Matthew 13:3-4;18-19

The Lord God desires for all 2 come 2 KNOW HIM;for everyone 2 come 2 have HIS REDEMPTION from the grave “created” by sin.The grave that actually makes us “dead men/women walking” if we have not been REDEEMED by the Blood of Christ!We don’t “just begin” the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice when we die,but at the moment we turn our lives over 2 Christ-seeking&trusting Him w our lives(N John10:1 Jesus says,”The thief(Satan)comes only 2 steal&kill&destroy,I came that they might have life & have it abundantly.”)A major tactic of Satan’s is to confuse our RIGHT UNDERSTANDING of life,& especially our RIGHT UNDERSTANDING of WHO God is,& WHAT God pleas 4 us 2 accept from Christ!The way Satan primarily does this is by messing w our “understanding” of God,2 the point of making God & His Ways “un-understandable” n worldly/fleshly terms.Our minds will have great difficulty n appreciating God’s Mercy&Grace when we allow our minds 2 think based on “fleshly/worldly” ways of living&thinking!Only when we begin 2 ponder “outside” of this life,& earnestly seek 2 “rightly know” the true purpose of life (setting our minds on things of the Spirit)will we have an honest potential 2 know the “life more abundant” that Christ desires us 2 have(Romans8:5-6.”For those who live according 2 the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh,but those who live according 2 the Spirit set their minds on things of the Spirit).Sorta/kinda like “missing the forest for the trees”!Jesus talks about this n the Parable of the Sower(Matthew13:3-4,18-19;”...so the seeds fell along the path & the birds came & devoured them.....When anyone hears the Word of The Kingdom& does not understand it,the evil one comes & snatches away what has been sowed n his heart...”).God desperately desires 4 everyone 2 KNOW/UNDERSTAND His Mercy&Grace through Christ,& to have “abundant life”!(1Timothy2:4,”....God our Savior...desires all people 2 b saved & come 2 the KNOWLEDGE OF the truth.4 there is ONE GOD, &there is ONE mediator between God & men,the man Christ Jesus.”)Even though I have trusted Christ as my Savior, I may b missing “abundant life” when I allow my “train of life&thought” 2 b overwhelmed by fleshly/worldly things(the trees),&drift from things of the Spirit(the forest,I.e.,”the bigger picture” of life & it’s Meaning/Purpose).The stuff that happens on a daily basis which causes this drift,may very well b a way the enemy is messing w me...2 veer my life away from the “abundant life” Jesus wants me 2 have,& away from daily knowing God’s Voice n my life!Dear Jesus,my mind&life so easily drift away from things of the Spirit & onto things that r worldly/fleshly! I pray 4 Your Holy Spirit 2 make me aware of this drift when it occurs,& 2 b my source of strength&courage&discipline2 correct the course of my life/mind 2,so I will know Your Spirit’s “course” toward the “abundant life” You desire for me!

Matthew 11:2-4

Satan is always attempting 2 discredit God n 1 way or another.The devil will work his way n2 our hearts&minds so he can make us have doubts about The Almighty God-Father,Son,&Holy Spirit!He does this by demeaning what The Lord has created;what The Lord has said;what the Lord has done;&what the Lord has shown us.And, he will make us “absentminded” of what The Lord has personally done n our lives!N Matthew11:2-4,John the Baptist has been attacked by the devil with this tactic!JtB sends word 2 Jesus asking Him,”Are you the one who is to come,or shall we look for another?”John the Baptist(JtB)was the one that baptized Jesus,&heard the Voice of God say,”This is my beloved Son,with whom I am well pleased.”(Matt:3:17b).Yet,n Matt11:2-4,JtB is seriously doubting Jesus.Jesus’ response is “awesome”!Jesus shows no signs of being upset w JtB over his doubting,nor does Jesus n any way try 2 make JtB “feel bad” about doubting.Nstead,Jesus reminds JtB of what he has seen Jesus do;what he has heard from Jesus;what he has heard from God.N doing this,Jesus is pointing JtB to Scripture/what The Old Testament has said about Jesus...so JtB will have what he has seen & heard,tested&proven by God’s Word about Jesus!We must “true up” all life w Scripture,ESPECIALLY a living relationship w Almighty God!The Lord does the same thing n our lives that he did w JtB.HE is always revealing HIMSELF 2 us through all creation,& life experiences,& HIS Word.But,if we r not grounded n God’s Word,we will b prey 2 the devil’s schemes that make us doubt GOD;GOD’s Love;GOD’s Wisdom;GOD’s Plan...& most of all WHO JESUS IS!Lord Jesus,I have had doubts about You;what I have heard from You,& even had doubts about what I have seen You DO n my life.Thank You,for the loving way that You come 2 me when I have these.For my own sake,please give me a growing hunger 2 know You more&more through Your Word & through prayer,and by Your Grace help me 2 live my days n all ways that honor WHO YOU are,& what You have done for me.

