. If our hearts desire to know more about our heavenly Father, it is up to us to seek him out. If our hearts yearn to feel the truth of his love it is up to us to delve deeper into the knowledge that is available for us. All we have to do is knock on the door to have it opened to us.
And if we truly want to know him all we need do is get on our knees and ask him. We have to be patient to get his response. We have to listen quietly to hear his voice. We have to know that he speaks when he calls us in that soft voice that fills us with joy and happiness. We have to rejoice in his presence when he comes to us with the gifts that he gives us each and every day through the spirit of his heart. For he is a loving Father, and he is a devoted Savior, and they have an everlasting Guide that will be with you until your time to return home.
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.
Our paragraph topic is: (Parable of the vine-dressers) Part 2.
We continue this parable where Christ is telling the chief priest, the elders, and the scribes a story about a topic that they can relate to. He talks about a householder, a home owner, who remodels his home to accommodate a vineyard. The owner wants to have grapes that grow and pressed into a wine that he can enjoy. He is not able to oversee the entire process of the growth of the grapes and the pressing into wine, so he leases the vineyard out to workers who will be paid to manage it for him.
He goes on a long far away journey for business that keeps him away from his vineyard for some years while the grapes are growing and the wine is being pressed. Christ tells this story because he wants the rulers of the day to understand how it relates to them. They are the vine-dressers who were supposed to manage the vineyard for the householder. But when the fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his fruits. And the vine-dressers seized his servants, and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
Surely this was wrong on the part of the vine-dressers. They were hired to work the vineyard and to prepare the wine when the grapes were ripe. They were hired to watch over the vineyard and prepare the fruit for the householder's return. They were given the charge to provide and protect the householders property for which they were being paid. Why did they turn on the householder? Why did they beat and torture the householders servants? What motive could they have for doing such?
Did they consider themselves in charge? Did they consider themselves as owners? Did they desire to have the fruits of the vineyard for themselves, knowing that it belonged to another? What motive could have persuaded them to take such heinous actions? We turn around and see some of the same actions today? Crime is rampant in the streets. Burglaries, robberies, theft, break-ins, all sorts of actions that indicate the same behavior taken by the vine-dressers of the past are still here today.
Why do we have to steal? Why do we have to rob? Why do we have to take by force that which does not belong to us but to others? We see, we want, and we take, seems to be the motto, irrespective of who it belongs to. There is the thrill of it all. And the chase to get away from being caught becomes a thrill to be remembered and repeated until caught.
If we only knew who we are. If we only knew what is given to us. If we only believed that we are already rich beyond our wildest imagination then we would know that we do not have to steal or take that which does not belong to us. More than anything of value on this earth, Christ has given us life anew and this is the most precious gift anyone can give to us. The rest is dirt. All the diamonds and jewels, and money and fame cannot compare to the treasures stored in heaven for those who love the Lord. Nothing can satisfy the hunger, the want, the desire that burns within, except he who has given us life. And it is he who has prepared a place for us in his kingdom. Take not! Steal not! Rob not! Be not that one who believes that he has not when he has all. Christ awaits with open arms to provide for you. Christ awaits with open heart to forgive you. Christ awaits with open spirit to love you with a love that no earthly gift can fulfill. Open your heart, open your mind, take the leap of faith and he will come and be with you!
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.
Our paragraph topic is: (The danger of riches) Part 4.
The disciples heard the words of Christ and they were astonished. They were in disbelief. They could not understand what they had heard. Their minds immediately thought of fear and anxiety. And their hearts were filled with loss. For they assumed that all would have access to the kingdom of heaven especially those who had wealth and riches. But Christ wanted them to know the rules. He wanted them to understand that the spiritual kingdom was not the same as the physical world.
In the physical world those who have riches, those who have power, those who have influence are the privileged. They are the ones who can use their power to get what they want. But in the spiritual world there are rules, there are criteria by which one is judged before entering. And the criteria specify that one lives by certain requirements here on earth. The disciples did not understand the truth of the words that were spoken. They did not hear with their hearts the meaning of the message. And as a result they came to the conclusion and said, "Who then can be saved?"
If the rich man has difficulty entering the kingdom, what about the poor man. Will he be able to enter the kingdom? Will all those who do not have wealth, those who have means, be shut out of the kingdom? Who, will be saved, was the shocking question on their minds? And shocking was what Christ wanted to do. He wanted them to understand. For they did not see. They did not hear. They did not understand the truth of the kingdom of heaven. Wealth or power or influence does not of itself open the doors to the kingdom.
Christ wanted them to understand the difficulty that riches of itself could pose to hinder one from entering the kingdom. Riches are of the earth. Riches belong to the world. Earthly riches are of no value in the kingdom. Yet earthly riches are what we seek to have. Earthly wealth is what we all desire. Power and influence are the things that we wish to possess so that we might walk with those who are rich and famous. We desire to be seen in the news or on the magazine cover or at a celebrity event. We seek recognition.
