Abiding

Holiness is the Work of God in the Submitted Saint [podcast]

Paula White Exposed [video]

THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

Powerful Prayers from Children-This Will Shake You [video]

The Fear of the LORD is to Hate Evil: Pride, and Arrogancy #shorts [video]

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” Psalms 29:2

“Praise be to God! Glory, glory, O what a wonderful Savior we have in Christ Jesus! What salvation! What beauty of holiness that can change ashes into beauty! We praise Thee, Most High in all Thy beauty and holiness, and thank Thee for salvation found in Thy holy One, Jesus Christ.” Jon Crane

Holiness – What it is and what it’s not.

Holiness comes from the word wholeness. We cannot possibly be made whole and live whole without Christ’s grace enabling His holiness in us as we submit to the crucified life He mandates for all who would follow Him (Luke 9:23-24; Romans 6, etc.).

One source notes the following:

“Holiness and wholeness, while related, are distinct concepts. Holiness, in a religious context, refers to being set apart for God and living in accordance with His will, often described as sacred or sanctified. Wholeness, on the other hand, encompasses the complete well-being of a person, including physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual health. While holiness is a God-given quality, wholeness is often seen as a state of being achieved through a restored relationship with God.”

Another writer notes the following concerning holiness and wholeness:

“I remember when it dawned on me that the doctrine of holiness was not some experience for a small group of ‘spiritual elites.’ Holiness is who God is. We can never have a proper, complete or satisfying relationship with God and miss His essence. …

This wholeness appears everywhere in scripture. Take, for example, Moses’ challenge to Israel in Deuteronomy 7. In order to take the Promised Land, Moses reminds them to maintain an intimate relationship with God, the Holy One (7:1-5). Why? Because they are a holy people (v. 6). He has chosen them for a unique relationship no one else has. This calling is based upon His love for them (vv. 7-8). This love, however, is a whole love which means that it is fiercely protective of them. He will not allow any idolatry or tendency to sin (v. 9). He wants to produce a whole people with healthy hearts and lives of pure love. So, they are delivered in order to ‘keep’ His covenant of love and its unchanging standards (vv. 10-11). You can summarize the whole gospel with the terms ‘holy’ and ‘love’ (John 15:9-17).”

“O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.” Psalms 96:9

Holiness is the work of God in the submitted saint.
Holiness and the cross—the crucified life—cannot be separated. They are divinely, eternally intertwined, married together, inseparable. One cannot exist without the other!

One writer defined holiness this way:

“To say you are holy means that you have been set apart by God’s grace for God’s purpose. Your allegiance is no longer to the kingdom of your success and happiness, but to the progress of his kingdom of glory and grace. And where do you do this? You do this wherever you are, whomever you’re with and in whatever you’re doing.”

The Bible says God’s people are a “holy nation” which means a holy people unto the LORD:

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation (people), a peculiar (special) people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” 1 Peter 2:9

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14

Being holy before the LORD is simply being born again and abiding in vital union with Christ. Read John 15:1-6.

So to be born again and presently abiding in Christ is essential to having the assurance of salvation. Read 1 John 3. Pray to the LORD for His understanding and for your heart to be filled with His holy fear (Psalms 86:11; Proverbs 14:27).

“And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” 1 John 3:5-6

As we abide in Christ we do not live in sin. So anyone living in sin is not abiding in Christ.

“Though the blood of his cross” Jesus redeemed us from our sins, forgave them and gave us the way of holiness, the way of His cross—in order to remain free from the defilement of the sins He initially washed away from our lives (Luke 9:23-24; Romans 6; 2 Corinthians 1:9; 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14; Colossians 1:12-23, etc.).

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

It’s only as the born again disciple walks with Christ, in His light, abiding in Him, that his sins are continually washed away.

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

“True Holiness” vs False Holiness

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:23-24

“True holiness” is brought about by GOD, as His disciple humbles himself, consenting to his own death that Christ might reign. The crucified life is the only way to be holy as God is holy. The flesh is the source of all sin and must be crucified daily or there will be sin. Read Romans 6 daily in prayer.

“But now being made free from sin (through the daily cross), and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Romans 6:22

“Being made free from sin” by way of the cross. The “fruit” of the cross life is “holiness.” Read that verse above again.

The crucified life Jesus calls us to is the original Gospel key to your victory!

“For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:7

When the disciple is dead and buried, God is raising him upward into His victory over all sin.

