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)
〔Dear Reader, each time you come
to this green print, it is a powerful prayer. So please open your heart to Almighty
God Your Creator, and pray these prayers aloud to Him, in all earnestness and
sincerity. If you will do so, God will work miracles in your life.〕
“Almighty God, here the
Bible tells me that there is one thing most needful to me above all else. So please
send Thy Holy Spirit and clearly teach me exactly what that most necessary
thing is. I now open my heart to Thee, The One True God, My Creator, for Thee
to teach me this most important matter. Amen.”
This ONE thing that is most needful to each
and every person, is The Lord Jesus Christ. That is because He is the Saviour
of the world. “And we have seen and do testify that the
Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (1 John 4:14) And
it is because all of us are sinners who need a Saviour. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans
3:23)
Genesis Chapter 3 tells us how that the first two
people that God created, Adam and Eve, sinned by disobeying God. Then in Romans
5:12, God tells us this about Adam’s and Eve’s sin. “Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Truly, each and every one of us
has sinned against God our Creator.
You might be one of the many people who deny that
fact and proclaim that you are not a sinner. If so, you might be proclaiming
that because you actually believe it, or possibly because you are trying to convince yourself that it is true. For
whatever reason, if you claim that you are not a sinner; then you need to know
two most important things God says about you proclaiming that.
“If we say that we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)
Almighty God warns you that you are deceiving your own self by saying that, and
God says the truth is not in you. It is tragic enough when another person
deceives any of us. But it is much more tragic when a person deceives his own
self. By doing so he makes himself both the perpetrator and the victim. What a
grievous thing to do, to commit such an injustice against your own self. So
think seriously on that, and by all means, do not dare to be guilty of such
folly.
“Lord God, sober me up
with this warning from Thee, that I am only deceiving myself when I say that I
have no sin and am not a sinner. Show me what a tragic and foolish thing it is
to be deceived by my own self. Convince me of how important it is for me to be
totally honest with myself and to face the truth about me. Amen.”
It is bad enough that we deceive our own selves if
we proclaim that we have no sin. But that is not even the worst of it. Look at
1 John 1:10. “If we say that we have not sinned, we
make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
Don’t you dare to claim that you have done no wrong.
To make such a claim is to call God Himself a liar. And that is a
terrible sin. “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” (Romans
3:4) God is always true. He has proclaimed that all of us are “sinners.”
So it would be a most fearful thing to accuse Him of lying about that. I warn
you. Don’t you even dare think of doing that.
“Lord God, please help
me to not ever consider accusing Thee of lying. Please give me complete
understanding of my condition as a sinner before Thee. Teach me exactly what my
sins are. Reveal to me the true condition of my heart, showing me what I have
done wrong to Thee, and also what I have done wrong to other people. Teach me
all this, dear Lord, I pray. Amen.”
In addition to committing the gross sin of calling
God a liar by saying that we have not sinned, one also does something else that
is most detrimental to one’s own self. “If we say that
we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Each
of us needs the word of God in us, working to change us into an obedient child
of God.
“For the word of God is
quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The
word “quick,” means “alive.” All of God’s words in the Holy Bible are presently
alive and powerful for the purpose of them piercing deep into the human heart
and mind, to change that degenerate, sinful heart and mind into what God would
have it to be. This regeneration is necessary for one to become a child of God.
But if you call God a liar by saying that you have not sinned, God warns you
here that His word is not in you. Therefore, God’s work of regeneration (which
is necessary to save you from an eternal Hell) cannot even start in your life.
What an awful, hopeless state to be in.
The living word of God, constantly working
powerfully in our heart and mind, is the only thing that can properly discern
the thoughts and intents of our heart and reveal the true nature of those
thoughts and intents to us. Rest assured that you will be greatly deceived as
to the true nature of the thoughts and intents of your own heart, unless
you have the living word of God in you to properly discern them to you. So
please seriously consider these things, and don’t dare to say that you have not
sinned.
Verse 10 tells us that God’s Word is not in us if we
say we have not sinned. With that in mind, think again on exactly what was in
verse 8. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” “God’s Word” and “The
Truth” are one and the same. “Thy word is truth.” (John
17:17) I John 1:8 tells us that we deceive ourselves if we say that we have no
sin. And the cause of that self-deception is also stated in verse 8; “the truth is not in us.”
Listen to me, my friend. You must have God’s
Word (The Truth) to pierce deeply into your being, dividing asunder your soul
and spirit, and discerning the thoughts and intents of your heart; or else you
will sadly deceive your own self.
