One Thing Is Needed

One Thing Is Needed
by Chip Brogden

“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 10:41,42).”

We often sacrifice God’s one thing in favor of many things. There is something more significant to be seen in Mary who sits at the feet of Jesus versus Martha who is “much serving”. Jesus is not contrasting service and worship and saying that worship is better. No, Jesus is contrasting “many things” with “one thing”. We are consumed, absorbed, worried and vexed with many things – serving, witnessing, preaching, giving, writing, singing, attending meetings, reading, studying, building churches, fellowshipping – when Jesus says only one thing is needed, and Mary has discovered it, and it will not be denied her. What is the one thing?

In order to grasp God’s purpose for all things let us look at several Scriptures.

“Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:9-11).”

What does this passage tell us? First, that there is a Will, and it has been revealed to us. Second, that God’s Will is “all things in Christ”. Third, that everything is working according to this purpose. Let us look at these three points more particularly.

THE REVEALED WILL OF GOD

There is a Will, a purpose, a reason, a goal towards which God is moving. Something is intended. A result is sought after. God is not floating us along aimlessly towards everything in general and nothing in particular, but He is moving us towards something. Since He exists outside of time, the End is already accomplished from God’s perspective. To us, who are still bound by time, things do move forward. We have a past, a present, and future, while God is all of these at once. Knowing that there is a Will and that the Lord is bringing us towards something is clearly for our benefit. God wants us to know His Will that we may enter into it and work in harmony with Him, cooperating together. Why does He not just do what He wants? Why bother to reveal it to us at all? Because we are part of the Will.

Most of the world’s philosophy is based on man’s attempt to answer these questions: who am I, where did I come from, why am I here, and where am I going? These questions can only be answered when we consider them in the light of God’s ultimate Will. There is a purpose, a reason for being, a reason for creating, a reason for living, a purpose which is larger than us, but includes us.

I ate breakfast in a diner once that had a sign on the wall that read, “If there is a will, I want to be in it.” I’m not sure what the intended message was, but it immediately resonated with me. I want to be in the Will of God! And I believe every Christian wants the same thing.

ALL THINGS IN CHRIST

What is the Will of God? “That… He might gather together in one all things in Christ.” God only has one need, one desire, one thing He wants to accomplish, and once we see this we will find everything else is peripheral to this one thing. What does God wish to accomplish? God’s ultimate will and desire is to sum up everything into Christ, so that Christ is All in All.

From henceforth when I talk about God’s Will I am speaking of His eternal purpose and plan of summing up everything into Christ and putting everything under His feet. I am not talking about God’s will for you personally, or God’s will for your ministry or business. These may be terribly important to you, but what we are considering now is something which transcends these matters and touches upon the ultimate Will of God for all generations, all people, all nations, the whole of creation – the one thing He is after.

Now we understand why Mary is said to have discovered that one thing that God wants, that one thing that He is after, and why she has forevermore taken her place at the feet of Jesus. Food, fun, fellowship, friendship, all is forgotten. She exists to wash His feet with tears, anoint His feet, and hear Him there at His feet. “Kiss the Son,” Psalms 2 says. In this matter it is not a kiss of greeting on the cheek, or even the kisses of His mouth which speak of the love between the Bride and the Bridegroom (Song of Solomon). It is kissing the feet in subjection to the One Whom God has appointed as the Heir of All Things. The kissing of the feet of the Son and the sitting at His feet is the acknowledgment of all that the Father has vested into the Son and the recognition that everything has been placed below His feet, beginning with US.

EVERYTHING RELATES TO THIS WILL

Thus far we have seen that there is a Will, and that God’s Will is for Christ to fill all things. There is a third thing to be seen: “[God]… worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” Everything which is spoken, revealed, or done by the Lord is connected in some way to the one thing. We might call it the Cosmic Will, or the Universal Will, or the Mind of the Spirit, or the Prime Directive, or simply the One Thing. However we choose to describe it, that is what God is after. It is His Will, His Desire, His Purpose, His Need, His Heart.

If we read and apply ourselves to the Scriptures – the books of Moses, the Law, the Prophets, the Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles, and the Revelation – we will eventually see one thing taking shape and coming into being. It is this one, continuous, unbroken thread of His Will which weaves its way throughout all of God’s dealings with man for the past six thousand years, having its beginning in eternity past and reaching its conclusion in eternity future towards one thing.

