Marching Forth!

What do you associate with the power of Jesus Christ?  Perhaps His resurrection or the miracles He performed come to mind.  The wisdom of Jesus in teaching, when He cast out demons with a word, and His supernatural ability to know the hearts of men are all demonstrations of His power.  When a paralytic was brought to Jesus, He said "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  The scribes who sat by criticised Him in their hearts saying, "Who does this blasphemer think he is?  Only God can forgive sins."  Knowing their hearts, Jesus asked the men:  "What is easier - to say 'Your sins are forgiven? or to say to the paralytic 'Rise, take up your bed and walk?'  So you know I have the power to forgive sins (and am God in the flesh), rise, take up your bed and walk!"  Immediately the man stood to his feet and walked, much to the amazement of all the witnesses.  Anyone can say "Your sins are forgiven" because there is no physical means to discern wh...

Honey is an interesting subject.  A natural food, bees gather nectar from flowers and make sweet honey encased in a wax honeycomb.  Someday I would love to take up beekeeping as a hobby!  If packaged properly in the right conditions, pure honey has an incredibly long shelf life.  Proverbs 24:13-14 reads, " My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off ."  Honey is good, and it is good for you.  It is a natural source of energy and some even have dubbed it "The Perfect Food."  Whether it is perfect or not I do not know, but one point on which all people agree is that good honey is sweet! God promised to bring His people out of the land of bondage in Egypt and into the Promised Land, a land "flowing with milk and honey."  It was a land of fatness an...

Although we all suffer from various ailments and infirmities, our service unto the LORD need not be hindered.  The work that God has called us to is a spiritual one, and the apparent weaknesses of the vessel is a boon rather than a disqualification!  Sometimes we think if we were stronger, healthier, or without discomfort we would be much more valuable for the kingdom of God.  You may take that up with Him if you like, but I believe God has us right where He wants us! In his book Lectures to My Students in pages 156-157, C.H. Spurgeon wrote from a similar perspective: These infirmities may be no detriment to a man's career of special usefulness; they may even have been imposed upon him by divine wisdom as necessary qualifications for his peculiar course of service.  Some plants owe their medicinal qualities to the marsh in which they grow; others to the shades in which alone they flourish.  There are precious fruits put forth by the moon as well as by the s...

" The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway ." Proverbs 15:19 A couple nights ago a segment aired on Channel 9 called the "Dole Bludger Challenge."  According to an article written in 2010, an alarming number of Australians are "on the dole," basically receiving a welfare check or unemployment benefits.  A "bludger" is someone who can physically work but is simply too lazy to do so.  While there are people who have genuine needs and are the victims of redundancy or downsizing, there seem to be many who would rather be a bludger than work for their living.  This "bludger" tendency can be seen throughout all cultures and people of the world. King Solomon compares the way of a lazy man to a hedge of thorns.  He has an excuse to avoid doing anything, seeing potential harm and difficulty in every movement.  A lazy man will not get out of bed because it is too cold.  He gives up buying...