God’s enemy, the devil, so badly wants you to go to
Hell after this life. Therefore the devil is your own enemy too, in that he
desires your destruction. Also, he is a very powerful enemy. But if you say
that you have no sin, then the devil is not your worst enemy. You become
your own worst enemy by shutting out God’s Word (The Truth), which is
the only thing that can reveal to you just what a wicked sinner you are
and also discern to you just how badly the thoughts and intents of your own
heart are deceiving you and blinding you to the fact that you are a lost,
doomed sinner on your way to a never ending Hell of fire and brimstone.
Whatever you do, don’t deceive and destroy your own self by denying the
truthful fact that you are a sinner in God’s sight.
“Lord God, please teach
me how important it is for Thy Holy Word to have free access in my heart and
mind to work there and change my life into what it should be. Reveal to me just
how powerful Thy Eternal Word is. Show me ever so clearly just how lost and
hopeless I would be, without Thy word in me. By Thy Great Power, please keep me
from ever closing any area of my heart or mind to Thy word. Help me to always
receive each and every word of Thine, with a wide open and eager heart and
mind. Almighty God, I know that Thou art not a liar. I know that when Thou
callest me a sinner, that Thou art speaking the truth. Because I have now
confessed that, please send Thy living and powerful word piercing deeply into
my being to work freely to accomplish Thy divine purpose for it in my life. May
it divide asunder my soul and spirit, joints and marrow. May it clearly discern
the thoughts and intents of my heart to me, to prevent me from being deceived
by my own self. Here is an open heart, Lord God. So please send Thy living,
powerful Word into it, to work its great work. Thank Thee, Lord God, for doing
so. Amen”
Because our first two human ancestors, Adam and Eve,
sinned; as their descendants, we all are born with a sinful nature which
results in every person committing sin from the time we are infants. “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as
soon as they be born, speaking lies.” (Psalms 58:3)
All the world is guilty of sin before God. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the
world may become guilty before God.” (Romans 3:19) Sinful mankind became
LOST creatures, separated from God. Read a vivid description of the sinful
condition of everyone, in Romans 3:9-23.
You may not consider yourself to be a very bad
person. Still, in all likelihood, you know that you are not 100% perfect.
Telling lies, deceiving people, undue thoughts of hate, unclean thoughts,
lusting after immoral lusts of the flesh, and such; are common sins that most
every person commits. If you will carefully read God’s many commands to us in
the Bible, it should be easy for you to realize that you have disobeyed each of
them at some time in your life. And this disobedience to God’s commands is sin.
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for
sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4) The law
referred to here, is God’s many laws and commands in the Bible.
As I write this to you, by no means am I implying
that I am not a sinner. I too, have sinned against God just as every other
person has. Therefore I too, need God’s Saviour, Jesus Christ, just as much as
anyone else does.
When God created Adam and Eve in His Own Image as
eternal souls, His will for them was that they never sin. Had they and
their descendants never sinned, then I assume they would have lived forever in
a perfect state here on the earth. But once they disobeyed God, their sins
separated them from Him, and they became “lost.” God pronounced a death
sentence upon them. They would die a physical death some time in the future.
But that is not all there is to this meaning of “death.”
As punishment for their sins, an eternal lake of
fire called Hell awaits lost sinners after this life. “And
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire.” (Revelation 20:14&l5) God prepared that lake of fire for
rebellious, fallen angels. “Then shall he say also unto
them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) If you will
receive The Lord Jesus Christ as your own Saviour, then God will write your
name in the Lamb’s Book of Life in Heaven. Then with your name written in the
book of life, you will not be cast into the lake of fire. That is why you need
Jesus Christ more than anything else.
“Heavenly Father, teach
me all about what a wonderful thing it is to have my name written in Heaven, in
the Lamb’s Book of Life, by believing on Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the
world. Show me exactly how to make this most necessary reservation for an
eternal home on High. Amen.”
No human being has to receive the punishment of his sins
by being banished to Hell forever. That is because God has so graciously
provided us a way to be saved from Hell. The Lord Jesus Christ is that Way.
He is God’s salvation to us. He is God the Son. “And we
have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the
world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in
him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:14&l5)
“Heavenly Father, send
Thy Holy Spirit now to confirm in my heart that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son
of God, just as the Holy Bible teaches. Help me to believe that truth without
doubting or wavering. Come now and enable me to honestly confess that from my
heart. With Almighty God as My Helper, I now honestly, sincerely, and
reverently confess that The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Hallowed be
the Great Name of God the Father, and God the Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Christ lived as a human being on this earth. But
during that time, He was perfect and without sin. “And
ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” (1
John 3:5) He died on the cross to take the punishment of our sins in our place.
