Will You Open?

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PART 1

In each of us figuratively speaking we all have the same number of apartments. Each room senses affection, sentiment and so forth. But there is an apartment in our soul house that many never open; remains locked up. Usually the best apartments are the ones neglected because of the price for the space, but Jesus already paid that price. The best apartments have a glorious outlook that takes your breath away, that stand up to sun and air, from whose windows one may look clear across Jordan and see the fields and hills of the Promised Land, into this room men seldom go into.

They choose rather to live in that part of the soul house that looks into the backyard, where nothing but rubbish is gathered and the fence that seems to high to jump over as troubles cascade down from the room that you choose to live in, many men live in this room, instead of visiting the best apartment of the house.

EVERYDAY IS AN INVITATION

To open. Like a plate from a buffet line we hold to much stuff, we fit everything and anything that looks good on it, we make space even when there is none. We walk to our table hoping that our over loaded plate doesn’t fall, we dodge to the left, then to the right as we perform this dance around others. Sometimes we get to the table without an incident but at times the overloaded plate falls to the ground as then others stop and stare as we hurry to pick the remaining pieces up off the floor and dispose of it. What looked so good is now waste.

That stuff is what is causing us to not open that door that He eagerly awaits for us to open. Are we pursuing what makes us feel complete or are we pursuing what has already made us complete?

 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 ESV)

Martha had the same problem, her plate was overloaded. It was heaping with distractions. While Mary just sat, her heart open as Jesus began to fill her with the Word of God, Martha who was more worried about needing help in the kitchen rather than her sit and listen to Jesus was upset because of the tasks that she had to complete. The important things that we think are important is not necessarily important.

The hinges of the door creak as its being opened. Fragrance that was present has now vanished as the tear stained floor is now covered with dust and the walls have become dull, days have passed and the memories that you once had in this room is all that is left. Only now Jesus awaits you on the other side of the door asking you to “come in and sit at my table”

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What Distracts You?

What is it, that one thing that ends up taking your eye off the prize? A certain temptation, a sin, a weight?

We all get distracted from time to time. More like everyday. Our busy schedules, our deadlines and commutes to and from work is enough to put the normal Joe in a tight spot. But how are we supposed to live distraction free?

The book of Hebrews who was written by, well the author is unknown but many scholars believe it would be Paul, explains in the twelfth book “

 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

There we have it, lay aside every weight. Whats weight? Spiritual weight like a burden that you have been carrying around, stress can be a weight, being anxious and other little weights can be a hindrance which will lead to a distraction. The enemy is very crafty and sneaky at what he does. Spiritual road blocks are what I call them. Those out of no where temptations or circumstances that challenge your faith.

What are we to do?

{Luke 10:38-42}

 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.
 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
 
– We can clearly see that Mary is soaking up every word that Jesus is speaking, which who wouldn’t ? Only if you were distracted! Martha is preparing  a meal and being mad that Mary is not helping her.
“One Thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion…”
               
What will you choose? A focused life or one that easily becomes distracted?
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Peace for the Broken

It’s in those times of when everything is going haywire; out of control, you’re getting attacked from every corner it seems and it’s not letting up. You find your self living your life as a circus tiger being whipped and prodded by the enemy in an environment that seems like you cannot get out of. What does this sound like? War.

War is the opposite of peace, and without peace in our lives this is what the enemy does to those who don’t know God’s peace or those who won’t allow God’s peace to infiltrate their life because of their own willpower or having the attitude of “I can”. The “I can” cannot do what the “I Am” can do, some of us have this mindset of ourselves being able to have victory in the littlest parts of our lives when really we can’t, God cares more about those “little things” just as much as He does with the “big things”.

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Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

 

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 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.

Just as Jesus had sent out the seventy-two, He has also sent us out to declare His peace to others. God gives us the opportunity to release peace wherever we are at, to clear the path, remove offense and to shift the atmosphere. To remove the boundaries of fear and to bring Hope for the Hopeless.  Whatever situation you are in today remember this, “Be still and know that I am God” accept the peace that He has for you today!

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