St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 38; A Desolate House.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Lamentation over Jerusalem) Part 5.  

God sent his messengers to warn them, but they would not listen.  He sent prophets to prophesy but they would not hear.  They were stubborn.  They were arrogant.  They were full of their own beliefs.  They could not see the changing of the tides, the coming storm.  God wanted to protect them.  They refused to believe in the God of their fathers.  It was so long ago that it was a distant memory and no one cared.  The people had forgotten.

The signs were there for everyone to see.  Some saw and believed.  The faithful knew what was coming.  They heard the messages and believed.  They heard the warnings.  They prepared themselves for the coming storm.  But the leaders failed to warn the people.  They failed to carry the message to the general public.  They failed their responsibility to the people because they were to busy partying in their palaces.  So:  "Behold, your house is left to you desolate."

Torn down, destroyed, burned, years of architectural wonder desiccated for all eternity.  They were warned but would not listen.  They given signs but could not see.  Over and over again opportunity was given them to heed the message but they refused to do so and now the house is gone, the beauty is destroyed, the joy of yesteryear is no more.

It is said that you don't miss your water until the well runs dry.  All the signs are there telling you that the water is drying up but you do not see.  The water is getting lower and lower but you believe that it will always be the same, today, tomorrow and forever.  We are only as old as we think but our bodies say otherwise.  This is the fact of life that we must recognize no matter how much science breakthroughs may want to change our minds about our health.  Death is our inevitable end.

And yet death is only a transition from the physical to the spiritual.  Christ came to demonstrate that fact to us.  He overcame death.  He rose from the grave.  He ascended into heaven and he awaits for each and every one of us who chooses to receive him as our Lord and Savior.  For he paid the price for each of us to have a new life.  And that price is simply asking for forgiveness of our sins and accepting and believing in him.  He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  Thank you Christ Jesus for your great gift.  Thank you for opening my heart and showing me the way to 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: 37b; Gathered thy children.

Our paragraph topic is: (Lamentation over Jerusalem) Part 2.  

Christ cried out for the city on the hill, Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem!  He loved the city and the people within it.  His passion for them was deeply held within him for he knew what was to happen.  Yet with all the effort to stop the trials and tribulations nothing happened.  Messengers were sent, prophets were delivered so that the people would hear the message but the city would not have it.

Christ knew.  He saw the past and the future of the city.  He knew what would happen and his heart wept for the people and especially for the children.  He cried:  "How often would I have gathered thy children together."   The children that he so loved and cared for that he wanted to protect but could not.  The little ones that were so precious to him who's hearts were so full of love who's lives were cut short.   These were the ones that he wanted to protect, to provide for but could not because the city would not.  

Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem, why did it have to be this way.  Sin City, Sin City, why do you call us to do the things that we do?  Why do you corrupt?  Why do you create greed?  Why do you cause us to slander?  Why do you cause us to loose all our morals just to seek the false glitze and glamour of the bright lights of your city?  Sin City, even the children are brought here to be influenced at an early age.

We cry and we weep for we must have the life that is flashed before us daily, in our lives and in our dreams.  These are our goals.  This is what we live for and what we die for, to live the golden life.  And yet we do not realize that we already have the golden life.  It has already been given us.  Christ came that we would have it and have it more abundantly.  But we do not understand that it is already there for us.  We are blinded by the glitz and glamour of the bright lights of the world and what it has to offer. 

What thing of value can a man offer for his own soul?  There is nothing more valuable in this world than a man's soul.  Lose not your own! 

 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: 31b; Those who killed the prophets.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their persecution of religion) Part 5.  

Christ is speaking directly to the Scribes and the Pharisees on how they are destroying the religion of the people.  The things they are doing and the rules and the laws they enforce have little to do with increasing the faith of the people but instead destroying their belief in their God.  Why is it so difficult on the people at this time in their lives?  Why do the leaders proclaim so many laws that they have to follow?  Why are they treated like slaves where every move is watched over by the religious leaders to make sure they are doing no wrong?  Why is there no mercy in the Lord?

God heard the cries and sighs of his people and sent his prophets to warn the leaders of their harsh treatment of the people.  He sent messengers to the Pharisees to tell them of their wrongs. The prophets proclaimed in the streets the message of God but the leaders would not have them stirring up the people with a different word than that which came from them.  To put an end to the messenger they killed the prophets, spilled their precious blood.   And the people were left without the message.  The new leadership followed in the same footsteps as their fathers maintaining the same rules, persecuting the religion as their fathers before them.

