Lucas 10

Lucas 10

Morgan - This One Thing - The phrase one thing occurs several times in the Bible, pointing to God's priorities for us. The word priority comes from the term prior, something coming before something else. Here are some ultimate priorities for us: Worship God! "I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord" (Ps. 27:4). Put Christ above all else! "You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have.... Then come, follow Me" (Mark 10:21). Sit at Jesus' feet studying His Word! "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41). Tell what Jesus has done for you! "One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!" (John 9:25). Don't look backward but forward! "One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus"! (Phil. 3:13-14). Be ready for Christ's return! "Dear friends, don't let this one thing escape you:... the Day of the Lord will come like a thief" (2 Pet. 3:8, 10). Beware lest the many things crowd out the one thing today. (My All in All) Spurgeon's Sermon Notes - Luke 10:39—"And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word." The family at Bethany was highly favored by being permitted to entertain our Lord so often. They all appreciated the privilege, but Mary made the wisest use of it. Martha sought to serve the Lord with her very best. Mary was full of love to Jesus, as we know by her anointing him, and therefore she also would serve him with her very best. She did so by attending to his words. She was a wise and saintly woman, and our Lord commended her chosen method of service. It will be safe, therefore, for us to follow her example. Let us learn from the woman who sat as a learner at the feet of our Lord, and thus taught us to choose the good part. Here we see— I. Love at leisure. "Which also sat at Jesus' feet." When the evening comes on, and all the members of the family are around the fireside, then love rests and communes, forgetting all care, happily at home, oblivious of the outside world, and of time itself. Like Mary— We would feel ourselves quite at home with Jesus our Lord. We would be free from worldly care—leaving all with Jesus. We would even be free from the care of his service, the battle for his Kingdom, and the burden of the souls committed to our charge. We would sweetly enjoy the happy leisure which he provides for us, as we muse upon the rest-giving themes which he reveals so clearly, and makes so true to us— His work for us, finished, accepted, abidingly effectual, and perpetually overflowing with priceless blessings. His great gifts received, which are greater than those to come. All other needful and promised blessings of grace, sure to come in due season. Romans 8:32. All our future, for time and for eternity, safe in his dear hands. Let us, without fear, enjoy leisure with Jesus—leisure, but not laziness:—leisure to love, to learn, to commune, to copy. Leisure in a home where others are cumbered. See verses 40–42. Leisure to sit, and to sit in the most delightful of all places. II. Love in lowliness. "At Jesus' feet." In this lowliness let each one personally copy Mary. Say unto yourself, "I choose the feet of Jesus to be my place." Let me be— Not a busy housewife and manager, which any one may be, and yet be graceless; but— 1. A penitent, which is an acknowledgment of my unworthiness. 2. A disciple, which is a confession of my ignorance. 3. A receiver, which is an admission of my emptiness. This posture befits me when I think of what I was, what I am, what I must be, what my Lord is, and what he is to me. Let me bless his condescending love, which permits me this bliss. III. Love listening. "And heard his word." She could not have heard if she had not been at leisure to sit, nor if she had not been lowly, and chosen to sit at his feet. Be it ours to hear that love-word which says, "Hearken, O daughter, and consider": Psalm 45:10. Listening to what Jesus says in his Word, in his creation, in his providence, and by his Spirit in our soul. Listening to the tones and accents with which he emphasizes and sweetens all that he says. Listening to himself. Studying him, reading his very heart. Listening, and not obtruding our own self-formed thoughts, notions, reasonings, questionings, desires, and prejudices. Listening, and forgetting the observations and unbeliefs of others. Listening, and bidding all cares lie still, that they may no more disturb the reverent silence of the heart. How sweet! How instructive! How truly "the good part"! IV. Love in possession. She had obtained her Lord, his love, his presence, his word, his fellowship, and she sat there in full enjoyment to delight her soul with that which she had so joyfully lighted upon. She had in this one thing supplied her soul's necessity, and so she sat down in perfect satisfaction. She had her Lord's promise that she should not be robbed of it, and she sat down in full assurance, to be happy in her possession Her Lord's promise assured her that she should not lose the good part, which she had chosen,— By a cold word from her Lord. By the angry expostulation of her sister. By any future affliction, or temptation, or occupation. Nor even by death itself. Now, then, she rests in resolute constancy: she has reached her ultimatum: she will go no further than her Lord and his word. Oh, to be more with Jesus! This is true life. Oh, to hear Jesus more! This is true service. Oh, to love Jesus more! This is true treasure. Oh, to abide with Jesus, and never dream of going beyond him! This is true wisdom. Quiet Morsels Behold Mary, all reverence, all attention, all composure, feeding on the doctrine of eternal life—she "sat at Jesus feet." She wisely and zealously improved the opportunity given her for the good of her soul. "This is my summer, my harvest: let me redeem the time."