St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 31a; Witness against self.

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

It must have been a great honor and privilege to live in the time of Christ.  Though I must admit that compared to today there were many hardships.  Many of the conveniences that we have today they did not have.  Running water, and toilets, and refrigerators, stoves, and TV's, music, radios, all the modern things we take for granted they did not have.  But then they had the greatest gift of all, Christ.

He came to be amongst the people, to walk with them and talk with them, to hear their laughter, their cries, their sighs, their tears, moans and groans.  And he gave relief to many. Yet he saw the cause of much of the sorrow and pain of the people, the evil and the fear that came from the misdirection of the religious leadership of the people.  For years the religious leadership had persecuted the people.  The Scribes and the Pharisees ruled over the people as though they were slaves and not the people of God whom they were to love.  They killed the prophets and the messengers sent by God because they wanted to maintain their positions of power.  Christ told them:  "Thus you are witnesses against yourselves."


The Bible tells us that our words will be our witness against us on the day of judgment.  Every word we speak will be written in the book of judgment and on that day will be used to judge who we are.  Speak good or speak evil, it will all come out on that day.  The truth will be known as to who we are.  Are we a tree that bears good fruit or one that brings forth bad fruit?  The mask will be taken off and the truth will be known.

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.