Let's lift up 
Let's lift up Matthew 13:1
Matthew 13:10-11
At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.
Matthew 13:3
"What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.
Matthew 13:9
"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
Matthew 13:3
"What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.
Matthew 13:9
"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
Matthew 13:10-11
The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?" He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again:
Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing.
Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing.
The people are blockheads!
They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen;
They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look,
so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face
and let me heal them.
Matthew 13:16
"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, woul have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance."
Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing.
Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing.
The people are blockheads!
They stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen;
They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look,
so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face
and let me heal them.
Matthew 13:16
"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, woul have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance."
Beautiful! I love that when the people converged on Jesus, He simply laid claim to the built-in congregation, and started preaching. Though some threaten me, while others call me crazy, I often do the same thing, for the exact same reason. People often think they're showing up for their own self interests, BUT GOD, Jehovah Jireh, has an amazing way of ensuring that His Word is imparted; He even provides the congregation. We being disciples of Christ are likewise afforded the privilege of sharing scriptural comparable stories that we've witnessed; and blessed are those who have ears to hear.
Thank You LORD
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