St Mathew, Chapter 18, verse: 19, The Power of Agreement.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The power of united prayer) Part 1.  

Christ has given his disciples specific instructions on how to win the battle with sin.  For the battle is with sin and the weapon is love.  So, he tells them to bind sin on earth.  Bind sin, that it will not enter into thy brother or sister.  Bind evil, from thy brother or sister.  Bind lust, bind false witness, bind hatred, bind anger, bind greed, bind wantonness, bind all evil that would possess thy brother or sister and take them away from thee.  For sin will come.  Sin will tempt.  And sin will seek to take away thy brother or sister.  But Christ has given them the tools that they need to do battle with sin. 

With all these tools he gives them even further instructions as to what they may do to combat sin.  Loose sin from thy brother.  For once sin takes hold it will not let go.  So Christ told his disciples that whatever they loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Whatever evil they separate from thy brother or sister on earth will be carried out in heaven.  Evil will be separated by the powers in heaven.  And then he gives them another tool to use against sin.  He provides them with the ultimate tool that they can use against evil, the power of agreement.  "I say to you further, that if two of you shall agree on earth about anything at all for which they ask, it shall be done for them by my Father in heaven."

They will ask for help.  They will ask for forgiveness.  They will ask for mercy.  They who are in need, they who believe in the truth, they who awaken from the darkness, will seek thy help.  They will seek the help of thy brother.  They will seek the help of thy sister.  They will seek the help of the church to break the grip of sin from all the brothers and sisters .  And it is the duty and responsibility of the church to use all the powers given it by Christ to combat sin.  For sin will come.  Sin will tempt.  Sin will take hold.  And sin will not let go.

But Christ told his disciples that they must agree.  He told them that they must recognize that they have the power to combat sin.  For within them and through them sin will be defeated.  But it will take the combined efforts of the spirit of two or more.  It will call for the agreement of two or more spirits.  It will require the agreement of the life force, of the light within, of the spiritual soul, to break the hold of sin.  They will ask for thy help.  They will need thy assistance.  They who believe in the love of Christ, will look to the light of Christ from the depths of their darkness and ask for forgiveness to overcome the grip of sin.  And it is up to two or more of you to reach into their hearts and see the call of the light of Christ that pleads for help.

Christ has given us a new life.  He has restored us to the life that our Father in heaven gave to man before the fall.  And with this new life we are the light that shine forth into the darkness.  For the Advocate is with us.  The light of Christ is with us.  The spirit of awareness in the truth resides in us.  And it is with that truth that we go forth into the world to carry the message that Christ has given us of the new life that is within each of our brothers and sisters.  If two or more agree in the light of life within Christ then whatever they ask for will be done by the Father in heaven.  This is the tool that Christ gave to his disciples and to us today. 

Know the truth of who you are in Christ.  See the light of new life that is within you.  Welcome the light of the Holy Spirit that will come to you and you shall know the truth of who you are.  For the Advocate will come.  The Advocate will reside.  The Advocate will protect.  The Advocate will provide.  And the Advocate will counsel in all things.  For it is with the Advocate that we walk in the faith and truth of who we are.  All things are given to us on earth.  Yet we are not of the earth but are citizens of heaven, created by our heavenly Father in his image and likeness.

Come!  Seek the knowledge and truth of your salvation.  For in it and with it and through it you will see a new light.  You will know a new truth.  You will open a new door to path of your life.  And you will know a new peace that surpasses any fleeting peace held here on earth.  For the Father loves you.  And Christ is with you.  And the Holy Spirit will come to you.  And you will be set free.

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. 

St Matthew, Chapter 18, verse:18b, Fraternal Correction: Unbinding on earth and in heaven.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Fraternal correction) Part 7.  

The battle is against sin and the weapon is love.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that man would be saved from sin.  Man had sinned against the command of God.  But God was so loving that he was merciful.  God was so loving that he, through his mercy, allowed man to be saved.  He did not have to.  He was not compelled to.  But he wanted that mankind, his precious creation, would not be lost to condemnation. 

Christ came to take back.  Christ came to win back.  Christ came that man would have a chance to be born again in new life.  Man disobeyed the command of God and sin entered the world.  And sin ruled the world until Christ came.  And Christ restored what was lost.  Christ gave man life by paying the penalty for disobedience, the judgment for transgressing, the restitution needed to make whole again.  But sin does not give up.  Sin does not let go.  Sin does not release its captive until forced to do so. 

