Marching Forth!

All people naturally have sinful tendencies and habits.  Even after we are spiritually born again life goes on in the confines of our body of flesh.  There are plenty of things we realise are sinful and displeasing to God, but there are other things which fly under our moral radar.  We are not even aware of how often we sin until God opens our eyes to see! One thing I want to cull from my life is the tendency to complain.  Complaints may be exceedingly common and seemingly innocent, but the basis of complaining is a focus on self, a lack of acknowledgement of God's power and sovereignty, and vocal displeasure for all to hear.  It is one thing to pour out our complaints before God, but it is another thing to complain to others about our circumstances God has allowed.  Complaining is often a parade of selfishness. Just last night I read of an occasion after God delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt in  Numbers 11:1-3 : " Now wh...

" Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O LORD , You preserve man and beast . " Psalm 36:6 It is insightful to meditate upon and consider similes in the Bible.  In this instance, the righteousness of God is compared to the "great mountains."  Mountains in the physical realm can open our understanding of the spiritual nature of God's righteousness.  Though righteousness and mountains are not the same thing, this verse teaches us there are similarities between them.  To better grasp the reality of God's righteousness, how could we describe great mountains? Mountains are immovable and endure.  Mountains are established, solid, and trying to shift them is out of the question.  While the earth is subject to erosion over time, the mountain remains.  Tunnels have been cut through them, roads have been carved into them and even diverted around them.  God's righteousness is established like a mountain a...

There are times when we recognise a personal need to change, but this knowledge does not provide the ability to change.  On the strength of our resolve anyone can adapt their behaviour to various degrees, yet on the inside we remain the same people we always were.  This is one thing God can and will do in the lives of Christians:  He changes us from the inside. Because we have been painting the bathroom, bottles of shampoo are not in their usual place.  The other day when I picked on up a bottle, I rapped my head on the fixed soap holder in the shower.  I instinctively said, "Ouch!" but I instantly discerned something was different inside me.  Years ago when I would hit my head or injured myself there would often be a flash of temper, an inner rage that surged energy into my limbs and widened my eyes.  During my life I have typically been able to "control" my temper, but it was a conscious act of the will.  When I hit my head and did not feel...

" 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...