Marching Forth!

Yesterday I read an article about a couple of male orcas named "Port" and "Starboard" that live off the cost of South Africa and are serial shark killers.  Over a short period of time, locals discovered large female sharks washed up on the shore with their livers and sometimes the heart expertly removed.  It is believed these killer whales single out their target shark, ram it suddenly from underneath, and this causes tonic immobility.  While the shark remains in this defenseless, catatonic state, the orcas are able to easily access and eat the parts of the shark they prize without much effort before seeking their next victim. Similar to orcas which are the apex predator in the ocean, lions hold this title on land in Africa.  Lions are opportunistic hunters that stalk their prey, targeting the young or sickly.  They are not as picky as the infamous orcas Port and Starboard tend to be and will also feed on carrion or steal a kill from hyenas or dogs.  While ...

God who created us and provides for all our needs is able to bring encouragement when we need it too.  There may be some people whose constitution resembles iron, impervious to pretty much everything other than rust.  I have grown in my appreciation of the encouragement God brings that unexpectedly reveals how much I needed it.  The best encouragement comes from God, and He is able to use countless means and ways to apply it to our hearts and minds.  Even when our hearts are wearied by troubles, the LORD knows how to minister to and through us. I took encouragement today from the benediction at the end of the book of Hebrews.   Hebrews 13:20-21 reads, " Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,  21  make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be gl...

It is easy to read the Bible and imagine believers in scripture were a heartier stock than the modern-day believer, that we share little in common with them because they were vastly more faithful or fruitful.  Christians like Paul were used by the LORD to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, faced fierce persecution from all sides, and he remained steadfast in faith.  We can also look at missionaries, worship leaders, pastors and teachers who seem unfazed by life's problems.  Our fellow Christians who have suffered many major things beyond our experience seem to fare better than we do with our struggles over minor things. The problem is, this isn't true.  It may be true we do wilt easily under the pressure others have discovered strength in God to overcome through faith, but know human frailty since the fall into sin has been constant.  Even Paul was transparent about struggles most people can identify with, and we might assume such troubles were beneath him. ...

Commonly quoted verses of the Bible sometimes stop short of important information and personal application, and I was reminded of this during a recent Bible study.  The speaker described how predators seek out easy prey that are isolated from the protection of the herd, ones that are young, old or injured.  He likened the one isolated from the pack as the Christian who is too self-conscious or embarrassed to confess their sin, isolated by their own pride.  Such a one may gather with believers on a Sunday or lead a Bible study and have many friends, yet they can foolishly go it alone in their struggle in sin.  "The devil is in the grey areas," he said. I took the liberty of looking up the verse that describes Satan as a lion prowling about looking for prey in  1 Peter 5:8 :  " Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour ."  This is the passage many Christians are familiar with....

Conflict is a part of life and especially in our closest relationships.  Instead of seeing conflict as a bad thing to avoid at all costs. Myron Rush wrote this:  " One of the key ingredients to maintaining a cooperative relationship is the attitude that conflict is healthy and not something to be avoided.  Conflict creates an opportunity for us to know each other better and to serve each other more ." (Rush, Myron, and Stanley C. Baldwin. Richer Relationships : Leader's Guide. Victor Books, 1983. page 121)  One of the reasons why we might want to avoid facing conflict head on is to avoid offending people we love and care about.  However, if we truly do love others and care for their needs, dealing with conflict directly in a loving manner demonstrates that fact.  My avoidance of conflict can be self-centered rather than loving others at all. Jesus did not shy away from conflict when He spoke the truth in love.  He did not pander to His listeners by tel...

Christians and unbelievers can both cite scriptures to affirm they speak the truth or to accuse someone else of doing wrong.  One of the most classic cases of this involves a Christian calling something sin or expressing disgust, and the immediate reaction by someone else is that "Christians aren't supposed to judge."  Some may even quote Jesus partially in the hackneyed manner, "Judge not."  The irony is the one who calls out those who judge as doing wrong have committed the exact error they accuse the other of. For those who are born again and have a working knowledge of Bible doctrine, it is abundantly clear God Himself has given people the capacity and responsibility to make judgments all the time--for good or ill.  Education, knowledge and the ability to reason are pointless without judgment.  Judging or deciding something is not wrong in itself, but why and the way we communicate this can be problematic and even sinful.  Those who delight in pointing ...