—Jay. Mary sits to hear the word, as Christ used to sit when he preached the word (Matthew 5, Luke 14, John 8); to show that the word is to be preached and heard with a quiet mind. In a still night, every voice is heard, and when the body is quiet, the mind most commonly is quiet also.… When our minds are quiet, we are fit to deal with heavenly matters; therefore the doctors conferred sitting in the temple, and God delights to deal with us when we are most in private; he appeared to Abraham sitting in the door of his tent. (Genesis 18) The Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles, and filled all the house where they were sitting. (Acts 2) The eunuch, sitting in his chariot, was called and converted by Philip's preaching. (Acts 8)—Henry Smith. Whether shall we praise more, Mary's humility, or her docility? I do not see her take a stool and sit by him, or a chair and sit above him; but, as desiring to show her heart was as low as her knees, she sits at his feet. She was lowly set, and richly warmed with his heavenly beams. The greater submission, the more grace. If there be one hollow in the valley lower than another, thither the waters gather. Bishop Hall. Dr. Chalmers' complained: "I am hustled out of my spirituality." At the feet of Jesus, listening to His word; Learning wisdom's lesson from her loving Lord; Mary, led by heavenly grace, Chose the meek disciple's place. At the feet of Jesus is the place for me; There a humble learner would I choose to be, Sacred Songs and Solos. Vance Havner's sermon entitled "One Thing—" To the rich young ruler Jesus said, "One thing thou lackest." Money, position, morality, idealism, these were not enough. There is a goodness among moderns that is dangerous because so deceptive. It is the goodness of the young ruler. It is fine moral character, sincere and well-meaning, lit up with a desire to find life eternal. It frequently joins church, teaches a class, prays in public, is honest and aspiring. But it lacks one thing, and because of that tragic lack, its possessor goes away grieved when the real cost of discipleship is counted. We have a serious problem today in splendid men and women of sterling qualities who will not utterly renounce everything to follow Jesus in a life of faith. Their very virtues become hindrances because they count on them and ask, "What GOOD THING shall I do?" instead of forsaking their own poor righteousness, as did Paul his legal blamelessness, and counting only on the merits of Christ. To be sure, Jesus asked this young man to renounce his money, not his goodness; but the request showed up what sort of goodness he had. Promising qualities avail nothing if we are unwilling to "hate father and mother," to forsake anything, however dear, that hinders the life of surrender and trust. "But one thing is needful," said Jesus to the worried Martha. It is not a sit-down-and-do-nothing preachment. There must be practical Marthas in the kitchen. Notice the words, "Martha was cumbered"—"Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things." He was not reprimanding her for working, He was gently reproving her for worrying. "But one thing is needful—restful communion with Me" We can commune with Him in the kitchen, but most of us are only cumbered, careful and anxious. Even in our practical Christian activities we become vexed and harassed. Our poor services will pass away, but contemplative communion with Him is that good part which shall not be taken away. Our sole business is to live in constant, abiding fellowship with Christ. If we become more interested in what we are doing for Christ than in what He is doing for us, we have reversed things and we shall end up as did Martha, cumbered instead of communing. But one thing is needful for the believer, to stay spiritually at His feet, hearing His word. Our hearts can sit at His feet while our hands work in the kitchen. "This one thing I do," said Paul. He had found, long before, that there was one thing he lacked, and he tells us about it in this same chapter. He enumerates his good points before he knew Christ. It reminds us of the rich young ruler. He was blameless according to law-righteousness. Then he learned that there was one thing needful, "the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Now that he has felt his lack and received the one thing needful, there is one more "one thing," and that is something to do. Nothing we can do will help until we have moved through these first two stages: then, there will be plenty to do. There is something to forget, "those things which are behind"; there is something to reach toward, "those things which are before"; there is something to press toward, "the mark" the goal; there is something to work for, "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Let these be the milestones of your spiritual experience: One thing I lack; one thing is needful; one thing I do. The love of worldly possessions entangles the soul and prevents it from flying to God.