There is no other way to a holy life than the cross, the crucified life Jesus mandated, prescribed (Luke 9:23-24). You cannot obtain it. You must receive it as a gift from God—as He raises the crucified and buried saint upward into wholeness, victory, and holiness. Today is your day to fall into God, to let go and let God—to cry out with John the Baptist—“He must increase, but I must decrease!” (John 3:30; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12)

The only way to be “freed from sin” is via the crucified life which is a surrender of your will and life over to God every day.

“We are not to be slaves to sin. That leads to bondage and death. Sin is basically about ourselves! The cross is about Jesus and living for Him. We throw ourselves at the mercy of God to be dead and buried! So we can be resurrected by the power of Christ. And then Jesus becomes our Master not sin and self.” Karen Cochran

Declaring aloud verses like Galatians 2:20 instills in us the cross truth – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“Dead and buried”

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

Holiness is the work of God in the heart of His children. He is moving on and sanctifying the abiding, cross-lifestyle born again disciple, causing him to walk in “the new man,” putting off “the old man” (Colossians 3:1-14).

If you had the choice to drink from a cup that was dirty on the inside or one that was dirty on the outside, which would you choose? Would the Almighty not do the same? Which type cup are you? Where are you clean? – Are you clean on the inside or outside, or both?

“TRUE HOLINESS” IS A BIBLICAL TERM (EPHESIANS 4:24). WHAT IS “TRUE HOLINESS” AND WHAT IS THE COUNTERFEIT?

As we just read, “true holiness” is a Bible phrase and so there must by deduction be a counterfeit, a false holiness.

WE’D BETTER MAKE SURE WE HAVE HOLINESS—AS DEFINED BY HOLY SCRIPTURE—AND NOT SOME FLESH-GLORIFYING, FABRICATED VERSION OF “HOLINESS” THAT COMES FROM SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS IN OUR OWN WICKED HEARTS ….. THE CROSS—CRUCIFIED LIFE—IS AT THE CENTER OF THE ONLY “TRUE HOLINESS” THAT GLORIFIES GOD …. AND ALL FALSE HOLINESS IS HEADED FOR AND GUARANTEED ETERNAL DAMNATION …..

Romans 6 Outlined

We have been saved by God’s grace and cannot continue in sin and remain in relationship with Christ who is holy (vv. 1-2).

If you live in sin you will be separated from God who is holy. And the only prescription He gave us to live holy, to live separated to Him and from sin—is the crucified life.

Irrefutably, the context of the book of Romans is that God saved us by His grace to be crucified and buried with Christ and raised up by Christ—into His victory over all sin.

The only way we can be raised up by Christ is to first be dead and buried with Him.

God will not raise up anyone who is not first dead and buried with Christ.

The cross precedes the transformation. We simply cannot ignore the essential cross in verse 1 and expect the real transformation in verse 2.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:” Romans 1:4

HAVE YOU ever struggled with sin? If so, you are not alone. It is through the “communion of the Holy Ghost” in relationship with our LORD, that the sinful nature is put under so that the life of Jesus is manifested in our lives (2 Corinthians 4:10-11; 13:14, etc.). Please beware of the diabolical, cheap substitutes such as various forms of perfection by way of self—the flesh. These are deadly and cause many to fall from grace (Galatians 5:4). Memorize Galatians 3:3.

There is divine hope for us! God is able.

These temptations—the pull of them—is a test to see who it is we are truly going to choose to love—God or self (Romans 6:14; Hosea 10:12; Isaiah 58).

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:13

“True holiness” is never merely a work of the flesh but rather the work of God, raising up the crucified saint (2 Corinthians 4:10-12). Any surface holiness that doesn’t come out of the cross life, is not according to the original Gospel, but is rather a dead work of the flesh, vainly attempting to bring about a self-manufactured holiness.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please do Your ever-deepening work in my heart and life. Bless this vessel to be purified, cleansed of all iniquity and falsity, made authentic by You dear LORD. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Does God Know I Love Him? [podcast]

Our obedience to the LORD should come out of our love for Him. Obedience to God is an expression of our love for Him. Jesus says: “IF ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Notice “IF.” God isn’t interested in us obeying Him if we don’t first love Him. The first 2 commandments are about LOVE and not works or working to earn God’s favor, which is futility (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus says the whole law and prophets, all the Scripture writings to that point, and in the kingdom rested upon loving God and others. Praying God will help you […]

