St. Matthew, Chapter 24, verse: 22b; For the Sake of the Elect.

Our paragraph topic is: (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 11.  

Christ continues to talk about the destruction of Jerusalem and how life would end.  He knows what the Father wants.  He knows the anger and the frustration of the Father.  So many times the Father has been merciful and patient with his creation.  He has waited centuries for mankind to become the family, the people, the community of love and understanding that they are capable of becoming.  Yet the world tempts and taunts the people to do evil, to be led astray from the love that the Father has for his people. 

Christ tells the people, pray, that they do not have to experience the great tribulation that comes in winter or on the sabbath.  For on those days such destruction will be seen as man has not witnessed since the beginning of time nor will be.  Jerusalem will be torn asunder.  Many will suffer.  There will be much pain and death.  When you see the signs do not turn back, run for the hills for there will not be time to save anything except yourself.  Christ tells them had those days of destruction not been shortened no living creature would be saved:  "But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened."   

All is not lost.  The elect will save some.  For their sake the world will not be lost, all living creatures will not be destroyed.  Thanks be to God that there are those who are chosen.  Thanks be to God that there are those who meet his favor, who are special to him and worth saving from destruction.  They are the ones who save mankind.  They are the ones who show the best of who we are.  They are the ones who do not yield to the temptations of the world, who do not fall prey to the traps of evil.  

We all are just human, weak and frail, struggling daily, attempting to know his will for us in this world.  We yield to temptation, but do we get up, ask for forgiveness, and repent of our sins.  Seeking forgiveness and repenting is our salvation.  Try and try as we might, we must continue to fight the struggle to live the life of love and trust and faith that Christ has given us to live.  And believe that as long as we believe with all our hearts and minds that he is our lord and savior and that we will be saved.  Believe that those days will be shortened, and we will be part of the elect of 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 24, verse: 22a; Saving living creatures.

Our paragraph topic is: (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 10.  

Again we have a look into the wrath of God.  In his anger in the past when he destroyed the earth before with the rain, his anger was complete.  40 days and 40 nights nonstop the rain filled the earth covering the entire planet with water, leaving no living creature alive except the chosen family of Noah.  Since that time, we have not seen nor heard of such natural destruction happening upon the earth.

Yet Christ makes his prediction to his disciples of the coming destruction of Jerusalem in which there will be such as man has not seen or heard of since the beginning of the world.  The wrath of his father is complete and unforgiving, and it is coming upon the city of Jerusalem.  He is telling the people to pray that they do not see this destruction.  For he tells them:  "And unless those days had been shortened, no living creature would be saved." 

So Christ is telling his disciples and the people that all life would be destroyed.  He is saying that all life on this planet would be eliminated and only plant life would be left.  What a sober thought to consider.  A second time in history mankind has been considered for extinction by our God.  What does that mean?  What are the consequences of end of life on this rock?  Are we meant to exist forever or does life end at some point in the distant future?  What is life?

We are born, we grow, we learn, we live in this ever-changing world, we grow old, and at some point in our lives, we die.  Life, however, continues on, it does not end.  Christ, however, is saying, in that time in the life of Jerusalem, it was considered that life on earth would end completely.  

Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.  He came and paid the price for our sins to free us from death.  We die individually, daily, but we live in him because he gave us life, if we choose to believe, in him.  He has life because he is of the Father and the Father is life.  We have life within us because Christ has given us life through his sacrifice if we believe in him.  Though we die physically, though the whole world ends, we continue to have life because he has given us this precious gift of life from the Father.  He loved us even before we knew him.  What can a man give in value equal to the value of his eternal life?    

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: 21b; Great Tribulation from the beginning.

 Our paragraph topic is: (The destruction of Jerusalem) Part 9.  

Who do you believe?  What do you believe?  Would you become fearful of the prediction of destruction that you were hearing from this prophet?  Would you not know what to do, where to go, who to trust, who to seek for answers?  Christ was foretelling the destructing of Jerusalem with such horrific detail that anyone would be fearful.  Was this a trick or was this real?  His words had been real before, why not now.  What were they to do with this dire prediction?

Pray, he told them.  Pray that this destruction does not take place in winter.  Pray, that this devastation does not take place on the Sabbath.  For if that will be the case then, he says great tribulation:  "Such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor will be."

Such were the spoken words of Jesus Christ.  Destruction like that which has never been seen or heard of before since the beginning of time will take place if this takes place on the sabbath or in the winter.  God made it rain for forty days and forty nights and destroyed all mankind except Noah and his family.  Christ says that that destruction is nothing compared to what will take place when Jerusalem is destroyed.  Pray, he tells them, pray, that this does not take place.  Pray, that you are spared this devastation, this destruction.

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.