Marching Forth!

Many Hollywood film adaptations of written works have been wildly popular and successful.  In many cases, like with the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies or Narnia films, there seems to always be "purists" who are known for expressing disdain for changes made by a director in storytelling.  They do not like how the modern portrayal of characters can deviate greatly from the author's intent or new characters or conflicts are introduced which do not appear in the original books.  When novels and plays are adapted in our modern day, stripping away critical elements from a classic can feel like betrayal for financial gain or to advance a political agenda. I have not watched the recent adaptation of The Odyssey , and the director in an interview made it clear the film was an adaptation of the original.  Lately I have wondered if it is more likely to enjoy an film adaptation when you have never read the book because there are no points for comparison, no expect...

As the Light of the World, Jesus did not come to the earth to leave mankind in darkness.  In a parable Jesus told, He asserted no one brought a burning lamp into a room to hide it under a basket or bed.  The whole point of bringing a lamp or candle in the room was to place it where the light would shine and be seen.  Like one who brought a light into a room to illuminate, Jesus taught using parables to reveal truth to those who followed Him as it says in  Mark 4:33-34 :  " And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  34  But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples ."  Unbelievers only heard Jesus tell a story, yet through parables disciples of Jesus had God's word revealed to them as Jesus expounded His word. This intention of God to reveal Himself and His righteous ways to mankind did not begin with the coming of Jesus Christ.  ...

" If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  25   And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand ." Mark 3:24-25 When scribes from Jerusalem made light of the miraculous deliverance Jesus wrought when He cast out demons, claiming Jesus cast out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus gave a simple illustration to show how ridiculous and foolish this claim was.  If Satan drove out demons, he would be actively undermining and destroying his own kingdom.  Before too long, he wouldn't have a kingdom, authority or subjects at all!  When a homeowner knows he is being robbed, he will rise and defend his household and property:  he will not gag or tie himself up and sit quietly in a corner.  To bind him requires someone stronger than himself, and Jesus is infinitely more powerful than Satan. Today I meditated upon the principle Jesus held forth in these verses concerning kingdoms and houses, that if divided against its...

" He has not dealt with us according to our sins, n or punished us according to our iniquities.  11  For as the heavens are high above the earth, s o great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;  12  as far as the east is from the west, s o far has He removed our transgressions from us ." Psalm 103:10-12 Everyone living today can truly echo David's sentiment, that God has not punished us as our sins deserve.  The wages of sin is death forever, and the fact we still live and breathe is evidence of God's mercy which is greater towards us than the heavens are higher than the earth.  While flames of fire and divine wrath is stored up to be released upon this world for sin on the day of judgment,  2 Peter 3:9 tells us:  " The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance ."  Looking back, we ought to acknowledge ...

Because I want to avoid forgetting things, I will often make a list before I go to the shops.  I spend a bit of time jotting down notes on paper or type a note into my phone.  Even with a list there have been many occasions when I forgot to look for or buy something written on my list!  If forgetting wasn't a problem, Sticky Notes would likely never have been invented. As always, God thought of everything when He decided to provide His word in the Bible--in written form.  God has His word written down so we could study, learn and be reminded of all we have forgotten.  The LORD God commanded His people in  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 :  " And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.  8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets be...

Years ago I attended a conference at a church in Riverside that boasted a terrific lineup of well-known and influential pastors.  One of them told a memorable story that always stuck with me.  He shared while he was in seminary, a notable day for each student came when they were called upon to preach during chapel with all students in attendance.  What made this an especially momentous occasion was all the learned scholars and professors who taught at the seminary were present and provided individual feedback.  Needless to say, for many budding pastors wanting to impress their cohort and professors with their Scriptural acumen and oratory skill, this was their time to shine. The pastor said he spent a great deal of time preparing for his talk, and that there was one professor in particular he wanted to make a good impression on.  He prayed as he poured over the Bible and his notes for hours, and he spent a great deal of time and effort to perfect every aspect of...