 There’s only one thing that we need
By Kadeen Edwards “And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”” Luke 10:41-42 Martha, while having good intentions, was busy preparing food for Jesus. Mary sat at his feet. It wasn’t that what Martha was doing wasn’t good; it was… However, Mary chose what was best, and that was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Sometimes it’s better to choose what’s best instead of what’s good. Although serving Jesus and those that he called us to serve is good, sitting at his feet is best. There’s only one thing that we need, and that brings complete satisfaction and that is Jesus. Through him all things move live and have their being. Because of him all things exist, and without him, all things would cease to exist. It says seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you. Seek first the kingdom of God"means making God and His will the priority in every area of one's life, above all worldly concerns and personal ambitions. It is a call to align one's values, decisions, and actions with God's sovereign rule and moral standards. What I’ve learned is nothing in this world satisfies and I believe a lot of people find that out when they become extremely wealthy. Wealth is like dirt never satisfied Proverbs 30:16 the grave, the barren womb, the Earth and fire is never satisfied. The grave: It continuously takes the dead and is never full. The barren womb: It is always yearning for a child. The earth: This is the "dirt" or land that is not satisfied with water and is always thirsty for more. Fire: It consumes its fuel and never says, "Enough". Matthew 6 says““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  By Rebecca Vickery I believe that God sometimes gives people exactly what we ask for, even when doing so is not to our advantage. Time and time again throughout the Bible, we see the phrase, “he gave them over to _____.” (Insert whatever wasn’t God that we went seeking after to fulfill our needs instead of God.) Because you have asked thus, I will give you thus. In 1 Samuel Israel asks God for a King. They said to [Samuel], "You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." (1 Samuel 8:5) Several times thereafter, it is made clear that it was sinful for them to ask God for a King. He was their King, after all. But the people are not satisfied with God as their King, so they ask for a human king instead. God is clearly displeased with them, he makes it clear that they are wrong to have asked, but he gives them a king anyway. He gives them King, after King, after King. The first king appointed is Saul. He is full of the Spirit of God, and he has great courage and accomplishments (because of the LORD). And then he becomes prideful and is afflicted with an evil spirit most of his days. He is filled with jealousy for David and cannot get over his need to compare and be the best. It is to his and his family’s ruin. David is the King who seeks after God’s heart. He is sought after by many evil men, including Saul, and he refuses to seek vengeance. In battle, he is even more victorious than Saul was, but he seeks after the Lord (way more often than he doesn’t… ahem… side route through sin starting with lust, covetousness and murder… repentance in sackcloth and ashes… return and restoration to the LORD.) And unlike Saul, he doesn’t ask that his name (David) be made great but credits God with every victory. David was a great King, but so many after him would either start well and go astray or follow completely in the way of their wicked fathers to the end of their days. In the beginning, God tells them, if you will follow me and obey my decrees, I’ll establish your kingdom. Otherwise, I will not be with you. Each time I picture the narrator’s voice in Arrested Development saying, “They would not go on to follow after or obey his decrees.” And each king gets uprooted. Solomon, David’s son had wisdom more than anyone else before him. He does amazing things in the name of the LORD, including building the temple. But he loves the ladies a little too much marrying an Egyptian woman, and many women besides pharaoh’s daughter, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, even though the Lord had said, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And not surprisingly, as he grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods. As a result of these things, God tears the kingdom from his hands; split and fractured. The kings to come would have plenty of opportunities to do right in the sight of the Lord, but most would choose evil instead. After Solomon, the king makes golden calves for the Israelites to worship (did he not know history, or was he doomed to repeat it anyway?) And he established high places and appointed priests from wherever he chose. Again and again and again, the kings to come seek after false gods, mediums, establish altars to false gods, establish (or allow) prostitution for false religions, and commit countless atrocities. Several of them sacrifice their children in the names of their false gods. They wage war with the prophets of God and they seek the Lord only to supplement their information. (Yeah, sure, we’ve asked the prophets of Baal, of Asherah and everyone else, might as well consult YAHWEH too.) Before the establishment of kings in Israel, we see a verse that one might think would be in contrast. Judges 21:25 “In those days, Israel had no king, everyone did what they thought was right in their own eyes.” The things that Israel did during those times rivaled that of Sodom and Gomorra. Yet, here was God’s chosen people acting every bit like the world, sometimes even worse. Surely having a king would turn it around. But with a king, they would follow after the wickedness set before them by the kings of men. Omri, son of Ahab is said to have done more evil than all of the kings before him put together. And the people follow suit. