Marching Forth!

After protecting the child Joash in the house of God, heir to the throne of Judah in the line of David, the high priest Jehoiada set about crowning him as king.  He gathered the Levites to Jerusalem and made a covenant with them.  At the time the wicked queen Athaliah reigned in Judah, having murdered her own grandsons so she could rule in the place of the deceased king.  The high priest Jehoiada organised the Levites on the appointed Sabbath to guard the door and only allow Levites to enter the temple court.  There was another group directed to stand guard around the king with weapons to protect him from any harm.   2 Chronicles 23:9-10 then says, " And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God.  10  Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the tem...

" He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High  s hall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  2  I will say of the LORD , "He is my refuge and my fortress; m y God, in Him I will trust ." Psalm 91:1-2 These verses are a lovely picture of rest available to those who are joined to God by faith in Jesus Christ.  God is revealed in scripture as unapproachable in everlasting glory.  Moved by love for lost sinners, God has come to us in the person of Jesus to provide a way for all who trust Him to dwell in house of the LORD and rejoice in His presence forever.  The Holy Spirit inhabits those who are born again by the Gospel, and those who follow Jesus will chose to draw near to Him and abide as a branch is connected to the vine.  Jesus is the Vine, and His disciples are the branches He enables to grow and be spiritually fruitful.  Believers have been divinely joined with Christ as members of His Body, and as such we delight to seek Him and exp...

A song I have been thinking of since Sunday is "God My Rock" penned by Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche.  The lyrics are as follows: When my heart is overwhelmed I will look to You alone God my rock, God my rock, God my rock You will stand when others fall You are faithful through it all God my rock, God my rock, God my rock In the blessing, in the pain through it all You've never failed me You are the strength of my heart You are the strength of my heart I can rely on You, I can rely on You You are the joy of my life You are my song in the night There is no one as true Jesus I trust in You When I've struggled to believe You have not let go of me God my rock, God my rock, God my rock Carried through the darkest storms You have held me in Your arms God my rock God my rock God my rock It is good when the child of God understands that " in the blessing, in the pain " are not contradictory but complimentary.  We do not often think of pain as a blessing, yet consi...

" O house of Jacob, come and let us walk i n the light of the LORD ." Isaiah 2:5 In the beginning God said, "Let there be light!" and there was light.  Before the sun, moon and stars were created, God spoke light into existence.  In God is light and no darkness at all.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World and the darkness could not comprehend it.  The apostle John wrote of Jesus in  John 1:9 , " That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world ."  Even as the sun shines over all the earth, Jesus Christ supplies salvation and eternal life to all who will believe. The exhortation to walk in the light of the LORD from the Old Testament is seen in the new as well.  The illuminating light of the Law of Moses was a shadow compared to the light Jesus has provided through the Gospel of grace.  Like the moon is only able to reflect the glory of the sun's brightness upon the earth, the Law reflects the righteousness and wisd...

It is awesome how God is a Saviour for those who trust in Him.  God does for us what no man can do in cleansing us from sin, imputing righteousness to us by faith and delivering us according to His grace and mercies.  Unlike idols that must be removed from burning buildings to preserve them or salvaged after a disaster, God saves His people.  Like the old song says, " Heartaches, broken people, ruined lives are why you died on Calvary ."  There is no medicine which are able to cure heartaches and ailments of the soul. Psalm 37:34-40 states, " Wait on the LORD , a nd keep His way,  a nd He shall exalt you to inherit the land;  w hen the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.  35  I have seen the wicked in great power, a nd spreading himself like a native green tree.  36  Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; i ndeed I sought him, but he could not be found.  37  Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright...

Flagging discipline can hinder us from forming or maintaining healthy routines, and even the most committed can find themselves in a rut.  We can do all the right things when our hearts are not in it, and it is easy to make excuses and be slack when there seems to be little immediate benefit for toiling or negative consequences for going back on our plans.  This is often true with physical and spiritual fitness.  An exercise regime is started with good intentions but we quickly lose interest.  Regular devotions and church gathering used to be impacted by work and holidays may now be flagging due to Covid restrictions and cold weather. Growing up I would hear people in the church speak as though they were two categories of Christians:  those walking with the LORD and those who were backsliding.  It seemed those who identified with being a "backslider" might have been better served to call themselves "in sin" and in need of repentance and to return to the LOR...