Matthew 9:16-17

N Matthew9:16-17 Jesus addresses the 2 major challenges we have n truly knowing HIM as Lord,& sustaining a vibrant relationship w HIM!Jesus 1st says that “no one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment,4 the patch will pull away from the garment,making the tear worse.”Jesus is telling the followers of John the Baptist that their “idea” of WHO HE IS,is not accurate...not BIG ENOUGH!That their lives would never benefit from HIS Presence with their current “ideas”/beliefs about HIM!If we ONLY believe that Jesus is a “super human prophet” from God with perfect wisdom,and/or JUST a “super human savior” from God that we need to listen to and follow...we will tragically miss what Jesus alone can do for our lives!Jesus is NOT any of the things above...HE is INFINITELY MORE!HE IS THE SON of the TRIUNE GOD....HE IS GOD!He is nothing less than GOD!When I believe less,my life will fade from the GLOW of GOD’S GLORY...the personal “benefits” of HIS Mercies&Grace,as well as the joys of seeing those around me impacted by GOD’s presence n & thru my life.Almost every aspect of our environment,ncluding church Programs,endeavors 2 put Jesus n a box of some kind!But,Jesus being GOD will not fit n any box of any understanding we r capable of.Every one of us will forever b learning more & more about WHO HE is,& what HE can do...what HE only desires 2 do for me(the BEST for me(Romans8:28)).It is a tragedy of epic proportions 2 miss THIS,because of having an anemic paradigm of Jesus!Jesus follows this statement w,”Neither do men pour new wine n2 old wineskins.If they do,the skins will burst,the wine will run out & the wineskins will b ruined.No,they pour new wine n2 new wineskins,& both r preserved.”N essence,Jesus is saying that if these folks “accept” the fact the Jesus is GOD,& do not have lives that r “made new”by HIS Presence n their lives..,they will ultimately turn from TRUTH...turn away from JESUS!2Corinthians4:17 says,”Therefore,if anyone is in Christ,he is a new creation.The old has passed away;behold,the new has come.”If WHO JESUS IS,is to have an everlasting BENEFIT n our lives,then the old must pass away,& we must b made new by HIS Presence n our lives.If not,eventually my life will “burst”/I will b “disabled” by my own resistance 2 GOD’s ways 2 have my life transformed by WHO HE is;transformed 2 b an Eternal Benefactor of GOD’s Mercy&Grace n all areas of my life!Dear Jesus,I do not have a BIG ENOUGH appreciation for WHO YOU are! Forgive me,& lead me so I am ever growing 2 know YOU more&more!And through YOUR Grace,make me new every day...so I will never “burst” from YOUR Presence n my life.

