HINDRANCES TO DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIP

"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 10:38). 

There are three principal characters in the story signaled off by today's Scripture for meditation - Martha, Mary and Jesus. I want us to quickly pick up a lesson from each of these personalities. 

Reading through our passage, it occurred to me for the first time that Martha was the owner of the house in which Lazarus and Mary lived. I really never realized that she was the chief hostess of Jesus and His team. Considering the fact that Jesus would have had between twelve and seventy people with Him, that must mean that Martha was a woman of substance. Here then is the lesson to learn: our substance, wealth or status should never be allowed to become a hindrance to a dynamic relationship with the Lord. Indeed, all through the ages, people of substance are known by the fact that they receive the Lord Jesus, not just in their homes but also in their lives. The Bible is full of examples of men and women of great substance who walked with God in exemplary manners. From Noah, a man of great substance who singlehandedly built that virtual world on water, to Joseph of Arimathaea, the disciple of Jesus who underwrote Jesus' burial expenses, and to Lydia, the cloth merchant of Thyatira, the consistent testimony of Scriptures is that people of substance make provision for God in their lives. 

The second lesson to pick from our passage is taken from the life of Mary. This is that we as believers must by our conduct always give the Lord a reason to come to our defense. Martha was busy in the kitchen while her sister Mary sat by the feet of Jesus, listening to His words. Martha then came with a complaint to Jesus about Mary's conduct. Perhaps she expected the Lord to rebuke Mary, but she met with a shocker. The Lord Jesus didn't even allow Mary to give an answer. He promptly defended her, saying that Mary had done what was right, needful and acceptable to God. Martha's complaints may be legitimate, but Jesus' response was even more authoritatively legitimate, cancelling the legitimacy of Martha's complaints. The point is that when our walk with the Lord is correct, whatever people may have against us shall not be able to stand. It reminds me of the Scripture that says, "When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). 

Finally, with regards to Jesus, the clear lesson to take home here is that purpose is more important than pleasure. The moment Jesus entered the house, He straightaway began to impart spiritual values into whosoever would hear by way of teaching. That was His purpose for coming to the world and He was urgent on fulfilling it, despite the fact that He must have been wearied from His journey. Jesus' purpose defined His conduct here and everywhere. His purpose determined whom He identified with, how He related to people, and His responses to whatever was going on around Him. Although Jesus knew and appreciated the fact that Martha was making nutritional provisions for Him and His team, it was clear from His actions that He didn't come to the world to eat food, and He left no one in doubt about that. 

Now, let's put it all together. To live a fulfilled life here on earth with a sure prospect for heaven, we must prioritize our relationship with God. Status or substance should never be allowed to come between us and the Lord. Rather, we should take advantage of wherever God has placed us, and use whatever God has given us to serve the Lord and enhance our relationship with Him. God must mean more to us than anything else. And we must always be conscious of our divine purpose wherever we find ourselves. 

THAT STUMBLE MAY HAVE PREVENTED A FALL, BE THANKFUL

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). 

One of the most amazing verse of Scripture in my judgment is this quote, urging us to give thanks FOR all things. I can understand giving thanks IN all things, which gives me room to choose what to be thankful for in my situation. For instance, if I lost my wallet, I could say 'Thank you Lord that I only lost my wallet and not my life'. Then I'm giving thanks IN that situation. But to ask me to give thanks FOR that situation is to say, 'Thank you Lord that I lost my wallet'. Giving thanks for all things - the good, the bad and the ugly - just doesn't sound ok. But God knows what we don't and His judgment is for us to give thanks for all things. 

There is a Chinesse proverb that says 'a stumble may prevent a fall'. Your present trouble may be no more than a stumble and you may never know what terrible fall it has come to prevent you from. That is why it is profitable to be thankful for everything, especially if you are in the will of God for your life. An attitude of gratitude can turn obstacles into stepping stones for miracles. 

Thanksgiving is one of the most harmless and safest things you could do in this world. No matter the circumstance, thanksgiving is always the will of God. Whereas people have been rebuked for every imaginable act, I am yet to hear of anyone being reprimanded for giving thanks. You lose nothing by giving thanks but may lose everything by neglecting to give thanks. 

If you just lost your job, thank God you lost that job - that won't stand in your way of getting it back or getting a better one in its stead. Neither does it mean that you have given up, accepted defeat and agreed with the devil. Thank God you lost the job and then proceed to rebuke the devil if you feel like it. Satan will always obey you better after he hears you acknowledging the goodness of God while going through an unpleasant situation. Satan is ever afraid of grateful saints because he knows he's lost the battle over the lives of such people. 

If you just lost a loved one, go ahead and thank God. Withholding your gratitude certainly won't release the power of resurrection. So why not give the devil a blow and give thanks to God, even with your tears. Thanksgiving don't always have to go with smiles to be acceptable to God. You can be sure that the woman of Shunem was not smiling when she told Gehazi 'it is well', neither was Horatio Spafford when he wrote the song, 'It Is Well With My Soul'. 

