St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 11a; False Prophets.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 7.  

I am trying to imagine the stories that Christ is telling his disciples about the hardships and trials they will face in the coming months and years.  What would I think if I were there in his presence listening to the words coming from God himself through Christ to me.  After all Christ was the Word of God, the two were one being.  Would I become fearful?  Would I be afraid?  Would I not want to be a disciple anymore?  Yet this was my creator, my savior, my Lord, the one who has all the answers to my needs, the one who gives life eternal.  Why should I not believe in him and his protection if he is telling me all these things in advance so that I will know what will happen?

He is my rock, the foundation of all my faith.  I am blessed that I have been chosen to be here in his presence listening to his words.  I should have no fear, no doubt, no anxiety.  He has given me the tools I need to overcome the trials and tribulations I will face.  He has promised that he will be with me always.  He has assured me that he will send another to help and guide me along the path of life to overcome any and all obstacles.  This is why he is telling his disciples: "And many false prophets will arise." 

How will we know them when they come?  How will we be able to determine who is false and who is real?  Will there be miracles to show the difference?  Or will there be fake magic to confuse and mislead?  What tools do we have to help us make the decision who to follow or who not to follow?

Today we have many churches of many different denominations.  It seems that everyone wants to have a church or to preach the gospel to the people.  Christ told his disciples that when persecutions begin that many will fall away and hatred will abound.  Some will see opportunity to take up the mantel and proclaim themselves as prophets of God.  And today we must be careful to discern in our hearts who are the real prophets and who are the false prophets.  Beware of what you hear and what you see.  Do not allow yourself to become involved with that which is not a part of the good that is within you.  For that which is good will be turned to evil.

Christ came to show us the way to the truth and the light.  He came to open the door so that all who desire to know the truth have a way to find it through faith if they desire within their hearts to seek it.  There is an advocate that will come and be with you to guide you along the way to the truth of who you are within.  Open the door and let the light shine in.  Do not let the false prophets of today confuse or mislead you.  You have an advocate.  You have a connection to someone who loves and knows you.  Seek him and he will find you.  Ask for him and he will answer.  Knock at his door and he will open and greet you with open arms of love.  God is your father and your God of love. 

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 24, verse: 5a; In my name.

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ warns them not to be led astray) Part 2.  

Their hearts were racing and their minds were wondering what was to come.  They could imagine all sorts of possible outcomes, all sorts of disasters, all sorts of horrors to come, but they needed to know from Christ himself what was to happen.  He wanted them to know but did not want to fill their minds with such horrors that they would not be able to withstand the nature of the truth.

Do not be led astray, he told them.  Let no one come and tell you all sorts of stories to lead you in the wrong direction.  Be wary of anything that you hear.  Do not believe all that people speak of because there will be much spoken about the coming end.  He told them: "For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' "

What would we believe today?  Would we follow someone who called himself the Christ if he came to earth today and declared himself to be?  What proof would he give?  What words would he speak?  What knowledge would he have for us?  What miracles would he perform to show us that he is the true Christ?  Would we believe?  Would we follow such a one?

In his own words, in this book of witnesses, in this gospel of Matthew, Christ tells us not to be led astray.  He tells us that many will come in his name and declare themselves as the Christ.  None will be so.  For only the Son of Man will come on a cloud for all of mankind to see with awe and majesty with angels and sounds of trumpets.  And no imposter will come in such a manner except him.  So if anyone else declares himself as the Christ do not believe.  Do not be misled.  There is but one Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, son of the Father, God.

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.