Matthew 8:28-34

There r areas of my life n which I have always been “afraid” of what The Lord may ask of me.I have been “held back”n areas of my life from knowing Jesus n all areas of my life by “being afraid” of what it might “mean” if I were to truly turn over some areas of my life to Him.Even though I KNOW what the Bible says about what The Lord’s plans 4 me nJeremiah29:11(For I know the plans I have 4 u,declares The Lord,plans 2 prosper u & not 2 harm u,plans 2 give u hope & a future),there r still areas n my life that I am hanging on 2...areas that I am “not willing to give up/afraid of losing something”.Because of this I am missing the greatest BLESSING of all->having the presence of Jesus n ALL areas of my life!I am also missing what His Great Love has for me n areas of my life that I am “hanging on 2”.N Matthew8:28-34 an entire town becomes afraid of what they may “lose” if Jesus sticks around,so they ask Him 2 leave.N essence the same thing I am doing n some areas of my life!These townspeople had heard the demons n 2 men identify Jesus as the Son of God(Matt8:29),& known/seen the AUTHORITY&POWER of Jesus when the demons obeyed Jesus & leaped n2 herd of pigs.These people saw & heard WHO Jesus is! They witnessed the FREEDOM&HEALING that Jesus gave these 2 men;the healing that occurred bcuz of this FREEDOM.But the townspeople were blinded 2 what/WHO was n their PRESENCE,bcuz of what they feared they may lose.These people were raising pigs-not usually something being done by Jews at this time,bcuz pigs were still considered unclean.They were doing something that was keeping them from following The Lord n all areas of their lives.Jesus comes to their town,& performs a miracle n their midst that not only radically blesses 2 men,but also “heals” their community of uncleanliness!You see,God’s plans for my good r not only 4 how His Love desires 2 bless me,but ALSO how He so desires 2 heal me/cleans me from sin!The townspeople decided that the “healing” Jesus is capable of was not what they wanted!They were 2 afraid of what they may lose(the pigs/sin)n the process of healing!They were amazed by what they saw Jesus DO 4 the 2 men! BUT,they were “uncomfortable” w the HEALING from sin!I.e.,what they may need 2 “give up”n order 2 b healed.God never asks us 2 give up something that is 4 our BEST!His heart breaks 4 us when we hang on to the very things that keep us from THE BEST that HE has waiting 4 us.The very things that also keep us from HIS PRESENCE n out lives...things that squelch/choke the Holy Spirit n our lives.Dear Lord Jesus,4 give me 4 hanging on to so many things/areas of my life that r keeping me from having YOUR Love&Grace expressed into all areas of my life,by YOUR Presence n all areas of my life.Help me 2 change this,& 2 welcome YOUR Presence into ALL areas of my life.HEAL me,& FREE me from all things that r keeping me from knowing YOU throughout my entire life.

Matthew 8:18-22

N Matthew8:18-22,Jesus addresses 2 different people,with 2 different “ideas” about following Christ!The 1st is a scribe who wants 2 follow Jesus because of what he believes it will “mean” for him!This scribe believed that Jesus had come 2 set up His Kingdom,& he wanted 2 b a “part of” that...he wanted to “ride the wave” of Jesus’ rise to power;he wanted his ideas of the “benefits/blessings” of being a follower of Jesus!Jesus’ response is letting the scribe know that his “ideas”of what following Jesus would mean FOR him were far from the Truth!In fact,Jesus let him know that following Him would mean letting go of his “life plans” 4 worldly success & social graces;that his “thinking” was wrong - that following Jesus would not necessarily b worldly “beneficial” for him-but truly following Jesus would mean so much more!This probably turned the scribe’s life paradigm upside down!The 2nd person was actually 1 of his followers who was struggling w “religious traditions”!Jesus was not telling him/her 2 disrespect their father!Jesus was addressing this persons struggle w what “traditions” led him/her 2 do,& what truly following Jesus would mean!There were religious traditions this person was struggling with-beliefs about how a person lived if they were 2 b accepted by “church standards”.This person had become faithful 2 “church standards”,& drifted from being faithful 2 God & His Word.Traditions had displaced the relationship God desired 2 have.Jesus is telling this disciple that truly following Him would mean addressing preconceived notions about being “religious”,& seeking a personal relationship w Jesus!In essence Jesus says,”Follow me”,& do not let preconceived religious notions mislead you.Both of these people were being “held back” from what Jesus desires for each to have-from the genuinely abundant life that The Lord desires for us.Both r being “held back” by wrong paradigms of what will bring them the most joy&fulfillment n life!Joy&Fulfillment that has the abundance of being everlasting/eternal!Jesus is calling these 2 people(& me)to much more than what they(or I) “want”!Jesus talks about this n John10:7-10,”Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers,but the sheep did not hear them.I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly!””.Jesus tells us that we do have an enemy that comes to us,to steal from us by using wrong ideas about life and wrong ideas about what following Christ actually means for us!Jesus encourages us 2 come to Him & turn loose of our worldly & religious notions that r not only incorrect,but seeking to “steal life” from us.Jesus is calling the 2 n Matthew8:18-22(&me)to a more abundant life than what any of their worldly aspirations could ever bring.And calling them(&me)away from the piety of religious traditions so they(&I) can know the freedom&the blessings of knowing His Grace&Mercies personally!Dear Lord! I know that my life is contaminated every day w wrong ideas about life,& about You!I pray that I may b drawn 2 Your Word & Your Spirit n ways which not only correct my wrong ideas about life &You...may I also appreciate the LIFE MORE ABUNDANT that You desire for me!