One thing that is needed.

The one thing that will not be taken away from you. 

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
– Luke 10:41-42

Most of you know the above story of Martha being busy serving Jesus and Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His word. When Martha told Jesus about Mary not helping her, Jesus responds saying Mary has chosen the “one thing that is needed” and the “one thing that will not be taken away from her”. 

So, What did Mary have that Martha needed? What was the “good part” Mary chose which will remain hers forever?

Mary made a conscious decision between two alternatives : To either be busy serving or listen to Jesus. I dont know what one of us would have done in that situation, but this story helps us to understand the priorities in the kingdom of God. 

Do now allow what you do to stop you from being who you are. There is never anything more important than sitting in God’s presence and being His delight. That is the one constant in life. Everything begins and ends there. That is where your identity is found and will remain with you forever. 

This Easter, make a decision to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of your life. Do not allow distractions to stop you from making this your priority everyday. We can find many good things to do, but doing the right thing is what will make the difference in our lives. What God wants is you and your attention. Nothing else is significant at the cost of sitting at the feet of Jesus. 

I pray that this Easter season for you and your family is filled a greater revelation of God’s love for you and your identity as children of God. 

Joel. 

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Courage is your choice!

It is easy to stay down and defeated, but it takes courage to rise above any situation. Courage is often a choice. Choose to rise above your struggles!

Use the below scriptures to declare over your life and circumstances. 

I am strong, courageous, I hold my peace, Im not dismayed. (2 Chronicles 32:7)

I am not afraid of their faces, for You are with me to deliver me. (Jeremiah 1:8)

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,   the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint,   and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary,and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;   they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;   they shall walk and not faint.(Isaiah 40:28-31 )

I have to let go, and let God do it. For by strength, I cannot prevail. (1 Samuel 2:9)

The battle is not mine, but the Lord’s (2 Chronicles 20: 12-17)

Fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10 )

I will stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20: 12-17)

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.(Philippians 4:13 )

Jesus overcame all your battles the day he gave His life on the cross. What you’re facing is temporary and God can use it to your advantage. Choose courage, peace, strength and be encouraged. He will never leave you nor forsake you. God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf. Surrender to Him today and let the peace that He gives you take over.

Symphony Of Heaven! 

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The secret place!

I had an amazing time blogging last year and was motivated by the good rewards in terms of viewers. I decided to take it more seriously and one of my goals in 2013 is to be more committed to this blog and write more. 

 

As I was trying to do this, I quickly noticed it affecting my time with God.  I realised i was spending my time with God to write about God and feeling good about it. And obviously that is not quite what I wanted. I started thinking about the balance and here’s what I believe are the 2 things God reminded me : 

 

Made to Love : 

Never let what you do stop you from being who you are. 

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; (Luke 10:27)

We are made to be lovers. God’s love for You is an invitation to a relationship with Him. A relationship where your heart, mind and strength is controlled by your love for God. 

 

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; “(Matthew 7:22-23)

 

The above passage is a good reminder about the importance of relationship and knowing God. Be careful not to get carried away by what you do and miss on being who you are. 

 

Made to worship : 

Worship is your response to God and your response to your circumstances. I have read many quotes heard many messages on worship(which are all true), but worship to me is categorised into : 

 

1. My response to who God is. 

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

When you’re hit with the realisation of who God is, you cannot stop yourself from worshipping. I shared an amazing article by Matt Redman called 1000 reasons. If you haven’t read, please read it here : http://bit.ly/XvSvOO

 

2. My response to the situations I’m in. 

David’s weapon against the enemy was worship. Worship has been my weapon in spiritual warfare and worship never fails to sustain me on a challenging day. Worship has the power to change situations and transform your life.

 

Try this : When you’re in any challenging situation, keep everything aside, and go into sometime of worship. It will uplift you and give you strength to do what you need to do and changes the atmosphere around you. 

 

So my point is, doesn’t matter who we are and what we do, remember that nothing we do can be a substitute for our time with God. Our first calling is to create a history with God in the secret place. It is the secret place that builds our foundation. A strong foundation in the secret place will be our greatest strength. 

 

Love the way Bill Johson says it ; “If you make history with God, He will make history through you”. 

 

He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.(Psalms 91:1)

 

I pray that whatever you do, you will never forget the above 2 things. 

 

Blessings, 

Joel. 

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