Matthew 26:46

There r times n our lives that we feel far from all that is good,& that our lives are “helplessly lost” to whatever plaques our bodies/hearts/minds/souls.We feel that we are in such a “fading away from hope” that there is no way we can b saved from the impending darkness.We feel that no one has ever felt what we feel,& this fans the flame of despair&hopelessness n our lives...drawing us ever closer to the dangerous edge of many kinds of “self destruct”.On the Cross @ Calvary,Jesus FELT all of these things!In fact,HE felt all of these things that every human being ever born(past-present-future) would feel....CUMULATIVELY! When dying the physically excruciating death on the Cross,Jesus never “gave a whimper” over the extreme brutality&physical pain He was suffering.The pain so severe that it overwhelmed the extreme brutality&physical pain was the pain of being all alone w/out any REAL/TRUE/TRUSTED hope....the utter despair&hopeless of eternal Separation from God.Whether we acknowledge the TRUTH of this or not,the root of all human despair&hopelessness is a result of our not turning to God our Father in Heaven for His Love/Mercy/Grace/HOPE...and instead turning to sin of one kind or another, leading us away from His Truths offered through Christ alone.When Jesus cries out n Matthew26;46,”My God,my God,why have you forsaken me?”,he is feeling the unfathomable pain of this utter despair&hopelessness of every human ever born(past-present-future).He knows what IT is like to feel my deepest most excruciating pains of the heart&soul...He is suffering ALL of them!When we come to Jesus w our despair&hopeless,& trust Him w our lives/hearts/minds/soul,we are coming to A SAVIOR&LORD that can fully empathize w every pain!He is the ONLY ONE that truly can!But,He doesn’t “leave us there” without a “solution”...”unfinished”!After fully/totally/completely suffering ALL the SUFFERINGS OF THE SOUL,Jesus “cried out in a loud voice,he gave up His soul”!N John19:30 we “hear” what Jesus cries out,”It is finished.”On The Cross,Jesus suffered the FULL penalty for all our sin(which leads to despair&hopelessness)...so we DO NOT have to suffer any of the despair&hopelessness,”It is finished”!When I come to Jesus with the groans of my heart/soul/spirit, I am coming to The ONE that not only KNOWS my pain,but The Only ONE that also offers freedom from these pains through a personal “reunion” w God forever.By trusting n Christ for my “saving” from these,He also offers me direction/wisdom/discernment from future entanglements that lead to “despairing&hopeless” decisions & actions in my life from here on.By quoting Psalm22:1 when Jesus says,My God,my God,why have you forsaken me”,Jesus is not only letting us know that He is fulfilling the prophecy of this Psalm...,He is also pointing us to the HOPE of Psalm22!Psalm22:4,”In you our fathers put their trust & were saved;n you they trusted & were not disappointed.”;Psalm22:23-24,”You who fear(awesome respect) The Lord,praise him.....for he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one;he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”;Psalm22:30-31,”Posterity will serve him;future generations will b told about the Lord.They will
proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn - for he has done it(“finished it”)”.Jesus FEELS my pains,all of them! HE also offers freedom from ALL these pains by replacing them w the ONLY HOPE that has been proven trustworthy through the ages and beyond...a RIGHT&TRUE relationship w The Living God!Dear Lord,I have times of hopelessness&despair from many things.At the root of all these is my lack of eternal perspective & lack of appreciation for what You alone offer me that transcends all time.Help me to have Your perspective on these things,and the victory over these things that only my trusting&following you will bring.