And Christ told his disciples that he gave them the power to separate.  He gave them the power to remove sin.  He gave them the power to loose sin from the soul of man by force.  He told them:  "And whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven."

Be gone sin!  Be gone lust!  Be gone addiction!  Be gone evil!  By the power of Christ Jesus I loose thee.  By the power of Christ Jesus I loose thee from me, from my brother, from my sister!  Be gone!  Separate thyself from this person and enter in no more.  I bind thee by the name of Christ Jesus to enter no more into this person.  These are the powers that Christ told his disciples.  Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Whatever you cast out on earth shall, by the power of heaven, be carried out by the angels in heaven. 

The battle is against sin and the weapon is love.  The weapon is the love of God the Father for his children here on earth.  Sin will come.  Sin will tempt.  Sin will enter.  And sin will seek to take over, to control, to occupy, to drown the light of life completely until there is nothing but darkness within.  But Christ came.  Christ conquered.  Christ rose again.  And Christ lives forever seated at the right hand of the father.  And he gave us the power to bind and loose that will be a command executed by the angels in heaven. 

Christ came.  But he did not leave us alone and lonely.  For he watches over us in heaven.  He sends us the Advocate for those who seek him.  He protects us for those who want protection.  He provides for us for those who want provision.  He is our fulfillment for those who want to be fulfilled.  For his love overwhelms.  His love is complete.  His love is all.  And the his counsel is our guide.  Come!  Know the truth of who you are in him.  Seek to find the light of life that is within you that you may know the Advocate.  For with him, and through him, and by him all will be revealed. 

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. 

St Matthew, Chapter 18, verse:18a, Fraternal Correction: Binding on earth and in heaven.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Fraternal correction) Part 6. 

If he refuses to listen, even to the church, then let him be.  This is what Christ told his disciples.  Let him/her be.  They have become to thee as heathens.  They have refused to hear.  They have refused to be open.  They are closed to the love of Christ that you have presented to them.  They have become consumed with sin and sin has taken complete control.  Sin has come.  Sin has infected.  Sin has possessed the mind and body and soul of thy brother/sister.  Even the appeal of the church has not opened the door to thy brother or sister.  They are lost.

But if he/she should listen.  But if he/she should be opened.  But if he or she should have some small desire to return to thee, then the church must battle with sin to open the door.  The church must battle with sin to expel it completely.  The church, the witnesses, and you must work to free thy brother/sister from the grip of sin.  For sin will not let go.  Sin will not give up.  Sin will fight to hold onto thy brother/sister.  But Christ told his disciples that they have a gift from heaven.  They have a promise from the Father.  He told them:  "Amen I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven."

The battle is against sin and the weapon is love.  And Christ gave to the disciples another weapon, to bind sin on earth.  He gave them a weapon that will be accepted and carried out in heaven also.  For whatever they bound on earth would be bound in heaven.  Bind the demons.  Bind sin.  Bind Lust.  Bind fear.  Bind false witness.  Bind anger.  Cast out the evil and bind it from returning.  Bind all types of spirits that come from sin.  Save thy brother.  Save thy sister.  For the battle is against sin and we have a weapon given to us by Christ.

Sin will come.  Sin will tempt.  Sin will enter those that do not have a defense.  Sin will occupy.  And sin will take over those that do not use the tools that have been given us.  But Christ has told us to win our brothers and sisters back.  He has given us the formula.  He has told us how to fight.  But the door belongs to each of us and it is our own responsibility to keep it closed to sin.  Yet we live in a world possessed of sin.  We live in a world where sin is all around us.  And it is up to each of us to walk by faith.  It is up to each of us to walk by the light that Christ has given us.

For the light of life will lead us.  The light of life will guide us.  The light of life will protect us and counsel us.  And the light of life will abide with us, to assist in the fight against sin.  But when sin comes, fight.  When sin comes, cast it out.  When sin comes, bind it that it may come no more.  These are the weapons that Christ has given us to defend and protect.  For he knows of sin.  He sees that sin will come.  And he has given to us the Advocate to help us, to strengthen us, to counsel us, to show us the way.  The choice is ours.  The decision is ours.  Do not be swayed by the tricks and traps of evil.  For evil will deceive.  Evil will dazzle.  Evil will seek to pull you in.  But if the eye is sound the body will be full of light and the light of life will endure.

