Marching Forth!

What a treasure we hold in our hands when we open our Bibles!  Today a friend sent me an email which included some of my favourite verses,  Hebrews 12:1-3 :  " Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls ."  It was a great reminder for a weary soul tempted to lose heart through discouragement.  Our focus is often on our problems, opposition, or failures rather than laying aside every weight and looking to Jesus. How easily weariness comes to the human soul!  We can be w...

" For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us ." 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 One of the first gold medals picked up by an Australian athlete in the Rio 2016 games was from an unlikely source, considering the strict gun restrictions in Australia.  Catherine Skinner edged her New Zealand opponent for a gold medal in the women's trap, a competition where clay pigeons are released from a spring trap and blasted with a shotgun out of the air.  In a series of victory interviews, I never once heard Catherine speak of the quality of her gun, the brand of shot or pigeon she prefers, or the skill of those who released the pigeons at the correct time.  Catherine needed her gun, shot, and clay pigeons to win, but she received all the accolades - a...

Daniel was a man of prayer.  Not many people have faced death by lions for their praying, but Daniel did!  Under the rule of Darius King of Persia, Daniel was promoted to be the first of three presidents over 120 princes.  The other leaders were not keen to have this foreign man ruling among them, so they tried to "dig up dirt" on Daniel.  But try as they might, they could not find anything of which to accuse him before the king.  There was nothing Daniel said or did to reproach his God or king.  Daniel was a man of such outstanding integrity of character the only way they could find fault with him at all was to create legislation which prohibited prayer to his God. After God delivered Daniel from the teeth of lions and the schemes of murderous men, he continued to pray.   Chapter 9 of the book of Daniel contains one of Daniel's prayers offered to his God, and what a prayer it is!  He explained the divine power connected with a prayer of faith...

" Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence ." 1 Timothy 1:18-2:2 Paul charged Timothy to fight the good fight, " having faith and a good conscience " ( 1 Tim. 1:19 ).  To this end Paul exhorted Timothy to offer requests to God, intercede on behalf of, and give thanks for all men, especially for those who were in authority.  What may surprise you about this exhortation is how positive it is in light of the depraved spiritual and moral condition of those he was to pray for.  One might assume it would be more in line with God's will to pray against Caesar, wicked Herod, and dishonest tax collectors.  But God's will is that we would pray for the good of others - even of wicked and foolish tyrants. Timothy was to pray for kings and those in authority so peop...