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.
Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
Luke 10:40 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.
Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
Luke 10:42 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
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Articles
What Does it Mean to Follow Christ? [podcast]

“Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 3
THE LORD is calling for an immediate release of the WHOLE counsel of HIS WORD!
DO you have a 20/20 vision? Read Acts 20:20 and get it!
Just like fake news TV, wolves only give you a small part of the whole story – in order to manipulate you! Half truths kill!
YOU know when you are right with God when you are running TO the cross message and not AWAY from it! “Enemies of the cross” of Christ “mind earthly things” and not the things the LORD commanded (Philippians 3:18-19).
The cross is a dethroning, unseating of self and the enthroning of Christ!
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Abiding
“I Desire Fruit that May Abound to Your Account” [podcast]

“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” Philippians 4:17
Did you realize that as a born again disciple of Jesus, that you have an “account” in Heaven?
“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.” Matthew 6:19-21
Laying up treasure in Heaven and not wasting it on this fleeting life, is the command and the wisdom of God.
“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14
To some I would say:
“So let me get this straight…. you attributed your own earnings for your whole life to yourself and so now, how dare someone suggest you allow other saints to help fund God’s work, to lay up treasure in Heaven …..”
“But as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.” 1 Samuel 30:24
Some seem to take offense to anyone receiving help from God’s people… which is 100% selfish and pride filled…. in more than one way:
1. The work is expanded with greater funding;
2. God’s people are laying up treasure in Heaven when they choose to give.
This all seems to indicate that you are far too involved in the “ministry” you are doing. It’s all about you, not Christ.
Think about how Jesus and Paul and John had numerous “fellowhelpers to the truth.” Every member was free and able to function fully in our LORD’s work.
“We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.” 3 John 8
Apparently some bogusly believe, pretend to be more righteous than Jesus and the apostle Paul by denying love offerings to do the work of God.
These men are actually preventing God’s people from laying up treasure in heaven and acting self-righteous about it.
Apparently you seek to be the hero who serves yourself in many ways instead of Christ and others and therefore you wish all of your labor be attributed to your own account in Heaven. Philippians 4:17 says: “Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”
We give the Gospel “without charge”…. and yet that does not in any way negate all that the Bible says about giving and laying up treasure in Heaven: “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:18). This would mean that he doesn’t ask for money and yet that doesn’t mean he didn’t receive such help nor that what he taught in verses 1-14 are negated.
Regrettably, there are men doing ministry who are babes in understanding this Bible 101 doctrine of giving, of stewardship.
Isn’t it time we get out of the way and let those sitting on the bench get on the field, participate, lay up treasure in Heaven?
Do we not understand how Christ told us His kingdom works…. that when we give, it connects our hearts closer to Christ and His work? See Matthew 6:21.
Following our heretical beliefs instead of the Bible on this topic of stewardship would have thus far resulted in the deprivation of so very many beloved needy people here in Mexico. It would have cheated them out of many blessings…. food and the Word, salvation, etc.
Remember, such as was the case with the few loaves and fishes. Jesus takes what we give to Him, to His work, and multiplies it. Do the math. John 6. Five thousand men were fed out of 5 loaves and 2 fishes and yet there was much food (more than they began with) left over, surplus (2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 3:20).
“Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.” John 6:13
Regrettably, we have novices who are abandoning the truth of God due to others perverting it….(2 Corinthians 2:17).
Are they making excuse for not giving?
The LORD “giveth us richly all things to enjoy.”
Every good and every perfect gift on this earth is from God and is a mere foretaste of glory divine!
“The living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17
Does God’s Word not warn us that God’s people are to “behold” both “the goodness and the SEVERITY of God” lest we be “cut off”?
“Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” Romans 11:22
LORD, we thank You now for EVERY good and perfect blessing You alone have provided—beginning with the ultimate, the unspeakable, the unfathomable gift of Your only begotten Son who died, was buried, and raised again from the dead to justify us (Romans 4:25)! We love You LORD Jesus!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17
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Abiding
Hostile Watching vs Grounded Readiness for Christ’s Return [podcast]

