How Much is Enough

She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.
Mark 14:8

Bible say "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and so are his stop!" But if you are a "have a plan and work it" individual, those stops that are interruptions are annoying and unpleasant.
   Do you recall the story of the Good Samaritan who encountered a man lying bruised and bleeding by the roadside near Jericho? Two others who came before him. Looked away and kept moving, but the Samaritan decided to stop and help.
   Yes, his plans for that day were interrupted. He took the poor man to the nearest stayed with him all throughout the night to take Care of him. In the morning, he reached into his purse and took out two pieces of silver to cover the cost if his stay at the inn.
   How do you know when to close the door of your heart? When do you open it, like what the Good Samaritan did--set your agenda aside and get involved? The fact is you can't respond to all of the world's maladies. But when God puts someone's need directly in front of you, listen to that small voice in your heart saying, God won't hold me responsible for what I can do, but He does hold me accountable for what I can do."
   But where do you draw the line and say; "Enough"? The answer to that question is the response Jesus made when a poor woman was criticised for anointing His feet with costly perfume. Some hypocritically criticized her saying, " This could have been sold and the money given to the poor."
"Leave her alone, " said Jesus, "She has done what she could."
   Friend,when you stumble across a need, do what you can! You will make a difference.

Anointing Jesus Feet

Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance.
John12 : 3

Mary seemed drawn to the feet of Jesus,  It is not surprising that of all those who followed Jesus. Mary was the one to anoint His feet. The disciple would have their opportunity to show the same love, but pride would prevent them (John13:12-13). Martha, too, was prone toward act of service, but she had developed a different kind of relationship with Jesus than Mart had  while Martha had labored on Jesus' behalf in the kitchen, Mary had joyfully DAT at Jesus feet and listened to Him teach (Luke 10: 38-42). Because Mary had come to know and love Jesus in this way, she was ready to humble herself and offer this poignant expression of love to Him Such depth and sincerity of love comes only through spending time in close fellowship with Jesus
    The way we express our love for Jesus depends on the kind of relationship we have developed we have developed with Him. Our love for Him will not groiw unless we spend time with Him. Our love for Him will not grow unless we spend time with Him, listen to. His. Voice, and experience His love for us. If we find that our love for Jesus has waned or that we struggle to serve Him, it is a clear sign that we must take time to sit at His feet. We have been involved in Christian activity on His behalf and yet neglected our relationship with Him. After we have spent time in intimate fellowship with our Lord, and after we have heard His voice and received His love, we still be prepared to serve Him, even laying down our life for Him if that is what He asks.

God Rushes to Your Aid

"But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.Then the earth quaked and trembled; the foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty angel, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
Psalm18:6-10

When you read this psalm, you are struck by fact that God moves heaven and earth to come to your aid when you cry to Him for help. At your heartfelt plea, your Lord thunders from heavens your scatters your enemies. Verses sixteen, seventeen, and nineteen then add, " add, "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued my powerful enemy. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me."
   Don't ever think that when you pray for God's support, He remains uncaring or unfeeling about your plea. God is not off somewhere on s mountaintop at an arm's length from your cry. When you pray for help, He foes not lean over the wall of His ivory tower to tell you to beg louder.
   God is attentive to your needs as a caring father is to his dearest son. When you send out distress call to the Lord. He parts the heavens to come to your rescue. And if you need to be reminded, read Psalm 18 in its entirely.
No one who let's out a genuine cry of distress in thinking about manipulating God. Impossible! A heartfelt plea for help carries with it no desire to control the way the Lord deals with you. Rather, such a prayers implies that you've cast yourself on the Lord's mercy, with no hint of impure motive. When you pray like that, God immediately recognizes the sincerity of your heart and rushes to your aid.

