Marching Forth!

We do not need to exert ourselves to grow weary, for we can become weary simply due to existing!  We can become weary of eating the same foods, habitual activities, due to an illness or repeated failures.  Feelings of weariness can lead to frustration, annoyance, anger or giving up.  Jesus did not begrudge the weary, for He bid those who were weary and heavy laden to come to Him and find rest for their souls in  Matthew 11:28 . While physical weariness is a fact of life, our perspective and priorities can provide fortitude to resist aspects of mental weariness.  Solomon said in  Ecclesiastes 12:12 , " And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh ."  Reading and study can be wearisome to our eyes, bodies and minds, yet we need not be resigned to weariness in doing good when our God provides rest and strength.  In 2 Thessalonians 3:13 Paul urged Christians not to be wea...

The Scripture makes plain Jesus had miraculous power to heal in every case.  We read in  Luke 6:17-19:   " And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,  18  as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.  19  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all ."  When God put on human flesh and dwelt among His people as Jesus, this aligned with what the psalmist sang of the LORD God in  Psalm 103:2-5 :  " Bless the LORD , O my soul, a nd forget not all His benefits:  3 who forgives all your iniquities, w ho heals all your diseases,  4 who redeems your life from destruction, w ho crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,  5 who satisfi...

I came across a wonderful verse that expressed the confidence of God's people due to the sovereignty and power of God.  The reader was directed to look to Jerusalem, their quiet home, and were assured it would be God's enduring dwelling place.  In the New King James Version,  Isaiah 33:22 is rendered as a parenthetical phrase:  "... (For the LORD is our Judge, t he LORD is our Lawgiver,  t he LORD is our King; He will save us) ...".  Again and again the prophet emphasised the God of Israel is the LORD, the most High God who has no equal or rival.  It is ironic people these days do not like the idea of being ruled by anyone, yet it was God's majesty and power to rule which assured God's people of His salvation. The children of Israel acknowledged the LORD as their Judge, one who presides over a court with authority to hear and determine civil and criminal cases.  People generally are not pleased to be judged, to be in a position where the d...

The concluding portion of Luke 9  illustrates well how those Jesus calls to follow Him can easily find obstacles to simple obedience.  This is ironic because Jesus is God who knows the hearts and thoughts of all people, has given us all things--including every day on earth which is a gift from His hand--and those He called to immediate obedience excused themselves from this duty because of personal, more pressing concerns.  Is there any being more personal than our God, since He created us according to His divine plans and purposes?  Is He unaware of our responsibilities, seeing every one of them was ordained by Him? People with genuine faith in God do not always immediately yield their will to His.  When God called Moses to go to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh, Moses was 80 years old and full of reasons seen in  Exodus 3-4 it was not a good plan to involve him.  His response to God's revelation in the burning bush was to uncomfortably squirm in doubt an...

" May sinners be consumed from the earth, a nd the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD , O my soul! Praise the LORD !" Psalm 104:35 When Christians are born again and given new hearts by faith in Jesus, God puts compassion in us for others.  We know what it is like to be without God, in bondage to sin and truly lost.  While some people are naturally caring and feel deeply concerning others who suffer, the transformation Jesus brings causes even the most naturally harsh, unfeeling and careless personalities to exhibit lovingkindness, patience and selfless service of others from a pure heart.  The fact God will judge sinners and the wicked can create a conflict in Christians, for many people we know and love have yet to receive Christ.  The concept of blessing and praising God in light of His judgments can be difficult to navigate. Knowledge of God as revealed in His word is helpful for us to maintain a godly perspective.  Being human ourselves, we are prone to ...

Many things Jesus said filled His hearers with amazement, and they marveled.  Our LORD is most credible and His claims were incredible!  Jesus' way of saying things also made an impact on those who listened to Him, for He spoke as one having authority--not as the scribes who cited rabbinical teachings that established precedent.  The chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus in the temple, and  John 7:45-46 tells us, " Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  46  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man !" When curiosity was provoked in people, the words of Jesus provided clarity.  After a young man went away sad from Jesus because he was unwilling to part with his money and possessions for Christ's sake,  Mark 10:23-27 reads:  " Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, " How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kin...