True or Feigned Holiness? [podcast]

The Cup Holiness is the work of God in the heart of His children. He is moving on and sanctifying the abiding, cross-lifestyle born again believer, causing him to walk in “the new man,” putting off “the old man” (Colossians 3:1-14). If you had the choice to drink from a cup that was dirty on the inside or one that was dirty on the outside, which would you choose? Would the Almighty not do the same? Which type cup are you? Where are you clean? – Are you clean on the inside or outside, or both? “TRUE HOLINESS” IS A BIBLICAL […]

"Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God" - Is this possible? [podcast]

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 What did Paul mean by “these promises”? It was those things, including the conditions, he had just penned of: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye […]

Abiding

How to Give Alms, Pray, Forgive Others, Fast, and Lay Up Treasure in Heaven [podcast]

Breakdown of Jesus’ Teaching in Matthew 6

How to Give Alms.
How to Pray.
The Essential of Forgiving Others.
How to Fast and How Not to Fast.
The Importance of Laying up Treasure in Heaven.

Matthew 6

Giving to the Needy

“1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

The Disciple’s Prayer

“5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Fasting

“16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

“19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Fear Not

“25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Putting God First [podcast]

If God’s Word isn’t important to you, it’s because He isn’t important to you. If anything comes before the LORD in your day, you are an idolater. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 GOD’s WORD cannot get into you if you aren’t into it. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 Jesus commanded: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 As you seek God, […]

The Simplicity of Real Fellowship [podcast]

Satan thinks he has Stolen the Fellowship of the Saints “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Revelation 12:12 Exhorting God’s People “Daily” “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in […]

SATAN'S SEMINARIANS [podcast]

Seminaries are the Invention of Satan If you are born again and abiding in Christ and can’t find a biblical local church, it’s because you love Jesus and His truth, His Word. The epidemic apostasy we are witnessing at the local church level is the prophesied and intended outcome of Satan’s long term plan commandeered largely through seminarian wolves (Matthew 24:1-13; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:12). In earlier centuries, beginning at Pentecost, Satan couldn’t slow or stop the spread of the Gospel through faithful witnesses, so he devised a plan to replace those Gospel disciples with the […]

Abiding

The Core Values of the Modern Church Agenda Exposed [podcast]

Lots of occultic symbolism in the art below.

The “church growth” industry is a multi-million dollar enterprise with books, seminars, selling sermons, etc., on how to build a large church, how to grow the nickels, noses, and numbers. Is this what Jesus had in mind when He stated “I will build my church”? (Matthew 16:18)

“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23

Do you spend more time in “church” than in the Bible itself? Wow! Red flags flying!

“Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.” 2 Peter 3:17

So you are listening to some slick talker preach and yet he’s not using the BIBLE essential words like hell, repentance, holiness, the cross, the blood of Jesus, the return of Christ, etc? Repent and RUN!

The vast majority of so-called pastors today are more interested in getting you to join their church club, to become a member of their church, than they are about truly feeding the flock of God with the whole counsel of Scripture, equipping you for ministry, and winning souls to Jesus (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:20-32; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 5:1-6, etc.). Prove it wrong.

Church Membership Exposed | The 501(C)(3) Deception | The Modern Church

501(C)(3) Churches Exposed [video]

HERE’S 100% PROOF THAT THE 501(C)(3) SO-CALLED “CHURCH” YOU GO TO IS NOT OF GOD – BUT RATHER IS COMMANDEERED BY A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING (2 Peter 2:1-3). The 501(C)(3) scam is a deal with the devil that silenced the self-serving greedy devils many call “pastors” today in America (Isaiah 56:8-12; Philippians 3:18-19). “And why does the church want to make you a member? I guarantee that there is a $nickel attached to these 501c’s from the state. And, just remember that Planned Parenthood is a 501c, as well as the church of Satan, should we be in confederacy […]

The Truth about Tradition and Church Membership [podcast]

Godly and Ungodly Tradition and True and False Church Membership “Prove (test) all things; hold fast (keep and do) that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Of the 13 times we find the word “tradition(s)” in Scripture, only twice is it used positively. The other 11 times it is used negatively because men put their foolish traditions above Christ. History of Church Membership: The history of church membership in Protestant and Evangelical churches begins with the Catholic Church, which implements its discipline over all the baptized (christened, water sprinkled), through a tradition-based sacramental system, governing the lives of their captors from cradle […]