But more importantly, we see that everything is moving in relationship towards God’s End. It is the why which explains God’s reason for creating the world, heaven, hell, the devil, and man himself. It is the motive for sending the Word to be flesh and live as a Man, to die on a cross, to be raised to life, and to be exalted to God’s right hand. It is the impetus which caused God to pour out His Spirit on all flesh and establish the Church. It is His purpose in judging the world and creating a new heavens and earth.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul describes it as the Mind of the Spirit:

“And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:27-29).”

Einstein wanted to know the Mind of God. Here, we have it. If we change the order of the first verse it may help us to see it more clearly without changing the meaning. “He makes intercession for the saints according to the Will of God BECAUSE He knows the Mind of the Spirit.” We know from the Book of Hebrews that “He that searcheth the hearts” is Christ, and “He that maketh intercession for the saints” is Christ (Hebrews 4:12; 7:25).

Because Christ knows the Mind of the Spirit and He is making intercession for us according to the Will of God, “we know that all things are working together… according to His purpose.” And to leave no doubt as to the purpose, we are told that the purpose is “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Christ as All in All.

We frequently quote these verses and interpret them to mean that no matter what happens, good or bad, God is going to make it all work out for our good, and it will all turn out right in the end. That is not what Paul is saying at all. What he is telling us is that all things are moving in relation to God’s purpose of summing up everything into Christ. God’s End is Christ as All in All. Everything in heaven and on earth is moving in relation to this.

So in Romans we are told that God is “working all things together… according to His Purpose” and in Ephesians we are told that God is “working all things after the counsel of His own will.” The key phrase here is “all things”. How do we judge if a thing is of God or not? We need only determine its relationship to the one thing. Either it is in harmony with the one thing or it is one of the “many things” which may be good, spiritual, or moral, but does nothing to move us towards God’s eternal purpose.

GOD’S GOAL: THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST

Of course, there are other Scriptures which refer to God’s Will in Christ:

“And [Christ] is the head of the body, the church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).”

Does Christ have the preeminence in this world? In the Church? In our family? In our heart of hearts? No, and no, and no, and no. Sinners rule the world, “saints” rule the church, we rule our own families (which accounts for our failed marriages and broken homes), and we govern our own hearts, doing as we see fit. Yet the Will of God is clear: that Christ would have the preeminence in all things. Obviously we are not there yet:

“For now we see not yet all things put under Him, but we see Jesus… for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things (Hebrews 2:8).”

Do we see it yet? Not in its fulness, no. We have a little here, and a little there. Where this has already happened, where we actually see and experience Christ having the preeminence, it is called the Kingdom of God. It is not a visible thing, but an invisible thing, for Jesus said the Kingdom is not seen, but is within you. Eventually the Kingdom of God will swallow up the entire Creation and Christ will have the preeminence in all things. Why? Because all things are for Him, and all things were by Him. That is what this verse is saying.

For now, when we abide in Him we are full of His Life individually, and this is a beginning, but it is largely invisible. He fills us and to some extent He is seen in us once we are conformed to His Image. But filling the Church is not the end, but the beginning. The end must include “all things”, not just the Church:

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted [Christ], and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9).”

The key words in the verses we have discussed thus far are “every” and “all”. In these Scriptures our eyes are opened and our vision is enlarged to understand that God’s ultimate purpose is that Christ would have the preeminence in ALL things, that He would fill ALL in ALL, and that ALL creation would reflect His glory.

May the Lord continually open our eyes to give Him the One Thing He desires. Amen.

How to Get in On What God is Doing

How to Get in On What God is Doing by James Ryle
“that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Most people who are reasonably acquainted with the Bible will readily recognize certain passages. Take for example Paul’s words from Romans, known and loved by all Believers alike –

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2).

This provides us with timeless access to get in on what God is doing. Here is how it works.

First, Present Yourself to God. When this happens a change will occur – your thoughts will shift from being fashioned after the world’s way of thinking and living, and your mind will be renewed. You will no longer be conformed to this world, but will become more and more the person God has intended for you to be.