—Saint Augustine Herbert Lockyer - Jesus did not tell Martha that she had neither part nor lot in Him, or that she was allowing the cares of this life to choke the seed. He recognized that she was working for Him, but reminded her that she was permitting her outward activities to hinder her spiritually. Because of wrong emphasis regarding her necessary labor, her inner communion with her Lord was being hindered. In her restless activity Martha felt that her sister carried "her quiet, peaceful, faith-engendered mysticism" too far. H. V. Morton says that in our Lord's reply to Martha's complaint there can be traced a play of ideas, and that His words can be interpreted—Martha, Martha, you are busy with many courses when one dish would be quite sufficient. Mary has chosen the best dish, which shall not be taken away from her. The term "careful" refers to inward worrying anxiety. Martha was mentally solicitous, anxious with a divided mind which is forbidden (Matthew 6:22-31; 1 Corinthians 7:32). "Troubled," means disturbed, distracted outwardly about many things or dishes. Fausset comments that "Much serving has its right place and time (I Thessalonians 4:11; II Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Timothy 5:14), but ought to give place to hearing when Jesus speaks, for faith whereby the good and abiding portion is gained, cometh by hearing" (Romans 10:17). The "good part" Mary chose was bias in the direction of that which is spiritual. John Bisagno - Martha Luke 10:38–42 1. True Service to God Consists of More Than Mere Activity Martha was in the kitchen, wondering what she had gotten herself into. She was busy preparing a great meal and the aroma filled the house. As she cooked, Jesus was speaking, about what we do not know, but we do know that her sister, Mary, was sitting at Jesus’ feet, intently listening. Perhaps Martha’s blood pressure was like one of those pots on the fire—warming up, then simmering, and finally boiling. Martha worked herself into a frenzy, her plate full in more ways than one. How could it be fair for her to slave over a hot oven while her sister was loafing? Finally, she could take it no longer and marched in to speak, not to Mary, but to Jesus. Martha may well be the most underrated woman in the New Testament. She truly loved the Lord, or else she never would have invited Him into her home and set about to prepare Him a wonderful meal. She was an industrious and hospitable woman but, unfortunately, a good deal of what she was doing was for Martha, as well as for the Lord. I imagine that Martha thought she was going to get the support of Jesus in this situation. Instead, Jesus says, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” Martha reminds each of us that our strengths can become our weaknesses when they are carried to extremes. With all her good qualities, Martha lacked sensitivity. She was not sensitive to what a special time this was in the life of her sister, and could have been for her. Few are more tempted at this point than pastors. Trying to build their churches larger and larger and dealing with the pressures of meetings, deadlines, conferences, and counseling can become substitutes for genuine spirituality. Certainly there are priorities in life and in ministry. If the pastorate is anything, it is an endless pressure to choose between the good and the best. But we deceive ourselves when we exchange quiet time and solitude with God for endless busy activities. Perhaps saddest of all is to never learn that when we put first priority on our time alone with Him, our day is actually less hectic, for He goes before us to organize our day and smooth our way. Give Him ten minutes in the morning and it will take fourteen hours to do your day’s work. Give Him an hour and you may accomplish the same in eight. 2. Time with God Is the Only Absolute Imperative in Life Jesus said, “Mary, you are disturbed and working on many projects, but only one thing is necessary, and that is to do what Martha is doing … hearing my Word, listening to my voice, learning at my feet.” What a statement! That is all you really need. To hear His voice and know His Word will teach us His will, make us effective, lead us to right decisions, and positively affect everything in our lives. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Everything else can be let go, delayed, or pushed into distant second place in your life, but miss the priority to be with Him in the morning, and nothing else will be truly successful at all. Worship is always more important than worry and work. Intellectually we can agree with that statement, but is it reflective of the way we really live? Jesus knew that His time was short. He was on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified, and I’m guessing that food was not a high priority during those hours before he began his final trials. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that worship is not a high priority in many lives today. I am not talking just about corporate worship, but private worship, as well. Mary was not in the synagogue, and she was not in a public worship service. She was in the privacy of her own home, sitting at the feet of Jesus. Worry is a draining emotion and occurs in people of all temperaments and personality types. Probably nothing is quite as damaging to worship as worry, for worry takes our eyes off Christ and puts them on ourselves and our problems. It says to God, “I’m not sure You can handle this situation, so I’m going to carry it around and wrestle with it.” What about you? Are you worried about something? Has it begun to affect both your private and your public worship? Give that worry over to God and enjoy some serious time resting in His wonderful presence. 