Come!  Open thy heart to the love that Christ has given us from the Father.  Seek the love that is yours to know.  Know the truth of who you are in Christ and welcome the Holy Spirit into your life.  He waits for you.  He seeks you.  He is open to you.  He brings the love of the Father to you.  Follow the path before you and become the spirit that you are.

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. 

St Matthew, Chapter 17, verse: 22b, The Passion Prediction: The Rise of Christ.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The second prediction of the passion) Part 2. 

They were on their way to Jerusalem with the Lord.  Many had assumed that he would be the ruler.  Many thought that he was going to take over the leadership of the High Priest.  Many were happy because they saw a change coming.  And many were joyous because they believed that it was time for a change.  Christ knew otherwise.  He knew that it was time for a change and that change was a sacrifice, the sacrifice to justify mankind with God.

He told them on several occasions of the Passion.  He warned them of what was about to take place.  He told them that he would suffer and that he would face death.  But they only thought about the change coming.  They only thought about the joy that would come when the old rulers were removed and new ones came to be.  They did not think about the struggle.  They did not think about the sacrifice that would come.  They did not think about the suffering.  They only thought about what they wanted to hear, what they believed would happen, what they wanted to think. 

Evil was afoot and plans were being made to destroy Christ.  Evil was in the house and evil was in the minds and evil was in the mouths and on the lips of those in power.  For they spoke of ways to destroy him.  They wanted to stop him.  They wanted him hanged for the embarrassment that he had caused them.  They wanted to control him and could not.  For each time they attempted to control him they failed.  Each time they sought to win, they did not.  Each time they came with a trick, they could not trick him.  For Christ knew them.  He knew who they worshipped.  He who they were.  For they were children of evil.  They were the sons of evil and their father was the father of all lies. 

Christ came to bring about change.  He came with the sword to separate the wolves from the lambs.  He came to stop the lies, to stop the deceit, to stop the death of the innocent.  He came to bring life.  But evil did not want the people to have life.  Evil did not want the people to know the truth.  Evil did not want the people to know who they are and who they belonged to.  Evil wanted the people for itself.  Evil wanted the people to do evil and to destroy Christ because evil could not change him, could not turn him, could not seduce him, could not control him.  So evil had to destroy him.

Christ had to tell his disciples that they would know.  He had to speak the truth that they would believe after the truth had taken place.  And they were sad to hear this.  For he said:  "And they will kill him; and, on the third day he will rise again."  And they were exceedingly sorry.  

How do we feel today that Christ died?  How do we feel today that he suffered such pain and agony?  How do we feel today that he had to be the sacrifice for our sins and not us?  We live in a world that only rarely shows us the pain that he endured.  We live in a world that deceives us into believing that we are alright and life must go on.  We live in a world that does not want us to know who we are in Christ.  For the world wants to deceive us.  The world wants to hide us from the truth.  The world wants to keep us in the dark and away from the light that awaits us in Christ.

Come!  Follow the path before you.  Read the truth of who you are in Him who gave you life.  Know the truth of your true life and not the artificial life of the physical.  For you are like angels, created in the image and likeness of God.  You are sons and daughters of the one true God, the living God.  If you seek to know, if you seek to find, if you seek to see that which is within you, come read that which is given to you as manna from heaven.  It has been given to me and I now pass it on to you.  I am a witness, a voice crying in the wilderness, testifying that he has come to me and will come to you also if you seek him.  He awaits your call.  He listens for your voice.  He anticipates your needs and will provide for your wants.  Christ loves you, the Holy Spirit greets you and so do I.

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. 

St Matthew, Chapter 17, verse:16-17; Unbelieving and Perverse Generation: The Cure.

Our paragraph topic is:(Jesus cures him by casting out a devil) Part 2.

They were unbelieving.  They were perverse.  They were scoffing.  They manipulated, lied, cheated, gave false witness, possessed the hearts of men to do the evil that was perpetuated upon the people.  And Christ knew who them.  He saw them for who they were.  He bore witness to their deeds and cast them out of men that they could not continue to do evil.  Yet there were those who wanted the evil to continue.  There were those who were possessed and influenced by evil so much that they perceived that it was right and just.  But Christ was meek.  Christ was mild mannered.  Christ was loving.  Christ was reserved.  He knew that the cups of God's wrath were being filled and the day of judgment was at hand.  But the sacrifice was not made and the justification was not yet complete.

