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 23, verses: 14b; Widows houses.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 6.  

The kingdom of heaven was at hand and Christ pronounced judgment over the Scribes and the Pharisees.  He made every effort to reach them.  He did everything he could to pull them back from the brink, but they were too far gone to turn back.  They were too caught up in their anger and frustration at Christ to break free from their positions of hatred and fear.

The prophets of the past had called them out to the people.  They spoke the words of God to the leaders and rulers who did not listen.  And so it was the same in the time of the Scribes and the Pharisees.  They would do the same as their forefathers to get rid of those who would call them out to the people.  Christ called them hypocrites:  "Because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers."  

This is the time in history to look back on and imagine what it was like to be there with Christ.  Imagine being in his presence, in the presence of the kingdom of heaven that was with him.  And yet from what we can read it was difficult for those who were there, those that did not know him, to experience his presence.  Often he said that this man was blind or this person was cripple for the sake of the disciples and the people that they might believe, that they might see the power of God in him.  And how much of a life altering experience was it for those who were touched by his miracles.

We, today, do not have the luxury of experiencing his miracles as they did then.  Or do we?  We cry and moan to God when we are in pain, when we suffer loss.  We blame him for the loss of our loved ones when they are taken suddenly without cause.  We cry to him of the hardships that we face daily because we are presented with a better life that we wish we could have.  Yet with all our pain and suffering, do we thank him for the little blessings, the little miracles that he gives us daily.  

If we let him he will provide.  If we allow him he will protect.  If we trust him he will secure for us a place of peace in our life today, tomorrow and forever.  And if we learn to love that which he does for us he will call us home to be with him for eternity.

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 20, verse: 14b, The choice is mine.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the laborers in the vineyard)
Part 21.

We continue with this parable of the laborers and the house-holder.  The laborers are angry.  They are disgruntled.  Those that were last to get paid thought that they should get paid more than those who only worked for a short time.  They were the ones who worked the entire day.  They were the ones who worked the longest and bore the heat of the day in their labor.  So when they saw that those who came after them got the same pay as they, they were mad and angry about their agreement. 

They felt that they were cheated and deceived.  They believed that, even though they agreed to a denarius, they deserved more for their labor.  What changed their minds?  What caused them to think otherwise?  What influenced them to the point that they became angry and disgruntled?  The house-holder told them to take what was theirs and leave because he did them no injustice.  He told them:  "I choose to give to this last even as to thee." 

The choice was his to make.  He decided that all would be paid the same even from the first to the last.  He was a generous house-holder.  He demonstrated to the laborers that he wanted them to work in his vineyard even if it was only for one hour.  And the reward would be the same for each and every laborer.  His judgment was not like our judgment.  We would think that those who worked the longest would get paid more.  We would think that those who came first would receive a greater reward.  We would think that because they labored more that they should receive more.  But this was not the thought processes of the house-holder.  He wanted all to work and he paid all the same.

What can we learn from this parable?  What does it demonstrate to us?  Christ told his disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like a house-holder who goes out to the marketplace to hire workers to labor in his vineyard.  We are laborers in the vineyard of the Lord.  Our job is to carry the message of love and hope to those who are without hope, those who do not believe, those who have no direction or purpose in life.  We are the workers.  We are the laborers and it is our job to demonstrate to the world the love of God that is within us.

Our work is not easy.  It is not without trials and tribulations.  For there are those who hate us.  There are those who would destroy us.  There are those who would turn us from our labors and attempt to convince us that our labors are futile.  They do not believe.  They do not know.  They are the ones that are influenced by the world and what is in the world.  Ours is the influence of our Father in heaven who loves us, provides for us, and protects us.  The choice was the house-holder as to what he would give.  The choice is God our Father as to who he chooses and who he does not, who he rewards and who he does not.

Let us go forth and be glad that we are chosen.  Let us rejoice that he has chosen us to work in his vineyard.  For he is a just God.  He is a loving God.  He is our Father, our creator, and through Christ our Lord, our redeemer.  The choice is his to make.  Are you chosen?  Come, seek the Lord and he will choose 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.