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes
ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
Therefore it is not necessary for any
of us to go to Hell after this life. “And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world.” (1 John 2:2) That most certainly includes your
sins. The Lord Jesus Christ has perfect and eternal salvation available to each
and every person in all the world. He died for your sins, and He so
desireth to be your Saviour. That salvation in Jesus Christ, is the one
thing that is most needful to you.
When one repents of his sin to God and puts his
trust in Christ and His finished work of redemption on the cross; God, by His
Almighty Power, will save that person from the punishment of his sins in Hell. Christ
saves to the uttermost, all who trust in Him. “Wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
“If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Stop and think ever so seriously on this
wonderful promise God has given us here. Long ago, I confessed my sins to God
and He forgave me and cleansed me from all my unrighteousness, just as He
faithfully promised to do here in this verse. And I promise you that He will be
just as faithful to you and do the same thing for you, if you will also confess
your sins to Him. Why not do that right now?
“Lord God, I know I have
done things that are wrong. I know these wrong doings of mine, are what Thou
callest sin in the Bible. So from an honest heart, I now confess my sins unto
Thee, the True God Who created me. In Thy Faithfulness and Justness, please
forgive me of my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please have
mercy on me a sinner, and hear this most important plea from me, a guilty and
doomed sinner. Thank Thee, Lord, for hearing and answering me. Praise Thy Most
Wonderful Name for cleansing me from all my sin. Amen.”
First John 1:7 tells us just exactly how God
cleanses believers from ALL sin. “But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The Lord Jesus
Christ shed every last drop of His life’s blood, when He hung on the cross
receiving the punishment for the sins of all mankind. The shed blood of Jesus
Christ is the ONLY thing that has the power to cleanse us from our sins.
Trying not to sin, cannot cleanse us. Trying to be
good and doing many good works and deeds, cannot cleanse us from sin. Suffering
cannot cleanse us from sin. Belonging to a religion, cannot cleanse us from
sin. No religious leader can cleanse us from sin. Zealously serving God, cannot
cleanse us from sin. Only the shed blood of the Saviour of the world, The
Lord Jesus Christ, can cleanse us sinners from our sins. That is because Christ
is God. Therefore He is without sin. His blood is pure and holy, not tainted
with sin. Therefore it has God’s power to completely cleanse you from
all the many, terrible sins you have committed and are soon to be punished for
in eternal hell fire.
“Lord God, please teach
me what it means to walk in the light as Thou art in the light, and please help
me to do that. Please teach me, and give me complete understanding about the
blood of Jesus Christ cleansing believers from all sin. Give me faith to
believe that truth. Convince me wholly that absolutely nothing but the shed
blood of Jesus Christ, can cleanse anyone from any sin. By Thy great Power,
come right now and break down every last barrier that the devil and I have set
up in my heart against Thee. Help me now to completely yield my heart to Thee
and open my heart wide open to Thee, Almighty God, for Thee to destroy all
those barriers. I confess that I am a guilty sinner who needs Almighty God to
cleanse me from my sins. So please come now, and apply the Blood of the Lamb of
God to my sinful heart. Wash me completely, in the shed blood of Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of the world. Have mercy on me a sinner, and right now cleanse me
from all my sins by the shed blood of Jesus Christ Thy Son! Wash me and make me
whiter than snow, I beg Thee, Lord God. Thank Thee, dear Lord, for hearing and
answering this most important prayer of mine. Thank Thee for cleansing me from
all my sins. Praise God for the great power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
I confess the Power of the Blood of Christ, to cleanse me from ALL my sins, and
to bring me into a new and victorious life in Christ. Glory to God in the
Highest! Amen.”
After Christ died on the cross in our place, He
arose from the dead three days later. “For I delivered
unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose
again the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians
15:3&4)
Soon after that, with many people watching Him, He
ascended up into Heaven. “And he led them out as far as
to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass,
while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And
they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: And were
continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.” (Luke
24:50-53) “And when he had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And
while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood
by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye
gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts
1:9-11)
This Lord Jesus Christ lives never to die again. He
has all power over death. “I am he that liveth, and was
dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and
of death. (Revelation 1:18)
This Jesus Christ is the resurrection and eternal
life. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and
the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John
11:25&26)
This Son of God gives God’s eternal life to all who
put their trust in Him to save them. “He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not
see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath
everlasting life.” (John 6:47)
When saved people die, Christ receives them into
Heaven to live a perfect life forever. “For we know
that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we
groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from
heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:1&2)
“Lord Jesus, speak to my
heart right now and teach me everything I need to know about this perfect,
eternal salvation that Thou hast so graciously provided for me. How I long to
know all about it. So please teach me, I beg Thee. Amen.”
