Marching Forth!

Imagine if God punished us for our sins with the immediate wrath and judgment we deserve!  If God did so there would be no opportunity for repentance, redemption, or salvation.  In all these things God delights.  It is well observed in  Psalm 103:8-12 , "The LORD is merciful and gracious, s low to anger, and abounding in mercy.  9 He will not always strive with us, n or will He keep His anger forever. 10  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, n or punished us according to our iniquities. 11  For as the heavens are high above the earth, s o great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, s o far has He removed our transgressions from us ." After being severely chastened by the LORD for seven years, a notable king's understanding returned to him.  He had this to say of God and His ways in  Daniel 4:37 :  " Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven...

" Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God ." 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 The ministry of the Word is a sobering, challenging, and rewarding task for those called to it.  Bible teaching and preaching is a responsibility before God and men, for indeed we are handling the words of life.  Nehemiah 8:8 is a good example of what pastors and teachers are to do:  " So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading ."  They read from the book of the Law, explained what it meant, and helped the people to see how it applied personally to their lives. The purpose of studying the Bible is more than gathering information, but i...

I remember at 12 years old walking up to a list posted on the snack bar at Western Little League field in El Cajon.  I was elated to see my name included upon the list of "All-Stars" which would represent the league at upcoming tournaments and (should we prevail) even the Little League World Series!  It was a great honour to be an All-Star because only a select few were chosen out of the whole league.  To see my name among other players renowned for their skills which exceeded my own was humbling and a proud moment at the same time.  In retrospect I'm not exactly sure why donning that All-Star uniform and being part of a great team was so special, but it was. Being chosen by God is a far greater honour than being selected for an All-Star team.  Should our adoption into the family of God and inclusion in His eternal plans stir up even an inkling of pride, something is dreadfully wrong.  We are often wrong and praise the LORD He reveals the truth to us thr...

According to his website , Tony Robbins is described as a " World Authority on Leadership Psychology" and the "#1 Life and Business Strategist ."  An article on his site says, " Whether you lead a Fortune 500 company or simply lead yourself as you strive to attain your goals, leadership qualities are absolutely essential to your success. It helps you surmount obstacles, take risks, and find ways to live joyfully and thrive even during the most challenging times ."  The article lists six qualities to cultivate in the lives of leaders:  confidence, focus, honesty, being positive, decisive, and inspirational.  Whilst the qualities of good leaders are subjective and this is hardly an exhaustive list, they illustrate well the point:  man's concepts of leadership differ greatly from God's ways. Allow me to illustrate from a passage of scripture when King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were threatened by a great army.  Based upon the aforement...