St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 14c; The End.

Our paragraph topic is:  (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 13.  

They asked him to tell them of these things, when they would happen, the signs of their coming, and when the end would come.  Curious minds wanted to know what would happen.  They wanted to know details.  They wanted to be aware of the coming doom.  Little did they know that they would not see the day that it would happen.  They would be long dead and buried before the end came.  Yet Christ gave the word that the gospel of the kingdom would be told throughout the world before the end would come.

Nations would know of his words of the coming of the end before it would happen.  The disciples were the witnesses who would relay the message of the coming doom so that all would know of his words.  They would put to words his message so that all would have the opportunity to read and know the prophesy of Christ of the coming end of the world.  He told them that the gospel would be preached in the whole world:  "And then will come the end."  

We today still wait for the end.  We do not know, even though we have heard of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.  We still wait for the coming of the trails and tribulations predicted by Christ.  Some do not believe that they will come and go about their lives as though nothing will happen.  Others have not made any preparations for its coming.  They ask no forgiveness nor seek no thoughts of the wrongs they have committed against God and their fellow man.  Yet the clock ticks and time marches on minute by minute second by second.

The message has been given to those who would listen, those who have ears to hear, who hearts to believe, who have blood to fear.  It is available for all to read and know.  Their is no excuse, no escape.  God is patient for he wants all to have the opportunity to receive his grace.  But there is a limit to his mercy.  There is a limit to his patience.  There is a limit to what he will allow to pass without his judgement.  The end will come weather now or in the future, weather for the living or for those who have passed on.  All will see and all will know of it's coming, when it is happening.  Pray for God's mercy. Pray that we may not be caught up in the storm.  Pray that his love will save us from the trials and tribulations to come.  In Christ's name pray.

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: 19b; Which is greater?

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 10.  

He called them blind ones because they could not see beyond the physical.  They were the spiritual leaders of the people but they had no spirit themselves.  Their religion was contrived, earthly, physical, without the understanding of the knowledge and wisdom of God.  They had the writings handed down by God to Moses.  They had the writings from the prophets. But they did not have the deep understanding and wisdom that came from the study of the wisdom from God and the Holy Spirit.

Christ came to give understanding.  He came that eyes would be opened.  He came that ears would hear.  He came that joy would be in the hearts of men once again from knowing that there is a true living God in heaven who loves mankind.  He came to show that there is forgiveness of sin for those who seek it.  He came to give clarity to their distorted religion to show:  "For which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift!" 

The altar is the sacred table upon which we place our gifts of thanks to God for his graciousness of the benefits that he has given us.  For it is by his goodness that we live and breathe and eat and find the many things in life that we have on a daily basis.  The sun shines every day and the rain comes, and the wind blows, and the plants grow from the ground and we have food to eat and the many things that we have that we take for granted everyday that others do not have or that someday may be taken away.  Where would we be without his grace? 

It is through his grace that we live and breathe each day.  The gifts that we give back have no meaning to the one who created them but it is the altar that we place them upon that makes them sacred, that transforms them into blessed gifts coming from the ones that he has created that shows our gratitude to our God for the many, many things that he does for us.  

How can we possibly repay?  How can we possibly make up for all that is given to us?  It is only through these gifts placed upon the sacred altar that are transformed that express our love and thanks for him that is our Lord and Savior and our God.  Thank you God our Father.  Thank you Lord Jesus.  Thank you Holy Spirit for all that you do for 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.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 17a; Blind fools.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 4.  

He called them blind guides.  They were the leaders of the church, the leaders of the people, the religious guides at the time.  Yet Christ said that they were blind guides not knowing where they were going, where they were leading the people.  He said that they traveled miles to make a convert only to make that person a son of hell.

What kind of leaders would do that?  What kind of spiritual leaders would convert a soul to hell instead of heaven?  Yet that was the leadership present at the time of Christ and he wanted the people to know who they were following.  He wanted his disciples to know the kind of men that they would replace because he called this leadership: "You blind fools!"

They were not blind in the physical sense.  They could see with their eyes.  But their minds could not interpret what their eyes saw and their ears could not understand what was being spoken by what they heard and thus they were deceived.  And thus they were blind fools in total denial of what was happening around them.  The world was in the process of change.  The people where changing due to the excitement of the mood and the mist of change.  But the fools could not see it, they could not hear it, they could not understand it because they were in their own world apart from the rest.

Will this be the same today?  Will the coming of the Lord be a subtle change that we who are expecting him only know?  Will the excitement of his coming be in the air, on our minds, in our thoughts that others will not be able to see or understand because they are blinded by the world around them no matter how much we try to show them.  Will it all be too late for them?  Will our leaders be blind guides telling the people not to worry, not to be concerned?  Will they listen to the blind guides or listen to their hearts and turn to the Lord for their answers?  

Christ came and gave us new life.  We were dead but he renewed our sentence, paid our penance, and gave us new life.  Today we have a choice to have life in him.  We have a choice to be with him for eternity.  We have a choice to be fulfilled.  Today we have a choice to live.

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.