Matthew 23

N the 7 woes of Matthew23,Jesus warns us of what makes up the core of everything that keeps us from a true relationship w Him,& turns our lives away from being true benefactors of Who He is,& away from WHAT He alone can provide 4 us...the “life more abundant”.In essence,these 7 Woes r what rob us of the abundant life Jesus desires 2 give us(John 10:10,”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").These “troubling 7 woes” boil down to issues of insincerity;hypocrisy;arrogance;pride;narcissism;legalism;piety;&greed.Wherever 1 of these characteristics exists...they all exist n 1 way or another.They r intertwined,usually “hidden” “beneath the surface” of our lives & IN our heart.These “Woes” turn our hearts “inside-out”(deadening our heart)making us more concerned about how we “appear” to those around us than what is “going on IN our hearts/minds”-more concerned with how others perceive us than what&who we truly are(Matt23:27b-28,”For you r like whitewashed tombs,which outwardly appear beautiful,but w/in r dead people’s bones & all uncleanliness.So u appear righteous 2 others,but w/in u r full of hypocrisy & lawlessness.”).This hypocrisy robs us of LIFE,making us dead 2 sincerity,&causing us 2 live lies(dead peoples bones...).We battle hypocrisy by becoming honest&transparent w God first,and then others-with God’s wisdom&discernment.We battle lawlessness(lack of respect&honor n & thru or lives for God’s Word),by seeking 2 learn/know God’s precepts&principles 4 a Holy life & assimilating these INTO our life.When we allow these things to knead INTO our heart/life(through Christ alone),what happens” on the outside of our life is a reflection of what Christ is doing on the “inside of our life”...&we begin 2 experience the life more abundant that is a Gift of Christ!And the “Woes”....they “fade away” from our life.Dear Jesus...,I have some of these woes n my life that have deadened parts of my heart/life.Forgive me...& please do what needs 2 b done IN me,so I might b ALIVE in every part of my life,w the life more abundant that You want me to have

Matthew 22:1-14

Almighty God,n HIS over abundance of Love,offers everyone an invitation 2 His Mercy&Grace!Tragically,many don’t even “RSVP”!Let alone “show up”!God’s Overwhelming Love is proven in the Persistence/Patience/Mercy/Grace of His “Invitation Message”!Jesus talks about this n Matthew22:1-14.A wedding is intended 2 b the celebration of a covenant forged w “Commitment&Love”!A covenant that “creates” a union intended 2 never b separated!The wedding that Jesus is talking about here is THE ONE that God is the “COVENANT KEEPER” of!The significance of this wedding is that it is the MOST JOYOUS of ALL CELEBRATIONS!The ONE that Almighty God conveys HIS LOVE,& the BESTOWING of HIS GLORY on HIS Bride(those that Trust Christ as Savior&Lord).Such a CELEBRATION compels those who “appreciate” the significance of it 2 “get cleaned up”&”dress appropriately”2 attend!God offers the “cleaning up”,&”the appropriate clothing” 2 us through Christ alone-His Mercy&Glory bestowed on those that turn to Christ 4 His Saving Mercy&Grace 2 become their “New Identity”!Jesus says that there is man who “shows up”,that is not “appropriately dressed”! This man has “answered the invitation” & “showed up”!But,he has not truly honored the significance of the invitation,nor WHO invited him.We do the same thing when we have a “show up” attitude n our lives about Jesus,& don’t internalize the significance of what Jesus invites us to,nor appreciate the “dress requirements”! We don’t have 2 go out of our way to find the right soap to wash with(legalistic thinking&actions),& the “right things to wear”....,Jesus provides both through His Blood & His Holy Spirit when we truly accept His invitation and commit to follow Him.This is how our lives r “clothed” to identify us as True ATTENDEES of the celebration,and not “imposters”that answered the invitation but did not take to heart what the “INVITER” was offering!These imposters want to be at the celebration,but don’t really appreciate “This Celebration” above any others n their lives!To just answer the invitation w a “show up” attitude is an indication of our lack of appreciation for what Jesus alone can & does offer us!N fact,this attitude flowing n&through our life may sadly mean that we could be an imposter!This “insincerity/imposter” n my life needs 2 b checked & dealt w!Jesus offers this Help through His Word & His Spirit...so my life “processes/challenges/experiences”,etc.,may all  become part of the PREPARATION for my “attendance” to HIS CELEBRATION!Dear Lord Jesus,may my innermost parts know the significance of what YOU have invited me to!And May YOUR WORD & YOUR SPIRIT always b “processing & preparing” me for YOUR GREATEST of all Celebrations.