Then, and only then, will you be able to PROVE for Yourself the ever growing circle of all the amazing possibilities which are found in God’s purpose for your life. It is what Paul call “the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

Instead of merely doing what everybody else is doing, or even settling for what seems right to you – aim high. Don’t settle for anything less than the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Good, better, best. Never let it rest until your good is your better, and your better is your best.

As you examine your life today, ask these question of yourself.

Am I conforming to this world in my thoughts and actions? Is there a difference in my life between the general consensus of the popular ideas that most people embrace without a second thought?

Am I by steady diligence and faithful pursuit of God proving what is good for my life? And, am I pressing on beyond the good to find that which is acceptable? And do I have what it takes to move beyond what is acceptable until I find and live in the perfect will of God for my life?

This, my friend, is how we each can get in on what God is doing. And that is the secret of a full and richly fulfilling life. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.” Find the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God will usher you more and more into that life.

THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT ROMANCE

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife: as though they had one body.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
GENESIS 2:24 GMRV

Do you remember the first time that you were naked in front of your spouse? Everyone has had their own experience, but I think that in all of us, there was this initial feeling of insecurity. I remember the first time I made love to my husband, I was so insecure! I wondered what he thought of me. I wondered if he found me attractive. In the romance novels you always read of how the woman falls into the man's arms and is swept away with passion. Forget being swept away with passion, the whole time I wondered if I was doing it right and what was going through his mind!

Not very romantic at all is it? Well it was round about that time that I discovered that the things I had read in romance novels were just that...novels...story books. Reality and fantasy did not mix and it took me a while to discover that romance was not something that just happens, but something you grow into together. I learned that passion was not just based on the flesh, but something that is developed in your soul too.

As time went on, I became more comfortable being naked around my husband. We had a wonderful sex life and I felt like the most blessed woman in all the world. Yet something was lacking. Even though I knew the "breathless passion" was something only to be found in story books, I was sure that there was more romance to be found in a marriage.

So I did what any sensible woman would do. I prayed that my husband would come right! I prayed that he would learn to be more romantic. Well you know how the Lord is. When you pray and give Him an opportunity to bring change in your marriage, He usually starts with the person who thinks they need the least help. In this case...it was me. Was I in for a surprise! The Lord did not waste any time at all in showing me my very closed heart. He showed me how even though I had a loving and tender husband, that I chose rather to get my emotional and other soulish needs met in my work and in other people.

Instead of being satisfied with just lying in his arms, I had to get up and work and strive and do other things to meet that need. Only when I had pushed myself hard and worked as much as I could, did I feel I had accomplished. Not only had this brought a very big wall between us, but it also killed any chance of romance! I suddenly realized that it was impossible for my husband to romance me at all, while I was running around getting my needs met elsewhere.

It was during this time that I truly came to learn about a heavenly marriage. So just like the first time we made love, I took a chance and removed the clothes and the covers from my heart. I opened my heart to my husband and began to share my needs, desires and cares. Then I did not run off and do work, but chose to lay in His arms and to allow his touch and his words to comfort me and meet my need. Something miraculous happened that night and I could relate to Adam and Eve in our passage above who "felt no shame" even though they were both naked. For the first time I could have my husband there to meet my need and then together we could come into the presence of the Lord.

Perhaps you find it easy to talk with your spouse and share all your cares with them, but are you also ready to allow them to meet your needs? Or do you say what you need to say to your spouse and then go and have a drink, watch a move, get on chat with someone else, go out or get some more work done?

The key is not just about sharing your heart, but waiting a little while to find rest and fulfillment with your spouse.

This is not a complicated thing. How difficult was it to take off your clothes the first time? It was not hard at all! It just took a simple choice and the rest followed. Well being naked in spirit and in soul is the same choice. It means making a choice to stay with your spouse a little longer. To look into their eyes a little longer and to choose to put away the other things that have been meeting your needs up until now.

This Story Has A Happy Ending

Even though things started off bumpy with my husband, I am pleased to say that this story does have a happy ending. I discovered that the novels and story books left out a whole chapter on real romance and passion. With that one little choice, something began to happen in our marriage. Suddenly my husband found me more attractive than ever and suddenly I found my husband more attractive than ever. We could not wait to get alone in the evening and would often feign weariness so that we could chase the kids to bed and take an extra hour together. Our times of communication in the evenings became fun!