Matthew 26:39

Matthew26:39 says that Jesus “fell on his face and prayed”.God the Son;The Word made flesh;the One Who is the Power of Creation;The King of kings;The Messiah;...”fell on his face” when he prayed w THE FATHER.This is GINORMOUS!Jesus,WHO is totally/fully God become flesh,”and we have seen His Glory as the only Son from the Father,FULL of Grace&Truth”(John1:14)...THIS Jesus “fell on his face and prayed”!This “posture of Jesus” is Imperative for us to know more about if we r to understand what Jesus is showing/telling us n Gethsemane.Jesus IS God,the SON “part” of the Triune God.Satan atTEMPTED to separate Jesus from his TRIUNITY when he threw 3 great temptations at Jesus just before Jesus began His ministry/the walk to the fulfillment of His Purpose...& Jesus”called on” the Word of God to fight off the devil.N Gethsemane,Jesus is days away from the ULTIMATE DEFEAT of Satan;the defeat of sin;the EMPOWERMENT of Salvation,and his return to the RIGHT HAND of God the FATHER!N Gethsemane we see the POWER of the ENDURANCE of Christ!Jesus’ ENDURANCE of desiring what GOD the FATHER&GOD the SPIRIT desire...The ultimate DESIRE/the PURPOSE of Jesus can only b realized if he is “postured” w ULTIMATE TRUST n GOD the FATHER, exhibited by ULTIMATE SUBMISSION to GOD the FATHER&GOD the SPIRIT!Jesus fell on his face n prayer.The “life posture” of Jesus n Gethsemane is ONE of absolute TRUST in GOD the FATHER,”followed by” absolute SUBMISSION to the Will of GOD the FATHER&GOD the SPIRIT!The first devastating blow to Satan’s atTEMPT to lure Jesus away from HIS ONENESS w GOD was when Jesus called upon the Word of God.Now days before the ultimate defeat of sin on our behalf,Jesus is “fully/totally leaning into” the Word of GOD;the Spirit of GOD& GOD’s Promises for his strength&endurance via his absolute SUBMISSION to the WILL of his FATHER!This “posture”Jesus gives us n Gethsemane n prayer here makes me ask “how do I come to God to pray?”What is my attitude/demeanor when I come before The Throne of God to call upon HIM as my FATHER?What is the state of my heart when I desperately desire to b “in HIS LAP?”What am I “holding back”/not willing to submit when I come into HIS Presence n prayer?Am I truly/fully trusting HIM w my life when I pray?Do I have a heart fully committed to desiring to know&follow HIS ways for my life?Or am I coming before HIM “to negotiate” what I want?Everything except a “posture” like that of Jesus will keep us from truly/fully knowing THE FATHER as Jesus makes possible for us to know HIM personally as our FATHER;& keep us from knowing HIS VOICE n our lives&HIS Peace n our lives....the same PEACE that Jesus has after he has prayed 3 times and comes back to his disciples and says,”...Look,the hour is near....Rise,Let us go...”(Matthew26:45-46).After Jesus “fell on his face n prayer...”Jesus now has the Strength;the Courage; & the Peace that surpasses all understanding...the Peace that can be ours when we call upon/depend on God’s Word&Spirit as Jesus did,&then “lean into God’s Word&God’s Spirit as Jesus did with the level of commitment/submission that Jesus shows us n Gethsemane.Dearest Jesus,I fall far short of “the posture of Gethsemane”...yet by Your Mercy&Grace I know Your love and the presence of Your Spirit n my life! I praise You for these...!May Your continued teaching & leading n my life bring me always closer to having “the posture of Gethsemane” n my life...

Matthew 24:31-46

On a blackboard this week there was a quote written that makes me think of what Jesus says n Matthew25:37-40.The quote is,”If the reality of God doesn’t change you,it’s not the reality of God”.Jesus describes what the hearts&lives of the “righteous” will look like when he says,”Then the righteous will answer him,saying,’Lord,when did we see you hungry & feed you,or thirsty & give you drink?&when did we see you a stranger & welcome you ,or naked &clothe you?&when did we see you sick or in prison & visit you?’&the King will answer them,’Truly I say to you,as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,you did it for me’.”N Matthew25:31-46, Jesus is describing the difference between those that are genuinely changed by personally knowing Christ,& those that are not..”changed by the reality of God”.When we trust Christ as our Savior&Lord,He places His Holy Spirit n us,& the work of the Holy Spirit begins n us & we are made “different”....MADE NEW!2Corinthians5:17 says,”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”This means that IF I am truly “in Jesus”,then the way  I think,the way I live,& what makes my heart beat...becomes more&more like the Ways of Jesus!I am changed from the old ways,and made NEW.N these vs of Matthew,Jesus gives me ways to get a personal “read” on how well my life&heart are doing with His Work of change n my life!He says that I will b having not only His Empathy for people that come n2 my life,but that I will b compelled by genuine/unselfish/sacrificial “action/response” without any thoughts of “look at what good thing I am doing to b like Jesus”,or “what blessings should I get for this good thing I am doing?”,or “I am more like Christ than others because...”.A sign that we have been MADE NEW is when we don’t even think about these things,but we just “do” because of our New Heart compelling us!This New Heart,Jesus says is the “identifier” of those that are His sheep n Matthew25:31-33,”...and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats...”Jesus is saying that when I respond without any of the above selfish thoughts,it is a pretty good sign that I am HIS.By the same token,when I respond w any of the above selfish thoughts,it is a pretty good sign that there is “MORE WORK” 2 b done in “making me new”,& that I need to ask the question “what is changing me to respond the way I respond/live the way I live?”If I have any of the above selfish thoughts/motivations,then “what is changing me”,is “an imposter”...NOT the “reality of God ”!Dear Jesus,oh my,Your Words n these verses have opened my eyes to so many things n my life that r not the result of Your Spirit n me,but that of an imposter.Please “invade” these areas of my life w the Power&Authority of Who You are...change me & make me new n every part of my life,to be like You n every part of my life.

