Marching Forth!

Yesterday I watched a series of video clips that showcased spectacular plays to win football (gridiron) games.  One thing I noticed is when a player celebrated scoring a touchdown, everyone on the field who was part of his team celebrated too.  Linemen who had never caught a pass or scored a touchdown themselves looked as happy as the one who did because they were all part of the same team.  They all shared in the glory of victory.  This is one thing I appreciate about team sports:  it brings together people with different skills and levels of ability and joins them together to compete, to win or lose as a team. It occurred to me that after a player scores the winning touchdown or breaks a record, they do not celebrate alone.  Teammates rally to congratulate the stellar play that resulted in victory the entire team and coaching staff, fans and a whole city celebrates.  It reminds me of the dynamic at work in the Body of Christ, which is the church, ref...

One of the interesting aspects of shows like Antique Roadshow or American Pickers is when experts provide insight into the history of a painter, item, car or brand.  They explain how to tell the real deal from fakes and supply a valuation based upon what they believe the item is worth or what it could sell for at auction.  I am often impressed at their historical knowledge, the meaning behind makers marks on ceramics, art pieces and jewelry, and attention to details I never would have known to look for. While the experts know a lot about the history or current market value of an item, one thing they never talk about is to predict what will happen to that watch, vase or painting 70 years from now.  They can suggest an amount to ensure an antique for, but they are not in the business of providing prophecies about where a set of silver flatware or a gold trinket will be stored.  No expert can claim to have this knowledge, but God does.  God used the vessels and dis...

When Jesus was bid to teach in the synagogue, He turned to where it was written in Isaiah 61:1-2a because this word was fulfilled in their hearing.  Jesus read what He previously dictated to the prophet:   " The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,  b ecause the LORD has anointed Me  t o preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,  t o proclaim liberty to the captives,  a nd the opening of the prison to those who are bound;  2 to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD ."   Jesus stopped right there, for He was the anointed Messiah the Father promised to send to save His people from their sins.  Jesus came to preach the good tidings of the Gospel, to heal broken hearts, to proclaim liberty to captives of sin and death.  The special time God's people had waited for had finally arrived. Jesus stopped mid-sentence for emphasis on what God had fulfilled in their hearing.  Isaiah 61:2b-3 conti...

While there are people who undeservedly have a bad rap, God is the worst maligned of anyone.  He is infinitely good, righteous and glorious in all His ways, yet people find fault with Him.  Even God's own people don't always listen to Him or trust Him.  There is a persistent view that persists in churched people that the "God of the Old Testament" has a split personality with God revealed in the New Testament.  Nothing could be further from the truth, for the eternal God does not change.   Malachi 3:6 " For I am the LORD , I do not change; t herefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob ."  Hebrews 13:8 affirms the deity of our Messiah with this fitting description:  " J esus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever ." The mercy, grace and love of God is seen throughout all scripture because He does not change.  Recently during a study in Genesis I was struck by God's mercy towards Lot and his family in  Genesis 19:15-16 :...

In the short but weighty book of Jude , believers are provided a strong exhortation to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.  More than watching others like a hawk, Jude desired believers would continue to faithfully walk in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ themselves without straying.  Unless we are holding fast to Christ in truth any effort to keep others in line will be a fruitless exercise in hypocrisy and will end in our ruin. Jude reminded Christians of the judgment God brought upon erring angels and unbelieving people in times past as a warning of the danger of sin and apostasy.  He provided examples of those who corrupted themselves in  Jude 1:11 :  " Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah ."  All these men acknowledged God's existence:  Cain conversed with God, Balaam was a genuine prophet of God, and Korah ...

Using the right tool for a job helps accomplish the task set before you.  I learned the hard way that using the wrong tool is not only ineffective and inefficient, but it can damage the tool so it doesn't work properly to do what it was designed to do.  I made the mistake of using a Crescent wrench (spanner) as a hammer to tap on a bolt, and the result of this was misshaped steel prevented the jaw from opening fully.  Knowing the purpose of a spanner helps to use it properly, but knowing what a tool is made to do doesn't prevent laziness inside of me that decided to use a spanner rather than fetch a hammer. Therein lies the limitation of having knowledge and being educated:  it doesn't fundamentally change you.  Educating minds has value, but all the knowledge in the world cannot change your heart.  This is where education as an end falls woefully short of the way people desire it to work.  They prescribe education of the mind believing it will change ...