Thanksgiving is a way of acknowledging that God reigns in our situation. Gratitude is an endorsement of God's sovereignty over our lives. That is why the unthankful is not only ungrateful but also rebellious. That makes ingratitude a crime before the Almighty. You must not be caught dead with such a heinous crime. Be thankful! 

Excess of everything, they say, is bad. But wanted is excessive, superfluous and profuse thanksgiving to the Lord, our God. 

As for me, my song remains 'Thank You Jesus'. 

MAKE UP YOUR MIND

"Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out" (Matthew 26:58, The Message).

Following Jesus at a safe distance really never pays. Peter tried it and he ended up weeping profusely. Half-hearted commitment to the cause of Christ will eventually bring bitter regrets. Slipping in and out of the flesh and mingling with the world, while at the same time expecting heaven to reckon with you as a servant or follower of Christ will not just work.

You've got to make up your mind at once and be ready to be known for what you believe. There is no point watching and waiting to see how things would turn out. Things could turn out either way, but what must be definite is that we are for Christ and Christ is for us; we are on the Lord's side and the Lord is on our side. All other issues are secondary. Whoever keeps watching to see how things would turn out before deciding for the Lord shall never be able to do the will of God. Remember, those who observe the wind will not sow and those who regard the clouds will not reap.

Whatever happens to us is not as important as what happens in us. We must never allow anything to dislodge Christ from our hearts, not even threats to our very existence. We must make up our minds to stand and live for Jesus all the moments of our lives in spite of the ridicules, persecutions or dangers such a decision may expose us to. Your friends must know where you stand on this Jesus matter, your enemies also.

The three Hebrew boys made up their minds and said, ‘we are following the Lord all the way through, even if that means we would lose our lives’. That is the spirit that gets heaven’s attention; that is the disposition that will attract the respect and endorsement of the Almighty. I am happy to note that they were not disappointed, and unlike Peter, their story did not end in tears. Rather, it ended in gladness of heart, in promotion and in the praise of the God of heaven who they had followed closely and openly.

Friends, it is time to get in the front and declare for Jesus. Following Jesus afar off or at a ‘safe distance’ is not really safe; it will only put you far behind the scene where God is working. But getting into the thick of the worship and service of God will prove that the things concerning the kingdom of God are on the front burner in your life.

THE ENDANGERED SPECIES SERIES

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HELP IS ON THE WAY - Dr Segun Oshinaga

We may be pressed, harassed and weary in the fog of battle. The enemy may be pressing in, our troops may be on the run and it may look like we won’t survive the day. We may be running for our lives or running for cover. I’ve got good news for you; help is on the way. No matter the dire situation that confronts you right now, just remember that help is coming. He will testify that he has repeatedly delivered you in the past, he is still delivering us and you can bet that he is ready to deliver again and again.
During the Second World War, the Japanese forces beat the day-light out of General MacArthur’s American forces in the Philippines. The famous General was rescued by the skin of his teeth. But before he was evacuated, he told his rag tag, demoralized, distressed, battle weary soldiers, ‘I will be back.’ Knowing his reputation as a man who kept his word, the soldiers hid in the bushes of the Philippines jungle and survived as best as they could. Well, MacArthur came back as he promised with enough gear and resources to whip the Japanese. That was the beginning of the end of the Japanese occupation of Philippines.
"Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;"
Psalm 20:2
Take heart, help is coming. God is raising an army of help right now in the heavens for you. Stay alive. Survive until help comes. No matter how hard it is, no matter the burdens you have to bear, remember, help is coming. However bad it may look or tough, I trust God to send you help from the sanctuary, the very presence of God.
Cheer up, help is on the way

A Life Of Purpose (3) – If You Can’t Be Distracted, You Can’t Be Defeated

“But is came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. So built we the wall and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof for the people had a mind to work.” Nehemiah 4:1, 6

It is amazing how many people expect to accomplish great things with little or no opposition. Because they are not expecting opposition, they usually overact or blow it completely out of proportion when they encounter opposition. Nobody talks about a nonentity. No one opposes a nobody, There is no opposition as long as you are not doing something substantial with your life. But decide to do something with your life and you will see all hell breaks loose. Your relatives become your adversaries. In places where approval was taken for granted, it will no longer be there.

Do not become preoccupied with the opposition. Master your opposition and do not let your opposition master you. Whatever you allow to dominate your thoughts and mind is what will eventually begin to manifest in your life. It is so easy to magnify the obstacle. Obstacles will move away when you refuse to give in to it. The worst possible way to treat your adversaries is to take them too seriously.

The greatest tribute you can give to your adversaries is to allow them to distract you. It is important to recognize that the important reason for opposition to an idea or a vision is to distract you. When you are distracted, the purpose of the opposition has been served.

You can’t be defeated until you are distracted. This is a powerful tool of the enemy. The enemy knows he can’t defeat you all by himself. That is why he uses ‘devices.’ Distraction is one of his strongest and most powerful devices to defeat the believer. You need to see through the enemy so that you can be victorious. We can see this truth illustrated in the life of Nehemiah.

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We love you and wish you the best of what you desire in Jesus name. 

A.T Joel