“Jesus saith unto him, I am
the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John
14:6) God’s Heaven is a real place. It is a perfect paradise. And only by
trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s own personal Saviour, can one enter
into Heaven. Christ is the only Way to Heaven. That is because He alone
is the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)
“Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) The Name referred to here is that
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Lord God, please
convince me of the reality of both Heaven and Hell. At times, it is hard for me
to believe that they really exist. Please forgive me for that sin of unbelief.
And by Thy Great Power, help me to know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt,
that both of these places are as real as can be. Show me what each of these
places is like. Help me to know that one of these places will become my eternal
abode after my life here on earth ends. Convince me that I have an important
choice that I must make myself, in order to escape Hell and enter into God’s
Perfect Heaven. Create within my being, the faith to believe these truths.
Thank Thee, Lord, for teaching me this. Amen.”
These Bible statements I have quoted are most
simple, clear, and easy to understand. If you are pondering whether or not they
are true, think hard on Christ’s own words in John l4:6. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Christ
is God the Truth. He never lies nor
deceives us. You can safely trust in all His Truth, The Holy Bible. Though many
people oppose the Bible and even denounce it as lies, that doesn’t change the
fact one bit, that the entire Bible is God’s Everlasting Truth. Back about
1952, as a little boy, I put my trust in Christ and in God’s Word, the Bible.
And during the many years that have passed since then, I have constantly become
more convinced of the Truth of the Bible, more assured that Christ has saved me
from the punishment of my sins in Hell, and that He will usher me into Heaven
after this life. And with each passing day, joy just keeps increasing in my
heart, because I know without any doubt that I am saved to the uttermost
by an All-Powerful God. You too, can know these truths just as definitely as I
do. Right now, ask God to teach them to you.
“Almighty God, if what I
am reading here is true, then please confirm that to me now in my heart. Please
convince me of the truth of it. Please assure me that everything written in Thy
Holy Bible is true. As I read what Brother Richard writes here, please give me
complete understanding of what he is teaching. Amen.”
So the reason that Jesus Christ is the one thing
most needful to you above all else, is because He is the Only One Who
can save you from perishing in eternal hell fire. He is the Only One Who
can give you eternal life and take you into God’s perfect Heaven to live there
forever.
If you did not need Christ, then I would not bother
you at all with this writing of mine. I would not plead with you to accept Him
as your Saviour. But you desperately need Christ. Because He is the
Only True Help and Hope available for your doomed soul.
“For what shall it profit a man,
if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man
give in exchange for his soul. (Mark 8:36&37) Most people set out to
“gain” all they can in this life, vigorously throwing all their life’s energies
into the mad rat race of “gaining” everything they possibly can. Are you one of
those people? If you are, then God has a most important warning for you. If you
lose your soul in Hell, then all that you had gained in this life, will then
become totally meaningless and of absolutely no profit to you. So please
wake up and seriously think on that.
“Lord God, please help
me to do exactly that. Please help me to realize just exactly what kind of
being I am. Please reveal to me what a terrible lie “evolution” is, and
convince me that I didn’t evolve from any animals. Teach me how that I am
fearfully and wonderfully made by Thee, in Thine Own Image, made as a body,
soul, and spirit; an eternal being that will never cease to exist. By Thy Great
Power, drive home to my heart and mind, the grave importance of what Christ
spoke here in Mark 8:36&37. Christ asks two most serious questions here. So
please help me to seriously ponder the answers to those questions. Keep these
questions foremost in my mind. Don’t allow me to forget them or to push them
aside and out of my mind. And please enable me to give myself the one right,
honest, and true answer to them. Grant this, Lord, I humbly pray. Amen.”
I took my text for this sermon from one verse at the
end of Luke Chapter Ten. But now, let’s read more of the story told in that
passage. “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he
entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him
into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’
feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came
to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve
alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto
her, 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.” (Luke 10:38-42)
The Lord Jesus pays a visit to the home of these two
sisters, Martha and Mary. How glad they must have been to receive such a
wonderful Guest. But each sister reacts differently to the Lord being in her
home, though each one’s reaction may have come from her joy over having this
fine Guest.
Martha reacted in a very “natural” way, by doing much
serving to her Guest. We consider that “natural” for any hostess. But many
people would not consider what her sister did, to be so “natural.” “Mary…sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.”
Listen to me, my friend, because I am about to give
you some of the very best advice you will ever
get in this life. Sitting at Jesus’ feet and hearing His Word, is one of the
most important things you can do in this life. And because he is not now
visibly here on this earth in person, the way we sit at His feet and listen to
Him, is by reading His Holy Bible, and by praying to Him while listening to Him
to speak to our hearts in return. It is highly profitable to us to do that,
and to do it much of the time.
