The pre-sight view of election makes God seem absurd in His language if not somewhat dishonest. You see, God has gone to great lengths to say that some are elected, chosen, foreordained, predestined as part of His eternal purpose. For God to say that He saw those that would choose Him and then He calls them elect (select from a number) is linguistic trickery. It is like the Queen decreeing that the sun will rise in the morning, as others have said. God’s words about His action toward man would mean nothing but could only be construed as a way of presenting an authoritative front that God is in charge, whereas the decisions of eternal life and death are really within man alone. Apply this to prophecy. Much of prophecy is presented to us as that which God determines to do in the future. Is this the truth of it? Did God prophesy that John the Baptist would be the forerunner of the Messiah (Isa. 40:3-5; Luke 3:3-6) on the basis of pre-sight, and then declare that it would happen? Doesn’t language lose all meaning to say that? Does it not make sense of the language to say that the action predicted was based on God’s determined plan and not just what He saw happening?
Jim Elliff

One Thing Needful

One Thing Needful “One thing needful” Luke 10:38-42 By : Benjamen Vance

Now as they were traveling along,He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me. But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are needful, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

What are you bothered about today? If the Lord came to your home to eat dinner would you be a Martha, or a Mary? Most of us would be like Martha. After all how can we have dinner unless somebody first prepares it? This is obviously what Martha is most concerned with. She is presuming upon the Sovereign God! Christ demands our complete trust and obedience. There are three things to be gained from this passage of scripture.

  1. No distractions
  2. Read the word of God
  3. Worship the Lord Jesus

Martha was distracted with the preparation of the meal. Christ said to her “you are worried and bothered by so many things.” If we are to devote our whole heart to Christ we must first remove all distractions. If you discovered tomorrow that there was a growth somewhere in your body that must be removed in order for your life to continue, wouldn’t you want the surgeon to have complete concentration while in the operating theater? You would think it absurd if he had a book to read, or a letter to write while performing the intricate work in you, wouldn’t you? Well, how in the world can you think that you can learn about God or allow His Holy Spirit to remove Sin from our heart if you are so distracted? Forget about how busy you are. How busy will you be when the silver cord of your life is cut? “Wait just a second Lord I have one more thing to do” NO! You cannot presume upon God anymore! When the Holy Spirit of God calls you, you must respond at once or risk the hardening of your heart. Please allow God to remove all distractions from your mind. He will show you how if you will ask Him and be willing to Obey.

Next we must read God’s word. Verse thirty nine says Mary was listening to the word of God. The best way to listen to the word of God is to open your Bible and read. Our Lord overcame the temptation of the flesh by quoting scripture to the tempter. (Matthew 5:4,Deut. 8:3) “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (II Timothy 2:15) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. If you do not read the word of God how can you Know Him? Do you know that He will only save those He knows? How do we Know we know Him? Read your Bible! Start by reading First John 2:3; And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. How could you understand that if you don’t read God’s word?

Lastly We must worship Jesus as Lord of our life. (Romans 10:8-10) But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

We must see Him as Lord to be saved! If he is Lord you fall down at his feet and worship. “Every knee shall bow and every tounge confess that Jesus is Lord!” Then reading verse 42 we see Christ tell Martha that there only a few things she needs to do and really only one. The few things would be, no distractions, read the word of God, Worhip Christ as Lord. The one thing needful is this, worship Christ as Lord! If you haven’t bowed your knee to Jesus Christ and allowed Him to be Lord of your life then according to His word you are not His and He will say to you “depart from me you worker of iniquity for I never knew you” Examine your heart. Is the Holy Spirit telling you that what I am saying is the truth? Won’t you surrender your will to God today? Please don’t let the distractions of your daily world keep you from the only thing you really need! Please come to know God now.