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:24-25) Apart from God coming in the flesh to establish and reign over his own kingdom, we have no hope of it faring better for us. Thankfully, that is exactly what he did. America is not different from Israel. We can ask God to put people in power, but people will fail us. Without fail. It is the thing that people do best. They will disappoint. They will distract. They will point us in the wrong direction. And while, yes, we are to be subject to our governing authorities, we must not put our hope in them. Even the kings appointed by God are a frail shadow the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Our allegiance must be with him. Our trust and hope, in him alone. Some trust in chariots, and some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7) Amen.  By Peggie Potter-Balaun
Matthew 19:14 Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of God . Matthew 18:6 But whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe in me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea. Here in the Land of the Free and a declared Christian nation some evil "laws" were enacted during the 1960's that were not only unconstitutional, but downright satanic. Marxists, the ACLU, and Madalyn Murray O'Hair have Bible reading and prayer removed from the public school systems of our Christian nation; a nation that chose covenant with God and was founded upon the Bible and Christianity. We have been in moral, financial, social, and governmental free-fall ever since. We have sown to the wind and reaped the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). Instead of teaching the children that they are Father God's special and unique and very much beloved special creation, they are taught they are "accidents" of evolution and that there are too many of them and that their existence is meaningless. Father God has a plan and purpose for each of their lives from the moment of conception (Psalm 139 13-18). The wicked powers that be want to drastically reduce our numbers. Father God ordered that "we increase and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it" Gen 1:28. Children have been shamefully lied to! They are told that belief in God somehow makes them intellectually inferior: tell THAT to Einstein, Pasteur, and to Sir Isaac Newton- all of whom believed very much in God ! They are told our founding fathers were evil self-seeking robber barons. Revisionist history is one of the biggest and most destructive lies being force -fed to our young people and has led to tragedies such as tearing down monuments and staging violent protests that have no foundation in truth. Many parents today who were force-fed these lies not only profess unbelief, they actively forbid their own children from learning about Jesus and His great Love for them. Children are even being lied to about their own genders-the very foundation of their identities ! We must teach the children about Jesus , the Word of God , and His great Love for them . It's a matter of life or death, for now and for eternity !!!  More Than a Chunk of Wood
By Joyce Pelletier May 10, 2026 As I tried to write my blog for this week, I hit some stumbling blocks. I woke up at 3 a.m. and as I spent my time in quiet prayer, I asked God what I should write about and this is what came to light. A few weeks ago, Maurice was working on his pile of firewood, as he often does. I took a walk in the warm sunshine. When I returned, I saw this chunk of wood that had been sawed and was just sitting there and more than piqued my attention. It now sits on the stone border of my back garden, waiting to be varnished and preserved. This chunk became more than that for me. It became a special gift from God. Maurice understands wood and its creation. I am a painter and I was looking for the message from this chunk of wood. I have never seen anything like this. Sitting at my desk in the wee hours of this day, I gained a new perspective of the meaning of this chunk of wood. I cannot accept this as a piece of firewood. It would be a heartbreak to burn this. Maurice did remind me it was not good firewood. It had a different purpose. My intention is to make it a piece of art for my garden. I feel joy looking at this chunk of wood. God gives me the perspective He has in mind and it brings a message to my heart. He got my attention. God designed this. Maurice sees it as discarded firewood, and it’s no longer living as a tree. In its current condition, it shows what looks like a map of the world in a distorted sort of way. I plan to varnish it as a piece of art, thinking thoughts of wonder and enjoying the creativity before me. In Philippians 4:4-9 I read, ‘Rejoiced in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is nearby! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, Brothers and Sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me –put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.’ Something like this, shown as a Chunk of wood, becomes more than what appears to be just a chunk of wood! Mysteriously created either by deteriorating wood because it was cut down and dried up and worthless no more. Perhaps it is a creation by something unknown. One thing for sure and that is God know how it happens, and one day we will all know His majestic miracles. For now, I know not how or what created this chunk of wood and it’s been a time of amazing enjoyment for having seen it. I can honestly understand what Philippians is telling us. As a bonus to my blog, as I looked at other pieces of the pieces of this mysterious tree, I found a unique piece of a sealed over hole in the tree that I plan on turning it into a picture frame. God is so good! We can find beauty in anything. It is the wonder of our Creator God! |
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