I love reading of God's people who rely upon Him and overcame impossible odds by the grace of God.  Because Jonathan knew God was awesome and mighty he said to his armour bearer as they approached a garrison of the Philistines, " It may be that the LORD will work for us.  For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few ." (from 1 Samuel 14:6 )  King Asa of Judah, when faced the army of Zerah from Ethiopia with a thousand thousand men and 300 chariots in battle array against Israel, looked to the LORD in  2 Chronicles 14:11 :  " And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, " LORD , it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD , You are our God; do not let man prevail against You !"  Through faith in God these and many others in scripture were given the victory by the God who gives power to the powerless...

If you have raised children, the situation will likely have a familiar ring:  trying to convince a skeptical, picky eater they should try unfamiliar food.  "It has everything you like," one might plead.  Others make it into a game, while others use dessert as leverage to convince a stubborn youngster they are better off eating the food presented to them.  There are times where a child's mind is so made up they will not like the food based on the strange appearance or smell, they will make themselves sick.  Or even better, people will say they enjoy food--until they are made aware of an ingredient it contains they do not prefer.  Just the thought of eating meat can make some people physically ill, while others are put off all green food. Our habits and approaches to eating are amazingly diverse, but the key component all eaters of food share in common is willingness.  Because the muscles controlling swallowing are inside the mouth and throat, the eater ...

I am encouraged how faith in God provides insight to look beyond what can be humanly seen and known.  Man    Proverbs 16:9 reads, " A man's heart plans his way, b ut the LORD directs his steps ."  God is always at work and leads people to do His ways in situations man cannot plan for.  A great illustration of this is seen in the salvation of the harlot Rahab and her family. Before the children of Israel crossed the Jordan river into Canaan Joshua 2:1 says, " Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there ."  It turned out Rahab previously heard of the God of Israel and believed He had given the city and land into the hand of the Hebrews.  She sheltered and protected the Hebrew spies, and then she asked that her life and the lives of her family members would be spared.  The spies agreed...

It is easy to take God's grace for granted.  The grace of God is given continually and infinitely it is like the oxygen we draw in with every breath without thinking to satisfy our needs.  Being deprived of oxygen for a short while makes us appreciate the ability to breathe freely again, and even in the season of difficulty God's grace still remains abundant.  How good it is to consider all we have in Jesus Christ and to bless His holy name. As born again Christians in this marvelous season of grace, the Gospel having been revealed to all through Jesus, reading about the past can open our eyes to better appreciate and celebrate the present.  God's grace, kindness and goodness have been extended to all people from the beginning, yet to everything is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.  A season of lawlessness preceded that of the Law of Moses, and now Jesus has ushered in a new covenant by which Jew and Gentile alike are united with God as one by f...

I am studying the book of James at the moment and the connection is made between faith and works.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and cannot be saved by working to obtain righteousness by the Law of Moses.  The reality is when people are born again and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within them, the lives of people will not be the same because God makes all things new:  a soul dead in sins has been raised to life and forgiven, the eyes of the blind have been opened, the lost has been found, a foreigner has been adopted as a son and made co-heir with Christ. A point made by James is genuine faith will have supporting evidence of life.  A heartbeat in the womb of a mother is a sign a baby has been conceived and is developing.  There are many who make a profession of having faith without any evidence of a changed life even as there were people who pointed to their  good works as a means of obtaining favour with God.  A wondrous truth of...

I recall a memorable scene in a war movie when a captain lead a crew into the heart of a jungle to find a friendly camp in chaos.  Flares exploded overhead and illuminated a rickety bridge.  Flashes of light exposed men huddled in muddy foxholes.  Jeering cries from the enemy were shouted over a loudspeaker while fighters responded with gunfire as they shouted obscenities in terror.  The captain finally demanded of a soldier, "Who is the commanding officer here?"  An unhinged soldier responded, "Ain't you?"  The captain asked another, "Hey soldier, do you know who is in command here?"  The man with a thousand-yard stare answered "Yeah," and slowly walked away.  It was abundantly clear to the inquiring captain no one was in command and left as soon as possible because in that place there was nothing but death for him and his men. In a limited sense, this is true for all people on this earth.  For the child of God, however, we have received ete...

" So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.  13  For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment ." James 2:12-13 Freely we have received life, forgiveness and salvation by faith in Christ, and the mercy and love God has shown us ought to impact our sense of justice.  From a young age children understand the concept of fairness, and often this view is devoid of God's grace.  In the eyes of a victim who has been wronged the desire for justice is strong.  The Bible reveals the merciful character of God which affirms, " Mercy triumphs over judgment ." It is possible for a person to show mercy in judgment because they recognise their own need for mercy.  Jesus said in  Matthew 7:1-2 , " Judge not, that you be not judged.  2   For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you ."  The words of Jesus an...

