Marching Forth!

As a kid I was taught the value of saving money for planned purchases, not frivolously spending money for items I did not need or want.  I would store loose change in a piggy bank and sometimes deposit money in a bank account.  In those days it was not uncommon for me to make a purchase entirely with change--including pennies!  I remember dumping all the coins out, putting them in stacks that added to one dollar each, and made a mental note of how much I have saved. Though I was pleased to see the change add up over the time, on many occasions I found something I would gladly trade every single one of them to buy and possess.  After several years of saving money, I almost emptied my bank account to buy a bicycle.  When I washed cars or mowed lawns for cash, part of the reason I was motivated was to finally own a Maui Blue 1987 GT Performer and ride around.  In my mind, a BMX bike was a worthy exchange for those dollars and cents.  Sadly we can adopt a ...

" And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague ." Mark 5:34 (KJV) The wisdom of God is supremely superior to the wisdom of this world.  Believers who are partakers of God's grace and goodness have eyes that have been opened to perceive what was previously unknown by men and angels by the power of the Holy Spirit.  In Egypt God demonstrated His power over all the idols of the land by plagues, and in the New Testament God showed His authority and love by delivering people from them.  Who but God could have imagined a plague suffered over 12 years would be an impetus for woman to come to Jesus in faith? The Gospel of Luke tells us this woman over a decade had become impoverished as she sought the aid of doctors who only made her physical condition worse.  This flow of blood made her ceremonially unclean to the Jews, cut her off from society and likely resulted in discomfort and fatigue.  Her aim was to be...

" But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. " Hebrews 8:6 When Jesus established a new covenant in His own blood, it was a covenant far superior to the covenant of the Law of Moses.  In our Friday night Bible study, we discussed Peter's introduction to the Jewish believers scattered from the land God promised to give them in  1 Peter 1:1-2 :  " Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,  t o the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: g race to you and peace be multiplied ."  God's chosen people received the commands of God, and their entry into the land and future prosperity depended largely upon their obedience. Moses took the blood of an animal sacrifice and sprinkle...

A key element required to place faith in God is the submission of our will.  After being told by a parent what to do, a little boy might say, "I can't!" when the reality is he is unwilling to obey.  He could do simple tasks like putting a toy away, washing his hands, brushing teeth and going to bed, but his will remains in opposition to the command and will of his parents.  It is in this position many a grown, educated and intelligent person finds themselves.  It is not that there is not sufficient evidence of God's existence, but they have their own excuses why what can be plainly seen and known is irrelevant.  They do not agree with the concept of a sovereign, almighty God they will be held accountable to, and such prefer to sit in His seat of judgment to condemn Him as unjust, unloving and unfair. Paul wrote in  Romans 1:18-21 :  " For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the tru...