When Christ confronted them about their fathers, they tried to escape their heritage but they only convicted themselves by their own words.  He told them that they can not deny: "That you are the sons of those who killed the prophets." 


They, indeed, were the heirs of their fathers who killed the prophets.  As much as they might try to hide from that fact it would be part of their heritage.  Their fathers trained them, taught them how to rule the people.  They taught them the ins and out of leadership, and getting ride of the opposition was one of the key tools handed down to the children.  This was how they ruled the people.  Keep everyone in line.  

We see this even today, in every corner of industry, government, management, finance, business, etc.  As long as you stay in line with your leaders and do as they ask, keep your head down, don't make trouble, no matter what, you will be fine.  If you see something wrong, ask too many questions, speak up at the wrong time, you are subject to find yourself at the back of the line and out the door.  These are the rules of our society and they are enforced down to the man.

Ask yourself, where do you want to be in life?  On the inside or on the outside?  How far are you willing to go to achieve your goals?  What are you willing to do to get there?  Are you willing to lie, cheat, steal, slander, cause harm, murder, lower your moral standards, whatever? We are driven to get ahead.  We are motivated daily to have the things that we see that others have.  We want the same things and we will have them!  And then there is that little voice that sits on our shoulder that tells us how to get what we want if we only have the guts and the courage to take it.  Evil has come full circle.

Christ came to redeem us from the evil in the world.  He came to give us a new life, a life rich with all the joy and happiness that this world cannot offer.  He came that we might have peace within, knowing that we are already wealthy, rich beyond the worldly material of mankind.  Our joy lies with him.  Our peace is in him.  Our love is from him.  We are in him and he is in those who will accept him.  

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 22, verse: 8; They were not worthy.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The king's anger) Part 3.  


Christ continues to compare the kingdom of heaven to the king and his wedding feast.  The king had made all the preparations to have a great feast in honor of his son.  Yet the people that were invited did not come.  They did not show up.  And further, in order to stop the talk by king's messengers, they beat and killed them.  They did not want to hear about this wedding feast any more.  They did not care what would happen.  They just wanted to stop the message from being spread throughout the kingdom.

This angered the king so much that he sent his soldiers out to those villages and towns and burnt them to the ground and killed all the inhabitants.  Then the king set another date, after all this had happened, and prepared to celebrate a great event.  "Then he said to his servants, 'The marriage feast indeed is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.' "  

What meaning, what understanding can we gather from this today?  Did we get the invitation to come to the party?  Did we ignore the message and beat the messengers?  Are we worthy to attend this great celebration?  The call is out.  The tables are set.  What is our hesitation?  Why do we tarry?  What holds us, what prevents us, what turns us away from the event of a life time?  Are we on the fence of life considering the possibilities, or are we walking on the green grass that's on the other side having second thoughts about what we may miss?

We are given a choice.  We have the opportunity to decide what we want to do with our lives.  But there is also the influence of the world that weighs upon our everyday decisions.  We can think about it for a minute and then  forget it because we are back in the realm of the world going about our daily lives.  And our daily lives are governed and guided by the world.  For it is the world that we live in.  And it is the world that decides for us who and what we are going to do each and every day.  

The struggle is ours.  We can go along with the rest and do as the world dictates.  Or we can make a choice and go against the flow, swimming up stream.  What does it benefit us?  What do we profit going against the flow?  Will we get tired and allow the current of the world to carry us in whatever way the stream flows?  We need help.  We need guidance.  We need protection.  It would be easier if we had a boat to take us upstream.  It would be easier if we had a motor to drive the boat that would take us upstream.  If we had to row of our own energy we would eventually tire and be swept away by the current.

Everything is prepared and the feast is about to begin.  Are you worthy of the invitation?  Are you thankful of the invitation?  Are you grateful that you were invited?  Do not be angry that you continue to hear the message.  Do not turn away when you hear the calling.  For the king wants all to come.  He wants all to be invited.  He wants all to enjoy the happiness that he affords.  He is a happy king.  He is a joyous king.  He is a loving king and he will provide all with the means to make the journey for those who want to come .  All we need to do is to decide to come!

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 22, verse: 7b; The King destroys the murderers.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The king's anger) Part 2.  

