Preparing dinner for The Lord and his party, Martha complained that her sister Mary left the kitchen to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship. Martha was too busy.
Luke 10:41,42 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
Unless we meet with Christ personally and privately each day, we will soon be like Martha: busy but not blessed.
Before we can represent Christ in ministry, we must spend time with Him and learn from Him. We must "take time to be holy". The most important part of the Christian life is the part that only God sees.
How is your devotional life? Are you reading God's Word and praying each day?
We are ambassadors, neighbors, and worshipers, these three: and the greatest of these is worshipers.
It stirs my heart with joy to know that one day soon Jesus is coming for His redeemed.
1 Thesalonians 4:16,17 For The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet The Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with The Lord.
Jesus is what will make Heaven Heaven. Imagine seeing His face, hearing His voice, feeling His touch, bowing at His feet and thanking Him for the cross, the blood, the empty tomb, the Bible, the Holy Ghost, the church, and the blessings of life. Imagine have a perfect body like His.
Are you excited about His coming? Tell Jesus about it. Are you fearful of His coming? Ask Jesus with all your heart to save you and forgve your sins..
Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
Believers who abide in Christ possess assurance the rest of the world know nothing about.
Those who have learned to abide in Jesus know the glory of that secret place. It's a place where the enemy dare not follow.
Stephen was in that place at the moment of his death (Acts 7:55,56). Paul was in that place (2 Cor. 12:1-4; Acts 7:3). We can enter that sacred place where the world dims away and God becomes larger than everything.
In this secret place The Lord sets you on the heights of the rock that's unchangeable, powerful, and immovable---the Lord Jesus Christ, where you rise above the tumult beneath.
Oh Rock of Ages, hide Thou me.
We don't really know our own hearts except that they easily become troubled.
John 14:1,2 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Jesus said, "Heaven is my Father's house." Heaven is home for all of God's children. The Father's house must be a place of love and joy.
When the Apostle John tried to describe Heaven, he almost ran out of symbols and comparisons (Rev. 21-22). Finally, he listed the things that won't be there: death, sorrow, crying, pain, night . . . ect.
It's good to think of Heaven when our hearts are troubled, but we don't have to wait for Heaven to know the Father. If we know Jesus, we know the Father.
Who could mind the journey when the road leads home?
---Dr. James M. Gray
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
God knew the needs of approximately 2.5 million Jews plodding through the wilderness to the promise land.
He fed them 12 million pints (9,000 pounds) of manna daily for 40 years. He gave them water from the rock and their clothes and shoes didn't wax old. When they complained about too much manna, He sent quail--lots of quail--and they ate so much that they got sick.
The God of Israel hasn't changed. If you know The Lord, He knows your health need, your financial need, your family crises, your unsaved loved ones, and your spiritual needs.
The supply to meet your need existed before you had the need. God is rich, and He supplies in glorious ways.
Christ Jesus has your back, and He has your future. He wants you to trust Hiim for all your needs.
If we have experienced the grace and peace of Christ, the Word of God will feel at home in our hearts. Rich spiritual treasures bless lives who take time to read, study, and memorize God's Word.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to The Lord.
Spiritual singing goes in three directions: "inward"---to self; "outward"---to others; and "upward"---to God. It should come from the heart. I love songs with scripture, songs of testimony, and songs of hope and praise.
Many a gospel song has carried me through a trial, humbled my heart to worship and praise. You just have to have a song.
Will people go to hell if they don't obey all the Law (Ten Commandments)?
The Law was against us because we could never meet its demands. Through the perfect life of Jesus and His shed blood, He cancelled a dept we couldn't pay. We are now free from the Law.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law but under grace.
This doesn't mean we are lawless, but we no longer live in fear of its curse (death). A new Law is written on the fleshly tables of our hearts rather than on tables of stone.
Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross:
Jesus not only took the Law to the cross and nailed it there, forever out of the way, but He made the Law of no effect.
The cross was a great victory, and we are victorious because of it. Thank God for GRACE!