The Bible is an incredible testimony of the God who created all things Who has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind.  The holy scriptures bear no resemblance to works of fiction or mythology because they are a recording of actual history.  There are records of miraculous occurrences by the power of God and prophesies which have been confirmed as precisely accurate hundreds of years later.  Over thousands of years many traditional beliefs have been espoused by the Jews, some supported by scripture and others that are not.  One thing I learned during my travels to Israel from tour guides is it is traditionally believed the temple mount is the place Abraham went by the command of God to bind and offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering.  Because scripture does not say this, it may or may not be true.  By this test Abraham demonstrated his faith in God, the life of Isaac was spared, and God provided a ram for the offering with fire they brought to the mount with ...

" And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD , which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.  7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you ?" 2 Chronicles 1:6-7 I find it interesting how the KJV renders God's words in the form of a command:  " Ask what I shall give thee ."  God is generous and giving, and made His intent clear to King Solomon.  God was going to give Solomon something, and directed him to ask for it.  Now I must say many times in my life I considered what I would say if such a demand was placed on me.  I can also say my answers have been impacted by the way God answered Solomon's request for wisdom.  God was pleased Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to rule God's people well when he could have asked for riches, wealth, honour, the lives of his enemies or long life for himself.  One might imagine because Solomon "gave the ri...

This morning I rose while it was chilly and dark for exercise.  Frost glittered on cars as a thin sliver of the moon shone bright suspended in a clear sky.  I was treated to a majestic view of faint stars as the moon brightly reflected the light of the sun.  I find it fascinating how the rays of the sun are seemingly lost in space until they hit upon the lunar surface in a brilliant display of God's wisdom.  It struck me how a person could look at the moon and praise nature, another could take pride in science which can provide explanations of planetary motion and moon exploration, while others simply worship and admire God who created and upholds such wondrous things. Seeing the moon suspended in the heavens prompted me to consider how humans are easily moved to worship things which are not God.  Probably the most common object of worship is self.  I remember an insightful interview by Ray Comfort with a professing Satanist who mused, " When we say 'Hail ...

Have you ever heard the distinction between liking and loving someone else?  For a young man looking for love it was disheartening to be "friendzoned" by a woman they are taken with, to be viewed at most a friend when the heart of the love-struck fellow is set on much more.  I have also heard this distinction made among family members:  "I love my family member, but I do not like him or her at all."  It is possible to love someone with whom we are not currently pleased and thus do not "like" due to circumstances.  The seeming contradiction between loving someone we do not like is resolved when we realise our natural love is not God's love at all. I was struck by how amazing God's grace and love is towards us today by a statement David made in  1 Chronicles 28:2-5 :  " Then King David rose to his feet and said, "Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD , and...

For a reason probably only known for certain by the author Ian Fleming, the common cocktail of choice by James Bond included an odd request for preparation, that the martini serviced him be " Shaken, not stirred ."  Apparently his palate was refined to notice a difference, and he cared enough over the distinction to include detailed instructions in his order instead of leaving it to a professional barkeep.  Whether a drink is shaken or stirred, the reason the drink is mixed is the same:  it is for drinking. Like a drink, it is possible for people to be shaken and disturbed by what they have seen; people can be stirred by troubling circumstances.  In the end it doesn't matter if we feel shaken or stirred but how we respond to the situation and our feelings.  I used to live in southern California, a part of the world often shaken by small earthquakes.  It was not uncommon for me to hear earthquakes ratting the windows at night and once I heard the house snap ...

One of lesser known works of C.S. Lewis is one of my favourites, titled The Pilgrim's Regress .  While Pilgrim in John Bunyan's original classic starts his quest for the Celestial City in the right direction, John in The Pilgrim's Regress begins his trek longing for and seeking what he knows not.  He looks for something to satisfy, a beautiful sight, a pleasurable feeling, anything to make life worth living. For me a most memorable and insightful scene occurs when John went into the wood hoping to catch a glimpse of a beautiful island.  One day in the wood when he was thinking about what actual benefit the island or sweet music that came from it did him, he was surprised to hear a sweet voice speaking to him.  What is described next is nothing less than masterful genius of how sin (especially in the sexual realm) seduces and ensnares unsuspecting people without guilty victims realising the awful consequences. "... Just as he was opening his eyes he heard a voice spe...