Marching Forth!

From time to time people have questions concerning particular posts.  Instead of trying to answer the questions by commenting back and forth in the comments section, feel free to send me an e-mail address in your comment.  I will not publicly post your comments or my response.  Though far from the ideal of speaking, e-mail seems to be much more profitable than discussion threads which are easily derailed!  Again, thanks for reading!

Have you ever read a great book which impacted your life?  After speaking excitedly with friends or family, you offer the book on loan to someone who seems very interested.  Months pass.  We've probably been on both sides of this equation many times and so we know what happens.  After a ridiculous amount of time has elapsed the book is returned - unread.  This is as annoying as disappointing, because the book would have been likely loaned to others who might have actually read the book during that time and been greatly blessed. I'm sure many excuses or reasons could be given why the book was never read, but it is undeniable that the book was not as great a priority or as important to the borrower as the loaner.  I suppose if the borrower really wanted to read the book he would buy it, check it out from the library, or buy an e-book himself.  When people invest nothing and are loaned a book rather than purchasing it sometimes they lack motivation to f...

"Discipleship" is almost a catch-phrase these days in church circles.  We lament the fact that we need more of it, that church fellowships are too impersonal, and people young in faith in Christ have difficulty connecting with experienced followers of Christ.  For most people, when speaking of discipleship it is usually to reference a course on biblical doctrine, a one-to-one fellowship meeting, or an opportunity to study through a book or part of the Bible.  It's amusing and also sad that what passes for discipleship quite often is not discipleship at all! Part of the role of being a Christian is making disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ.  Jesus made disciples of people by calling them to follow Him.  That was all.  Following Jesus made a man a disciple.  The only decision which remained was to forsake all for Christ in obedience, or choose to abandon Christ.  There was no curriculum, books to read, questions to answer, or tests to take....

" I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  [14] Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord !"   Psalm 27:13-14 Waiting on someone is very different than waiting for someone.  We are only too familiar with waiting for things or people:  waiting for your turn in line, waiting for your birthday to arrive, or waiting for traffic to start moving again.  I remember as a kid waiting for my friends to arrive at my house.  Half an hour before the set time I would occasionally peek out the window at the sound of any car.  I was completely preoccupied with waiting.  All my hope rested upon my friend's mom bringing him at the prescribed hour.  Sometimes friends were early, late, or they did not show at all.  I am only too familiar with the truth of Proverbs 13:12:  " Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but wh...