But the criteria for the kingdom is not recognition. The criteria for the kingdom is not pride but humility. The criteria for the kingdom is not wealth but poverty of spirit. The criteria for the kingdom is not hatred but love, not anger but forgiveness, not lust but modesty, not greed but charity. Christ wanted his disciples to understand these principles just as he wants us to understand them today. He calls upon us to practice these principles in the here and now so that we will be prepared to enter into the kingdom. He has given us the blueprint on how to live our lives.
The decision is ours to make. God is our father. He knows our needs. He provides for us daily in every way, if we choose to see and believe. Those coincidences and circumstances that happen to us, happen by his hands. Those little things that he gives us, daily, are his provisions, his protections. If we could only see and understand, how grateful we would be. For he is our provider. He is our protector. He is our source for life. Our heart's satisfaction is in him. Our desire to be loved is fulfilled in him. Our longing for peace is through him and he will give us everlasting peace. Seek him and you will know. Ask him and he will provide. Patience is the key. Love him and you will know his love for you.
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.
Our paragraph topic is: (The doctrine of the cross) Part 3.
No one knew what came after death. There was no certainty. The Jews believed that they were God's chosen people and that he had prepared a special place for them. But no one knew for certain what they would encounter after death. Everyone wanted to live. Everyone wanted to have life. Everyone did not want to face the consequences of what would happen after they died. And yet here was Christ preaching to his disciples the outcome of his journey to Jerusalem. Here was the Messiah telling his disciples that he would go and face persecution, torture, and death. And nothing but fear came upon them.
They knew not what to expect. They knew not what was to happen. They knew not the why and wherefore of these actions. But Christ instructed them to follow. Take up your cross and follow me if you want to come after me, he told them. Face the evil in the world and fear not, he told them. For whoever would work to save his life in this realm will loose it and whoever would loose his life in this physical realm, for his sake, would save it in the spiritual realm and save it for eternity. Where is it that we place our value? Is it in the physical realm? Or is it in the spiritual realm that we value ourselves. Christ told his disciples: "For what does it profit a
man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul?"
We are told and we believe that we have a soul. We hear it in church. We read about it in the Bible. We see it in our entertainment media. And we believe it in ourselves. But of what value is it? How does it profit us to have a soul? What can we do with it? How does it help us or hinder us as we live, grow, and prosper in this world? Those of us who are youthful do not consider this value. Those of who are older think about its value. Those of us who are declining in age know of its value as we look forward to what comes after death. For we believe that the soul exists. Yet Christ posed a meaningful question to his disciples and to members of the church today: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and loose his soul?"
And it is this meaningful question that weighs in the balance each and everyday of our lives. Do our actions, our thoughts, and our beliefs gain us the world or gains us our souls? Do we act as if we want to gain everything in the world or do we want to keep our souls? Do we want our souls to profit or do we want our passions for the world to profit? Do we attempt to sit on the fence and fish from both sides or are we certain that we know on which side we want to jump into? The world wants us to live in it and to prosper in it. The world would have us loose ourselves and our souls in it that we may prosper in worldly things. The world would have us addicted to our passions and criticize us if we are not fully engaged in them.
To laugh, to enjoy, to be hopeful, to be passionate about the prospects of today and what tomorrow has to offer is how we are raised and live. Forgetting about when the thief in the night that may come to steal us away from our souls without the opportunity to repent, is not something that the world wants us to consider. We make every effort to protect ourselves from death but it comes despite all our efforts. It comes to the young. It comes to the old. It comes to the innocent. It comes to the unexpected. It comes. For it is the soul that the world is after and nothing less.
What does it profit? What do we gain? How do we value what we have, how do we value what is given us from birth? We are raised in the world with the love and are given the hopes and fears of our parents and care givers. And when we come of age we are filled with the desires and passions of the world. So we go forth seeking to gain all that it has to offer and to enjoy all the passions that it brings, not knowing or believing that we are asleep in the world. Some are awaken by the struggles that life in the world brings. Some continue to struggle in the passions that this world has to offer. And some face the question of life and decide to give up on it not knowing that they have a choice.
We are aliens in a different form and do not know who we are. Come! The opportunity is given you to know the truth of who you are. Come! Opportunity knocks at your door, bringing truth, and joy, and peace, and love with it. Your life, your soul, is valuable. Do not sell it for something less. Do not offer it for what the world offers for it is worth much more. Do not exchange it for the trinkets and treasures of this world for they are worthless. What will it profit you? You can know, now, the truth of who you are. You can see the life that is given you. You can know the light of your spirit here on earth as it was given to you. Come! Follow the path set before you and know the truth of who you are in Christ.
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!