Christ tired of their presence.  He would rid himself of their evil.  He would send them back to the pit where they belonged in due time.  But what was before him was a child.  What was in the child was evil.  And what had to be done was a cure.  So evil had to be cast out of this innocent child.  Evil had to be removed from this child of God so that it would never return again.  And evil had to be expelled so that the child within could be released from the prison where it was being held captive.  " How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to me."  And Jesus rebuked him; and the devil went out of him; and from that moment the boy was cured.

The boy was cured.  From the moment that Jesus spoke the devil left the boy and he was cured, He was free.  He was no longer possessed.  This is the power of Jesus.  He had the power to cure.  He had the power to change water into wine, the power to multiply loaves and feed thousands, the power to raise the dead, heal the sick, make the lame walk, and speak to nature to calm the seas.  Yet the demons continued to pester, to bother, to seek to insight, to do everything that they could to interfere with the mission of Christ.  Christ was loving.  He was compassionate.  He was understanding.  He was forgiving.  And he was patient.  He knew that the people did not understand.  He knew that they did not see with a sense of knowing.  Yet he continued to do the will of God that the love for mankind would be demonstrated in his actions.

The sheep are lost.  The sheep do not know where they are going, so they follow the crowd.  They go where others go and do not know where they go.  Where is the leader?  Where is the one who will turn them around and lead them away from harm?  Where is the one who will be a guide, a protector, a provider, a teacher, and a preacher to the lost sheep?  Christ came that we each would have a choice.  He came and made the sacrifice that we could know the truth of who we are.  Do you know?  Can you see?  Can you believe?  Are you certain of the knowledge and the truth that he has given us?  Do you acknowledge each day the truth?  Do you show the love of Christ that is supposed to be in us to the world?  For they must see.  They must know.  They must understand through our actions that Christ lives, that Christ loves, that they have an all powerful father who loves them.

Come!  Follow the narrow path before you.  If you are reading this page then you have a choice.  Know the truth and awaken from the sleep of the world, or continue to sleep and be led by the untruth that the world offers.  There is power in the truth.  There is enlightenment in the truth.  There is love in the truth.  There is peace in the truth.  And there is reward in the truth, a reward like none you can imagine or that the world can offer.  The devil offered Christ the world if he would only worship him.  Who will you worship?  Whom will you love?  Who will you believe?  It has been given to me that I may pass it on to you.  God loves you and so do I!

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.  

St Matthew, Chapter 17, verse: 16, Unbelieving and Perverse Generation.

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus cures him by casting out a devil) Part 1.

And now the disciples and Christ return from the mountaintop and continue the work at hand, teaching and preaching to the people.  The people were lost.  The people were like sheep without a shepherd.  The people were torn.  They did not know, they did not understand, they were misled and they were uncertain.  But Christ was there, to give them leadership.  He was there, to give them direction.  He was there, to provide understanding.  He came here to clear up the confusion and to give clarity so that the sheep would know with certainty.

But there were those who did not want the people to know.  There were those who did not want the people to understand.  There were those who wanted the people to continue to be confused so that they could continue to lead, continue to have power, continue to be in the dark so that they could influence in the direction that they wanted to lead the people.  Evil must have evil doers in order to act in this realm.  It must have followers that have been influenced by it in order for evil to thrive and flourish.  Evil is perverse.  Evil is unbelieving.  Evil was dominant in this time.  And evil had possession of the leadership.  So evil led, and evil flourished, and evil thrived, and was bold, and possessed outright.  And evil walked the earth in the guise of men.

Christ had the authority.  Christ had the power.  Christ saw the evil that possessed men and he cast it out.  He saw the evil doers who were possessed of evil and he knew that they were representatives of evil.  Yet he was patient.  He was kind.  He was forgiving of those who sought to do him harm and to thwart his mission here on earth.  And this made him sick and angry that he had to accept their actions.  But he was patient.  He was loving.  And he was kind for he knew that justice would prevail and the wrath of his father would balance all the evil that was being played out before him.  Jesus answered and said, "O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?"