Suddenly I wanted to make love more...to just be with him! My husband was pleasantly surprised, but did not ask any questions, just enjoying the moment. As for me, I discovered that my husband was an incurable romantic after all. I had just never hung around long enough to see it.

So let me both challenge and encourage you today. Romance, passion and joy are God's gifts to you in marriage. When you allow your marriage to be the one thing that entertains, encourages, motivates and blesses you, everything else will fall quickly into place. When you are secure in your marriage, you can handle any kind of pressure or stress. So I challenged you...get naked with your spouse. Not just physically, but bare your heart to them also and then just wait in their presence and allow them to meet the needs and desires you have.

It is a big leap to a relationship that is more romantic...more passionate...more HEAVENLY!

WHY The 'WILDERNESS'?

WHY The 'WILDERNESS'?
-Andrew Strom.

The 'wilderness' is not a concept that is understood too well in
Christendom, despite the fact that it is all the way through the
Bible. From the book of Genesis right through Revelation there
are clear references to the 'wilderness' as being something God
often employs in His dealings with men. The pattern is undeniable.

When we look through the Scriptures we see that the wilderness
is often a place of spiritual "crisis" and also preparation. It is the
place God sends us before the "real action" begins - before we
enter into the full purposes of God in our lives. There must be
'death' before there can be resurrection. There must be a desert
place before the "promised land".

The wilderness is a place of trial and testing, of brokenness and
full surrender to God. The props and activities that have kept us
continually striving to "make things happen" are stripped away.
Our self-reliance is shattered and replaced with a total reliance on
God alone. Every "idol" in our lives (often including our own ministry)
is brought under the piercing searchlight of God. Our selfish motives
and ambitions are shown for what they are. This process may take
years. Finally we emerge broken, chastened and purified. The
process has matured and cleansed us in so many ways. We are
now ready for the fulfillment of all that God originally called us to
do. But our heart-motives are vastly different from what they were
before.

We see this pattern all the way through Scripture. Many lessons
can be learned from what we read there. Abraham, Joseph, Joshua,
Moses, David, Elijah, John the Baptist, Paul the apostle - and even
Jesus Himself - all had to go through this "wilderness" experience.
Very often it lasted for years and years. Why then should we be
surprised if it happens to us?

Probably the best-known instance of a 'wilderness experience' in
the Old Testament is the story of Moses and the children of Israel.
Moses had been raised and trained all his life in the palaces of
Egypt. But when he came face-to-face with his heritage as an
Israelite, he rose up "in his own strength" and killed an Egyptian
slave-driver. He was then forced to flee into the desert, where he
was to spend 40 YEARS as a simple shepherd in the wilderness.
What an enormous length of time! Imagine if every Christian leader
had to spend that long in the wilderness before God would allow
them to lead His people! It is almost impossible to imagine the
depths of despair and "death" to all his dreams and hopes that
Moses went through during this time. In fact, after 40 years it is
hard to imagine anyone being "deader" to the usual ambitions
and temptations of leadership than Moses would have been. And
what PATIENCE these years of waiting must have produced in him!

We see here the lengths that God will go to in the "preparation"
of a leader "after His own heart." (-Though 40 years is unusually
long). The isolation, the chafing, the crying out to God for deliverance
- all play their part. Such an experience is almost irreplaceable.
That is why God uses it so often. The hearts of driven men are so
similar in so many ways, that God's "cure" becomes similar also!
He will even shut us up in a kind-of 'prison' for a time so we cannot
escape the process. It is that important. He does not want 'self'-
oriented leaders shepherding his precious sheep.

After his 40 years of preparation, Moses returned to Egypt at God's
command to lead His people out of bondage. This was the beginning
of the entire nation of Israels' wilderness experience. For when they
left Egypt the only way to their "Promised Land" was through the
desert. Some commentators say that in a straight line, their journey
could have taken just a few weeks or less. But because of their
disobedience and fear, the vast majority of those who left Egypt
were destined to die in the desert, never reaching the Promised
Land. In fact, their wilderness journey ended up taking 40 years!