We continue with the parable of the kingdom of heaven compared with the king and the wedding feast.  The people of the town were tired of hearing about the king's wedding feast so they beat and killed the messengers.  When the king heard of it he was extremely angry.  Just as the king of heaven would be if his messengers were killed.

What would his judgement become?  What would he do to the people of the town who committed such a crime.  Well the king in the parable did this:   "And he sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city."  In the same way one can say that the king of heaven would do the same.  He would send out his angels and destroy the city and burn it to the ground.  This happened with Sodom and Gomorrah.

This is the message that Christ relates to the people so they can have a reference in their time.  They live in the time of their own king.  They also live in the time of the king of heaven our God.  So He wants the people to understand that the their God wants to have a party and he wants those invited to come.  But if they choose not to come, and if they choose to kill his messengers then there will be a price to pay.

Can we relate to this message today?  Can we find meaning in the message that comes down from heaven through Christ our Lord.  He wants us to understand.  He wants us to know.  He wants us to believe in the word, to trust in the word because the word comes down to us from God himself.  There will be a price to pay for those who seek to destroy and murder those who carry the word, his messengers.  

We talk about the word of God as though we understand all.  Yet there are mysteries that we do not comprehend.  There are hidden messages that do not reveal their meaning openly.  If we seek to know, if we seek to understand we must search within to find the secrets.  For God has given to us the ability to understand.  He has created us in his image and his likeness.  Yet God is not human.  God is not of flesh and blood.  God is not of this physical realm but we are.  And in that understanding comes the truth of who we are. 

We are of his image but he is not human.  We are of his image but we are human.  And in those statements lies the truth of who we are.  We are spiritual just as our Father is of a spiritual nature.  And within us is the truth of our spiritual nature.  Seek it and you shall find it.  Open the door and you shall see it.  Leap from the physical to the spiritual through belief and you shall know it.  For Christ came that we would have true life and have it more abundantly.  He came to be an example.  He came to lead the way.  He came to give us the truth of who we are.  He came to show us the love of our Father.  And most of all he came to free us from sin.  

We have a choice today, to believe or not to believe.  We have a choice today, to be human or to be spiritual.  We have a choice today, to know the truth of who we are in Christ or not to know.  And it is in that choice that we live.  For from the beginning the choice was made for us.  But through Christ the choice is given to each of us individually.  So choose where you will be.  Choose what you will believe.  Choose to know the truth and look within and find it.

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 22, verse: 7a; The King's anger.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The king's anger) Part 1.  

We continue the parable of the kingdom of heaven that Christ is relaying to the people so that they can have some understanding.  He tells the story in terms that the people can relate to because they have a king.  And often their king has celebrations that the entire population of that town knows about because he sends out messengers throughout the town to proclaim to the people the news of the celebration.  In this parable the king sends out messengers a second time because no one came when he sent the first message to those invited. 

The king was happy.  He wanted to celebrate with his subjects the marriage of his son and the new bride.  But no one came upon sending out the second messengers.  In fact he learned that his messengers had been beaten and killed.  "But when the king heard of it, he was angry." 

The people of the town can relate to an angry king because they have seen and lived through times when their own king is angry.  They know the consequences of his anger.  And this is an idea that Christ wants the people to know about when they think of the kingdom of heaven.  They killed and destroyed the king's messengers which is something that you did not do in those times. 

Can we relate today to this parable in the same way as the people in the time of Christ?  What would happen today if the word of God was destroyed?  What would God do?  Christ came that we would know of the Father.  He left us with the Church that we would have places to go, places of sanctuary.  And he proclaimed that the kingdom of hell shall not prevail against it. 

So we see today that even though there are instances of evil taking over portions of the church, in total the church still prevails and God watches over that which is his.  For if the church would fall God would become very angry and would seek his vengeance upon those who would seek to destroy that which Christ built.  We have a loving God, a God of peace.  But we also have a God that will anger against those that would seek to destroy that which is his.  Be happy.  Be thankful that wrongs committed against those who seek the righteousness of his word will rouse the anger of our God .  For he is judge and jury, and vengeance is his alone.

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 22, verse: 6; And they killed the messengers.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The marriage feast) Part 5.  

No one showed.  No one came to the feast.  The invitations were sent out twice but no one came to the party.  Everyone was talking about it.  Everyone said that they were going.  But they were too busy to celebrate with the king and his son.  He sent out the invitations twice so no one could say that they did not get it.  They were complacent and had other more important things to do than to spend time with the king.

