St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 22; The Throne of God.

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.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 21; The Oneness of Him and the Temple.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 12.

You see they had no idea what they were doing.  They were led by their intuitions, by their instincts, by the influences of the world around them which would have them maintain their positions of power and influence.  They were the rulers of the time.  They had positions of power and prestige that they did not want to lose.  And Christ came along and questioned their positions by calling them blind guides in the public eye which challenged their authority and prestige.  Any other person they would have had the temple guards arrest and thrown into jail or beaten.

This was Christ, however, the miracle worker.  He had cured many of the sick and the lame and the blind and the cripple.  There were many followers who believed in him and his teachings.  So the Pharisees and the Scribes and the Elders had to think of another way to capture him so that they could silence him for good.  But they did not realize who they were dealing with.  They did not know the storm that was brewing behind the scenes and the parts they were playing.  Christ had to stir the hornet's nest.  He had to take them to task.  He had to show them up to the people so that everyone would know who they were.  This is why he told them:  "And he who swears by the temple swears by it, and by him who dwells in it."

You see they didn't know.  They were being influenced by the evil in the world, like pawns on a chess board.  To swear by the one who dwells in the temple is to swear by Almighty God.  And to swear by Almighty God is a bond that must be kept, a bond that must not be broken.  Yet here the Scribes and the Pharisees were telling the people that to swear by the temple it is nothing.  How foolish they had become.  How distorted they had rationalized the truth of their religion.  How broken were they making the people against the God of their fathers.

Two thousand years ago Christ came down from heaven to walk among mankind.  He gave up his majestic robe, his kingly spirit and became human that he might experience the truth of humankind.  He walked with us.  He talked with us.  He danced and drank, and eat with us.  He laughed, cried, smiled, sighed, felt human emotions as we do.  He lived a full life with us and he left his legacy for us to know that he was here with us.  And lastly he fulfilled his promise for which he came; he gave his life to pay for the original sin committed in the garden.  

For his life and for his passion we have life again.  We have a new soul.  We have but to believe in him who came, him who is, him who guides and saves our life is anew.  The choice requires daily renewal and confidence for there is one who will test that belief, that faith, that trust of the soul within.  But there is one also that will renew and guide and support and walk with you every minute, every hour of the day to be the light in the darkness that comes.  Keep the faith.  Know the love.  Trust in the truth of the light of life that is within 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.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 20; The Oneness of the gift and the Altar.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 11.  

They had taken the essentials of faith and distorted it to their own beliefs.  Little did they understand the true meanings of religion.  Little did they know the truth of faith.  Little did they believe in the spirit of the living God who brought them out of Egypt into the land of milk and honey.  The Scribes and the Pharisees were only concerned in maintaining the status quo over the people so that they could keep their positions of power.

They did not understand the oneness of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Without that understanding how could they understand the oneness of the altar.  They believed that swearing by the altar was nothing but swearing by the gifts that were placed upon the altar meant that they were bound by the gift.  Christ had to explain to them: "Therefore he
who swears by the altar swears by it, and by all things that are on it."

This is the distinction that had to be made, the oneness of the altar.  Everything that is placed upon the altar becomes one with the altar and is sanctified by the altar.  They are not separate from it but are one with it.  The altar is the sacred table of God upon which Christ made his covenant with the church at the last supper.  He blessed the bread and the cup of wine that he gave to his disciples as a symbol of the new covenant that he made for the sacrifice which he was about the make for the sins of mankind.  And it was upon that sacred table upon which he made that covenant.

Today, all over the world, we have the sacred altars which are blessed by the church before they are used in services.  Our gifts are no longer gifts of food, or animals, or incense, but today we give tithes that are placed before the altar to show our thanks to God for the many gifts that he gives us on a daily basis.  We show our gratitude through what we give back to the church to help spread God's word to his people.  

We are blessed to know our God.  We are blessed to walk in the light and not in darkness and despair.  We are blessed to be able to call out to our God and have our voices heard.  For truly he will respond.  And truly we must be patient.  For he is loving and caring and protective and providing and vengeful of those that would do us harm.  Thank you Lord Jesus for loving us. 

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.