The fullness of God

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Ephesians 3: 17-19

WHEN I THINK OF GOD THE FATHER'S special gift to us, I think of His plan of salvation. The Father was the one who came up with the idea. That's why I often spend time worshiping Him in reverence and respect.
   Other times in my prayer, I think about God the Son and His special gift to us of grace. Jesus is the one who followed through on the Father's plan of salvation. And my response? gratitude that He's my Savior and obedience to Him ad Lord.
   When I dwell on the Holy Spirit and His gift of strength and encouragement of heart, I remember that He"s the one who gives us assurance and joy. That's why I take care not to grieve, quench,or oppose Him.
   Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I am foiled to the measure of all the fullness of God as I commune with each member of the Trinity. It's a glorious way to experience a full communion with Lord and thereby discover how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Christ.
   God desires to fill you to the brim with the fullness of His love. Although Ephesians. 3:17-19 say that such love surpasses knowledge, we can still enjoy His love's fullness as we enter into a complete and well-rounded communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Lord, thank you for wanting to fill me with the fullness of all of Your love. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. . . I worship you.

Bad News First

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24

PAUL ADDRESSES SIN in the book of Romans. He begins by asserting that God alone is righteous. The word upright is close to its definition but still insufficient to fully describe what it means. But whatever the exact definition of righteousness, humankind doesn't have it. What to do to acquire it or to established a relationship with God is what sets Christianity apart from the religious of the world.
   In his letters Paul fits the whole world on trial before God, just as prosecutor would do in a courtroom. He begins with charging the nature embodied God's power and qualities, yet humankind turned its back on God. Then he examine the moralists, the Jews, who were just as guilty even if God had already revealed Himself through the law.
   Then Paul goes to the bottom line of his argument and concludes, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12).
   If we stopped there, it would be a very dismal picture from his pessimistic assessment of human nature and failures. But Paul takes the next step. He explain that God canceis out human failure that He calks "justification." And bit is the result of what did which we accept in simple faith, taking God at His word. Paul put it this way."For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed. A righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: " The righteous will lives by faith"' (Romans 1: 16-17). Righteousness isn't something you can do for yourself because Christ did it all for you.

Keeping Your Focus in a Mad, Mad World

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
MATTHEW 6:33

KEEPING YOUR FOCUS means you a point of reference that gives you guidance in life. In space there is no east or west, north or south. That is why the Hubble space telescope had to have a guidance system that allows it to know where to point. As a remedy, scientists installed four gyroscopes that in turn, provided stability for the powerful telescope. This enabled the scientists to focus on distant, otherwise unobservable object.
    Do our lives have focus as well? For many, three general forces drive them: the passion for money desire for fame or notoriety, and hunger for power and influence, in light of this Jesus is saying, "I want to be first, and when your focus is on me. I'll take care of all your needs in life."
    What Jesus is saying you must do is to prioritize your time, your value system, and your relationships, Having a spiritual dimension to your life doesn't mean you neglect your family go too church every day, or neglect your business or work. What it means is that you consciously decide to let Jesus Christ be the Lord of your life.
When Jesus spoke these words to a crowd of people, some of them got nervous, just as you may have may have felt when you first read then. Forget it friend. He knows the end from the beginning. He sees far beyond the fog that obscure your vision. When you focus God, He sees far beyond the fog that obscure your vision. When you focus in God. He can direct your life, and you will keep your sanity in a mad, mad world.
    Remember that the Hubble telescope in space would be worthless without a gyroscope. In the same way without focus you will wonder in spiritual confusion, knowing neither east nor west, up and down.

Follow Jesus

"Then he said to the crowd, " If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me."
Luke 9:23

Yes, I will follow Jesus! " we'll gladly follow the Lord around the Sea of Galilee and be fed with the five thousand. We will drink wine made from water. We will applaud the blind man who can see and stand amazed at a dead man who rises from his grave. We will follow Jesus everywhere except. . .  the cross.
   Oh, we can handle the burdens, those everyday troubles we all must shoulder. Beside, there are always other to carry our burdens. We can accept the Thorns, inconveniences that can"t be avoided. It's best to accept thorn and get on with living.
   But a cross? No, it is not our inclination to take up a cross. For unlike burdens or thorns from which we can't escape, a cross is a choice. In fact, the cross was a choice for Jesus He did not have to take it up, He could have refused it. But thankfully, He willingly took up His cross so that you and I might have power. Power to carry one another's burdens, gladly accept our thorn, and daily take up our cross and follow Jesus.
To take up your cross involves a daily choices. Perhaps your cross could be a difficult duty, a painful service, an unbelieving partner in marriage. The Lord is asking you to willingly take it on and head up the long path with Him to Calvary where pride and vanity, stubbornness and resentment are crucified.