Nick's Salvation: "Don't Let a Building Confine Your Faith" [podcast]

Nick’s Salvation: “Don’t Let a Building Confine Your Faith” [podcast] Please pause to lift Nick in prayer. He’s a new believer. As you will hear on this brief podcast, Nick told me that a handful of Christians had been recently ministering the Gospel to him. He also said that a handful of disciples told him to make sure he’s read the King James Bible. Nick received a copy of the new Authentic book. Nick is a special young man. The beginning of the conversation was about working out, sports, athletics, etc. He’s been working out and was telling me […]

Abiding

Mary hath Chosen that Good Part [podcast]

Luke 10:38-42

Mary = loving relationship with Jesus, not just being busy with doing, with labor, with performing works such as what Martha was doing. First and foremost, Jesus saved us for relationship with Him and the Father (John 17:3). And here our Savior expresses that knowing, loving, adoring, and listening to Him are at a divine premium, they are most important to God. That’s what God desires – for us to delight ourselves in Him (Psalms 37:4).

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalms 37:4

David’s brothers looked the part but they couldn’t and wouldn’t even face Goliath, much less slay him. David though, was spending time alone with the LORD, listening to His voice and tending to the sheep. He who is the only man God ever said was “a man after mine own heart,” was used mightily of God to slay the giant (Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 17).

Isn’t this how we are with our children? Wouldn’t every parent rather their precious children sit in their mom or dad’s lap telling their parent how much they (the child) loves them (the parent)? That’s the biggest heart melt we know, right?

Like David, the most powerfully used warriors are first worshippers.

Our real, our genuine relationship with the LORD is that place out of which His power and grace (divine enablement) will flow. Like David, we must be primarily, and first and foremost worshippers. Out of that rich communion with the Savior will flow the warrior anointing of the LORD who is “a man of war” (Exodus 15:3).

Many who sense the call of God on their lives to minister go to seminary. Sad. We must go to God ourselves – in prayer, a life of prayer, relentlessly seeking His holy face in His Word for ourselves.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6

Private prayer with the LORD precedes God using us. Those who seek God in “secret” will be “openly” rewarded by Him.

“The little estimate we put on prayer is evidence from the little time we give to it.” EM Bounds

“A sinning man stops praying. A praying man stops sinning.” – Leonard Ravenhill

Luke 10

38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

“Mary hath Chosen that Good Part”

The “good part” Mary chose consists of…

Mary made the only wise choice “Mary hath chosen.”
Mary put Jesus first. She put the Savior first, not herself or her idea of what it meant to serve Him.
Jesus says here that choosing to put and keep Him first is the “one thing [that] is needful” or most necessary (v39, 42).
Sitting before Jesus Himself and not searching for God outside of God Himself, primarily that is. All other learning is supplemental and subservient to that which the LORD tells us specifically, in His Word.

Worshippers become the most powerful workers God uses!

Like many today who are shallow rooted, Martha was a worker but not first and foremost a worshipper. Mary was a worshipper who loved to spend time with Jesus. Therefore she was empowered by God Himself via that fellowship with Him to walk in His holy compassion and to do His works with His power and for His glory (1 Corinthians 15:10).

When our works are not fruitful as they should be, perhaps it can be traced back to our lack of fellowship with our LORD. As we fellowship with Him, putting Him first and not ourselves, our vessel, our cup will run over with His goodness…. it will spill over onto others! (See Psalms 23:5.) That’s when our labor will carry His eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Psalms 23:5

When Jesus came, it was God bringing Heaven to the people – to forgive their sins and make them whole (Matthew 9:6). This was the foretold fulfillment of His kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

When Jesus came, He went to the people, to heal, to save, to make whole (Matthew 9:35-38; Acts 10:38, etc.).

As we go, Jesus is with us, “even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20).

Daily, our LORD is using His people to bring Heaven to the people. As the Holy Spirit fills our lives, His blessed presence and fruit in our lives is going to over overflow onto others.

A sister in Christ once told me that “The best Marthas are first Marys.” Think about that one in light of what we read in this passage when Jesus visited the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Those who sit at Jesus’ feet to hear His holy counsel, are changed into His image and become reservoirs for His blessed glory. Their cups run over onto others!

“Prayer is of transcendent importance. Prayer is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work. Praying hearts and hands only can do God’s work. Prayer succeeds when all else fails.” E.M. Bounds

When worshiping Jesus is our first priority, the work He uses us to do WILL carry His unction and bring fruit to bear for His eternal glory.