“Lord Jesus, please come
now and impress upon my mind how important it is to me to read Thy Word, the
Holy Bible. Read it much. Read it many hours. Read it again and again. Study it
seriously and repeatedly, while calling on Thy Holy Spirit to teach me the many
wonderful truths contained in it. Help me to know fully, just how wonderful a
thing it is, for me to leisurely sit at Thy Feet, hour after hour, hearing Thy
Word. Please give me good understanding of this, I pray. Teach me how important
it is for me to pray to Thee without ceasing, in similar fashion as I talk to
other people, telling Thee about the matters that are on my heart and mind,
asking Thee about things I do not understand, seeking Thy Help, and such.
Please help me to be like Mary, by sitting at Thy Feet, listening to Thy Word.
Please help all other Christians to also be like Mary in this matter. Amen.”
Now look carefully at how the Bible describes what
Martha is doing. “But Martha was cumbered about much
serving…” (Verse 40) Take a good look at Martha there, because that
tells us what our lives are typically like. We are so cumbered and so busy with
the many things we are always doing in this frantic, fast-paced modern life.
Therefore we just don’t have time to be like Mary and leisurely sit at the
Master’s Feet and hear His Word, do we? How tragic it is that our priorities
are so out of order. Mary had her priorities in order. Martha did not. May God
help us all to be like Mary.
“Lord God, please help
me to be like Mary. Help me to seriously look at my own life and see how
cumbered and cluttered it is with me doing so many things that have gotten me
too busy for my own good, by robbing me of time that I should be spending
sitting at Thy Feet. Help me to take stock and see just how much I am like
Martha and am unlike Mary. And then help me to remedy that big problem, and
become like Mary. I do not have the power to correct myself in this matter.
Therefore I need Thee to correct me by Thy Power. So I now yield myself to
Thee, for Thee to work freely in my life to destroy and to take away all the
unnecessary clutter and the things that are cumbering me so much, till I do not
have time to be like Mary. I confess that nothing is impossible with Thee,
Almighty God. So by Thy Power, please help me get my priorities in good,
spiritual order. Take away all the things in my life that hinder me from
sitting at Thy feet and learning of Thee. Cause me to seriously consider the
fact that I might die today, or any time. And when I die, all the things I am
so busy with now will abruptly end. And if I have given these things priority
over God My Creator, then I will suffer terrible loss because of that. Please
make me totally aware of the grave importance of that fact and speak to me most
clearly about this serious matter, oh Lord, I pray. Amen.”
Look at Martha there. She is so convinced that she
is the one who is doing what is important and necessary, that she asks the
Master to rebuke Mary. “Lord, dost thou not care that
my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.”
Martha wants the Lord to rebuke Mary for her
“laziness.” But instead, it is Martha who gets rebuked by the Lord. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou
art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful…”
Notice that the Lord called Martha’s name twice. He did that to be sure to get
her full attention before He told her something that she needs to know so
badly.
And as you are so busy each day with so many
different things; I wish I could come to you in person, get your attention,
take you aside from what you are busy doing, and call your name twice to
try my best to get your mind off all your much business and many affairs of
life.
“James, James…”
“Elizabeth, Elizabeth…”
“Vance, Vance…”
“Susan, Susan…”
Then I would tell you, “You sure are busy, working
yourself to death with all the much work and play you are doing many long hours
every day. But ONE thing is needful to you. And that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you don’t receive Him as your Saviour, then when the Grim Reaper (Death)
comes for you, all you have enjoyed and gained in this life will be lost
forever.” And I am not the only one who wants to tell you that. God your
Creator is also trying to tell you the same thing right now, if you will just
listen to Him.
“Lord God, please help
me to listen to Thee, and to hear ever so well, what Thou art saying to me.
Calm my busy heart and mind and help me to come aside from all the busyness my
life is so full of, and to quietly sit at Thy Feet as Mary did. Help me to
listen keenly to Thy Still, Small Voice. And please instruct me as to what I
should do with my life. Please help me to get my priorities in order and read
Thy Holy Bible much every day in order to learn of Thee and Thy Will for my
life. Help me to pray to God without ceasing. And please convince me beyond any
shadow of doubt, as to exactly what is the one thing that is most needful to
me. Show me everything about Jesus Christ’s relationship to me. Help me to
understand fully, how that He created me and how He desires to be my Saviour and
wants to give me the very best life possible. Show me how that Jesus Christ is
the ONE THING most needful to me. Amen.”
“My Most Gracious and Loving Heavenly Father,
thank Thee so much for sending Thy Son to be the Saviour of the world. I know
without a shadow of a doubt, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important
thing to each and every human soul that Thou hast created. With Thee as my
Helper, I have tried my best to clearly explain that truth in this message.