Matthew 21:12-22

Sometimes,when we wonder “why is God silent”;”where is God n the middle of this”;”why won’t GOD show me what to do”;or we r misled by counterfeit messages...,we may have a problem that Jesus addresses n Matthew21:12-22.Just as an athlete must nourish & train for “health/strength/endurance/preparedness” in mind/heart/skills/strength/,etc.,if they r going 2 b prepared 2 understand what a coach is teaching/instructing,& then b able 2 follow through effectively!LIFE is no different! If we r 2 understand/hear accurately what The Lord is saying,we must have minds&heats that have prepared 2 understand/hear!& if we sincerely desire 2 follow through(TRUST=FOLLOW)w what we hear from The Lord,then our hearts&lives must b changed/prepared by what we understand/hear from The Lord.N Matt21:12-13 Jesus drives the money-changers out of the temple.Then Jesus says,”It is written...”!For us to understand(see accurately)what The Lord is doing,we must b “readers/students” of The Bible...see life through a lens made accurate by God’s Word.Jesus reiterates this n Matt21:16 when he responds 2 a question,”Yes,have you not read...”,referring 2 Psalm8:2.If we r 2 know/understand/see/hear anything from The Lord,we should b “readers/students” of The Bible...if we r sincere about knowing His Voice,we will b sincere students of His Voice.N Matt21:18-22 Jesus talks about the next aspect of “preparedness”,when He finds the fig tree without fruit.For some reason this tree has not “benefitted” from the nourishment of the “soil”;it has not allowed any “nutrition” 2 flow through its roots & up its branches that would blossom fruit!We can do the same when we don’t allow what we “glean” from God’s Voice/Word/Spirit 2 flow through our life/heart/mind n ways that change us/grow us/mature us,& eventually enable us 2 b “bearers of fruit”. N order 2 know God’s Will/Leading about something,we must have lives that have had His Life/His Word/His Grace-His Mercy... grow us/shape us/prepare us...so we desire 2 honor & 2 please Him.What the tree was not prepared 2 do!Dear Lord,sometimes I am just a reader & not a student of Your Word...help me&motivate me 2 b a hungry student.& then may everything n me benefit from Your Life flowing thru all of me...changing me & preparing me....& mayYour Fruit blossom from my life.

Matthew 20:1-16

Entitlement is a dangerous concoction of all sorts of “me centered” thoughts that take us down a path far from walking w Jesus!As Christians,we r more susceptible 2 these than we think...,which makes them even more dangerous!N Matt20:1-16,Jesus describes another one of these that reveals a sneaky/sly piety that can turn our lives from a reflection of God’s Mercy&Grace,to becoming more like a Pharisee than the Pharisee’s were.Jesus describes 3 different groups that all need the same thing!Yet,those that “around first” r the ones that develop the “worst attitude”...an attitude of superiority because of “being around longer”,being “more mature”.The ONLY STANDARD there is for “maturity” is Christ! N comparison 2 Him,we r all worms!
(Psalm22:6 “But I am a worm and not a man,scorned by everyone, despised by the people.”Job25:6 how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—a human being, who is only a worm!”).We who have trusted & r following Christ r all worms that have been transformed by the Blood of Christ n2 sons&daughters of the Most High God!There is nothing that can give us any reason 2 think of ourselves as better than a worm,OTHER THAN WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE IN US & FOR US!We have no reason 2 have a pious pride of any kind! ANYTHING HOLY & RIGHTEOUS N me IS ONLY BECAUSE OF JESUS’ WORK N &THROUH me!This type of pride will always infect me w a sense of entitlement of some kind...,that turns me n2 a Pharisee...Dear Lord,I do not want to think of the many times this attitude has been n my heart....,forgive me! Help me 2 be humbled by YOUR LIFE,YOUR SACRIFICE,and the transformation YOU alone have made possible n my life..,& help me 2 honor what YOU have done w my all my being.

Matthew 18:23-35

“ENTITLEMENT” is a lie.A very deceptive lie that not only messes with our ideas about who we are,and WHO God is;but also taints our hearts w an evil “bacteria” that will infect & destroy a right relationship w The Lord,& those around us.And “it” has at least two ways of entering our lives!Jesus describes one of these through his parable n Matthew18:23-35.A person carrying a heavy debt is forgiven the entire debt,”miraculously”!Nnstead of this humbling him & softening his heart for change within,he doesn’t let what he has been offered(freedom from his debt)sink in/humble him! Therefore,no change/real cure occurs n his life.Nstead,he takes what he has been offered and goes about his old life with a new “sense of entitlement” because of the freedom from his debt.This is a twisted sense of entitlement that we all tend to have.The depth&breadth of what Jesus offers to me personally,the freedom from “ALL SIN DEBT”,is beyond measure!Yet,often times I fall far short of offering the same measure of forgiveness n the lives of many people around me.For 1 reason or another...this means that I have the attitude that “I deserved” the freedom Jesus offered me...,but “they do not deserve” the same.This is twisted sense of entitlement,infecting my life w a bacteria that can do damage to my heart if not addressed w the only “prescription” that is effective.In my life this “prescription” must begin w a dose of confession,and a prayer 4 The Holy Spirit 2 bring about the medicine of contrition,followed w an ongoing “regiment” of “heart therapy” of seeking&following Christ so the “cure” is permanent....I do not want to relapse!Lord,I am so so guilty of this  “sense of entitlement” n my life.Forgive me...,and help me 2 be contrite before You,& those around me,so Your GIFT will have the overwhelming impact&effect n my life that IT must...& may the GREATNESS of Your GIFT draw me 2 know YOU MORE,through Your Word & through Prayer w YOU!