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One thing is needed

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  • One thing is needed

    But what is that one thing?

    “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:41–42)

    I think the one thing that is needed is to know the Lord, if we focus on that, everything else will fall into place: prayer, obedience, love, faith, sacrifice...

    "And so whatsoever thou wantest, be sure to strive to pitch thy faith upon the Son of God, and behold Him steadfastly, and thou shalt, by so doing, find a mighty change in thy soul. For when we behold Him as in a glass, even the glory of the Lord, we are changed, namely, by beholding, 'from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord' (2 Cor. 3:18). This is the true way to get both comfort to thy soul, and also sanctification and right holiness into thy soul." (John Bunyan)

    "One thing I ask from the LORD,
    this only do I seek:
    that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
    all the days of my life,
    to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
    and to seek him in his temple." (Ps 27:4)

    Blessings,
    Lee
    "What I pray of you is, to keep your eye upon Him, for that is everything. Do you say, 'How am I to keep my eye on Him?' I reply, keep your eye off everything else, and you will soon see Him. All depends on the eye of faith being kept on Him. How simple it is!" (J.B. Stoney)

  • #2
    I have always thought that Jesus was telling Martha to get her priorities straight. Mary understood that the most important thing was to sit at the feet of the Lord and learn from him.

    Martha was intent on providing the hospitality that was called for in the ANE, but Jesus was telling her that she didn't need to be fussing so much. Keep things simple so that the focus of those there would stay on Him.

    So, I agree with your comments. "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace".


    Securely anchored to the Rock amid every storm of trial, testing or tribulation.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by lee_merrill View Post
      But what is that one thing?
      In this day and age? An honest-to-goodness Holy Ghost Revival.
      The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

      Comment


      • #4
        A Johannine allusion to the Temple in Psalm 27.4 would be beautifully appropriate, since for JGosp Jesus ​is the Eschatological Temple of Ezekiel 47 (St John 7.38, St John 19.34-37; compare St John 4.14, Isaiah 12.3, 55.1; Psalm 36.8). Since Jesus is the Source of the “living water” of that Temple, He is also the Source of the Four Rivers that flow out of Eden in Genesis 2.

        Psalm 27.1-6 as a passage seems very relevant to JGosp:

        1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
        The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
        of whom shall I be afraid?


        2When the wicked advance against me
        to devour a me,
        it is my enemies and my foes
        who will stumble and fall.
        3 Though an army besiege me,
        my heart will not fear;
        though war break out against me,
        even then I will be confident.


        4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
        this only do I seek:
        that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
        all the days of my life,
        to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
        and to seek him in his temple.


        5For in the day of trouble
        he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
        he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
        and set me high upon a rock.


        6Then my head will be exalted
        above the enemies who surround me;
        at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
        I will sing and make music to the Lord.”

        I think St John refers to Psalm 27.4, and expected his hearers and readers to be familiar with the verses in which it is embedded. Familiarity with those verses would increase the literary and theological effect of his other refers to the passages in bold type. STM we lose a great deal of the effect of the Gospels, if we are unfamiliar with how their human authors constructed them.

        Last edited by Rushing Jaws; 07-12-2020, 06:16 PM.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
          In this day and age? An honest-to-goodness Holy Ghost Revival.
          With Christians able to recognize that it is a Holy Ghost Revival and not scream "But it's not done like this!!!!!!"

          (Sorry, I'm in a cynical mood today. )
          "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

          "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

          Comment


          • #6
            Wasn't Jesus being countercultural for letting a lady learn with the guys? She wasn't just resting, she was learning!
            If it weren't for the Resurrection of Jesus, we'd all be in DEEP TROUBLE!

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post
              With Christians able to recognize that it is a Holy Ghost Revival and not scream "But it's not done like this!!!!!!"