Today I made a disgusting discovery while putting potatoes away.  As I pulled out the basket where we keep them in a cupboard out of sunlight, the foul smell of decay hit my nostrils at the same time I saw a potato which had begun to rot.  I quickly carried the basket outside and deposited the potato in the bin.  Then I set about cleaning the cupboard and basket of any residue. I found the damp spot inside the basket was quite small but moisture had seeped in a much larger area underneath.  I scrubbed the area with detergent, rinsed it thoroughly with water, then left the basket in the sun to dry.  It was surprising how the basket in a dry condition was strong and robust, yet moisture introduced by a spoiled potato in a matter of days caused areas of the basket to dissolve.  Had the bacteria-filled fluid remained longer, the whole basket might have been ruined. Though the situation involved an inedible potato, ironically it provided food for thought.  ...

" Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand ." Ephesians 6:13 A small phrase of God's word can have huge implications.  Take for instance the phrase in this well-known passage " having done all ."  The context of what preceded this verse in Ephesians 6 helps us to understand what "all" alludes to. Paul began the chapter with specific directives for followers of Jesus Christ concerning their relationships with others.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, he lays out plainly the responsibilities of Christians in  Ephesians 6:1-9 as they submit to one another in love:  " Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:  3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."  4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but ...

In some Christian circles, the teaching ministry of a pastor is seen as the most important role God gives people.  I do not believe this is true.  This view has unfortunately led to many preachers being elevated in the eyes of people within the church who can also aspire to be "up front" rather than being content to improve their service unto the LORD in their current situation.  The apostle Paul did not preach himself but Christ crucified and did not desire notoriety for himself.  In the minds of some people the opposite was true, for they criticised his manner of speaking lame and found his physical presence weak.  His detractors claimed Paul's letters were much more inspiring than seeing him speak in person.  Certainly they believed others were better suited for the teaching role--and maybe they thought they could do better. While the teaching ministry of the church is critical and invaluable, there are countless other roles in the Body of Christ the ch...

The value of the Bible in the life of a born-again Christian cannot be overstated because it is the primary means of God speaking directly to us.  It is the eternal plumbline of righteousness, the benchmark of God's truth and revealed character before which all notions, theories and opinions of man must yield.  The scriptures spoken by God make us wise unto salvation by faith which is in Christ Jesus.  God's word guides us to do the things that please Him and keeps us from sin.  Satan's question posed to Eve concerning what God said eroded her resolve to avoid sin and the deceivers tactics have not changed to this day:  plant seeds of doubt of what God has said, contradict God's word and encourage people to act as God by doing what is right in their own eyes. It is no surprise when unbelieving people in the world butcher the scriptures, distorting them according to their own bias and desires, but it is tragic when this happens in the church.  Lately I have ...

" For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted ." Luke 14:11 Jesus set forth this principle in His teaching we see exemplified throughout scripture.  He spoke a parable to the lawyers and Pharisees after observing how they jockeyed for position to secure the best seats for themselves.  In that culture and time the placement of a seat conveyed social status, and these men sought honour for themselves.  Jesus explained it was better to humbly take the lower seat at the feast and for the host to provide a better seat than to proudly take the best seat and be humiliated when directed by the host to take the worst seat.  The LORD Jesus used this dynamic to reveal spiritual truth they did not comprehend, for the one who humbles himself now before God will be exalted later by Him. This principle applies, not only in social settings, but in the reading and study of God's word.  The Bible provides an unvarnished view of humanity...

At the beginning of the first Star Wars movie (Episode 4, A New Hope ), Luke Skywalker was a farm boy in a barren desert who would rather be anywhere else.  His eyes were on the stars and his heart drawn to serve in the rebellion against the empire.  He was not interested to drive around in his land speeder when he could be flying through space in a starfighter engaged in combat on an important mission.  It seemed he was going nowhere in Tatooine, and all the meaningful opportunities that could offer excitement and satisfaction were somewhere else in the galaxy. The perspective of Luke on Tatooine is not uncommon among people today.  Whether it be a dead-end job, the drudgery of school, a health struggle or conflict due to relationships, we might want to be "anywhere but here."  Dissatisfied with where we are or by what we are obligated to do, we imagine there is something out there that will provide what we are looking or longing for.  In His wisdom, God c...

I was reminded recently of the time God used a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses who came to my door to teach me some valuable lessons.  I was running late for a Wednesday evening service when two fellows carrying magazines knocked on my apartment door.  At the time these men were unwanted obstacles who prevented me from going where I wanted to go.  I was in a rush but I thought it impolite to leave without saying something. I had several personal interactions with Jehovah's Witnesses before and understood some important deviations in their theology from mine as a born-again follower of Jesus Christ.  After sharing my conviction that the Watchtower was a false prophet not to be trusted because of many historical errors, I told them I was convinced by scripture God has revealed Himself as one God in three distinct persons:  God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.  They seemed interested when I told them the Holy Spirit is referred to as God by Peter i...