3. Our Reward Is a Relationship, Not a Religion We do not serve Christ in order to get a paycheck. Some of us have the good fortune of having our material needs met by being employed in ministry. But even in our case, if we are doing it for a paycheck we won’t last very long. Mary enjoyed her reward, which was personal friendship with Jesus. She knew that the best way to grow a relationship is to spend time together, and she was doing just that. Mary could have been the one to get angry, instead of Martha. The sister on the floor could have resented the sister at the sink. Mary could have grabbed Jesus by the hand and taken Him into the kitchen, complaining, “Why don’t you tell Martha to quit being so productive and to take some time to be reflective. Jesus, don’t You think she should be a little more like me?” Most of us have full plates, literally and figuratively. They may be full of work or worry, strengths that have become weaknesses. Jesus wants you to do more than endure life. He wants you to enjoy the relationship and not suffer through the burden of a religion. As He was there for Martha and Mary, He is there for you and me. All we have to do is take serious time to get to know Him. (From Principle Preaching - John Bisagno) Occupied FOR or WITH Jesus? Martha in the kitchen, serving with her hands; Occupied for Jesus, with her pots and pans. Loving Him, yet fevered, burdened to the brim,— Careful, troubled Martha, occupied for Him. Mary on the footstool, eyes upon her Lord; Occupied with Jesus, drinking in His word. This the one thing needful, all else strangely dim: Loving, resting Mary, occupied with Him. So may we, like Mary, choose the better part. Resting in His presence—hands and feet and heart; Drinking in His wisdom, strengthened with His grace; Waiting for the summons, eyes upon His face. When it comes, we're ready, spirit, will, and nerve; Mary's heart to worship, Martha's hands to serve; This the rightful order, as our lamps we trim,— Occupied with Jesus, then occupied for Him Worship: Not Just "One More Thing" If worship is just one thing we do, everything becomes mundane. If worship is the one thing we do, everything takes on eternal significance. —Timothy J. Christenson, This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' thru, My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue; The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, And I can't feel at home in this world anymore. One of the great dangers of having a lot of money is that you may be quite satisfied with the kinds of happiness money can give and so fail to realize your need for God. If everything seems to come simply by signing checks, you may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God.—C. S. Lewis Too Busy To Know God? October 13, 2011 — by Randy Kilgore One day when I was waiting to board a plane, a stranger who had overheard me mention that I was a chaplain began to describe to me his life before he met Christ. He said it was marked by “sin and self-absorption. Then I met Jesus.” I listened with interest to a list of changes he had made to his life and good deeds he had done. But because everything he told me was about his busyness for God and not his fellowship with God, I wasn’t surprised when he added, “Frankly, chaplain, I thought I’d feel better about myself by now.” I think the New Testament character Martha would have understood that stranger’s observation. Having invited Jesus to be a guest at her home, she set about doing what she thought were the important things. But this meant she couldn’t focus on Jesus. Because Mary wasn’t helping, Martha felt justified asking Jesus to chide her. It’s a mistake many of us make: We’re so busy doing good that we don’t spend time getting to know God better. Savior, let me walk beside Thee, Let me feel my hand in Thine; Let me know the joy of walking In Thy strength and not in mine. —Sidebotham Our heavenly Father longs to spend time with His children. Vance Havner - ONE THING IS NEEDFUL But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:42. Martha was busy preparing a good meal and our Lord did not mean that it was unimportant. But Martha was flustered and bothered over matters of secondary importance and our Lord was emphasizing what matters most, our communion with Him. To hate father and mother in comparison to our love for Him was a similar emphasis. Even our religious activity, though sincere and well-intended, can take precedence over sitting at His feet. Ephesus was busy but had left her first love. (And we can be at so many church meetings that we neglect the home, which is the other side of the coin!) The Good Part - Martha was gently rebuked by Jesus, not because she worked hard to prepare His dinner but because she neglected a more important concern. She had been so busy making a perfect meal that she failed to nourish her soul with the spiritual food Mary was receiving through fellowship with Him. The fact that Martha was anxious about her work indicates that her priorities had gotten out of line. Mary, however, had “chosen that good part,” which would not be taken away from her (v. 42). An unknown author has captured the lesson of Luke 10 in these poetic words: Martha in the kitchen, serving with her hands, Occupied for Jesus with her pots and pans. Loving Him, yet fevered, burdened to the brim, Careful, troubled Martha, occupied for Him. Mary on the footstool, eyes upon her Lord, Occupied with Jesus, drinking in His word. This one thing was needful, all else strangely dim; Loving, resting Mary, occupied with Him. So may we, like Mary, choose the better part: Resting in His presence, hands