Now we need to take special note of this fact:- Not everyone who
entered the wilderness survived it. In fact, multitudes perished there.
The wilderness tried them and found them wanting. They went to
the place of testing and failed the test. This is a pretty crucial fact
to realize in our day also. Just because we are "called out" and
enter a wilderness time, does not mean that we will embrace the
dealings of God and respond appropriately. It is entirely possible
to lose everything out there. These people lost out completely.
Only their children came through to inherit the promises of God.

How clearly we see this pattern over and over again - in both the
Old Testament and the New:- That many whom God wants to one
day use are sent into a place of aloneness and brokenness before
being brought into their true destiny. We have not even mentioned
heroes of God such as Noah, Jacob, Job and others who all had
similar experiences. Part of this process lies in the "waiting" that
takes place. Also, the fact that all the supporting 'props' are taken
away. The "waiting" alone can be torture.

The wilderness also deals with any fear of man or 'systemized'
way of looking at things. God often uses it to bring a whole fresh
perspective, which is very important for leaders who are going to
be representing a "new" approach or facing opposition because of
the confrontational words that they are bringing. The lonely desert
years give them backbone to stand up to the crowd or the powers-
that-be, and declare God's truth without compromise. They now
truly fear God rather than man. And they think differently from
others. The wilderness is vital for anyone who is wanting to bring
fresh manna to God's people.

Are you someone who has been going through such a "desert"
experience, my friend? Be encouraged! Look up, for your deliverance
draws nigh. God only ever sends His children through such
experiences when there is a great purpose to it. Don't give up. Don't
be cast down. On the other side lies a 'land of promise' if only you
can hang on to Jesus. Be active, be praying, be prepared. Don't
become "passive" and let the desert swallow you whole. Use this
time to draw closer and closer to Jesus. Dig down and plant your
feet firmly on the Rock. Humble yourself before the Lord and He
will lift you up in due time - if only you can cling to Him.

-Please comment on this article at the following website-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

God bless you all.

Looking Forward To The Future

Looking Forward To The Future

It was a time when you were not woken up at 4 in the morning by the cry of a newborn baby. It was a time when there were so many new things ahead of you. Hopes, dreams...expectations. So much was possible. It was a time when you were dating or newly married with a new and wonderful road up ahead. You could not wait to begin walking it!

Yet as you have continued walking this road of marriage, the romance of the first moments started to become a little dull. Conflicts, pressures of life and a growing family can make you forget how you started this walk. Often you become so caught up in all of your problems and conflicts that you even forget to look at the wonderful things any longer.

This week I want to take your hand and walk you back down memory lane and then show you a much brighter future. Can you remember the first time you met? Perhaps it was a good time, perhaps not. But can you remember when you first felt that love for your spouse? The person you wanted to be with more than anyone else.

Yes, if you look back a lot has changed. You have changed, your spouse has changed and those memories might seem like wonderful fantasies now. You look at yourself in the mirror and you can tell that you certainly do not look the same way any more. You also know that inside, you are not the same person any more.

Well praise the Lord for that! Can't you see how much you have grown and changed as a couple?

I want you to go back and remember what it was like when you first met. Write down a list of qualities and impressions that you had of your spouse back then. Then fast forward and take a look at the qualities and impression that you have of your spouse right now. Can't you see how much they have changed? Over time can't you see how the two of you have now become one flesh?

Perhaps at the beginning it was all fantastic and you long back for those moments, but what you do not realize is that you are experiencing the greatest romance of your life right now. In fact the more you walk down this road the more wonderful the romance becomes! Why is that? It is because the more you walk this road together, the more you become one in the Lord. The more you know each other, the easier it is to share your heart and have something REAL.

The memories in the past are special to us all, but never forget that you are living the most romantic time of your life RIGHT NOW and...it will only get better. You and your spouse will have many more experiences together. You will learn more about one another each day and as you do, the greater your romance will become.

So remember the past and the special memories, then also hold on to the future, knowing that the best is yet to come. What you had back then was like a little seed that you planted. Yet as you matured, that seed began to flourish and develop into a beautiful rose, with a rich and beautiful fragrance.