It is ironic when unrighteous man tries to pin blame on God for His righteous judgments.  In addition to being holy and righteous, God has by His grace given each man a conscience so everyone from a tender age is keenly aware right and wrong do exist.  For all the times we know we have been correct, we have also been incorrect--and thus exposed our self-confidence as wrong too. The final Great White Throne judgment of God is described in  Revelation 20:12 :  " And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books ."  God will judge the dead according to their works, and some take issue with this.  They are like a person pulled over for speeding and complain it was because the signage was poorly lit or partially blocked by a tree.  Such a one feels the system is unfairly ri...

" Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;  13  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure ." Philippians 2:12-13 One thing believers look for in fellowship with Christians is accountability so they might find motivation and resolve to put off sin and make godly decisions.  This can only be of enduring value to a person who first has fellowship with God, having been born again by faith in Jesus.  It is God who empowers a man to will and do for His good pleasure infinitely more than stoic personal resolve or a team of present and patient accountability partners.  Finding our need for guidance, strength and righteousness met by faith in Christ for eternity, we are graciously given all we need from Christ in the moment. In Philippians 2 Paul urged believers based upon the consolation of Christ, comfort of lo...

There is nothing more practical to living an abundant life than faith in Jesus Christ.  A problem arises when we reduce the reality of relationship with the living God to a selfish utilitarian exercise, that God exists primarily for our benefit than we do for His good pleasure.  Since our flesh is steeped in a humanistic and self-focused world, it is easy for worldly thoughts and feelings to have sway within us.  It is important to examine our motives in what we choose to do or avoid because there is a massive difference between action to earn blessing from God or actions because we are already blessed by God. Some people put great emphasis on trying to explain why God's command "actually makes sense" according to modern science or medical discoveries.  I reject the premise that God's commands in Law of Moses were reasonable because they unwittingly benefited the Hebrews--for instance how their restrictive diet helped them avoid dangerous foods.  God is the God ...

I have been reading through Old Testament prophets and coming judgment is a common theme.  What might surprise people is the testimony of God's prophets were not so much an indictment against the heathen but focused primarily upon the judgment God would bring upon the Jewish nation, His chosen people with whom He made a covenant.  The apostle wrote in  1 Peter 4:17 , " For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God ?"  Peter's words affirm God's judgment of His people should not be relegated to the Mosaic covenant but is presently in full force in our age of the Gospel of grace. It is imperative every man know, even in our post-Christianity world, every one of us will face the judgment of God in this life on earth and in the life to come.  Whether we preach from a pulpit or speak to a man on the street, we are addressing people who will ...

" You have wearied the LORD with your words; y et you say, "In what way have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil  i s good in the sight of the LORD ,  a nd He delights in them,"  o r, "Where is the God of justice ?" Malachi 2:17 The LORD of hosts who keeps Israel does not slumber or sleep, yet He was wearied by the words of His people.  He pointed out two specific ways God was tired of the claims made by His priests and people.  Previously in the passage God critiqued His people for their treacherous conduct with family members, how they profaned the holiness of God by mixed marriages to idolators and how they treacherously divorced their wives.  To deal treacherously is to have broken faith, to go back on their promises and vows they had made. God was wearied by people who justified themselves, even distorting God's word to approve of what was sinful.  As God's chosen people they imagined they were good and pl...

" But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.  5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant ." Genesis 33:4-5 Jacob had many reasons to be concerned when meeting his brother Esau after being away for 20 years.  When Jacob departed years prior, Esau comforted himself with a plan to murder Jacob for stealing his blessing.  Upon his return Jacob sent droves of animals as presents and bowed himself to the ground 7 times to give honour and respect as a servant to a master.  Esau shed any regal bearing and ran to his brother, embraced him like a beloved friend and they wept tears of joy.  When Esau asked who the women and children who accompanied Jacob were he answered, " The children whom God has graciously given your servant. " Jacob returned from his uncle Laban's house a changed ...

God created people with the capacity to think and make choices for themselves.  There is satisfaction in being intrigued, formulating a strategy and solving problems.  I find for this reason I enjoy strategy games, puzzles of various kinds and movies that prompt me to consider themes true to life.  Because God created man to reason, it should be no surprise the Bible is the greatest source of thought-provoking and confronting truth in existence.  God's word is authoritative, not an opinion piece or like a documentary designed to sway you to a particular conclusion.  God tells us like it is, and careful thought places before us the decision if we will agree with Him. Sometimes passages of the Bible do not immediately make sense.  Even after reading the Bible through countless times and studying it for decades in the most familiar passages there is much to learn.  It is not always a new concept or teaching, but it sheds more light on established truth as...