Marching Forth!

While praying this morning, I was reminded of when Peter was released from prison.  Herod had killed James the brother of John.  When he saw how it pleased the Jewish leaders, he also arrested and imprisoned Peter.  Acts 12:5-10 relates the details of Peter's miraculous release:  " Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know th...

I've recently started a new routine of Bible reading in the evenings inspired by something I read in a George Mueller biography.  He said that he had read through the Bible 200 times, and 100 of those times he read on his knees.  Now there was a man who was thoroughly convinced of the truth of God's Word, the importance of seeking to hear God's voice and obtain answers to prayer through reading, and the correct attitude of the heart in approaching God in humility.  So many times we ask God for direction and wisdom, but how often do we actively seek the answer in God's Word?  Now it's your turn to be inspired by the Holy Spirit to do just that! During my reading last night, I was struck with a statement by the heavenly visitors when the LORD appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre.  Upon seeing these who had the appearance of men, Abraham ran to meet them and bowed himself to the ground.  Genesis 18:3-5 records the conversation:  " My Lord, if I ha...

Early in his life as a Pharisee, Saul thought he was doing a great work for God by fiercely persecuting the church.  It was only after Jesus confronted him on the road heading to Damascus that Saul saw that in persecuting Christ and His followers he was persecuting God Himself.  Saul was later converted as a follower of Jesus, baptised, filled with the Holy Spirit, and became widely known as Paul.  The same fire and tenacity was there, but Paul had been tempered and honed by Jesus Christ.  Never again did Paul go on a fleshly rampage or crusade against evil.  Instead he was led and empowered by the Holy Spirit and his words were seasoned with love and grace. The same ill which affected young Saul as a Pharisee ironically afflicts many professing followers of Jesus to this day.  In trying to make a strong stand for Jesus they do much damage to the cause of Christ.  I'm sure you've seen the websites with animated flames, the screen filled with wordy ar...

Information and knowledge becomes more widespread and easily accessible with each passing moment.   For those who think the ills of mankind reside in ignorance, this is an indictment against them.  Though information is readily available, people still face the same problems which have plagued them from the beginning.  Man knows the truth but lives in conscious opposition to it, convinced that the truth does not apply in his unique case.  He lives in denial of God's existence, embraces subjective relativism to avoid guilt, and lives as if he is a god.  Generation after generation impales itself upon lust, greed, power, and pleasure, always learning but never receiving the truth of the Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ.  There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of that way is death. This tragic saga is not only perpetuated by those who reject God and His righteous commands.  Through the prophet Hosea God lamented, " My people are destro...