and feet and heart; Drinking in His wisdom, strengthened by His grace; Waiting for the summons, eyes upon His face. When it comes, we’re ready, spirit, will, and nerve; Mary’s heart to worship, Martha’s hand to serve; This the rightful order, as our lamps we trim: Occupied WITH Jesus, then occupied FOR Him!” The Christian life is not confined To church one day a week; God wants us to obey His Word— Each day His will to seek. —Sper Worship God on Sunday, then walk with Him on Monday. An agnostic professor tells his students that as an 8-year-old child he used to give a Christian testimony that moved people to tears of joy. Now, however, he has rejected his former belief in Jesus. His influence has led many young men and women to renounce the faith they once professed. When we say yes to Jesus as Lord, We pledge to take Him at His Word; If we're sincere He'll give us the grace To follow till we see His face. —DJD Faith in Christ is not just a one-time choice but a lifetime challenge. In his early years, British statesman Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914) taught Sunday school. His favorite Bible verse was Genesis 12:5, "They went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came" (KJV). That verse was a motto well-suited to a man of his iron will. It also gave him a biblical basis for citing two qualifications for success in life. One is to have the right destination—"They went forth to go into the land of Canaan." The second is to keep going after we have started—"into the land of Canaan they came." Keeping Christ uppermost in our lives will keep us headed right and will give us the strength to keep going. —HWR My life, my love I give to Thee, Thou Lamb of God who died for me; O may I ever faithful be, My Savior and my God! —Hudson We conquer by continuing. In the earliest days of the Christian church, martyrs laid down their lives rather than deny their faith in Christ. And even in our own generation, thousands of believers have suffered imprisonment, persecution, and death. In fact, more people have perished for their commitment to Jesus in the last hundred years than in all previous centuries put together. Although we may be spared from such costly loyalty to Jesus Christ, we may experience rejection by family and friends, or we may encounter misunderstanding, ridicule, and loneliness. Yet, oh, what we gain for all eternity! And even in this world there are blessed gains that more than outweigh any losses. When Jesus said to follow Him Regardless of the cost, He promised He would surely give Much more than would be lost. --Sper He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. --Jim Elliot The host of a radio program told about a man who described his religious views by saying, "I'm a Christian on Christmas and Easter." He seemed to think Christianity was a parttime proposition. In all the little things of life, Your will, Lord, may I see; In little and in great alike, Help me to faithful be! --Anon. The Christian life has no time-outs. When long and steep the path appears Or heavy is the task, Our Father says, "Press on, My child; One step is all I ask." --DJD Several years ago I read an article about the importance of counting the cost before making a major purchase. The advice is particularly appropriate for those of us who overspent this past Christmas season. The writer illustrated his point by adding up the actual cost of the gifts listed in the popular song "Twelve Days of Christmas." The result was a lot less romantic than the song itself. All the gifts given in the name of love have their price. A pear tree was figured at $14, one partridge--$15, two turtle doves--$10, three French hens--$36, four calling birds--$140, five golden rings--$1,000, six geese a-laying--$1,260, and so on. The total tab for all 12 days came to $10,314.92. (And that was not figured at today's prices.) Counting the cost is also important in our commitment to Christ. He made this clear in Luke 14, when He talked about what it takes to be His disciple--loving Him more than family relationships, our possessions, or even our own life. When called to do a work for Christ, We can't ignore the cost; For if we fail to think it through, Our efforts may be lost. --JDB Following Jesus costs more than anything--except not following Him. Pam Sneddon was taking a class in photography. For one assignment, she chose her 6-year-old daughter as her subject and asked her to sit on a serene hillside. Close by was an apple tree in full bloom. Pam just couldn't resist. She gave the tree a prominent place in the picture. Pam was surprised when her instructor pointed out a problem with the photo. The apple tree distracted from her primary focus, the little girl. "See how it catches the eye," the instructor said. "It competes with your subject. You need to choose one subject and leave the other out." This observation applies to more than good photography skills. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must center our attention only on Him. Like amateur photographers, we are often attracted to the "apple trees in full bloom." We pay more attention to our hobbies, friends, family, or work. Christ commands our attention because He is "the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality" (1 Tim. 6:15-16). That may mean relegating something we deem to be important to the background--or cropping it out of the picture altogether. Whatever distracts us from Jesus has to go. As the preeminent One, He must be the single focus of our lives. --DCE In Christ alone the earth shall find its answer, A refuge from its doubts, its fears, its strife; This God-revealed-in-flesh, this precious Savior, Forever is the Way, the Truth, the Life! --Calenberg If Christ is the center of your life, you'll always be focused on Him. A woman who was facing the trials of growing old asked missionary J. Robertson McQuilkin, "Why does God let us get old and weak?" McQuilkin thought a moment and then replied, "I think God has planned the strength and beauty of youth to be physical. But the strength and beauty of old age is spiritual. We gradually lose the strength and beauty that is temporary so we'll be sure to concentrate on the strength and beauty that is forever. And so we'll be eager to leave the temporary, deteriorating part of us and be truly homesick for our eternal home. If we stayed young and strong and beautiful, we might never want to leave." Only this hour is mine, Lord-- May it be used for Thee; May every passing moment Count for eternity. --Christiansen Dedication to Christ is not a one-time choice but a daily challenge. Many years ago, a young heavyweight fighter held the world boxing title. But his reign was short-lived. He was a power hitter--strong as a bull. But he hadn't learned how to avoid getting hit. He also had a problem exercising self-discipline in his social life. As a result, he soon lost his title. This boxer's experience is duplicated all too often in the spiritual arena. Many talented Christians make a fast start in the Lord's service. But without an overall plan to conquer the enemy, they are soon defeated. The apostle Paul said that in his battle with sin he tried to make every blow effective. He did not want to be like a boxer whose punches merely strike the air (1 Cor. 9:26). The apostle was a competitor who disciplined himself to make all his moves count toward the ultimate decision. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 show the strategy that is needed to endure spiritual battles and to have a lifetime of effective service for the Lord. He said the Christian life takes commitment, knowledge, stamina, and love, which are gained through the power of the Holy Spirit. Come, Lord, and give the vision To arm me for the fight; Make me an overcomer Clothed with Your Spirit's might. --Anon. Life is a series of battles--are you training to win? Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus, I've lost sight of all beside; So enchained my spirit's vision, Looking at the Crucified. --James To reshape your life, conform your life to Christ All for Jesus, all for Jesus! All my being's ransomed powers: All my thoughts and words and doings, All my days and all my hours. --James To live for Christ, we must die to self. Let me hold lightly the things of this earth; Transient treasures, what are they worth? Moths can corrupt them, rust can decay; All their bright beauty fades in a day. --Nicholson An idol is anything that takes the place of God. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace. --Lemmel To soar spiritually, look to the Son. The life that counts must toil and fight, Must hate the wrong and love the right, Must stand for truth, by day, by night-- This is the life that counts. --Anon. Christ gives us the courage of our convictions. Oswald Chambers: The “Go” Of Unconditional Identification Mk10:21.The rich young ruler had the master passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be perfect like Him. Our Lord never puts personal holiness to the fore when He calls a disciple; He puts ABSOLUTE ANNIHILATION of my right to myself and IDENTIFICATION with Himself-a relationship with Himself in which there is no other relationship. Lu14:26 (“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”) has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but with UNCONDITIONAL IDENTIFICATION with Jesus Christ. Very few of us know the absolute “go” of ABANDONMENT to Jesus. ‘’Then Jesus beholding him loved him.” The look of Jesus will mean a heart broken forever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked at you? The look of Jesus transforms and transfixes. Where you are “soft” with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on your own way, certain that the other person is more likely to be in wrong than you are, it is an indication that there whole tracts of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze. “One thing thou lackest ...’’ The only ‘’GOOD THING” from Jesus Christ’s point of view is UNION WITH HIMSELF and nothing in between. “Sell whatsoever thou hast . . .” I must reduce myself until I am a mere conscious man, I must fundamentally renounce possessions of all kinds, not save my soul (only one thing saves a man-absolute reliance upon Jesus Christ)-but in order to follow Jesus. “Come, and follow Me.” And the road is the way He went. The Key To Missionary Devotion 3Jn7 Our Lord has told us how love to Him is to manifest itself. “Lovest thou Me?” “Feed My sheep”--IDENTIFY yourself with My interests in other people, not, identify Me with your interests in other people. 