Marching Forth!

Today I listened to a sermon which addressed a parable spoke in  Mark 4:21-23 :  " Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  22   For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  23   If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear ."  The sole purpose of lighting an olive oil lamp is to provide light, and it would be foolish to light a lamp and place it under a basket or bed.  Not only was placing a lamp under a basket or bed be contrary to the point of lighting a lamp but it would be hazardous!  Jesus is the Light of the World, and the truth He has spoken is to be made plain for all to see, even as the parable of the soils exposed the different conditions of the hearts of men. Pastor Terry of Calvary Chapel Newcastle focused on the bushel basket and bed in contrast to a lampstand to apply this...

While in the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus read the place where it was written in  Isaiah 61:1-3 :   " The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,  b ecause the LORD has anointed Me  t o preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,  t o proclaim liberty to the captives,  a nd the opening of the prison to those who are bound;  2 to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD , a nd the day of vengeance of our God;  t o comfort all who mourn,  3 to console those who mourn in Zion, t o give them beauty for ashes,  t he oil of joy for mourning,  t he garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;  t hat they may be called trees of righteousness,  t he planting of the LORD , that He may be glorified ."  In coming to earth as a man, God chose to add humanity to His deity to save sinners.  If God was coming only as a Judge and to take vengeance upon sinners, He did not have to bec...

The Pharisees made great efforts to avoid what would defile them under the Law of Moses.  They avoided eating unclean foods, touching unclean items or a dead body, sitting on an unclean seat or eating without first washing their hands according to the tradition of the elders.  Potential defilement was everywhere, and thus God-fearing people among the Jews spared no pains to carefully abstain from touching, eating or doing what would defile them. What Jesus said offended the Pharisees in  Matthew 15:10-11 :  " When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, " Hear and understand:  11   not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man ."  While the Pharisees continually laboured to keep traditions of men to avoid physical defilement, Jesus taught it is sin within a man that defiles him before God.  They kept commands not to touch, taste or handle with their perishing bodies and neglecte...

" Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints ." Jude 1:3 In writing to believers, Jude exhorted them to contend for their common salvation and faith in Jesus Christ.  He found it necessary to urge them to continue the struggle to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ themselves because many among them who lived lives that denied the LORD Jesus Christ.  Instead of following His example and heeding God's word, they justified licentiousness by grace, were given over to fornication, spoke arrogantly in pride, and were greedy for rewards and power.  The love feasts of the church had been corrupted by ungodliness in the lives of nominal believers who lacked the fear of God. What fascinates me about Jude's exhortation to contend for the faith does not involve what we might think.  They were not called to...