Did Christ speak of the people?  Were the people perverse and unbelieving?  Were they the ones that Christ spoke of in his words?  Or, are there others, that he spoke of with these words?  Christ lived and walked the earth in a place and time when evil took possession of men.  He saw and cast out many demons that took possession of men.  Demons were taking possession by storm.  And then there were those that were under the influence of evil.  They were the ones that became the evil doers in the world.  The kings and the rulers, and princes and men of power and money, did as they willed without any conscience of the evil that they committed.  They had the power to grant life or to take it over the people.  They had to power to give and to take, to do as they willed without bounds.  And that power, opened the door for evil to enter into the minds and hearts.  That power opened the door to corruption and to the influence of evil.  Evil then had the power to do evil on earth.

Christ came and put a stop to the reign of evil here on earth.  He cast out the devil and his angel minions from the earth and prevented it from returning.  He set up his church here on earth and gave it the power to rule over evil that it would not prevail.  And so men were not possessed anymore.  Men did not have the absolute power to do as they willed.  Men did not become evil doers as they had in the past.  Yet evil continued to influence, even from the gates of hell.  And evil continues to influence men today, not outright but in subtle ways.  For today men are influenced by greed, by power, by lust, by hatred, by scandal, and by passion. 

We live in a world where our passions drive and direct us to be who we are.  You can do anything, if you set your mind to it.  You can be anyone, live your desires, make what you want to make, and have the love that you desire in your life.  All you have to do is believe, and act, and achieve.  See the goal.  Feel the passion of your heart.  Let your heart drive you to achieve what you believe that you desire and you will achieve.  We are fed these and other beliefs on a daily basis, from the cradle to the grave.  And we are possessed by what we are given.  So evil continues to have influence in our lives only in a subtle way.

Is there no antidote?  Is there something better? Our hearts desire to be filled with passion.  But what is there that would satisfy the desires of the heart?  What is there that would fill us with joy, fulfill our dreams, give us peace?  Do we want anything else?  Do we desire something higher, something greater, something more complete, other than to have our passions fulfilled?  We see others having whatever they desire and we believe that we can have it also.  We believe that we want the same things as what we see that others have.  So why should we change?  Why should we believe other than what we are given?  There is evil in the world and we can not see it.  We cannot feel it or know it if we do not awake to it.  Christ opened the door.  He provided the way.  He gave you the life that you have, that you may live eternally.  But the choice is yours.  Why live for eternity when you can live for the moment?  Why live for the moment and when you can suffer for eternity?  Come!  Take His hand.  Know the truth of who you are in Christ.  Once you discover your truth you will know and awaken from the influence of evil.  The path has been given to me and I point to what was given to me that you may know 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.  

St Matthew, Chapter 17, verse: 14-15, The Lunatic and his father.

Our paragraph topic is:  (A father asks Jesus to cure his son).  

After all the questions in the minds of the disciples, they finally understood.  They finally had answers.  They finally could make some sense of what they had experienced on the mountaintop with Christ.  But then there came new questions that needed answers.  There came new challenges that required addressing.  There came new prayers that needed answers and new requests from the people that followed Christ that needed help.

Many were sick.  Many were in pain.  Many were without hope.  Many were lost and under the possession of evil.  Those that had some belief came to Christ.  Those that sought help came for help.  Those that heard the word were led by the word.  And those that sought to destroy the word came for destruction.  But Christ knew of their plan.  He knew of their desire to destroy him.  He knew of the evil that was in the world that did not want the people to turn back to God.  So they sought in every way to prevent the people from seeing, hearing, or knowing the truth of Christ. 

And when he had come to the crowd, a man approached him and threw himself on his knees before him, saying, "Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic, and suffers severely; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.  And I brought him to thy disciples, but they could not cure him."   

How often have we called upon God to cure our ills?  How often have we asked for help?  How often have we prayed to our heavenly father to solve a problem for us that we have not had  success with.  And then there are those among us who are the disciples of Christ that would give us ways to find solutions.  There are those who would tell us all kinds of things that we must do to find help.  Do they work?  Do we find solutions?  Do we believe in what they give us for our ills and our problems?  Some do.  Some half do.  Some don't believe.  And some scoff at the thought that these men and women of God can give us the help that we need.

Here was a father who believed that his son was a lunatic.  He believed that he had a problem that could be fixed by the modern day solutions that were available to him.  After all, he was told by some authority that his son was mad, a lunatic, not of a normal mind.  But his love for his son prevailed.  For he believed enough, that there was a solution, somewhere, to restore his son to him.  He heard the miracles.  He heard the stories of the cures.  He saw those who were restored and he had hope.  He sought the foundation of hope and he sought Christ.