They were tired of hearing about the king's party.  The messengers had come around on several occasions talking about the celebration and everyone was talking about it.  But no one went when the time came.  So they were frustrated and wanted to stop the talk about this event.  And so: "The rest laid hold of his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them." 

They killed the messengers.  The king sent them out to remind those invited that the celebration was ready and they killed them.  They beat them, kicked them, spat on them, and then killed them.  Is that something that we would do today?  Would we kill the messengers if they came around talking about the kingdom of heaven and we did not want to hear them?  Would we treat them badly and kill them?  We often see them on the corners of our local streets, preaching hell and damnation.  Often we think of them as bible thumping preachers who have nothing else to do.  We see them and then we continue on about our business.  We believe that our message will be preached in the churches and not on the streets.  But this was the way it was in the time of Christ.  There were no churches, just the synagogue.

Today we don't kill them because it is against the law.  But we do kill them because we ignore them.  We see them but we do not.  We hear them but we do not hear them.  We believe what they are saying but we do not.  We live in two worlds.  We live in the physical world and we live in the spiritual world, if we believe.  We respond to the physical world because that is what we see and feel everyday.  But the spiritual world is within us.  The spiritual world requires something of us that the physical does not, that we believe.  We say that we believe but do we really.  

God, our Father, calls us to be his children, created in his image and likeness.  Our Father is a loving god and he would expect the same of us.  He is a god of provision and protection.  He would not allow anything to happen to his children just as we are parents and would not allow anything within our power to happen to our own children.  We love them and they give us love and happiness.  They are a part of us and we are a part of them.  So as we grow and become more a part of the physical world let us reflect back and think about the part where we were young and had parents to provide for us.  So today we are children of our God and he provides for and cares for us.  He is having a celebration and all are invited.  Come, join the party.

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 21, verses: 43b; The fruit of the Kingdom.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Application of the parable) Part 4. 

It was accepted by the people of Israel that they were a special people.  They lived by the Law because it was given to them by their priest and the elders.  The Law was written for the people and handed down from God so that they would have principles to live by.  Their history was written for them to study and learn and was read to them each Sabbath to remember.  But throughout their long history up to this point when Christ came, the people became disgruntled and objected to the implementation of the Law.

Over the years much was added to the simple commandments handed down to Moses for the people.  And so the Law became oppressive to keep the people in line.  God sent many prophets to warn the people and their leaders that they must change.  Yet the messengers were brutalized and killed.  And when time was completed Christ came  just as it was written in the Torah and foretold by the prophets.  But the rulers could not see.  They could not understand his words.  They were unbelieving of the miracles he performed.  So they missed the opportunity to change.  Christ told them:  "Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people yielding its fruits." 

They were the first people chosen by God.  He led them out of the wilderness and gave them a promised land.  He protected them.  He provided for them.  He loved them as his own.  But they were a disobedient people.  A willful people who were determined to make their own way, even though they had seen the power of the strong arm of the Lord.  They knew that he watched over them.  They knew that they were special to him.  Yet they were led astray through the whims of their leaders and the evil that was in the world.

We are the people of yesteryear.  Our ancestors go back to the time of the Jews and the Gentiles.  We are a part of that culture, a part of that history.  That was two thousand years ago and this is today.  And a long time has passed since that history was written.  Do we continue to believe in the words that are written in those ancient texts?  Do we continue to follow the commandments?  Do we continue to follow the traditions handed down to us by those who came before us?

We have the world of today and the world of yesterday.  What we see, hear and believe of today is more exciting and compelling than the world of yesterday.  The commandments tell us to live one way and the world of today tells us to disregard yesterday and live for today.  Party!  Live life to the fullest!  Do whatever it takes to make it to the top!  There is no tomorrow or afterlife so one must enjoy what is here today.  These are the precepts that we hear and see daily.  Yet are they the truth, are they enough to bring joy and happiness into our lives?

The truth be told we struggle to find the truth.  But for those who seek it, their eyes will be opened, their minds will believe, their hearts will be given a new life that will bring peace and joy.  For those are the ones who will know that God lives.  Those are the ones who will be able to see his miracles worked in their lives.  Those are the ones who will know his love for them and have no doubts about what lies beyond the death of the body.  He said: "My sheep know me and they hear my voice."  He calls to all.  But only his sheep hear!

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.