Friends, today as you look at the above picture, lets learn about three siblings named Martha, Mary, and Lazarus who had supper with Jesus the Saviour and Judas who is a devil or Satan. Martha served, Mary sacrificed, Lazarus sat, Judas stole, and Jesus saved. Jesus had supper with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus at Bethany six days before He was crucified. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after four days, a week later Jesus raised His own self from the dead. Jesus said at John 10:17 Therefore, doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
The bible speaks about the above picture at John 12 and says Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper, and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray Him, Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence, and given to the poor?
John 12:6 goes on to say This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone, against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there, and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death. Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
First, notice Martha in the above picture standing in the background who was troubled that Mary was not helping her cook, clean, wash, and make the house hospitable for the Lord Jesus. Martha, who was cumbered about with much serving asked Jesus, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. Jesus replied at Luke 10:41, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things; But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
What was Mary doing? Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to Jesus' words. Mary, instead of being busy about cooking and cleaning, was so interested in what Jesus had to say, that she neglected the housework to listen to what Jesus had to say. On the other hand, Martha was so interested in the housework that she missed what Jesus had to say.
Friends, as you look at the above picture of the bucket and mop that Mary put down so she could hear Jesus' words, remember there's a time to serve and clean, but there's also a time to put down the mop while we pray and worship our Lord Jesus. Serving, cleaning, and cooking are good, but also listening to Jesus and meditating daily on the Word of God is important. There's got to be a balance between service and worshipping the Lord Jesus. Don't spend all your time cleaning house without reading the bible every day. Also, don't spend all your time cooking all day without taking time to pray. There's nothing wrong with serving, cooking, mowing the grass, good housekeeping, and gardening; Just don't miss taking quality time to mediate on the Word and Jesus as you put the mop down.
To my sisters reading this anywhere, take time to read Titus 2:4 that says that it is blessed for a godly woman and wife to be a keeper at home as she feeds, cooks, cleans, washes, scrubs, and makes the home hospitable for visitors. I pray in Jesus name that the sisters everywhere who read this will be the wife that Titus 2:4 wants them to be and take care of their husband, children, and be keepers at home, instead of running in the streets gossipping all night while the home is a sloppy mess. Titus 2:4 says That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children; to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed.
Martha was a good example of a saintly blessed woman that opened her clean house to Jesus. Every time Jesus came through Bethany, He was glad to stop and visit Martha's clean blessed home. Martha's service was necessary to prepare a blessed supper for our Lord Jesus. If Martha didn't serve no one would have ate supper, the dishes would not have been clean, and the table would not have been set.
OK, as you look above at the little girl mopping and the little boy mowing the lawn, remember that it's good to clean the house and mow the grass. If the members of a church fail to keep the church clean by mopping and mowing the lawn, visitors will see a sloppy run down mess. But also remember that it's important to put down the mop and say let's all pray, meditate on the Word of God, and worship our Lord Jesus. There's a time to serve; but there's also a time to worship our Lord Jesus. If I had to choose between cleaning house, mowing the grass, or listening to Jesus, I'd have to like Mary listen to Jesus because Brother Bob loves listening to Jesus and the Word of God.
When Jesus visited Martha's house, after Jesus told Martha, you are too busy and cumbered with serving, Martha probably immediately stopped washing dishes and like Mary sat down to listen to what Jesus had to say. It's good for saints to mop, clean the dishes, and mow the lawn, but we all must not neglect the Lord Jesus who should be placed first in all our lives. I pray in Jesus name we can all be like Mary and know when to stop serving and set aside time to worship our Lord Jesus. Our next bible study will talk about Mary's sacrifice of neglecting chores to worship the Lord Jesus by anointing His feet with valuable spikenard.
Brother Bob encourages all my friends that when you are busy with the cares of life such as laundry, going to shop at Walmart or Kroger, and taking the bus to work, remember to set aside time early each morning to pray, study the Word, and worship the Lord Jesus. For twenty years Brother Bob has gotten up at 4:30AM to take two hours every morning to pray, study the Word, and worship Jesus. The bible promises that you will find the Lord Jesus when you seek Him early in the morning before you are faced with the cares of the day. Proverbs 8:17 says I love them that love me; and those that seek me (Jesus) early shall find me.
To close out this bible study, Brother Bob gives my friends everywhere an effective way to witness and win souls to our Lord Jesus. After you become friends with anyone, ask that person How do you get saved? Most people don't know how to be saved and say by going to church, getting baptized, being good, repenting, praying, joining a church, or shaking a preacher's hand. Doing all these things and religion will not save any person; Only Jesus can save a person.
After you ask a person How do you get saved? Tell them to confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord (God) and to believe in their heart that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again. According to Romans 10:9 to be saved a person must confess Jesus as God and believe in their heart that Jesus rose again. Also Romans 1:16 says that the gospel needs to be believed to be saved.
Romans 1:16 says For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation (notice that believing the gospel will save any person) to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek. And the gospel is defined at 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as the death at the cross, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. So to be saved, a person must confess Jesus as God, and also believe in their heart the gospel or that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again.
I pray in Jesus name whoever reads this will right now get saved and confess Jesus as God as they believe in their heart that Jesus died for them on the cross, was buried, and rose again. And remember what Jesus said at Mark 16:15 Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel (tell people everywhere like Brother Bob in this book the gospel that the Lord Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again to win souls) to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Also, take time to read the following three bible scriptures that prove that Jesus is God. What a blessing to know that the angels proclaimed Jesus to be God when Jesus was a little baby. Luke 2:10 says And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. The philippian jailor was told that to be saved he must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ at Acts 16:30. Finally Jesus was proclaimed to be God at Philippians 2:8 that says And being found in fashion as a man, He (Jesus) humbled Himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (notice that every tongue will say Jesus is God), to the glory of God the Father.
As always it is a blessing to write these bible studies. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068 (614) 604-7133. Until we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.
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