Christ came that we would have salvation.  He came that we would have redemption.  He came to restore what was lost to man.  He came to bring life.  So the door is open for many to have life and to have it for eternity.  All one has to do is stay away from those things that cause us to sin against God.  Yet we live in a world that is of sin.  We live in a world where sin is interwoven into our daily fabric of life.  We eat, sleep, breathe, see, smell, and taste sin on a daily basis as if it is impossible to do without it.  And there is one that can resist.  There is one that can turn away.  There is one who can help us to be the people that our father wants us to be. 

I write this blog as an invitation to those who would read it.  This is an invitation to close the door to sin, to open the door to the truth of who you are in Christ.  This is an invitation to awake from the sleep of the world and see the light that is within you that you may see yourself as you will be seen and know in heaven.  For you were given life, as a spirit, and brought into this world.  You are a spiritual being and not a physical person.  And when your time has ended in the physical realm you will return to the spiritual being that you are.  So, Come!  Know the truth of who you are and see the treasure that awaits you.  The path was given to me and now I give it to you.  Follow the path and you will 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.  

St Matthew, Chapter 17, verse: 9, The Vision: Jesus Cautioned them

Our paragraph topic is:   (On the coming of Elias) Part 1. 

They had been to the mountain top and back.  They had seen a  vision.  The disciples had witnessed the transfiguration of Christ.  They saw Moses and Elias, their great leaders.  What were they to believe?  What were they to do?  What they to say?  They were filled with excitement.  They were filled with joy.  And then they heard the voice of God the Father speaking to them about his son, Jesus Christ.  Their minds and their bodies were filled with the good news that they were going to share with their fellow disciples and all of their brothers and sisters in Christ.

They were in a state of ecstasy.  How would you feel?  What would you think?  What would you say if you had such a vision?  Who would believe you?  What would people say if you told such a thing?  Would they believe you?  Would they criticize you?  Would they call you crazy?  Would they stone you or behead you or put you in a cell and throw away the key?  Would they believe that you have lost it and live in a fantasy world of make believe?  But you are a disciple of Christ and the people need to know what happened to you.  Christ warned his disciples not to speak of the vision until after the sacrifice.   And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus cautioned them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one, till the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

People do not believe in visions today.  You have to be crazy or out of touch with society when you talk about seeing things that are out of the ordinary, things that others have not seen.  And when you tell someone the things that you have seen, you have to have some sort of proof for them to believe that you have witnessed these things.  They will not believe without the proof.  You will be laughed at, ridiculed, called names, isolated, and made to feel different from everyone else.  And who wants to be different?  Who wants to be alone and outside? 

This is why Christ told his disciples to tell no one of the vision.  He did not want them to face the ridicule and scorn of the enemy.  For evil was lurking in the shadows, waiting for every opportunity to pounce upon the disciples and scatter them to the four winds.  The enemy was waiting for the opportunity to belittle the disciples and to decrease their influence among the people so that the people would not follow Christ.  So he told them not to talk of it.  He told them to keep it among themselves until the sacrifice was made.  He told them not to share it with anyone until they had proof of his resurrection from the dead.

If we had proof of the living God today, would all believe?  Would all follow if God sent a sign to show all that he exists?  Evil would not allow us to believe.  Evil would convince our reasoning to come up with something that would explain what we witnessed or saw, or thought that we believed.  And yet it is not for us to make people believe.  It is not for us to convince people that there is a God who loves them.  It is not for us to make people follow and believe in God.  How do you convince a person who does not want to be convinced?  How do you persuade a person who does not want to be persuaded?  We each have to want to know, want to believe, want to find, want to accept God in order for him to come into our lives. 

And so the visions, the miracles, the love, the protection, and all the blessings that come from our heavenly father are for those who seek to know.  For evil would have us without knowledge.  Evil would have us without belief.  Evil would have us dead and unaware of the love that our heavenly father has for us.  So, I can not persuade you to believe if you do not want to believe.  I can not tell you of the miracles that have been worked in my life if you do not want to hear.  I can not make you understand the love and protection and the provisions that God has provided me, if you do not want to understand.  I can only write.  For it has been given me to write.  It has been given to me to write freely what I have read and what I understand from my bible experience.  What was freely given to me from those readings I give to those who want to know.  I give freely to those who seek, even as I have sought.   I give what those readings have done for me.  