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.  ...

The use of Artificial Intelligence has ramped up of late, and it is common for me to see social media posts that utilise AI in visuals and text.  Every time I use a search engine, the AI results are annoyingly placed at the top of the page, spewing regurgitated information that needs to be carefully checked for accuracy.  Yesterday the AI response was incorrect twice in a row, as it told me a company offered free shipping and then (after an apology) said the same company had a flat rate of $29.99!  While technology can be beneficial and can aid us to find what we seek online, I find actual human intelligence and practical help infinitely more useful in my daily life. In a recent interview , Elon Musk said concerning AI:  " I think AI may exceed the sum of human intelligence in roughly five years...There really won't be anything that AI can't do better than humans apart from being human, perhaps ."  Musk zeroed on the very thing AI can never do, and that is to be...

" Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.     But the correction of fools is folly ." Proverbs 16:22 Our ability to understand is a gift given us by God.  Elihu said in Job 32:7-9 , " I said, ‘Age should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’   8 But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. 9 Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice ."  God who knows all things and created mankind is able to give eternal life and understanding by His grace.  Unless the living God had revealed Himself to us, we could never know Him or experience the abundant life He delights to provide all who trust in Him. Solomon described understanding as a "wellspring of life" to those who have it.  This understanding is more than observing or accepting reality as we perceive it, but it is knowledge of what is true and the desire to submit our lives to it.  This wellspr...

After Jesus called Matthew to follow Him, Jesus ate at his house and many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him.  When the Pharisees saw this they asked His disciples:  "Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  Merely asking this question exposed the unbelief and ignorance in these religious leaders.  Their question implied they saw His sinful company as a blight upon His character; it showed they did not believe sinners could be redeemed or Jesus was able to cleanse or change them.  Their response showed they did not believe Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah God sent to seek and save the lost. Jesus answered their query in Matthew 9:12-13 :  " When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance .”  Jesus pointed out t...

As I tend to think in concrete terms, it was always difficult for me in my younger days to understand what Christians meant when they spoke about "fruit."  Because the Bible spoke about spiritual fruit in a figurative sense, it seemed a very subjective standard legalistic-leaning people were pleased to spell out.  I remember kids in our youth group debating whether we had a responsibility to be "fruit inspectors," that we were the ones qualified to determine whether others were living up to a biblical standard.  While the Bible does provide a clear contrast between obvious works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 , being able to identify faults in others did nothing to ensure we faithfully walked in the Spirit ourselves! Reading what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount would have been very helpful for me to read in regards to His warning about false prophets.  He said in Matthew 7:15-20 :  “ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in ...

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His disciples they were the salt of the earth.  He alluded to the purpose of salt for seasoning food to improve flavour, for flavourless salt is good for nothing.  Clearly tasteless salt lacked the chemical properties of real salt, as genuine sodium chloride always retains its savour.  Salt was relied upon to preserve meat and flavour foods, and "salt" that lacked flavour was proved to be a worthless substitute. Jesus continued in the same vein in verses that followed in  Matthew 5:14-16 :  " You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  15   Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  16   Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven ."  A city built on a hill would be visible because the man-made structure stood out from s...

Toilet training is a rite of passage for parents of young children.  It can be challenging to train little ones to learn to stop playing and use the toilet in the bathroom.  Training children to wake up and go to the toilet at night takes things to another level!  I remember we had friends over who had a toddler still in nappies who we all observed crouching under a table and was strangely still while kids happily ran around.  Within moments he was back to playing with friends--which soon came to an end when he was picked up by a parent because he needed a nappy change. This week while preparing for a Bible study, this memory came flooding back with conviction and spiritual insight.  We studied and discussed Psalm 102 which has this description in my Bible:  " A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD ."  At times we have all been afflicted, felt overwhelmed and poured out our complaints, but I was c...

