Cultic groups often have the mentality of a slave owner and not the mind of God. One of the things cultic groups use to lure people is their music or liberal ideas without obedience to God. There idea of love is always a hand of generousity whether they have money or not in hand to pay for it, they like a hustler whose goaled is to deceive with acts of imitation love only to lure them in. They pray on the innocent and on the weak and disabled with some ability. What they offer is heaven on earth to some people, until they slip up and do not do what the minister wants.

Martha maybe the oldest sister of Mary, sees Mary sitting at the foot of Jesus, being not only upset with Mary but upset that Jesus seems to takes no notice of her burden. Martha here is like the cult leader that had the mind you got to do everything my way and I need help now. She looking at her work load and needs to add labor to her sister. She like a task master or cult leader that feels the need to enslave Mary into the servanthood of her choosing. Everyone has met those people in life that because they are doing something you should be too. The idea if you can work for me then you can then work for someone else or you can be my slave, until you wake up and smell the coffee.

Now Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to his every word. What is he talking about that got her attention, I do not know, but Jesus knew Mary was needing to hear whatever it was he was speaking about, and so he rebuffet Martha with the words that says Martha you are troubled about many things. Jesus saying to Martha I understand you have needs too. However Mary has chosen the good part which won't be taken from her.

It is almost as if Jesus saying Martha you need to be listening to and have a seat and listen for a moment. Do not go about serving until you lay your burden down. A church if it is to grow should never be about how many projects they can start or how many activities they can do in a week. It should be first about listening to Jesus, learning about who He is.

I listening to a ministry message the other day about showing more love in ministry because there was enough messages about Jesus out there now online. I got thinking, whether directed at someone in particularly, or speaking about how the call of faith needs to be about reaching out as Jesus did came to mind. Mary and Martha was already believers, but both were focus on different things. Mary on every word of Jesus and Martha was concentrating on serving, instead of concerning herself with listening. First think in ministry we need to listen to Jesus. That part will never be taken away from those who truly seek him, but how he speaks to our heart will be whether one hears and ears are intuned to his Spirit.

Cult leaders are about how to control the people, how to enslave a person, and how to keep them coming back, when they can not they begin to stalk them for control. Martha could not control Mary so she thought maybe Jesus would encourage Mary to help her. Jesus would rather see Mary listening to Him, then be forced to help Martha. Reason unclear but perhaps what we can not see is what Mary was learning about listening to Jesus. There is a time to work and time to listen. Yet if someone pushing you to do you have to ask yourself are you in a cult. Some would say your in a family. You know that family that always working constantly together, but still taking time to play, worship and to entertain. Cult is force labor without rewarding a person or allowing a person to choose to serve.

Where the difference is when something is as important or equally as important that needs doing and one refuse to let the other person do it. I can remember times when having to watch my husband leave the house on a fire call. It did not matter what we were doing, that came first. It was important to him to go and serve, he did not make me in to a fire fighter to serve too. I did not have to serve his community, he wanted and loved to do it. If a person gives me a crochet hook and some yarn and tell me they need so many things done for chariety, I probably help some but will not do all the work. Because I like crocheting, it activity I enjoy. It a calming activity as well as a productive one. It not like cooking or cleaning house, those are chores and equal responsibility. Why is serving equal so important as a chore. Both are needed in a persons life.

Listening is something Mary probably like to do while sitting at the feet of Jesus. I can almost picture her curled up sitting close to Jesus, or even sitting on a bench or seat near Jesus just listening to his words and mediating on them. Did Jesus care about Martha and her need. He definitely did, but he care about what Mary was in need of too. Martha was only thinking about her own need. I can almost picture Mary soon after discourse rising up out of love and helping her sister, still listening to every word of Jesus. Yet Jesus never told her too rise up and obey Martha, only to follow him.

What would Jesus do, no what would Jesus instruct. Listen to him, and follow him. His words were words of action and not just words of idleness. God's love is his words are action not just words of listening and nothing happens. Of course scripture does not say Mary get up and helped her sister, but one can picture the scenerio of love being shown.

The reason something is done must be established. The reason someone is doing something needs to be demonstrated in love. The reason to take time to pray and seek God must come first and foremost if we going to see mountains moved the way God wants them to be removed. We can get to chariety minded, we loose focus on God's word. A church without chariety will not last, and a church with the absence of the word of God is not built on a solid foundation. As individuals we need to lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus before we continue serving. We need to be willing to listen so we can learn to love and not be oppressors of faith.

Dear Heavenly Father, remind us when people are controlling, that is not of you, but our love for you should effect our call to reach out to others with a need, to lighten their burden. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Revelation 2:1-5 KJV
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.