Marching Forth!

When I was working in the shipyard for PCI, work was divided between "Repair" and "New Construction."  When many people come to Christ, they come to Him for repair.  They would be happy for their life to be smoother, easier, with promises of peace, joy, and fulfillment.  Before people trust in Christ, they spend their lives building upon the eroding sands of worldly philosophy from a secular vantage point.  A man without a relationship with God does what is right in his own eyes.  God never takes over a work in progress.  The old way of life must be completely discarded so the new may begin.  God does not repair the works of the flesh:  He makes new in the Spirit. Imagine you have been  invited over to a friend's home for a housewarming party.  He excitedly shows you around the place, pointing out the expensive chandelier on the vaulted foyer, the state-of-the-art kitchen with all modern conveniences.  Your friend had spent his li...

After God created man He said, " It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him ." ( Gen. 2:18 ) I agree with this wholeheartedly. It is not good for me to be alone, separated from my wife. I did not decide that I wanted to be separated from her, nor did she want separation from me. In this instance, it was God who made the call. Both of us have been learning lessons we could not have learned together. Though it was God's plan, it has not been easy. The narrow path can be filled with obstacles and temptations, luring us from focusing on Christ. Today it was like a Gethsemane experience, just laying on the ground before the LORD. I did not sweat blood, but I took shelter in His! I'm putting together a message concerning Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest. Here is an excerpt from it: No man can write on the subject of temptation without a real sense of unworthiness and failure. I feel I am the least li...

Today I was studying Psalm 103 and verses 8-11 caught my attention:  " The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. [9] He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. [10] He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. [11] For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him ."  God is so abundant in His mercy towards us.  Because of His plenteous mercy, all mankind has greater debt towards God. To illustrate, suppose that there was a kingdom ruled by a righteous king.  He was fair, just, and held people accountable to the law.  In this kingdom there lived a rebellious young man.  Instead of abiding by the laws of the land, he turned to a life of crime and murder.  He made an alliance with the enemy of his king and was furnished money for the killing of innocent people.  An inquiry was made, and the king s...

Drunk driving is a scourge across much of the world today, and Australia is no exception.  As I've been driving around more, I've seen something that to me sends a mixed message:  drive-through liquor stores.  No joke, simply drive up to a stall and the alcohol is brought to you.  The wonder of modern convenience! Another interesting factoid is the scarcity of "Stop" signs.  I have been in Australia for three weeks as of tomorrow, and today I saw my first "Stop" sign.  Instead of where "Stop" signs would be, there is a triangular white and red sign that reads, "Give Way," the Australia version of the "Yield" sign common to the USA.  Instead of lights or four-way-stops, the "Give Way" sign adorns countless left hand turns and roundabouts. In thinking about the difference between "Giving Way" and "Stop" signs, "Giving Way" is subjective and "Stop" is objective.  I think human n...