Early in my Christian walk, it was common vernacular to say someone was "on fire" for God because of their overt zeal and passion for Christ.  I heard it preached if you were not "on fire" for God, something was wrong with your relationship with God.  This was a source of confusion for me because it seemed to be subjective.  Another problem was it was often determined by comparison with other Christians and was dependent on what we did.  A Christian could be deemed "on fire" because they were more enthusiastic than their peers.  Could it just be an outgoing personality? Another issue I found difficult to navigate was the terminology concerning being "on fire" was not typically taught from Scripture.  The verses I remember people using to emphasise this need to be "on fire" quoted the words of John the Baptist who spoke of Jesus who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Some might have alluded to when the Holy Spirit came upon Ch...

After Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He explained to them in  John 13:13-15 :  " You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  14   If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  15   For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you ."  The things Jesus did as Master and LORD set an example He intended His disciples to follow.  This is not always true for children who watch their dad light a fire or their mother stir frying using a wok on a hot burner.  When Jesus washed feet, it was the task all the disciples figured was beneath them and best left to others.  That was the task Jesus embraced for the good of all, and He commanded each of them to follow His example in humble service of one another.  The fact Jesus has filled Christians with the Holy Spirit means we are able to discern opportunities our flesh cannot, and He empow...

There are certain words that are commonly found in the Bible and nowhere else.  We do not hear people in business, politics or in casual conversation use such words, nor do we see them in advertisements or on signs of protesters.  One such word is "lovingkindness" that describes the faithful love and kindness of God combined at full strength.  As if this is not a sufficient description, we can also observe a plural version of "lovingkindnesses" (which spell check flagged as incorrect!) as found in  Psalm 25:6 :  " Remember, O LORD , Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, f or they are from of old ."   Because God is awesome and words can only begin to portray the vastness of His love, goodness, mercy and favour, lovingkindness is a word that attempts to describe our indescribable God. Last night I was reminded of one of those looping scripture songs that were especially popular in the 70's and 80's taken from  Psalm 63:3-4 :  " B...

When women went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His dead body, an angel asked them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"  After His decease they noted the correct location where the body of Jesus was laid, yet because He rose from the dead they were looking in the wrong place.  It struck me how people can do a similar thing in their desire to hear a word from the LORD.  Our modern mindset can be to view something "old" as outdated or unsupported and the "new" is superior.  People easily become bored with the familiar, and they look to something new to grab their interest.  God forbid we would take this approach with the Bible, the timeless word of God! Looking back upon the history of Israel, God revealed Himself to the Jews and gave them His Law.  Though afraid when His presence appeared at Mt. Sinai, their awe and fear of the glorious living God seemed to wear off quickly.  We observe when people like the high priest Eli or King Saul refused t...

During the reign of King Darius in Persia, God-fearing people who resettled in Bethel sent word to the prophet Zechariah with a question:  should they continue to fast on the 5th month as they had while in captivity in Babylon?  We are not told precisely what their motive was that prompted this question.  Perhaps fasting seemed unnecessary since they were back in the land of their inheritance.  Would God be displeased if they left off this tradition they had kept dutifully for decades?  Was there any benefit of fasting any longer? Zechariah 7:4-7 states, " Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,  5 "Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me--for Me?  6 When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?  7 Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through...

Humility and meekness are characteristics of God's people who are led by the Holy Spirit in wisdom.  Jesus humbled Himself by coming to earth in the likeness of mankind, made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant.  Serving was a way God demonstrated His active love that gives with the good of others in mind.  On the night Jesus was betrayed, He girded Himself with a towel and washed the disciples' feet and provided an example we all should follow.  Then Jesus gave His own blood on Calvary's cross and demonstrated His love for sinners--for you and me--by dying to provide atonement.  God is exalted and glorious above all, and all authority and power is His, yet He always remains humble and meek at the same time.   James 3:13 says, " Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom ."  In Jesus we observe One who has all wisdom and understanding,...