" Now you shall say to this people, 'Thus says the LORD : "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death ." Jeremiah 21:8 When God's people in Jerusalem considered the prospects of fending off king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army, they hoped for God's miraculous intervention.  Though they had strayed from Him, they wondered if He might do for them as He did in times past, to turn back their enemies and deliver them.  In the passage of Jeremiah 21 God responded there was no chance He would do this, for He had already determined it would fall for the grave sins committed there by His people.  Though the city would be destroyed, He still offered them the way of life and the way of death and allowed them to freely choose between them. The prophet continued to speak the word of the LORD in Jeremiah 21:9 :  " He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and defects to the Chal...

Those who pray can attest to God's answers.  Just today I prayed God would help me deliver a message at church and He strengthened me to do so, and even directed the worship team to play songs that perfectly complemented the message.  It is wonderful to know God has even these small details in hand that magnify His generosity and greatness to those who believe. This week I was reminded of a prayer God answered a long time ago in year 8 when I attended Emerald Junior High.  For the previous three years I had been homeschooled, and I felt a bit out of place joining people who had already experienced a year of junior high.  I was the only one I saw wearing pants and a shirt with buttons and collar, quite the contrast of other who wore shorts with much cooler t-shirts emblazoned with popular surf brands. My prayer was a simple one:  that God would give me a friend.  I had not sat down in my home room seat long before God answered my prayer.  The fellow in ...

Year ago I remember a conversation I had with teens as a youth pastor.  One of them told of an outspoken girl at school who had embraced a vegan lifestyle who, when she thought she might have eaten meat or dairy products accidentally, became physically ill.  One after another the fellows piled on with a chuckle and light-hearted mockery of someone who had different values or practices they did not understand or agree with.  To me this presented an opportunity to go beyond the surface of how or why people have strong differences when it comes to diet and aim for the heart.  There was a lot those boys could learn from the genuine conviction of that girl that put us all to shame. I pointed out how their story revealed a person who lived according to their beliefs so strongly she became sick thinking she had ingested an animal product:  which one among them had become sick due to conviction of their own transgression and sin before God?  Did they have any remor...

As I tried to manoeuvre all the tools I was carrying into my car, I groaned inwardly as I watched my stud finder clatter to the ground.  Almost in slow motion the plastic cover for the batteries popped off and the batteries released from the housing and rolled away.  I wondered if the device would be broken and hated the thought of needing to purchase another one due to my clumsiness.  It was the most expensive stud finder I ever bought, and the quality of the instrument justified the price. When I reached down to retrieve the batteries and the finder, I noticed one of the batteries had been heavily corroded.  A stud finder is something I don't use all the time, and leaving batteries inside devices can lead to leakage.  Because the finder worked fine I never thought to open up the case an examine the batteries.  There I was, concerned I had potentially damaged the finder because I dropped it, while all the time it was insidiously being destroyed from within...

I am convinced when we open God's word He is always faithful to deliver:  we are the weak links that do not always receive.  When we come to a difficult passage of scripture that is not immediately clear, it is good for us to think it over, perhaps jot down observations and seek the LORD.  I tend to think by speaking, and the practice works well with writing.  This helps me develop my thoughts more clearly as I ruminate on God's word. This morning I read a prayer of Jeremiah who questioned the LORD why his suffering was protracted and made subtle jabs God had not been altogether faithful to him.  The prophet asked God in  Jeremiah 15:18 : " Why is my pain perpetual a nd my wound incurable,  w hich refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream,  a s waters that fail ?"  Jeremiah likened himself to a person who had wounds that did not respond to any treatment, like a thirsty person who sought the refreshment o...

I was encouraged to consider the Genesis 18 passage where God spoke with Abraham concerning His plans to investigate the cry that came up before Him from Sodom and Gomorrah.  After Abraham stood still at this revelation from God  Genesis 18:23 says, " And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked ?"  Though he considered himself dust and ashes, Abraham humbly but boldly approached God to plead for the lives of the righteous in the city.  He was convinced the Judge of all the earth would do right, and He certainly made a distinction between the righteous and wicked. Abraham wondered if God would destroy the city if there were 50 righteous people among them, and God agreed He would spare the whole city for the sake of the righteous.  Abraham continued to petition the LORD concerning if there was 45, 40, 30, 20 and even 10 righteous within the city, and every time God was willing to spare the whole city should 10 righteou...

The revenge plot is a common theme in film and literature.  Perhaps one reason they have such appeal to people is the opportunity to vicariously see people pay for their crimes, to get what they deserve.  We all have a natural impulse when we are wronged to return in kind and then some.  Someone pushes us so we justify pushing and punching them.  If we are made to suffer by the cruelty of others, we feel it unjust they would face no observable consequences.  When others cause us pain, we want someone to pay.  While the flesh imagines revenge will bring relief, faith in God leads us to forgive. This theme of seeking vengeance is found throughout scripture.  There are times when people sought revenge against enemies, and other times they asked God to take vengeance.  After God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah of a plot against his life, he prayed in  Jeremiah 11:19-20 :  " But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did ...