Look forward to what is ahead and enjoy the moments you have now, realizing that the Lord has His hand on you and your marriage.

Practical Project

Why not put this lesson into practice!

1. Write down a list of qualities that your spouse had when you first met.

2. Write down a list of qualities that your spouse has now that are different from the beginning.

3. Finally write down one thing that your spouse did this week that you enjoyed, admired or thought was really good.

4. Finally send your spouse your list either by e-mail or on written paper and tell them how much you are looking forward to the future with them!

From Hero to Heretic

From Hero to Heretic by David Van Cronkhite
Why would a popular Jewish leader like Nicodemus risk his temple rank and his position and provision in society to sneak through the shadows to speak with the One who challenged every aspect of his world?

Why would a simple, struggling monk like Martin Luther risk his life to publicly provoke his church-his very livelihood and known salvation--and expose centuries-long errors and doctrinal presuppositions?

Why would a respected theologian like Dietrich Bonhoeffer place himself in the middle of Nazi Germany and go head to head with one of the most diabolical kingdoms to ever exist on earth?

Separated by hundreds of years and born into different political and social empires, these three theologians seem widely separated at first glance. But they had this in common: they were spurred in their hearts by the revelation that their true God had been shrouded by the religious system and traditions of their day. And everything within them eventually demanded that the real God--the One who loved even the losers and rebels unconditionally, was unflinchingly faithful and forgiving, and was compassionate, merciful, truthful and slow to anger--be revealed.

Welcoming the wrath

Their declarations placed their provision, their reputations, their lives and that of their families in harms way. Yet they welcomed the wrath of the cultural, political, commercial and religious systems even unto death.

Why in the world would they do that? What made them choose to become heretics instead of remaining the heroes of their day?

Luther saw the performance-based measures of the church. He saw that the word "faith" had been long forgotten. He saw the poor as the greatest victims, bowed under the burdens of injustice saddled squarely on their backs. And his church was the worst perpetrator.

When did it begin for Luther? Was it when he wept and agonized over the uncertainty of his salvation and the fear that God would not, could not embrace him? Was it when he saw his people believe the church's lies that they were still too poor, too sinful, too unlovely to be accepted by God unless they bribed Him?

Boenhoffer recognized how the church in Germany had so deeply compromised with the political, commercial, and religious systems, becoming more and more subjugated to the Nazi power. But he was a Father-pleaser. He joined a move to teach young men and women the uncompromised truth of God and His Kingdom, about faith and love, and the ways of the King.

Did Boenhoffer's revelation begin when he quoted Luther, "The curse of a godless man can sound more pleasant in God's ears than the Hallelujah of the pious"? Or did it start when he looked over the German people and had compassion on them because they were tormented by the systems and without a Shepard?

And the popular Nicodemus, the only one who actually talked with the man Jesus, saw Him look him in the eyes, and felt His breath. Did he realize then that he would one day have to stand alone among his Pharisee friends to defend Jesus? Did he understand then that his spirit could be born into a new life by the supernatural Seed of the One whose crucified body he would one day anoint with myrrh and aloe?

Like Luther and Bonhoeffer, Nicodemus, at some point, summed up what it would cost to continue to serve the kingdoms of his world. What he saw in Jesus was worth more than all of that. Church tradition says that he became a follower of Jesus and was martyred for his faith. Later, the church declared him a saint, but not before the kingdoms of the world labeled him a heretic.

Turning points

Is there a common turning point that changes heroes into heretics? For many, it happens somewhere among the long years of working their way up the systems, while the hole in their hearts that religion and knowledge were supposed to fill, grows larger and larger. Perhaps for others, it happens when they begin to see the glimmer of a Kingdom founded on Love and Justice, and that this Jesus in them has something to do with it. And they are gradually ruined forever when their spirits are stirred and awakened by the maturing Seed implanted within from above.

Jesus said flesh and blood is not our enemy. The systems of man, the kingdoms of the world, are. They are just as real and powerful as flesh and blood because they capture and enslave the flesh and blood that creates them. But God invites us, commands us to seek Him and His Kingdom first, and He will take care of us eternally.

