Marching Forth!

" O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections ." 2 Corinthians 6:11-12 The apostle Paul had been instrumental in preaching the Gospel and instructing the church in Corinth.  He chose to support his own pastoral ministry by making tents so no one could accuse him of using the Gospel to enrich himself financially.  At times the choice to support himself backfired in one sense, for some viewed this tradesman as being without proper credentials to teach.  But Paul had authority from God and spoke the truth in love, even when it stung.  There were some in the Corinthian church who aligned themselves with other teachers to oppose Paul and claimed his attempts to deal with sin and promote unity was an overreach.  Like a teenage son or daughter eager to throw off the authority of parents they feel are too controlling, they resented Paul's involvement. Paul r...

At the dawn of a new year, many people seize the opportunity to make resolutions.  Whether or not they tend to stick is beside the point!  It is not just a new year which can motivate a person to promise or pledge to do things differently.  For some it may be ill-fitting pants which lead to more regular exercise.  It could be a close call behind the wheel which prompts someone to stop drink-driving.  A decision to change doesn't always end with the desired change, but few positive changes in life occur without acknowledging we need to change.  The human will is incredibly strong, but it doesn't mean we always do what we say we will. A couple things I love about God is He is good and He does not change.  When He says He will do something, He will.  It may not look like anything is happening, and it may seem like an eternity before progress is made.  God will always be true to His Word, and when we meet His conditions we can place our comp...

It all started like a regular day at church:  there was prayer, fellowship, and giving.  Things changed after a large financial gift was presented to the church leadership.  Instead of commendation, blessing, and acknowledgement, there was rebuke.  It was divinely revealed the man had only given a portion of what he claimed, and suddenly he fell down dead.  This was a day at church no one would ever forget, and three hours later it became even more crazy when the wife of the man also fell down dead in the congregation for lying to God.  This is a true story, and you can read about the demise of Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts chapter 5. The Bible says great fear came upon all those who heard these things, and the wise today still take notice.  After teaching this portion of scripture at church this weekend, I put myself in the place of a congregant in the church in Jerusalem.  How would I felt to see these sudden deaths for lying to ...

God is not like a person who conveys, "Do as I say but not as I do."  He is not like a parent who needs to apologise after doing or saying something they forbid of their children.  He is utterly consistent in His righteousness and purity.  His holiness reaches infinitely beyond our ability to ascertain, and He says truly of Himself:  "I am the LORD; I change not." Romans 1:31 sums up the condition of a sinner worthy of death with five words which are the antithesis of the of character of God:  " undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful ."  Having established His throne on righteousness, God is the source and sustainer of all life.  God is discerning, knowing all things.  He is absolutely trustworthy for He cannot tell a lie.  God is loving, demonstrating this reality by sending Jesus Christ to save sinners.  He is forgiving, a quality not found in men who nurse grudges and remember wrongs done against them. ...