One Thing

One thing to know:

One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. (John 9:25b)

One thing is necessary:

Mary . . . sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:39-42)

One thing to do:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:14-15)

One thing to ask for:

One thing have I asked of the LORD ,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple.
(Psalm 27:4)

See the original post by Justin Taylor here

The Cup

"For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup

foaming with wine, well mixed,

and he pours out from it,

and all the wicked on the earth

shall drain it down to its dregs."

(Psalm 75:8)

In my Lord's hand there is a cup,

Its contents foam with wine;

And guilty ones will drink it up

Lest with the King ye dine.

Soul sorrowing, Lord Jesus prayed

"Let this cup pass from me."

Yet love compelling, he obeyed

And drank on Calvary.

Will you reject the Savior's blood,

And sip down bitter sin?

Friend, bathe beneath the cleansing flood

And be made pure within!

To The One Who Conquers:

-I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7)

-He will not be hurt by the second death (2:11)

-I will give some of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, with a new name write on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. (2:17)

- I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.  And I will give him the morning star. (2:26)

-Will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.  I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. (3:5)

- I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.  Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. (3:12)

-I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (3:21)

Thou Canst Not Fear Now

My soul, thou hast trodden down strength,

And fearest thou now?

The noise of the whips and the rattle

Of wheels in the hurry to battle,

The thunder of Captains, the shouting,

Bewilderment, weariness, flouting -

Are these new things to thee?

The Lord thy God is a Man of War;

Verily thou hast followed afar

If thy garments have never been rolled in blood

In the place swept through by the red, red flood,

Where battles be.

My soul, art thou dreaming?

Thou hast felt the keen edge of the sword,

The thrust of the spear;

Thou hast fallen and risen,

Hast fainted, revived and striven,

Forgetting to fear.

Thou hast trodden down strength in the battles of old,

And fearest thou now?

My soul, thou hast proved thy God,

And fearest thou now?

Behold Him, thy Light and thy Cover,

Thy Champion, Companion, Lover,

Thy Stay when the foeman oppresses,

Thy Song 'mid a thousand distresses.

Is this all new to thee?

The Lord thy God - hath He stood aloof?

(Verily, thou hast put Him to proof)

Hast thou ever, resisting alone unto blood,

Betrayed, overwhelmed by the red, red flood,

Sunk shamefully?

My soul, learn to triumph;

Thou hast felt the keen edge of the sword,

The thrust of the spear;

Thou hast fallen and risen,

Hast fainted, revived and striven,

Forgetting to fear.

Thou hast trodden down strength in the battles of old;

Thou canst not fear now.

~Amy Carmichael

What is in a name?

Here's a link to a story about a renaming ceremony in India for girls named "unwanted". The article talks a lot about the gender in India and how the Indian culture views having female babies.


"285 Indian Girls shed "unwanted" names"

How to Think about Curses in the Psalms

How to Think about Curses in the Psalms

Here are some great thoughts by Justin Taylor on how to view curses in the psalms. I have heard this question asked a lot and it can be a big area of contention for people who are seeking God.

Short Thoughts on Life

Importance of Life: 
Leviticus 24:17 - "Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death."
John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
Mark 8:36,37 - "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  For what can a man give in return for his soul?"


The Paradox/Attainment of Life:
Matthew 10:38 - "And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
John 12:25 - "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."


The Result:
Colossians 3:3,4 - "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."
1 John 5:11 - "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."
John 14:6 - "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."