TEST of TIMES 6 Marys Empty Vessel James
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03ISSUE July – September 2020 LIGHT 6 Marys Empty Vessel TEST OF TIMES James The Book of Faith SOVEREIGN PURPOSE SALVATION PLAN SUFFICIENT PROVISION An online publication by CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CENTRE 1 CONTENTS Six Marys of the New Testament 3 Test of Times 8 Empty Vessel 11 James, The Book of Faith 13 Do You Enjoy Your Prayer Life? 15 The Meaning of Life 16 KOINONIA (Authentic Christian Fellowship) 17 I Will Fill This House With Glory 17 The Importance of the Cross 19 2 Six Marys Six Marys of the New Testament of the New Testament WeWe as aswomen women have have a aspecial special callingcalling InIn MarkMark 15:4115:41, ,the the verse verse that that we we fromfrom God God to toserve serve Him. Him. WeWe cancan seesee have readread just just now now, we, we have have the the name name somesome good good examples examples inin thethe NewNew Mary mentionedmentioned twice. twice. There There were were at at Testament.Testament. ManyMany womenwomen becamebecame leastleast 3 3 Marys Marys at at the the scene scene of ofcrucifixion. crucifixion. followersfollowers of ofthe the Lord Lord Jesus Jesus Christ. Christ. TheirTheir Mary thethe mothermother ofof Jesus,Jesus, Mary Mary liveslives were were transformed. transformed. They They ministered ministered Magdalene andand Mary Mary the the mother mother of of untounto thethe LordLord eveneven withwith theirtheir JamesJames thethe less.less. I Iwonder wonder if ifyou you knew knew possessions.possessions. They They followed followed thethe LordLord how manymany Marys Marys are are mentioned mentioned in thein the JesusJesus as asfar far as as the the cross. cross. New Testament.Testament. There There are are at atleast least 6 6 Marys mentionedmentioned in in thethe NewNew PleasePlease read read Mark Mark 15: 15: 40, 40, 41. 41. “There “There Testament. I Iwould would like like to to identify identify each each werewere also also women women looking looking on on afarafar off;off; one ofof them.them. LetLet us us also also see see what what among whom was Mary Magdalene, spiritual lessons we could learn from among whom was Mary Magdalene, spiritual lessons we could learn from and Mary the mother of James the less each of them. Please turn to the each of them. Please turn to the andand Mary of theJoses, mother and Salome;of James who the also,less scripture verses and try to identify these andwhen of Joses,He was and in Galilee,Salome; followed who also, Him Marys.scripture verses and try to identify these whenand Heministered was in Galilee, unto Him followed and many Him Marys. andother ministered women whichunto cameHim upand with many Him 1. Mary the mother of Jesus. otherunto wo Jerusalem”.men which came up with Him 1. Mary the mother of Jesus. unto Jerusalem”. Through Mary the mother of Jesus Can you see there the number of we learnThrough about Mary “Total the surrender mother toof theJesus womenCan you mentioned? see there theThe numberLord was of Purposewe learn of about God” . “ThisTotal is surrendersomething towe the womenpreparing mentioned? a big company The of Lordwomen was to veryPurpose often of fail God to” .do. This We is likesomething to serve we preparingserve Him a bigand companyto build His of Church women after to Himvery byoften preaching, fail to teachingdo. We orlike singing. to serve serveHe ascendedHim and toup buildinto heaven. His Church after WeHim do by not preaching, think about teaching the purpose or singing. of He ascended up into heaven. GodWe thatdo not He wantsthink toabout accomplish the purpose in and of Psalm 68:11 says “The Lord gave the through us. God that He wants to accomplish in and word; great was the company of those Psalm 68:11 says “The Lord gave the through us. who published it”. Though the English Mary was a young woman, may be in word;does great not have was the the word company ‘women’ of inthose that her late teenage years when Angel whoverse, published some otherit”. Though languages the have English this GabrielMary visited was a her. young The woman, angel brought may be in doesas notreferring have theto wordwomen. ‘women’ “Great inis that the her somelate strangeteenage news. years That whenis that sheAngel verse,company some of other women languages who published have this it”. wasGabriel blessed visited among her. women The angeland that brought she as Throughoutreferring to the women. history “Greatof the Churchis the throughher some th strangee Holy Spirit news. will That conceive is that ashe companyGod used of women