Marching Forth!

Last night I enjoyed meeting up with a small group gathered to learn to study the Bible.  The observations of the attendees were encouraging as they expressed how the study helped them glean far more by the end than in the first reading alone.  Initially because they understood the words written in English they thought they understood the meaning of the passage, yet there was still much work to do.  The first reading of scripture can be likened into moving large boxes into a new home but not opening them.  You are "moved in," but that is only the first stage.  An empty house isn't yet suited for comfortable living.  Opening the boxes, discovering what is inside and where is the best place for each item is what turns a house into a home.  In a similar way, verses of the Bible are packed with meaning and require intentional effort in seeking the LORD to understand and apply personally. When we read the Bible, we are looking at a finished work.  A pe...

" Thus says the LORD : "Stand in the ways and see,  a nd ask for the old paths, where the good way is,  a nd walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" Jeremiah 6:16 In this world what is new grows old and wears out.  Over time countless items have broken or become useless due to age.  I put on some shorts I hadn't worn in awhile and was surprised to realise the elastic had completely perished inside the waistband.  I bought a car with tyres that still had plenty of tread on them but the sidewalls had started to dry out and crack due to exposure to the elements over time.  With the low cost of mass production and cheapness of plastic items are largely disposed of when they are old and worn out.  Having something "new" is often preferable over the old. While this is true concerning perished rubber and brittle, discoloured plastic, this is not true concerning God's wisdom and ways.  God urge...

The glorious gospel was provided out of the suffering of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Life on earth for everyone includes suffering in various degrees.  The difference between the believer and unbeliever when it comes to suffering is our LORD Jesus has consolation for all suffering He allows.  There is divine purpose and redemption illustrated in Christ's sufferings, and when we suffer for His sake there is great blessing we receive. Not all suffering we endure is for Jesus' sake, for sometimes we suffer as a result of our sinful choices.  The children of Israel suffered when they disobeyed God and persisted in unbelief.  They imagined the problem was the cruelty of their oppressors and enemies when the real problem was in their own hearts in not trusting and obeying the living God.  Suffering can be physical and also emotional, suffering by the impact of the decisions of others.  Again, this suffering can be protracted and intensified because we have ...

" A voice was heard on the desolate heights, w eeping and supplications of the children of Israel. For they have perverted their way;  t hey have forgotten the LORD their God.  22  "Return, you backsliding children, a nd I will heal your backslidings." "Indeed we do come to You,  f or You are the LORD our God ." Jeremiah 3:21-22 Growing up the term "backslider" was a common way of saying a person had returned to a life of overt sin.  It was used to refer to a person who was out of the practice of regular church attendance and returned to a life marked by addiction to booze and drugs.  I heard many people also call themselves backsliders because they had gone back to a worldly way of living they knew was sinful and harmful, yet the use of the term suggested their current lifestyle did not correlate with their genuine Christianity.  Though they lived like an unbeliever, it seemed being a "backslider" was a claim to faith and acknowle...