So let me get this straight…. we are frantic about the timing of the most anticipated event in human history, the return of Heaven’s King …. yet we don’t love that coming King enough to diligently seek His face and be preoccupied, consumed with serving Him – as we obey Him by daily denying self, taking up the cross, worshipping and executing His Great Commission mandate that He gave us? If this is the case, does it not prove that we are all about ourselves and not the LORD we feign to follow – as in we don’t truly love Him but rather seek to self-preservingly keep ourselves out of hell?
“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, WHEN the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation (hostile watching): 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21
Are we frantic about the WHEN and not fervent about seeking, knowing, worshipping, and obeying the WHO? Should we be crying “WHEN?!” OR “WHAT do You want me to do LORD, HOW do You want to use me?!”
The Coming of the Kingdom
“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, WHEN the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.”
In this passage it seems to fit that “observation” refers to hostile, anxious watching. Notice the setting. The Pharisee enemies are demanding “WHEN the kingdom of God should come.” Jesus then answers them and seems to communicate that we are not to seek to determine by physical evidence “WHEN” He’s returning and that “the kingdom of God is within you.” (v21)
Of Jesus’s words in Luke 17:20, the Pulpit commentary notes:
“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. This answer of our Lord’s may be paraphrased: “The kingdom of God cometh not in conjunction with such observation and watching for external glorious things as now exist among you here. Lo, it will burst upon you suddenly, unawares.” The English word “observation” answers to the signification of the Greek as meaning a singularly anxious watching.”
Our preoccupation should not be with the timing, the exact day or hour of His coming but rather in knowing Him, being rooted and grounded in our abiding relationship with the Savior. Living in readiness (Luke 12:40; 21:34-36). Our relationship with Him, moment by moment is what is most important and determines our present abiding fruitfulness (John 15:1-16) and future place with our coming King.
“Help me Jesus to keep my eye on the prize. You are my exceedingly great reward! And there is none upon the earth I desire more than thee. Those that are yours are preparing their hearts to be with you in glory for ever and ever! Behold Lord you are the God of our salvation!” Karen Cochran
Jesus came and died to give us a relationship with the Father and Himself.
“And this is life eternal (the whole divine reason for it), that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3
We must let God be God, letting Him determine the orchestrating and timing of His coming and rather be preoccupied with seeking, loving, knowing, and obeying our coming King.
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Philippians 3:10
When lightening strikes “EVERY EYE” sees it (Revelation 1:7). Speaks of … He is coming with such force that lights of the whole sky escapes no one. So shall it be when the Author of lightening splits the eastern sky beloved! When Jesus Christ splits the eastern sky no one will miss it.
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:21-27
God knows and is in control of the end of all things, the return of the Son of God.
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36
We need not run around frantically looking for the coming of the KING and His kingdom because “the kingdom of God is within you.” The domain of the KING is in us—KING-dom! That’s what it means.
The preoccupation of the Heaven bound saint of Christ should be his relationship with King Jesus.
“Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Luke 12:40
Some people are so busy trying to figure out exactly when Jesus is coming back and how the end time events are going to unfold that they aren’t preparing themselves to meet Him! They live in unwarranted anxiety, in hostile watching instead of settling down to know Him and therefore they aren’t ready to meet Jesus nor helping others to be prepared for the soon return of Christ. Fruitfulness comes from an abiding relationship with Christ.
Living in hostility, anxiety and fear destroys present abiding and fruitfulness. Many today jump from one end times ministry to another, fueling their anxiety with speculations. They are perpetually incapacitated from the daily abiding and fruitfulness Jesus ordains (John 15:1-16).
I’ve seen many who spend more time worrying, monitoring and trying in vain to determine what month or day Jesus would return. It seems that those same people are not fervently seeking the face of the LORD, are not evangelizing, do not have their hand to the plow of the Great Commission work of Christ. Rather they are foolishly seeking to play God by frantically attempting to figure out the exact or approximate timing of Jesus’ second coming. And yet they don’t have an heart after God and are therefore not ready for when Jesus returns (Matthew 26:41; Luke 12:40; Ephesians 5:25-27).
God is calling us to settle down and seek His face.
“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11
“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” Psalms 63:8
God is calling us to be anchored in Christ, our “blessed hope.” Titus 2:13
Titus 2 seems to be speaking of our lives, our spiritual state in light of Jesus’ coming.
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” Titus 2:11-15
Hope in Christ, as we truly abide in Him, in the crucified life He ordained, is the “anchor of the soul” of the remnant disciple.
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” Hebrews 6:19
“Love this podcast! And the word you used was hysteria. That is exactly what I am seeing. Many want to escape the tribulation out of fear! So if they can somehow figure out when Jesus is coming then maybe they will be able to escape the difficult times ahead! But we know the Bible says we must go through much tribulation to enter the kingdom of heaven. Acts 14:22. So there is no escape. Our job is to continue in the faith, eye on the prize which is Jesus! Always keeping in view the Kingdom of God. Like the 5 wise virgins.” Karen Cochran
The reason people live in fear is that they don’t have the love of God in them, through oneness with, through abiding relationship with Christ, which otherwise cast out all fear.
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:16-18
Prayer: Father, please ground me in You, establish Your kingdom and fruitfulness in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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