women mightily who published to accomplish it”. babywas blessed in her womb. among This women was something and that she ThroughoutHis purposes. the history of the Church thatthrough might th havee Holy brought Spirit a willgreat conceive deal of a God used women mightily to accomplish baby in her womb. This was something His purposes. that might have brought a great deal of 3 fear in her instantaneously. But can you the Bible. Several women are see her overcoming her fear and mentioned by Paul as co-labourers answering the angel in an equally together with him. unusual way? Luke 1:38 – “Mary said, behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it The history of the Church also gives unto me according to thy word”. us details of such great women of God. There have been great women Yielding ourselves to the plan, missionaries who surrendered their lives purpose and the will of God is the most to God to fulfil His purpose. They were difficult thing to do. We very often don’t willing to pay a price. We must try our like the plan of God. We pray for things best to overcome our selfish lifestyle. that are not in the plan of God. Very often we think of our own family, children and future plans. We spend a God was planning to bring His Son to great deal of time praying about those this world as a human being. He wanted things. We are not concerned about the a real woman of faith who will not resist purpose of God. the plan of God. She knew the kind of ridicule and humiliation she would have 2. Mary Magdalene. to go through when her pregnancy gets She was called Magdalene because to be known. She was going to have a she came from an area called Magdala. baby outside wed-lock. What a disgrace! Through her we learn about the value of But we see a glimpse of her character of true love and devotion to the Lord. She faith when she said, “Be it unto me became the first human being to have according to Thy word”. seen the Lord Jesus Christ after His resurrection. The details of this are She was facing the following risks written in John 20. We may need to do a when she obeyed the purpose of God: deeper study of the Bible to understand • She could have been accused of the great privilege this woman had to having a bad character. see the Lord on the resurrection day. • Joseph could have broken the engagement after realizing that she was When the Lord appeared to her, the pregnant. See Mt.1:18 & 19. Lord said something remarkable in John • She could have even faced death 20:17. “Touch me not; for I am not yet by stoning when she could not give an ascended to my Father”. But few explanation as to how she was minutes later we find the Lord allowing pregnant. other women to touch His feet and worship Him. Matthew 28:9. When we God is looking for women who are compare these incidents with Hebrews willing to take risks to fulfil His purposes. 9:12, there is room to believe that the God wants us to come out of our Lord ascended to the Father soon after comfort zones and work for Him. The resurrection with His own blood. The Bible has many examples of such Lord has most probably appeared to women. Ruth the Moabites, Rahab the Mary Magdalene even before He harlot of Jericho, Deborah the ascended to the Father. If this argument prophetess, Lydia of Philippi and the list is true, what a great privilege this Mary goes on. Please think of great women in had! Why was she given such a 4 privilege? Only one reason. Her true such a miserable condition and that was love and devotion to the Lord. sufficient for her to love the Lord Jesus with all her heart. Let us look at some points about her life: Have you experienced salvation and She had been demon possessed forgiveness of sins through the Lord when she first met the Lord Jesus? Will you faithfully follow the Lord The Lord drew away 7 demons if He is not going to give you any more from her. Please see Luke 8:2. earthly blessings? She was present at the crucifixion. Please see Mark 15:40 3. Mary the sister of Martha She was alone near the (aka Mary of Bethany) sepulchre. Please see John 20:11 This Mary is also well known by us in She did not know that the Lord was the scriptures. She is mentioned going to rise again from the dead. She regarding 3 incidents in the Bible. First only knew that He had died and had one is Luke 10:38-42 when the Lord been buried. She came to anoint the Jesus visited Bethany and Martha body of the Lord. Why worry about a welcomed the Lord Jesus to her house. dead person anymore? She cannot The second was when Lazarus had died expect any more blessings from the and the Lord Jesus came to Bethany as Lord.