Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Tuesday October 6, 2009 and we are continuing our studies in the book of Matthew, please read chapters 13-14 in your Bible or Click Here to read them. http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-october-6

Today's Message: Learn to Hear Him
If we ever want to have a right relationship with Christ, it is important that we learn to Hear Him.

A parable is a short story aimed at getting one to understand truth or teach a lesson, Jesus often taught in parables. His disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables, “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” - Matthew 13:10-16. What Jesus is saying here is that He speaks in parables to make things easier to understand for those who are willing to be taught, but makes them harder for those we are willingly ignorant. He knows that those who really have no interest in what He is saying is not really listening, but those who do will see and be blessed.

In the first parable of Jesus that Matthew recorded, Jesus described four kinds of responses from those who hear His Word. “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” - Matthew 13:19-23. The true disciple of Christ is represented by the good ground that received seed, which in turn brings forth fruit even to an hundredfold. The difference between the fruitful field and this barren wayside was the shallowness or lack of depth of the hearer. When one receives the Word, God engineers our circumstances. Worldly cares develop as easily from poverty as from wealth and crowd out Christ and His Word. This conflict of seed sown among the thorns illustrates the double-minded person who is neither hard and indifferent as the first, nor shallow like the second. But there is one fault of eternal consequence, their lives are a mixture, there are other seeds in the heart besides those sown by the Master. Many call themselves Christians and profess much that is ethical, moral, and biblical, but their lives are compromised by worldly concerns and activities that dominate their hearts.

While the last thing on our agenda in life is to suffer aimlessly for something we know we should not have done in the first place, God often uses this affliction to teach us, to grow us, and to use us to teach others so they do not have to suffer like we did. God could have easily said, “You got yourself into this mess, now get yourself out of it” but instead He took the opportunity to not only help us get out of the mess, but to increase our faith in Him as well as the faith of those around us. God knows our flesh, He gives us ample opportunity to desist, yet we keep following it and........Bam! We are hit! And hating ourselves for not listening. However, there is not one mess that we have gotten ourselves into that we do not learn by. We have a loving Father eager to teach us, grow us, and help us through every situation that we get ourselves into and uses every opportunity to His advantage, regardless of how stupid it was. The more we learn, the more we grow, the less we get ourselves into trouble. The greatest teacher that we will ever have is our Lord, Jesus Christ. “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” - Matthew 14:31-33. Jesus promises that He is always there to catch us when we fall, we just need to have faith in Him.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, help our ears to be alert, our eyes to be open, and our hearts to be perceptive as we follow in Your ways.  May we be eager to hear Your teaching and apply it to our lives so that we may be found blameless before You and experience the joy You give to those who follow Your commands.  When Your meaning is clear help us to seek no other meaning to satisfy our own desires or to change the clear meaning of Your message.  Align our desires with Your own, that we might find genuine peace and wholehearted obedience as You bring spiritual healing to our lives. In Jesus' Name...........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night and enjoy the rest of your week.
God Bless You,
Christina

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