Marching Forth!

In exactly a week's time, God willing Laura and I will be boarding a plane in the San Diego commuter terminal for Los Angeles.  After a short wait, a non-stop 14 hour flight to Sydney awaits us.  When I consider the short trip Laura and I are taking, the wise words of James 4:13-15 ring in my mind:  " Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; [14] whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. [15] Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that ."  I do not know what tomorrow holds, but if the LORD wills we shall embark on trip to Australia according to the will of God. Proverbs 16:9 says, " A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps ."  God has the ultimate say for the future of my family and me.  Laur...

While I was working through the list of repairs I agreed to perform on my house before escrow closes on April 13th, I thought about all the time, effort, and money I poured into the house since the day Laura and I bought it.  Little was left undone:  both bathrooms and kitchen gutted and replaced, all new flooring, lighting, doors, some windows, retaining walls, fences, cabinets, driveway, electrical service change, on and on. The thought occurred to me:  how much richer a man would I be if I had invested such time and energy pursuing relationships with people?  Where would I be now if I had used those tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours blessing others in the name of Jesus?  It's ironic, but the financial gain from that house will assist our family to embrace the call God has placed upon our lives to serve Him in Australia.  It is hard to pour so much into a home and sell it, just like it is hard to lay down a ministry when it is fulfilled....

Yesterday our family headed off to Singing Hills for a service for Aunt Lynn, who recently passed into eternal rest.  It was well-attended, and all enjoyed the celebration of her life.  After the service, I surveyed a number of grave markers in the cemetery.  The bronze markers were engraved plates on granite slabs, spread out evenly in the wind-swept grass field.  There are now six members of my family on my dad's side laid to rest in that field.  I walked slowly, reading the names of other people I had never met.  Every name was accompanied by dates like blank front and back book covers, and I felt like I was missing the body of each novel.  A name and a date cannot define a life.  It is what a person does that counts. All those grave markers indicated people who will never "do" anything on earth again.  Their time for living a life worth remembering on earth has passed.  Psalm 103:13-16 " As a father pities his children, so the Lor...

I am convinced that if man could see with his physical eyes the damage to Satan's kingdom and the increase of God's power upon this earth due to Holy Spirit-led prayer, he would never cease to pray.  In fact, such a man could not imagine a moment without prayer.  Prayer would be his hobby and most passionate pursuit.  He would go without food, without sleep, deprive himself of worldly pursuits and pleasures, only to beseech the God of heaven.  He would see strongholds toppled, chains broken, souls saved from hell, and God's great pleasure in his obedience. But God is wise to only allow such sight when we look with eyes of faith.  If we could see the spiritual arena as Elisha, it is probable we would be lifted up with pride and think God depends upon us to do everything.  Instead of submissive humility driving us to our knees, it would be arrogance and pride.  Do you know when I know my prayers are getting through to God?  When the enemy begins h...