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: 10c; Those who hate.

 Our paragraph topic is: (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 6.  

To them he looked like an ordinary man, but that was far from appearances.  He was more than what he appeared to be.  He saw more, he knew more, he understood more than ordinary man.  And he told his disciples more.  Hard times were to come and he wanted them to know, to be prepared.  The sheep would scatter.  The leaders would be persecuted.  The believers would become martyrs.  Many would turn against one another and dark times would prevail.  

Christ didn't have a crystal ball to tell the future, he knew it.  It was as if he could see what would happen in the future, as though time stood still and he walked through the future to see it all unfold.  He knew that there were many true believers who would become saints.  They sacrificed themselves for their beliefs.  He also knew that there were those who professed to believe but were hypocrites.  They were the ones who would turn and run for their lives.  He told his disciples, their would be those who would deny their belief:  "And will hate one another."

They had to hate in order to survive.  Survival was important to them because it was what they knew.  They did not know the Word.  They did not hear the message.  They did not accept the Word of God that there was more to life than just the physical.  Christ came to testify to the spiritual.  He came that we would have life, true life beyond just the physical.  And many missed the message of the kingdom of heaven that he came to give us.

Today we have the Word.  Today we know that there is life after death.  Christ came and conquered death.  He arose from death and ascended into heaven back to his Father where he sits at his right hand until the time comes for judgment.  We have a choice today.  We can choose life or we can choose death.  We can choose to believe or choose not to believe.  We can choose to love or choose not to love.  We can choose to be with Christ and have life eternal or death eternal.  This is what we are given today.

There is so much love and joy and happiness waiting for us in heaven.  All we have to do is accept and believe that we have a father who loves us.  Belief opens the door.  Love fills the heart.  Faith allows one to see the truth of his hand at work in your life.  Prayer speaks to him of our weakness, our fears and doubts.  It shows him that you seek his mercy and his love.  Open your heart.  Open your mind.  Open your soul and let him in.  For he is the fulfillment of all your dreams.

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: 10b; Those who betray.

Our paragraph topic is:  (He tells them of trials and hard times to come) Part 5.  

There are those who believe with all their hearts and all their minds and all their soul.  And they know within themselves the truth of who they are and what they believe.  It is difficult to sway them or change their minds in what they believe.  Trump believers are that way.  They would die for what they believe in the man, the symbol of what he stands for and what they believe he would do for them.  

In the days of Christ true Christians were that way also.  They were filled with the Holy Spirit and gave their lives for what they believed and knew to be within them.  They had the knowledge and the soul of Christ to guide them no matter what happened.  True followers.  Then there are those who were partial believers who only believed because they saw others believing and believed in what others believed.  Their belief is partially based in what they knew from outside of themselves and not from the spirit that was within them.  Then there were those who were borderline believers who may or may not believe.  They were there only because it was something new and they did not want to be left out.

What happened when oppression came?  What happened when Christians were persecuted for their beliefs?  What happened when followers were put in jail, slain, killed, murdered, fed to the lions simply because they knew that there was a God who loved them?  Did all fall away?  Will the followers scatter?  Will no one believe or worship as before?  Who will believe?  Who will carry the message?  Who will gather?  Who will pray and give alms, heal the sick, cure for the lame, feed the hungry, pray for the dying?  Will all be lost.  Christ told his disciples during this time of tribulation and many:  "Will betray one another."

Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Those famous words of Christ as he hung on the cross asking that those who persecuted him be forgiven, how can we accept such compassion for such an unforgiving crime.  Yet there it was, spoken from the mouth of our Lord and Savior, an example for us to follow, if we can only understand the depth of his wisdom and knowledge.  

We are but grains of sand in the Father's hands and yet he knows each and every grain by name.  He loves his creations of grains that he has given life to even though we are sinners.  We strive to do his will daily and live without sin.   That is our struggle, that is our battle.  Score one for sin. Score one for justice.  What will be the ultimate tally?  God forgive us.  God have mercy on us.  God have pity on these grains of sand.  

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.