              (Sorry, I'm in a cynical mood today. )
              Yeah, but you have a point.... the Holy Spirit doesn't always respond like we want Him to or think He should.
              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                Yeah, but you have a point.... the Holy Spirit doesn't always respond like we want Him to or think He should.
                Why should He? That would be silly. We silly humans lack the full picture and don't have a clue! It'd be like a toddler crying about getting a shot at the doctor or taking yucky medicine. The little kid doesn't have a full understanding that the adults have about the situation.
                If it weren't for the Resurrection of Jesus, we'd all be in DEEP TROUBLE!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Christianbookworm View Post
                  Why should He? That would be silly. We silly humans lack the full picture and don't have a clue! It'd be like a toddler crying about getting a shot at the doctor or taking yucky medicine. The little kid doesn't have a full understanding that the adults have about the situation.
                  Because, I believe, most Christians doesn't have a Clue who the Holy Spirit is or why he was sent.

                  AND, Satan figured out early on that the Holy Spirit, which should UNITE us, can be used to divide us.
                  The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                    Because, I believe, most Christians doesn't have a Clue who the Holy Spirit is or why he was sent.

                    AND, Satan figured out early on that the Holy Spirit, which should UNITE us, can be used to divide us.
                    The Person having the worst "babysitting" job ever?
                    If it weren't for the Resurrection of Jesus, we'd all be in DEEP TROUBLE!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                      In this day and age? An honest-to-goodness Holy Ghost Revival.
                      Yes, though I was focusing here on individuals, not corporate groups. What was it Jesus meant when he said one thing is needed? What is the one focus we should have?

                      "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:5-8)

                      That's a lot to remember! But it seems Peter sums it all up as "knowledge of our Lord", focusing on getting to know God.

                      "I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Ps. 16:8)

                      "David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him; but he 'always' set the Lord before him in his course; he had his eye upon the Lord, and so much the Hebrew word imports (Ps. 16:8): I have equally set the Lord before me; that is the force of the original word, that is, I have set the Lord before me, at one time as well as another, without any irregular affections or passions, etc. In every place, in every condition, in every company, in every employment, and in every enjoyment, I have set the Lord equally before me; and this raised him, and this will raise any Christian, by degrees, to a very great height of holiness." (Thomas Brooks)

                      Blessings,
                      Lee
                      "What I pray of you is, to keep your eye upon Him, for that is everything. Do you say, 'How am I to keep my eye on Him?' I reply, keep your eye off everything else, and you will soon see Him. All depends on the eye of faith being kept on Him. How simple it is!" (J.B. Stoney)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by lee_merrill View Post
                        Yes, though I was focusing here on individuals,
                        How do revivals get started? They begin with individuals. We need revival in our own hearts.

                        not corporate groups. What was it Jesus meant when he said one thing is needed? What is the one focus we should have?

                        "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:5-8)

                        That's a lot to remember! But it seems Peter sums it all up as "knowledge of our Lord", focusing on getting to know God.

                        "I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Ps. 16:8)

                        "David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him; but he 'always' set the Lord before him in his course; he had his eye upon the Lord, and so much the Hebrew word imports (Ps. 16:8): I have equally set the Lord before me; that is the force of the original word, that is, I have set the Lord before me, at one time as well as another, without any irregular affections or passions, etc. In every place, in every condition, in every company, in every employment, and in every enjoyment, I have set the Lord equally before me; and this raised him, and this will raise any Christian, by degrees, to a very great height of holiness." (Thomas Brooks)

                        Blessings,
                        Lee
                        There needs to be a sense of "I will return to the God of my fathers". Individually and corporately. But it starts with individuals.
                        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          "We know of nothing which imparts such moral power to the individual walk and character as intense devotion to Christ. It is not merely being a man of great faith, a man of prayer, a deeply taught student of Scripture or a scholar, a gifted preacher, or a powerful writer."

                          "No, it is being a lover of Christ." (C.H. Mackintosh)

                          And I would add that in order to love Christ, we need to get to know him...

                          Blessings,
                          Lee
                          "What I pray of you is, to keep your eye upon Him, for that is everything. Do you say, 'How am I to keep my eye on Him?' I reply, keep your eye off everything else, and you will soon see Him. All depends on the eye of faith being kept on Him. How simple it is!" (J.B. Stoney)

                          Comment

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