Thou hast ordained that I preach this message, and therefore I have striven
with all my might to do so. Now I call on Thee to add the increase. Deal with
everyone to read this message. And may Thy Holy Convicting Power fall heavily
upon the hearts of all who read it. It is up to Thee, Almighty God, to convince
these readers that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One Thing most needful to them.
I do not have the power within myself to do that, and I acknowledge that Thou
alone hast such power. With Thy Help, I have done my duty by sending out this
message. So now I humbly call on Thee to do Thy Part by pouring out such strong
and mighty convicting and convincing power upon the precious souls of these
readers, that it will be utterly impossible for them to resist that power.
Praise Thy Holy Named for hearing and answering this earnest prayer of mine.
Glory to God in the Highest, for all the great things that Thou art now doing
in the hearts of all who read this message! Amen”
*********************
How I pray that God has now totally convinced you
that the Lord Jesus Christ is the most needful thing to you. I pray that
you are fully aware that if you reject Him during this life, that you will be
banished to Hell forever. And I pray that God has worked in your heart to make
you most desirous to have Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour.
If you do want Christ, then you must know how you
can obtain Him. Praise God that He has made that most easy and simple for any
person to do. “Mary hath chosen that good part…”
Anyone can obtain Christ by choosing of their own free will to receive
Him into their life.
All of us habitually make many choices. “Choosing”
is nothing new to you, because you daily make many “choices.” And it is an easy
thing for you to “choose” to ask Christ to be your Saviour.
You can make that “choice” by deciding to put your
trust in Christ to save you from your sins. All throughout your life, you have
chosen to put your trust in many different people. You have chosen to trust
your parents and other family members for many various things. We all choose to
trust in friends, teachers, doctors, government leaders, religious leaders, and
such people, for various things. In a similar way that we choose to trust in
other people, we need most of all, to choose to trust in Jesus Christ to
save us.
“Lord Jesus, please show
me what a most simple matter it is for me to place my trust in Thee as my own
personal Saviour. And please give me a desire to choose to do that.
Amen”
“Behold, I stand at the
door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) Those are
Christ’s words, personally to you. He is most desirous for you to choose Him.
But He will not force that decision upon you at all. It is entirely up to you
to freely choose to open up your heart’s door to Him, as He presently stands
there knocking on it. Why not do the best, the greatest, and most needful thing
you can possibly do in this life, and open up your heart’s door to Him, and do
it right now.
“Lord Jesus, art Thou
right now, actually standing at my heart’s door and knocking on it? If so, I
certainly want to know that for sure. So please cause me to hear Thy knocking.
Knock a little louder, please, so I will know for sure. Please cause me to hear
Thy Voice, ever so plain and clear. Now please give me the will to choose to
open up my heart’s door to Thee. By Thy Unlimited Power, right now please
overcome and destroy all the powers of self, sin, and Satan, that are at work
in my heart to keep its door shut to Thee. With Almighty God as my Helper, I
now “choose” to open my heart’s door wide open to Thee, Lord Jesus, The Christ,
The Saviour of the world, God the Son, the One True and Living God. Please come
in now and dwell in my heart in all Thy Fullness, as I now give my whole heart
to Thee. Thank Thee, Lord Jesus, for coming into my heart and life, because I
have chosen Thee. Amen.”
Inviting Christ into one’s heart and life is the
most necessary thing and also the most wonderful thing that one can do.
Though we make many choices during our lifetime, basically we make them for
only two reasons. (1) Because we need what we choose. (2) Or
because we want what we choose. (We endure many things in our
lives about which we have no choice. But as for the things we freely choose, we
basically do so for one or both of the above reasons.)
When I chose Christ as my Saviour, I did so mainly
because I knew that I needed Him so badly. I had no desire to go to Hell after
this life. So I chose Christ because I needed Him to save me from Hell.
And I am so thankful to Him that He did that for me.
But the more I learn of Christ and come to know Him
better; I come to want Him more and more. Do you know why? “Mary hath chosen that good part.” The Lord Jesus
Christ is altogether good. He is a Holy, Righteous God. He is gracious, loving,
and merciful. Compared to Him, there is nothing else that is good.
The Lord Jesus Christ is without sin. He has never
wronged anyone. “He hath done all things well.” (Mark
7:37) Therefore He said, “They hated me without a
cause.” (John 15:25) He loves you with a perfect love. Therefore you
have absolutely no reason for refusing Him. The most needful thing for
you to do is to choose Christ. Also the most wonderful and most blessed
thing for you to do in this life, is to choose Christ. To choose
Christ is to choose to be saved by Almighty God from the punishment of
your sins in eternal hell fire. To choose Christ is to choose a never-ending
life of bliss in God’s perfect Heaven. To choose Christ is to choose
the most wonderful and most fulfilling life that is possible while you are here
on this earth. Whatever you do, make sure that you choose this most
needful and most wonderful thing, The Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the
world.