God is love.  He created man in his image and likeness.  He gave us life that we may know the awe and the mystery of his love.  I pray that you may know his love.  I pray that you may experience his protection and his provisions.  I pray that you may come to know his wisdom.  For the love that he has shown me, I pray that you may come to know.  And when you know his love, you will understand.  Come! Follow the path.  Read what has been laid out before you and you too will know the truth of who you are in Christ.  Christ loves you and so do I.

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! 

St Matthew, Chapter 17, verses:7-8, The Son of God: Jesus consoles them.

Our paragraph topic is: (Jesus transfigured) Part 6.
     
The disciples heard the voice of God and they were afraid.  Out of the cloud came a loud voice that spoke to them.  These were simple men.  They were not scholars.  They were not men of learning, men of power, men of stature in the community, but only simple fishermen, simple farmers, and common laborers.  But Christ chose them to be his followers.  They followed him because he had charisma.  They followed him because he had an aura about him that commanded their allegiance.  Christ cured the sick. He made the lame walk. He opened the eyes of the blind.  He even gave the disciples temporary power to do the same miracles that they saw him perform.  And they followed him because they came to love him.

But when the father spoke to them they became fearful.  They bowed their heads in fear for their lives.  They had not heard such a voice before.  They did not know if they were doomed or if they should rejoice.  Fear came upon them and took hold of them.  Fear opened the door and would have allowed evil to enter.  Fear prepared them for what they considered would be the end.  Yet this was the voice of their father speaking to them.  Hear him, he told them.  Hear Christ he told them.  Hear his words, hear his deeds, hear his actions, hear his presence.  But when the voice ended there was only Christ left for them to see.  There was only Christ left for them to hear.  There was Christ left for them to believe.  And Jesus came near and touched them, and said to them, “Arise and do not be afraid."  But lifting up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.   

Jesus told them, "Do not be afraid."  He told them as he did in many other situations to not be afraid.  He tells us today to not be afraid.  We fear what we do not understand.  We fear what we do not know.  We fear what we can not comprehend.  We are fearful creatures.  There are many things in this world that would cause us to open ourselves to fear.  But why should we be afraid?  Some would say that fear is good because it is a natural emotion built into our defense mechanism that protects us from harm.  We fear harm to our bodies.  We fear loss of life.  We fear loss of possessions, loss of love, loss of happiness, loss of material things, we are afraid of many things in this world.  This is only because we do not have the spiritual understanding that knows no fear.  Christ tells us not to fear.  He tells us not to worry.  He tells us to be happy because we have a father that will protect us from all harm.  It is one thing to believe but it is an even better thing to know with certainty. 

Yet we continue to fear because we do not believe, because we do not know.  We do not know who we are.  We have no idea of our spiritual nature within us because we only judge by our physical beings.  Fear limits us.  Fear controls us.  Fear commands us to act.  Fear closes the door to the opportunity for us to know who we truly are in Christ.  God created us in his image and his likeness.  He gave us dominion over this earth, over this realm, over the material world.  Adam chose for all men to give that dominion to Satan when he chose to be disobedient to God.  But Christ came and gave to all men, individually and collectively, the choice to decide for themselves if they want life or if they want death.

Spiritual life is a wonderful gift to have.  And life is as precious as freedom itself.  How do you know freedom if you have never been without?  How do you know life if you have never been without it?  How do you know death if you have never experienced life?  For he who is dead does not have life but only a dream.  And it is a dream that you wake up from and realize that you are dead.  In our life's dream we are given signs that tell us of our death.  We see death as though it were real life and true spiritual life as though it were a dream, something far off, something that may or may not exist but only in our imaginations. 

For those who seek to know life, Christ gave us the key.  He told us in his words how to experience life.  He spoke to us about the key to unlock death and open the door to eternal life, eternal life that we can see and experience and know with certainty, here on earth.  But we must awaken from the sleep of death.  We must open our eyes and see that we are asleep.  Once awake we can then seek the truth of life itself through Christ.  Some will balk at the idea of being told what to do.  Some will yield to the voice of disbelief and go back to sleep reasoning with the mind of the world.  But for those who seek, the door is open, the path is waiting for you to follow, the light shines at the end of the tunnel.  Come!  Find your treasure.  Know the truth of who you are in Christ.  The eye is the lamp of the body.  See the truth within yourself and gain the knowledge of the Holy Spirit within you.  Christ loves you and so do I.

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!