1Co13:4-8 gives the character of this life, it is the life of God expressing itself. The test of my love for Jesus is the practical one, all the rest is sentimental jargon. Loyalty to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of Redemption wrought in me by the Holy Ghost Who sheds abroad the love of god in my heart, and that love works efficaciously through me in contact with everyone I meet. I remain loyal to His Name although every common-sense fact gives the lie to Him, and declares that He has no more power than a morning mist. The key to missionary devotion means BEING ATTACHED TO NOTHING AND NO ONE saving OUR LORD HIMSELF, not being detached from things externally. Our Lord was amazingly in and out among ordinary things; His detachment was on the inside towards God. External detachment is often an indication of a secret vital attachment to the things we keep away from externally. The loyalty of a missionary is to keep his soul concentratedly open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women Our Lord sends out on His enterprises are the ordinary human stuff, plus dominating devotion to Himself wrought by the Holy Ghost. A Bond-Slave of Slave Ga 2:20 These words mean the breaking of my independence with my own hand and surrendering to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me, I must do it myself. God may bring me up to the point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He will not put me through it. It means breaking the husk of my individual independence of God, and the emancipating of my personality into ONENESS WITH HIMSELF, not for my own ideas, but for absolute loyalty to Jesus. There is no possibility of dispute when once I am there. Very few of us know anything about loyalty to Christ--”For My Sake.” It is that which makes the iron saint. Has that break come? All the rest is pious fraud. The one point to decide is--Will I give up, will I surrender to Jesus Christ, and make no conditions whatever as to how the break comes? The passion of Christianity is that I deliberately sign away my own rights and become a bond-slave of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I do not begin to be a saint. One student a year who hears God’s call would be sufficient for God to have called this College into existence. This College as an organization is not worth anything, it is not academic; it is for nothing else but for God to help Himself to lives. Is He going to help Himself to us, or are we taken up with our conception of what we are going to be? How Can I Personally Partake In The Atonement? Ga 6:14 The Gospel of Jesus Christ always forces an issue of will. Do I accept God’s verdict on sin in the Cross of Christ? Have I the slightest interest in the death of Jesus? Do I want to be IDENTIFIED WITH HIS DEATH, to be killed right out to all interest in sin, in worldliness, in self--to be so IDENTIFIED WITH JESUS that I am spoilt for everything else but Him? The great privilege of discipleship is that I can sign on under His Cross, and that means death to sin. The proof that your old man is crucified with Christ is the amazing ease with which the life of God in you enables you to obey the voice of Jesus Christ. Every now and again, Our Lord lets us see what we would be like if it were not for Himself; it is a justification of what He said--”I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.” That is why the bedrock of Christianity is PERSONAL, PASSIONATE DEVOTION TO THE LORD JESUS. We mistake the ecstasy of our first introduction into the Kingdom for the purpose of God in getting us there; His purpose in getting us there is that we may realize all that IDENTIFICATION WITH JESUS CHRIST MEANS. We have to learn to see things from Jesus Christ’s standpoint. Our judgment is warped in every particular in which we do not allow it to be illuminated by Jesus Christ. Does My Sacrifice Live? Ge22:9 This incident is a picture of the blunder we make in thinking that the final thing God wants of us is the sacrifice of death. What God wants is the sacrifice through death which enables us to do what Jesus did, viz., sacrifice our lives. Not—I am willing to go to death with Thee, but—I am willing to be IDENTIFIED WITH THY DEATH so that I may sacrifice my life to God. We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! God purified Abraham from this blunder, and the same discipline goes on in our lives. God nowhere tells us to give up things for the sake of giving them up. He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having—viz. LIFE WITH HIMSELF. It is a question of loosening the bands that hinder the life, and immediately those bands are loosened by IDENTIFICATION WITH THE DEATH OF JESUS, we enter into a relationship with God whereby we can sacrifice our lives to Him. It is of no value to God to give Him your life for death. He wants you to be a ‘’living sacrifice,’’ to let Him have all your powers that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus. This the the thing that is acceptable to God. Interest Or Identification?” Gal 2:20. The imperative need spiritually is to sign the death warrant of the disposition of sin, to turn all emotional impressions and intellectual beliefs into a moral verdict against the disposition of sin, viz., my claim to my right to myself. Paul says—“I have been crucified with Christ”; he does not say “I have determined to imitate Jesus Christ,” or, “I will endeavour to follow Him”—but “I HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH HIM IN HIS DEATH.” When I come to such a moral decision and act upon it, then all that Christ wrought for me on the Cross is wrought in me. The free committal of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the chance to impart to me the holiness of Jesus Christ. ‘’...nevertheless I live. . . . “ The individuality remains, but the mainspring, the ruling disposition, is radically altered. The same human body remains but the old satanic right to myself is destroyed. “And the life which I now live in the flesh. ..’’ not the life which I long to live and pray to live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh, the life which men can see, “I live by the faith of the Son of God.’’ This faith is not Paul’s faith in Jesus Christ, but faith that the Son of God has imparted to him ‘’the faith of the Son of God.” It is no longer faith in faith but faith which has overleapt all conscious bounds, the identical faith of the Son of God. The Missionary Watching ‘’Watch with Me.’’ Mt 26:40 ‘’Watch with Me’’—with no private point of view of your own at all, but watch entirely with Me,. In the early stages we do not watch with Jesus, we watch for Him. We do not watch with Him through the revelation of the Bible; in the circumstances of our lives. Our Lord is trying to introduce us to IDENTIFICATION WITH HIMSELF in a particular Gethsemane, and we will not go; we say—’’No, Lord, I cannot see the meaning of this,it is bitter.’’ How can we possibly watch with Someone Who is inscrutable? How are we going to understand Jesus sufficiently to watch with Him in His Gethsemane, when we do not know even what His suffering is for? We do not know how to watch with Him; we are only used to the idea of Jesus watching with us. The disciples loved Jesus Christ to the limit of their natural capacity, but they did not understand what He was after. In the Garden of Gethsemane they slept for their own sorrow, and at the end of three years of the closest intimacy they ‘’all forsook Him and fled.’’ ‘’They were all filled with the Holy Ghost’’—the same ‘’they,’’ but something wonderful has happened in between—Our Lord’s Death and Resurrection and Ascension; and the disciples have been invaded by the Holy Spirit. Our Lord had said—’’Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you,’’ and this meant that they learned to watch with Him all the rest of their lives. Abandonment “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever LOSES HIS LIFE for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it.” Beware of any hesitation to ABANDON to God. It is the meanest characteristics of our personality that are at work whenever we hesitate, there is some element of self-interest that won’t submit to God. The great aim of the Holy Spirit is to get us ABANDONED TO GOD. When God’s voice will come you do not know, but whenever the realization of God comes affair in the faintest way imaginable, RECKLESSLY ABANDON. It is only by ABANDON that you find HIM. Jesus Christ always brings us back to one thing--’Stand in right relationship to Me first, then the marvelous doing will be performed in you.’ It is a question of ABANDONING all the time, not of DOING. Vacillation in a crisis is the sign of an UNABANDONED nature. An ABANDONED nature never can vacillate because there is nothing to weigh; such a nature is completely ABANDONED to another. We are in danger of getting the barter spirit when we come to God, we want the witness before we have done what God tells us to do.”Why does not God reveal Himself to me?” He CANNOT, it is not that He will not, but He cannot, because you are in the road as long as you won’t ABANDON ABSOLUTELY to Him. Immediately you do, God witnesses to Himself, He cannot witness to you,but He witnesses instantly to His own nature in you. If you had the witness before the reality, it would end in sentimental emotion. Immediately you transact on the Redemption, and stop the impertinence of debate, God gives on the witness. As soon as you ABANDON reasoning and argument, God witnesses to what He has done, and we are amazed at our impertinence in having kept Him waiting. God nowhere tells us TO GIVE UP THINGS for the sake of giving them up; He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, viz. LIFE WITH HIMSELF. If you are ABANDONED to God and do the duty that lies nearest, God will not ABANDON you; but if you trust in your wits and bring in the amateur providence idea, He will have to ABANDON you, and there will be heartbreaks and distresses that He is not in at all. Present the whole thing where it ought to be presented--in ABANDONMENT TO GOD, and He will engineer everything in His own way. To SURRENDER TO GOD is not surrender to the fact that we have surrendered. That is not coming at all. To come means that we come to God in COMPLETE ABANDONMENT and give ourselves right over to Him and leave ourselves in His hands. We must ABANDON TO GOD at all costs. ABANDON is of infinitely more value than self-scrutiny. ...what is needed in spiritual matters is RECKLESS ABANDONMENT TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, reckless and uncalculating ABANDONMENT, with no reserve anywhere about it; not sad, you cannot be sad if you are ABANDONED ABSOLUTELY. The tendency is strong to say--”O God won’t be so stern as to expect me to give up that!” but He will; “He won’t expect me to walk in the light so that I have nothing to hide,” but He will; “He won’t expect me to draw on His grace for everything” but He will. Whenever the call is given for ABANDON TO JESUS CHRIST, people say it is offensive and out of taste. The counterfeit of ABANDON is that misleading phrase ‘Christian service.’ I will spend myself for God, I will do anything and everything but the one thing He asks me to do, viz., GIVE UP MY RIGHT TO MYSELF TO HIM. God can do what He likes with the man who is ABANDONED TO HIM. Many of us are subtly serving our own ends, and Jesus Christ cannot help Himself to our lives; if I am ABANDONED TO JESUS, I have no ends of my own to serve. Devotionals - these have been incorporated into the commentary above.