“Behold, now is the
day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) You have no guarantee at all that
you will be alive tomorrow. You do not even have any guarantee that you will be
alive one hour or even one minute from now. Truly, now is the only
right time to choose the one thing that is most needful
to you. Settle it for certain that you choose Christ now
by reaffirming to God that this previous prayer I wrote out for you, is
truly the desire and choosing of your heart.
“Heavenly Father, I do
affirm before God and men that I truly prayed that last prayer from my heart
and chose to open my heart and life to Christ and make Him The Lord and Saviour
of my life. I now go on record before God and His angels, before the devil and
his demons, before all men both saved and lost; declaring that on this day of the month of , in the year of our Lord, that I have freely and firmly chosen the one thing most needful to
me, the Lord Jesus Christ, The Saviour of the world. And I rejoice over this
decision more so than anything else that I have ever chosen. Praise Thy Most
Wonderful Name, Lord Jesus, for becoming my Saviour, My Lord, My God, and My
All in All. Amen and Amen.”
*********************
“But one thing is needful:
and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from
her.” (Luke 10:42)
The Lord Jesus Christ has many wonderful promises
for anyone who will choose Him. I so rejoice in this promise here. When we
choose that good part, Jesus Christ, it shall not be taken away from us.
Always believe on Christ and no one can ever take Him away from you. Nor can
anyone take you away from Him. Praise God for that truth.
“And I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is
able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John
10:28-30)
Believe everything in those two precious verses.
Memorize them. Think on them often. And rejoice in Christ’s wonderful promises
here that apply to you because you have chosen Him. He gives
eternal life to you when you choose Him. He promises you that you will never
perish. That means never perish! And He promises you that
no one will ever pluck you out of His Hand or out of God the Father’s Hand.
That’s because NO ONE, man, demons, or devils, is able to pluck you out of
God’s Hand, once you choose Christ as your Saviour. So rejoice in this
wonderful thing that God has done for you.
“Lord Jesus, I do
rejoice in this great thing that Thou hast done for me, in giving me eternal
life because I have chosen Thee to be my Saviour. I praise Thy Name for
promising me that I shall never perish. And I confess that I know that promise
to be God’s eternal Truth. I understand that no one is able to pluck me neither
out of Thy Hand, Lord Jesus, nor out of the Hand of God the Father. And I glory
in that assurance Thou hast given me in John Chapter Ten. Praise Thy Great
Name, Lord, for this great thing Thou hast done for me. Amen.”
“He hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5) This is another wonderful
promise that Christ gives to all who choose Him as their Saviour. He promises
to never leave you, nor forsake you. Believe that, because He never breaks a
promise. He is a Friend Who sticketh closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)
And because you have chosen Christ, He is now closer to you than any other
person is. Also He has all power to help you in any way you need help. And in
all truthfulness, He promises you that He will never leave you nor forsake you.
That is just how “GOOD” this GOOD PART is that you have chosen. How blessed
thou art, to have chosen this most necessary and most good part.
“Lord Jesus, I thank
Thee for promising to never leave me nor forsake me. Please help me to
completely believe this wonderful promise of Thine. Thank Thee for being a
Friend Who sticketh closer than a brother. Please help me to understand this
wonderful truth and to always be aware of Thy close presence to me. Please help
me to now rely on Thee more than I rely on anyone else, including myself. Thank
Thee for always being close by me, to fellowship with me, to comfort me, and to
help me. Amen.”
“From that time many of his
disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the
twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom
shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure
that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:66-69)
What a sad and tragic thing these many disciples
did, in going back and walking no more with their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
If you were to ever go back and cease walking with Jesus, it would be a most
tragic thing for you to do. Rest assured that there is nowhere else for you to
go to get the one thing most needful to you. Rest assured that only The Lord
Jesus Christ has the words of eternal life. Rest assured that Jesus alone is
the one true Christ, the Son of the living God. For your own sake, I beg you to
not ever go back and cease walking with Him.
“Lord Jesus, please help
me to ALWAYS cleave to Thee as my Lord, my Master, and my God. Please help me
to never turn my back on Thee. Please help me to never betray Thee. Please help
me to never go back and cease following Thee. Please help me to never leave
Thee nor forsake Thee. Lord, Thou well knowest how weak I am. So by Thy great
power, please always hold me ever so close to Thy Precious Bosom and keep me
from ever going astray from Thee. I confess that I know that Thou alone hast
the words of eternal life. I know that Thou alone art the Christ, the Son of
the living God. I know that Thou alone canst save me from Hell and take me to
Heaven. I know that Thou alone art the one thing most needful to me above all
else. Therefore please keep me close to Thee by Thy Power. Please help me to
always follow Thee and cling to Thee in trusting faith. I love Thee, my
precious Lord. Amen.”