Matthew 25;1-30

If someone wraps a gift of great value & gives it to me,I will not know what it is,let alone it’s value 4 me unless I accept the gift and then open it.Even then,if I open it,the gift’s value may not b something I know unless I seek 2 understand what it is,how 2 put it together,how 2 use it,&how 2 take care of it so that it grows 2 become what the giver intended it 2 b for me.The MIRACULOUS GIFT The Lord has given me is like a gift that is always becoming more of what I need,as it also becomes more&more a source of all things I was made 2 b blessed w...2 have true joy from...realize true purpose from/true fulfillment from.As I seek 2 “discover” more&more about what The Lord has given me through His Mercy&Grace...I will become increasingly filled w the JOY that HE pours out through HIS GIFT that is always growing,reaping more&more “dividends” than ever could b imagined by me.This is some of what Jesus is talking about n Matthew25:1-30.N vs1-13,10 virgins r given lamps.5 virgins appreciate the unique value of what the lamps offer,& “read the instructions” enough 2 know they must fill the lamps w oil in order 2 continue having the benefit of The Lamp(Psalm119:105,”Your Word is a lamp unto my feet & a light 4 my path.”) n their lives.These virgins continue 2 fill their lamps w oil,& even find ways 2 store up oil so that their Lamps will never grow dim.God has offered me the ONLY Gift w endless blessings for me,&everlasting Joy that surpasses all understanding,always&n all things!If I appreciate the significance of His Gift,I will b like the 5 virgins that will seek ways 2 find oil,&store it up(His Word)!N vs14-30,Jesus tells of 3 people that were given exactly what they could handle,&what would enable them 2 “grow”.The Wise Landowner knew just the right amount that would not overwhelm these 3,&yet exactly what they could “handle”.2 of the 3 “take the risk” of trusting the Landowners wisdom of giving them this opportunity.The other 1 chose 2 do nothing w what the Landowner had given him,& buried the gift.The 2 that trusted & “valued” what the Landowner offered,enjoyed “the joy of your master”(vs21b,&23b).The other did not!These 2 parables convict me of how I have failed 2 recognize so much of what Jesus desires 2 give me through His Word,& by stepping out 2 truly trust Him w the principles&precepts He offers through His Word,& through investing His Ways n2 my life & through my life.Dear Lord Jesus,forgive me 4 being so much like the 5 virgins that failed 2 value Your Lamp,and even more like the 1 man that buried his “talent”.Rattle me from the inside w Your Word&by Your Spirit so that these areas of my life r loosened,and shaken free from my life.Make me like the 5 virgins that knew & appreciated Your Lamp,& like the 2 men that trusted You!

Matthew 24:1-12

Jesus has concerns “over” the lives/hearts of those that are His,especially that we will take seriously the significance of “developing” personal spiritual discernment&maturity.YES,The Holy Spirit is ever present 2 b our helper & our guide.But,the enemy of God(&of we who belong 2 Him)is constantly scheming ways 2 lure us away from TRUTH.If the enemy is successful n slowly/incrementally veering our hearts&minds away from TRUTH(revealed through God’s Word&Spirit),then the devil enhances his potential of leading us astray & ultimately fooling us n2 worshipping/following a False Christ...&”heeding”a false spirit(s).     Jesus boils the schemes of the devil down 2 TWO BASIC strategies n Matt24.The 1st is,”See that no one leads u astray.4 many will come n my name...& they will lead many away”(Matt24:4-5).The 2nd is Jesus’ concern 4 our faith n HIM 2 b steadfast when all sorts of challenges&conflicts come n2 our lives and n2 the world around us(“And u will hear of wars & rumors of wars.See that u r not alarmed,4 this must take place...”(Matt24:6-8)).For us 2 battle both of these “strategies”,Jesus encourages us 2 develop SPIRITUAL MATURITY&SPIRITUAL ENDURANCE becuz,”At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”(Matt24:10-12).Our times r riddled w those from w/in the Body of Christ leading His followers away from His Truths as revealed n the Bible,ever veering some toward false teaching and a False Christ.We r also increasingly threatened by all sorts of scary things going on all around us,n our families;our neighborhoods;our country;the world,which create “stressors” n our lives that test our faith.But,Jesus says that “the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”Jesus is calling us to a SPIRITUAL MATURITY&SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT,that the author of Hebrews talks about w a sternness revealing the same concern that Jesus does;”We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”(Hebrews5:11-14).These verses n Hebrews tell us that we must “TRY TO(seek to) UNDERSTAND God’s Word;His Character;His Heart;Who HE IS;His Ways,etc.,so we will not b fooled away from HIM by anything!Jesus warns that HIS enemy will attempt everything,from within the walls of the Church,& all the stressors n our lives..2 lure us away from HIS TRUTHS.Dear Lord Jesus,open my eyes&heart 2 the desperate need n my life 2 SEEK YOU/2 TRY 2 UNDERSTAND You;Your Word;Your Ways..with the HELP of YOUR HOLY SPIRIT develop n me the maturity&discernment that Hebrews6:11-14 r calling me 2.