Matthew 15:12-14
Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
Whose garden are you growing in, the Father’s or the enemies? Where we are growing not only determines whose we are but who we are as well. Jesus said plainly that if we aren’t planted by His Father, then we will be pulled up by the roots, and if we are planted by His Father, we will produce His fruit as well! It starts in the soil but is proved true by its fruit! We must first be planted in Christ to produce Christ-like fruit.
Too often, I think we put the cart before the horse and try to produce fruit for Him or on our own. My friends, this just doesn’t work; we in and of ourselves are not capable of producing all that He has for us. How can something that is finite produce something that is infinite unless the Infinite produces it in the finite? But praise God because He is faithful and patient, willing to deal with us in our weaknesses to produce in us a righteousness that will last forever!
Since we’re talking about plants and how they grow, think about this. The plant in the field is not consumed with how it’s growing or how fast it is growing. It’s not constantly saying to itself, grow grow grow. But rather, it just enjoys the soil it’s been planted in, soaking up the sun from above and the water it’s been given all the while growing little by little until one day it’s full grown! Our faith and walk with Christ must be handled the same way. We must enjoy the soil (place) He has planted us, soaking up the Risen Son from above and drinking deeply of the Living Water, and He will slowly grow us and produce what is pleasing to Him!
Truly, the pressure is off of us; our job is to fully surrender and be His. He always does the heavy lifting. If you don’t believe, just look at the cross!
2 Corinthians 5:21- For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
God bless! I love you all, but His love lifted the cross up in surrender and our lives out of the pit! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Matthew 15:29,30
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet; and He healed them.
These people climbed up on the side of a mountain to be with Christ and be healed by Him; would we? If it doesn't come easy, if it costs us more than we thought, if it requires a little work, will we still serve Him? Will we go the extra mile just to be with Him? These people were willing to do it, but are we? They not only had faith but their actions matched that faith. They didn't wait at the bottom, hoping He would come down but put their faith in action and climbed up to Him. It doesn't say, but there might have been some who had faith but didn't climb that mountain that day. Did they receive their healing? We don't know, but we do know that those who had faith and walked in it did!
I see this as a physical story of a spiritual truth. That those of us who are or have been blinded, crippled, handicapped, and silenced by our sin can find freedom if we faithfully climb the mountain of grace our God is on! This isn't about earning grace or buying freedom but having faith and persevering in it.
Sometimes this walk with the Lord feels like a stroll through the park, and other days it feels like you’re dredging through the valley, but every day God is good, and we have to faithfully walk in Him! Let us not wait at the foot of the mountain today but climb up and find our healing and rest from this world in our King!
Matthew 11:28-30- "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
God bless! I love you all, but His love will heal you! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Matthew 15:29,30
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at His feet; and He healed them.
Who have you taken to His feet lately? Each one of us is called to be like these people who took those afflicted and oppressed ones to Jesus' feet for healing and deliverance! The lame would have needed carried, the blind would have needed to be led, the crippled would have had to be helped, and the mute would have had to have been shown; Christ has the power, but we have a part! They did it physically on a mountainside, but we are to do it spiritually through prayer and petition!
Prayer is so powerful; it's one of the greatest weapons God has given us to use in this battle for souls. Christ opened up a direct line of communication to the God of all creation! Think about the awesomeness of this truth; when we hit our knees (physically or spiritually) and cry out to God in Jesus' name, He is listening, even right there near us! Who are we that God Almighty would even entertain our questions or requests? How blessed we are to be able to run to the arms of the Father because of the Son who cleansed us and the Spirit who fills us!
But with great power comes great responsibility, and we, my friends, have the great responsibility of taking those around us to Christ in prayer. We often look for the "right gift" for those we love; what if we committed to praying for them daily and continually brought them to the King's feet? What if we did this for someone outside of our immediate circle? What if it was for a stranger?
Our God has called us to live a life that reflects Christ's, and as I remember, He prayed for those who didn't deserve it and even for those who didn't know Him yet. Will we be a people that reflect the light of Christ, or blend in with the darkness around us?
Deuteronomy 4:7- What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to Him?
Matthew 5:44,45- "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
God bless! I love you all, but His love calls us to prayer! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Matthew 15:37
They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Today is the day I finally get my ankle monitor off, but let me tell you, I was free the minute I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior!!! As I was reading my Bible this morning, God brought something to my attention.
When Jesus fed the 4000, the disciples started with 7 loaves of bread but ended up with 7 basketfuls! The same can be said for my life. I gave Jesus a broken heart, and He gave me a healed one! I gave Him a lost soul, and He gave me eternity in His kingdom!! I gave Jesus my weaknesses, and He gave me His strength! I gave him my doubts, and He gave me confidence in Him!! I could go on and on, but my point is that if we will just give Jesus the things that hurt, embarrass, or expose us the most, He will give us back so much more than we could ever imagine! The love, peace, and joy that come from a personal relationship with the creator of the universe is indescribable!!
 |
| Who's talking to who? It goes both ways! |
My experience isn’t just for me but for anyone who is sick and tired of being sick and tired! Jesus will take you from the darkest night to the brightest day, and I promise you it will be the greatest ride of your life!!! Jesus will take something the world says is trash and turn it into one of His treasures!!!! He is waiting for you!!!!
I love you all, God bless, and Glory to God!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment