St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 43a; The Kingdom.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Application of the parable) Part 3. 

The leaders, the priest, and the elders are being told by Christ their fate.  Those who would corrupt the fruit for their own desires are being given a warning.  They are the ones who were put in charge of the vineyard.  They are the ones who were supposed to till the soil and trim the weeds so that the fruit would grow uninhibited.  But they saw the fruit as their own.  They saw the fruit as an opportunity to fulfill their own dreams of wealth and power.  So they cultivated and prepared the fruit so that it would provide them with the desires of their heart, all in the name of the Lord.

Israel was a chosen people.  They were special in the eyes of the Lord.  He came down from heaven to provide for them, to care for them, as a mother hen would care for her chicks.  Yet they rebelled.  They decided their own rules and laws contrary to the laws given them by the Lord.  Their leaders became filled with power and pride and considered themselves above the Law of the common man.  So Christ told them:  "Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you." 

Our religious leaders have a special place in the heart of God.  They are the ones we look up to.  They are the ones that we turn to for guidance.  They provide us with our daily lessons that instruct us how to live.  We follow their example in all that we do.  We are the sheep and they are the shepherds.  We hear their voice and we follow.  God has called them to lead us and to guide us along the way.  He has given them special training and leadership skills.  And they are the vine-dressers that bring forth the fruit from the vineyard.

Do we know who we are?  Do we know that we are the sheep?  Do we believe that our leaders are the shepherds that we are to follow?  Or are there doubts as to who leads us and the example that they give?  Pray that you may know the truth of who you are.  Pray that your eyes may be opened as to who leads you and how you follow.  Pray that you may see the light that is within you and know that you are the beloved of God.  Then you will know the truth of who you are and where you belong. 

God will send you the Advocate.  The Advocate will lead you and guide you to find the place where you belong.  He will show you that place where you can grow and become the fruit that your Father has planted within you.  You are a child of God and his love is within you.  He will provide.  He will protect.  He will show you the way to a new path in life that you may live according to the abundance that he has given you.  Look around you and see.  Is this the place that you want to be?  Do you yearn for something more?  Pray that he will guide you!  Pray that he will show you the way!  Pray and listen for his guidance for he will hear 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 13, verse: 12, He who has vs He who does not have.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The disciples ask why He speaks in parables) Part 2. 

Christ has spoken to the people in parables and the disciples want to understand why.  This is a change for them.  He has taught before, directly to the people.  But now he talks in parables, he talks in stories and the disciples are puzzled.  So they question him that they may know why.  Christ tells them that it is given for them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  But to the crowds it is not given.  So he talks in stories that those who have hearing will hear the message and those who do not, will hear an entertaining story.

Many have come.  Some have come to hear.  Some have come to be entertained.  Some have come to be healed physically.  But few have come to have their souls cleansed.  Christ has told the story of the sower.  Some seed fell by the wayside and the birds came and ate the seed.  Some seed fell on rocky ground and did not have root.  When the sun came they were scorched and withered away.  Some seed fell upon ground with thorns.  And when the seed grew the thorns grew also and choked the seed and it died.  Some seed fell on good ground and yielded a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirtyfold.  The question asked is how does this apply to us.  Christ said he who has ears let him hear.

Christ explains to his disciples, "For to him who has shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who does not have even that which he has shall be taken away."   What does he have?  What shall be given that he will have abundance?  These are questions that rang true in the minds of the people that they may make sense of what Christ was telling them.  Some may have questioned the meaning.  Most may have just passed it off as a story.  But the disciples knew what was being said by Christ.  They knew the mystery of his teachings.  They understood the hidden meaning of his saying.  Only a few would know.

Will you have abundance?  Many today, seek abundance.  They plant their money seed in ministries throughout the world in the hope and expectation that their money seed will bring back a hundredfold or sixtyfold return or thirtyfold return.  After all this is what we are given by our pastors and preachers and teachers.  We must sow into the church so that the church will grow.  We must give a bounty to God that he may open a window of bounty to us. 

Christ said that he who has, it shall be given and to he who does not have, even that which he does have will be taken away.  How is this that those who are less fortunate will become even more less fortunate because what they have will be taken away?  Is this the meaning of what Christ has spoken?  What fruit shall we bring forth?  If the seed is the word and it is planted in us how shall we grow and produce fruit?  Are you a fruitful Christian?  Will you have abundance in your life?  Do you have, that you may have abundance or will it be taken away, even that which you have? 

Christ loves you and wants you to be fruitful, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.  He wants you to grow and yield spiritual fruit.  But some will only produce 30% of the time and 70% of the time they will not.  Some will produce 60% of the time and 40% of the time they will not.  And there are some that will be productive 100% of the time, at all times and in all ways.  Are you ready to be fruitful?  In which type of production category do you belong.  Are you a sometime christian, only 30% of the time?  Or are you a 60% christian leaving off 40% of who you can be?  Christ seeks all but looks for 100% Christians devoted to producing 100% of the time.  Be rooted in the good soil of Christ and you will produce 100% spiritual fruit that is pleasing to him.