Rote obedience to minister to others, while not anchored in intimacy with our LORD, will not yield an abundant harvest, fruit. In contrast, we can be blessed to have God’s power and grace to do His work and that happens as we are truly communing, fellowshipping in the construct of that oneness relationship He made us for (John 15; 17).

Knowing God’s Word and obeying Him is not an automatic progression (John 8:31-36). One can know the Bible and not its Author. Or, one can know the Bible well and not know the Author well (Job 22:21-28). Obeying God’s Word requires knowing Him, abiding in an intimate fellowship with Him, thereby enabling that saint the grace (divine enablement) to obey Him (John 5:39-40; 7:17; 14:21-23; 15:1-16, etc.).

Martha “received him.” Many of us have “received” Jesus, have been saved by Him (John 1:12), yet like Martha we aren’t sitting at His holy feet, listening to Him speak through His Word. Like Martha, we also are “cumbered about much serving.”

It should be understood that our work can exceed our worship, our hospitality can exceed our holiness, our serving can exceed our sanctification, etc. That would be defined as imbalance (Proverbs 11:1).

In Luke 10:38-42, notice that Mary sat directly at Jesus’ feet and no other. When we arise in the morning to commune with the LORD, such is to be direct communication between you and Him, alone (Matthew 6:6). That would mean perhaps that when you arise in the morning you aren’t reading some other book about God or turning on a podcast or TV program to find and commune with the LORD. No, those things involve others. We must directly commune with the LORD in prayer and in HIS Word. How else shall we be able to discern the “MANY false prophets” Jesus warned us “shall deceive many”? (Read Matthew 24:11; 1 John 4:1.) How can we know the counterfeit if we don’t know the real? We can’t.

In principle, Martha is a person like Cain, a person who chose to do things their own way, not God’s – because they are not truly submitted to God. Does that describe your life friend? Jesus calls us home to Himself (Matthew 11:28-30).

Are we attempting to serve the LORD on our own terms or are we sitting before Him, hearing His voice as we are worshipfully, joyfully submitted to Him on His stated terms?

“The men who have done mighty things for God have always been mighty in prayer, have well understood the possibilities of prayer, and made the most of these possibilities. The Son of God, the first of all and the mightiest of all, has shown us the all-potent and far reaching possibilities of prayer. Paul was mighty for because he knew, how to use, and how to get others to use, the mighty spiritual forces of prayer.” EM Bounds, The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer, P. 341

When we are brought to the point of true repentance it will be obvious in that we will do things God’s way and no longer our own. Like Mary, we will be settled at His feet, hearing His Word, His voice. The Mary person is in love with and submitted to the LORD and Savior she so joyfully worships.

“Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach, only how to pray. To know how to speak to God is more than knowing how to speak to people. Power with God is the first thing, not power with people. Christ loves to teach us how to pray.” –Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer, pp. xxiii-xxiv

At His Feet [podcast]

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Job 13:15 Job had just lost all of his children and yet held fast his integrity toward the LORD. He would not allow his wife, his friends, or any other circumstance or entity sway his thoughts. This was a man with a real relationship with the living God – one not based on circumstance. First, foremost, and separate from all else, Job loved and worshipped the LORD with his whole heart. We must come to the place where our LORD alone […]

The First Love of the True Disciple [podcast]

The words “disciple”/“disciples” are found 273 times in the Bible, all in the New Testament canon with the exception of 1 appearance in the Old Testament (Isaiah 8:16). “Disciple” is married to the word discipline. An un-disciplined life reveals a gross lack of respect and rooting in the Person, the Word, and the cause of Christ and is an un-fruitful life. “And have NO ROOT in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” Mark 4:17 “They on the rock are they, which, when they […]

Our Sin Should Lay us at His Feet [podcast]

“Sin lieth at the door.” Genesis 4:7 One writer takes a shot at this in the following words: “Jesus died for our sins. He is the sin offering for all humanity: past, present, and future. So the offerings in the Old Testament represent the Cross. So in short, if you reject the offering, meaning Christ and the Cross, ‘then sin lieth at the door.’ This means sin will DOMINATE you if any other method is used.” “Sin lieth at the door” – Temptation to sin presents itself perpetually and this is why prayer, abiding communion, perpetual communication with the Savior, command central, is […]