It's significant that Jesus' first encounter after forty days in the desert seeking out His God would be a face off with Satan, the Evil One, the ruler of the world's kingdoms. But Jesus saw the kingdoms of the world and all their splendor and said, "Hell, no! You keep it. I have been given My own Kingdom and it is eternal, cosmic, of another world, and is the only one that cannot be shaken. Any can enter by the faith of a child."

The King started his public journey on earth by declaring his stated purpose: "I have come to proclaim my Father's Kingdom." Each day we have the choice--and temptation--to give our lives for man's systems rather than accepting the Kingdom that God so freely offers. What the prophets of old so desperately wanted to see, we can see now. What they wanted to be a part of, we can be a part of now.

Is this something that can happen by our giving mental assent to or must we have faith that something supernatural will take place that will utterly change us from the inside out? Well, a Seed will grow and mature in us so that when someone looks into our eyes they will find peace and joy, compassion and mercy, graciousness and forgiveness. They will sense His slowness to anger and truth from within and just know there is covenantal faithfulness.

It just takes faith and He is offering that grace to grasp the faith to be born supernaturally from above in a moment, followed by a lifetime of maturing and transformation on earth. He offers us the Seed of life, the Seed of Change, the Seed of AGAPE!

Oh, it will cost you everything. You will become a Father pleaser instead of a pleaser of man. The world will call you a loser, a misfit, and, yeah, a heretic, but it just won't matter. The only thing that will matter will be what mattered to the Son who came to do only His Father's will: to hear those two words, "Well done!"

The choice is ours individually as it was for Nicodemus, Luther, and Bonhoeffer. There is a kingdom at hand; the seed has been planted and we have been born from above. To receive it and let it grow will cost you everything. You may even turn into a heretic instead of a hero.

So, now, how should we then live?

David VanCronkhite David.VanCronkhite@gmail.com

Being the Neck

Being the Neck

Have you ever been to a chiropractor? I remember after months of working with bad posture in front of the computer, that someone suggested I visited one. They said it might help with the headaches I kept having. It was quite an experience! After a short time there, the problem was diagnosed. The joints in my neck were out of place. The doctor worked fast. There I was, flat on my back on his table; nice and relaxed. With one or two swift movements he pulled my neck into place and with one VERY LOUD... CLICK everything was in order again. The headaches stopped almost immediately and I suddenly felt alive again. I realized that even though my head hurt, the main problem was in my neck all along.

Have you ever heard this saying, "The husband is the head of the home, but the wife is the neck that turns the head?" It is a common phrase and a very true one as well. The man is responsible for the condition of his home. He is responsible to bring love into the home. Yet as the 'neck' it is up to you to bring stability and peace into the home with your submission and spirit of meekness.

The Word is so clear on this.

1 Peter 3:4 But rather the hidden qualities of the heart, which cannot be corrupted; a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters you are, as long as you do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. (GMRV)

Peter instructs wives to have a gentle and quiet spirit. He goes on to say that in times of old, great women not only made themselves beautiful on the outside, but also showed their inner beauty through submission as well.

So if you are stressed and upset, the gentle quiet spirit is gone and you are no better than my neck that needed a few adjustments. In the end you just give your 'head' a big headache, and everything falls apart. Just as a man has to introduce love into the home, it is your place as his wife to bring peace into the house. If there is strife and chaos, then you need to look at yourself and see where you can bring peace.

Next week I will share a little more on how you can tap into that peace within, but for now ask yourself this question:

"Am I a peace-bringer or just a pain in the neck?"

If you are brave you can ask your husband to answer this question for you! It is easy to blame your husband for everything that is going wrong in the home, but it is also up to you to bring order. Take your time to not only make yourself beautiful on the outside, but beautiful on the inside as well.

Put on some lipstick and a pretty outfit to welcome your husband home with tonight. Then commit yourself to bringing peace and joy into your home through your submission. Don't just apply the principles because you have to, but seek the Lord for a true spirit of submission and tenderness. As you set your heart to doing this, you will be surprised how easily it all falls into place.

In conclusion, let it be said by everyone who enters your home, that they feel the peace and love of Christ. Then you will also have this honor: Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband , and he praises her.
Many daughters have done valiantly, but you are greater than all of them. (Proverbs 31: 28,29 GMRV)