When you chose Christ as your Saviour, and opened up
your heart’s door to Him, God the Holy Spirit came into your heart to live with
you. “To whom God would make known what is the riches
of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Because you chose that good part,
God the Son, now He abides in you. So believe this wonderful hope of glory that
you now have. The riches of this glory are so great that presently we cannot
comprehend the full extent of them. So ask God to reveal to you in your heart,
the riches of this great glory you received when you chose Christ.
“Heavenly Father, please
teach me everything I should know about how that Christ is now dwelling within
me. Please show me what all this wonderful hope of glory means to me. Please
help me to comprehend just how great are the riches of this glory. Praise Thy
Name, Lord Jesus, for dwelling in me. Praise Thy Name for this marvelous hope
of glory Thou hast given me. It is the richest of all treasures. And I wish
that everyone on earth had it. Please deal with all the other people who read
this message to choose Christ. Amen.”
When you made the decision to receive Christ as
your Saviour, at that very time He saved you from the punishment of your
sins in Hell after this life. Christ now dwells in you to save you from the power
of sin while you live here on earth. You must yield yourself to Him for Him to
daily give you victory over sin and evil. You must daily read and study the
Bible to put into practice what God teaches us to do to live a life that is
victorious over sin. And you must pray to Him daily, asking Him for His help
and for victory over the power of sin. Then when our life here on earth ends,
Christ saves us from the presence of sin, when He changes our body into
one that is incorruptible and perfect and then takes us into His Perfect
Heaven, where no sin can ever enter in. That is how GOOD this GOOD PART is
that you have chosen; TOTALLY GOOD and all-powerful to help you in any and
every way you will ever need help.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the most needful thing
to you. He also is the very best thing for you. Therefore you should
desire to have Him above all other things and above all other people. You
should put Him first in your life. You should love Him with all your heart. You
should obey His every word in the Holy Bible. And you should follow Him
anywhere and everywhere He leads you. He should be the most precious thing
known to you. I earnestly pray that Christ will be all that to you.
“Lord Jesus, please
help me to desire Thee and to love Thee above all else. Thank Thee, my Lord,
for saving me from an eternal Hell when I put my trust in Thee. Please help me
now to daily pray to Thee, study the Bible, and yield myself entirely to Thee,
for Thee to daily save me from the power of sin. I thank Thee that after my
life here on earth, Thou wilt change me into a perfect and incorruptible being
that is completely free of the sin nature and completely free of all
imperfections and sin. Thank Thee that Thou will receive me into Heaven after
this life, to live there with Thee forever in a perfect life where no sin can
possibly enter in. Praise Thy Great Name for all the good things Thou hast
already done for me. Praise Thy Name that
Thou will be with me to help me and do good for me for all my life here on
earth. Thank Thee for preparing a place for me in Thy perfect Heaven, where I
can live forever, after my life here on earth ends. Thou art most good to me,
Lord Jesus. And I love Thee for that.
Heavenly Father,
everyone around me needs The Lord Jesus Christ just as badly as I do. All the
people who have not yet received Him are on their way to an eternal Hell of
torments. Please break my heart about that and give me a great burden over
their lost condition. I now pray to Thee and intercede for the many lost souls
around me. I care about them and do not want them to perish. So please have
mercy on them and save them, Lord God!
Please give me the
courage to tell them just how badly they need The Lord Jesus Christ. Give me
the words to say to them that will speak to their hearts in power and
compassion to wake them up and make them understand just how badly they need
the Saviour of all mankind. Please help me not to be timid, shy, or afraid to
speak to others about Christ. Rather help me to be bold as a lion and not fear
the faces of those who scorn Thee. It should be most easy to start by telling
other people to read this sermon of Brother Richard’s. So please help me to ask
everyone to read it.
Heavenly Father, I
pray for Brother Richard. Please anoint him with great power as he preaches Thy
Word. Give him many more wonderful sermons like this one, to proclaim to this
lost world. Fight his battles for him, as he serves Thee in Japan where the
enemy fights so fiercely. Please give him daily victories and help him to win
many lost Japanese people to the Saviour of the world.
Please help me also
to be a great soul winner and to turn many lost people to Christ. Please help
me to greatly glorify Thee in everything I do in my life. I humbly pray this in
the precious Name of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen and AMEN!”
(This is the end of the sermon, “One Thing Is Needful.”
May God use it greatly to His glory and for our benefit.)