Marching Forth!

God created people with the capacity to think and make choices for themselves.  There is satisfaction in being intrigued, formulating a strategy and solving problems.  I find for this reason I enjoy strategy games, puzzles of various kinds and movies that prompt me to consider themes true to life.  Because God created man to reason, it should be no surprise the Bible is the greatest source of thought-provoking and confronting truth in existence.  God's word is authoritative, not an opinion piece or like a documentary designed to sway you to a particular conclusion.  God tells us like it is, and careful thought places before us the decision if we will agree with Him. Sometimes passages of the Bible do not immediately make sense.  Even after reading the Bible through countless times and studying it for decades in the most familiar passages there is much to learn.  It is not always a new concept or teaching, but it sheds more light on established truth as...

Recently I was reminded of a friend who enjoyed playing rough with his dog from the time the pup was quite young.  Over time because of their constant roughhousing antics the dog was conditioned or trained to play rough with everyone, jumping on them incessantly, gnawing and aggressively scrambling around--to the point he was the only one who could interact with the dog.  When guests were over the dog was sequestered in his own area because of his uncouth and feral behaviour.  What seemed good natured fun with a puppy at the beginning became a liability when the pet was full grown. Whether we are training a puppy or raising children, it is good to have a big picture view of how the actions we take today--or the lack of definite action and clear consequences--can impact their and our futures.  Solomon wrote concerning the responsibility of a ruler in  Ecclesiastes 8:11 :  " Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the he...

This morning I heard an excellent sermon at Calvary Chapel Jericho Road by pastor Dale Dickinson who expounded upon Jeremiah 2 .  In love God called His people to remember Him, for they had committed two evils in departing from Him, their fountain of living water and instead hewed for themselves broken cisterns that could hold no water.  The comparison between clean, water from a spring and a dry cistern could not be more stark.  No sensible person living in the desert would trade a pure spring for a cracked and empty well, but God's people had done the unthinkable by drifting from Him. God described the folly of His people in Jeremiah 2:8 :  " The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD ?' a nd those who handle the law did not know Me;  t he rulers also transgressed against Me;  t he prophets prophesied by Baal,  a nd walked after things that do not profit ."  Ignorance of God and His wisdom led to transgression by the priest and proph...

Travelling to my hometown brings back memories, and most of them are good.  It is enjoyable to visit with family and friends, reminiscing over what has happened in the past and catching up to the present.  As I was driving yesterday I was reminded of a conversation I had with someone years ago I have repented of many times.  I regretted something I said almost immediately, and it was a good lesson of how words hastily spoken cannot be taken back. As I considered the situation that transpired decades ago, I was struck by how this could be termed a "pet regret."  It was something I have regretted and repented of who knows how many times, yet dwelling upon it leads me back to the familiar feelings of sorrow and wishing it could be undone.  I know based upon the word of God He forgives sin as it is written in  1 John 1:9 :  " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ."  My tran...