I have heard people extol the value of a godly example by saying, "There is more caught than taught."  The idea is seeing godliness lived out is of greater value to others than the person's understanding of systematic theology.  Since there is no doubt people can influence others for good, we must realise the opposite is also true.  It is likely during our years as an unbeliever we have adopted worldly perspectives and fleshly responses to trouble and conflict we have brought into our relationship with Jesus and the church.  The wonderful thing about a relationship with Jesus Christ is by faith in Him we are born again and made new creations. In churches that teach through the Bible, an emphasis is placed on reading, studying and applying God's word to our lives in obedience.  This is good.  As we grow in knowledge of God our desire is for everyone to know Him as well and be saved.  So we bone up on scriptures to guide people to their need for Jesus, f...

Last night I enjoyed meeting up with a small group gathered to learn to study the Bible.  The observations of the attendees were encouraging as they expressed how the study helped them glean far more by the end than in the first reading alone.  Initially because they understood the words written in English they thought they understood the meaning of the passage, yet there was still much work to do.  The first reading of scripture can be likened into moving large boxes into a new home but not opening them.  You are "moved in," but that is only the first stage.  An empty house isn't yet suited for comfortable living.  Opening the boxes, discovering what is inside and where is the best place for each item is what turns a house into a home.  In a similar way, verses of the Bible are packed with meaning and require intentional effort in seeking the LORD to understand and apply personally. When we read the Bible, we are looking at a finished work.  A pe...

" Thus says the LORD : "Stand in the ways and see,  a nd ask for the old paths, where the good way is,  a nd walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" Jeremiah 6:16 In this world what is new grows old and wears out.  Over time countless items have broken or become useless due to age.  I put on some shorts I hadn't worn in awhile and was surprised to realise the elastic had completely perished inside the waistband.  I bought a car with tyres that still had plenty of tread on them but the sidewalls had started to dry out and crack due to exposure to the elements over time.  With the low cost of mass production and cheapness of plastic items are largely disposed of when they are old and worn out.  Having something "new" is often preferable over the old. While this is true concerning perished rubber and brittle, discoloured plastic, this is not true concerning God's wisdom and ways.  God urge...

The glorious gospel was provided out of the suffering of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Life on earth for everyone includes suffering in various degrees.  The difference between the believer and unbeliever when it comes to suffering is our LORD Jesus has consolation for all suffering He allows.  There is divine purpose and redemption illustrated in Christ's sufferings, and when we suffer for His sake there is great blessing we receive. Not all suffering we endure is for Jesus' sake, for sometimes we suffer as a result of our sinful choices.  The children of Israel suffered when they disobeyed God and persisted in unbelief.  They imagined the problem was the cruelty of their oppressors and enemies when the real problem was in their own hearts in not trusting and obeying the living God.  Suffering can be physical and also emotional, suffering by the impact of the decisions of others.  Again, this suffering can be protracted and intensified because we have ...

" A voice was heard on the desolate heights, w eeping and supplications of the children of Israel. For they have perverted their way;  t hey have forgotten the LORD their God.  22  "Return, you backsliding children, a nd I will heal your backslidings." "Indeed we do come to You,  f or You are the LORD our God ." Jeremiah 3:21-22 Growing up the term "backslider" was a common way of saying a person had returned to a life of overt sin.  It was used to refer to a person who was out of the practice of regular church attendance and returned to a life marked by addiction to booze and drugs.  I heard many people also call themselves backsliders because they had gone back to a worldly way of living they knew was sinful and harmful, yet the use of the term suggested their current lifestyle did not correlate with their genuine Christianity.  Though they lived like an unbeliever, it seemed being a "backslider" was a claim to faith and acknowle...

I read a quote recently that implied to be in debt is sinful, though the Bible says nothing of the kind.  It is true that unnecessary debt can be accrued by those who live beyond their means from a heart of dissatisfaction with what God has provided and reveal a lack of contentment.  Debt could be a result of sinful greed, but it would be presumptuous to suggest owing money is an indication of a spiritual malady. Before exploring the idea further, let us consider the 1828 Webster  definition of debt:  " 1) That which is due from one person to another, whether money, goods, or services:  that which one person is bound to pay or perform to another; 2) that which any one is obliged to do or to suffer; 3) in law, an action to recover a debt; 4) in scripture, sin; trespass; guilt; crime; that which renders liable to punishment; "Forgive us our debts. "  These definitions point out that all people are inherently in debt to God, for we owe Him our lives.  By ...