Marching Forth!

When Jesus was accosted in the Garden of Gethsemane by a mob led by Judas, Peter lashed out with the sword and sliced off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest.   John 18:11 tells us, " So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me ?"  I find the response of Jesus revealing and inspiring.  Jesus knew without a doubt His betrayal, arrest and ultimate death on a cross was ordained by God and would be redeemed for God's good purposes. It is a common tendency in troubles to place blame on others.  God confronted Adam about his sin in the garden and he blamed God for giving him Eve as wife; she blamed the serpent for tricking her.  They did this to avoid responsibility for their sins, a vain attempt to justify themselves before God--or to suggest others ought to bear more guilt than them.  Because Jesus had not sinned, He could have justly blamed the devil for taking possession o...

Most people who have sung " Jesus loves me, this I know " have much to grow in our appreciation, acceptance and giving of God's love.  How can we comprehend the eternal, infinite love of God in a moment of time?  God's love is not like the love of mankind which is limited by degrees and according to personal preferences.  Like there can only be one winner of a grand final, our love is doled out in a complex pecking-order based upon loyalty, sense of obligation, consideration of a person's relationship to us, and what we know of them.  We are limited in what we can say and do with the time we have, fettered by geography and availability.  In contrast, God's love is eternal and infinite.  Being one God revealed in three Persons, He is able to completely love an infinite amount of people--and demonstrate fullness of love all at one time. Jesus prayed to the Father in  John 17:22-24 and revealed God's will:  " And the glory which You gave Me I have g...

In the ancient world, the Jewish nation was unique because of their God and His laws delivered to them through Moses.  They exerted themselves to keep His commands and even went beyond the letter of the Law with traditions embraced for millennia.  The lives of the people were governed in ways foreign to many people today, impacting everything from the clothing they wore, how they harvested their crops, what was considered clean and unclean foods, marriage, the observance of feast days and the Sabbath.  The Law contained blessings and curses, directives for necessary worship of God and the punishment of evildoers.  The Jews who kept the Law were very particular about avoiding anything unclean and maintaining a blameless image according to their traditions. When Jesus ministered in Israel, He preached about the kingdom of God and did countless signs to show the truth of His claims.  For instance, after a paralysed man was brought to Jesus He said to the man, "Son,...

The command of Jesus to His disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Him is vital to this day.  By faith in Christ we can deny our fleshly feelings, desires and identity, and in doing so we embrace being the new creation God has designed us to be.  No longer is our primary loyalty to our own family, friends or feelings but to Jesus Christ our LORD we seek to follow, glorify and please.  For much of our lives we were slaves to sin and ourselves, and coming to Jesus for salvation, forgiveness and righteousness ought to shift our allegiance and identity to Him. Sam Allberry expressed this necessary shift in the lives of those who are born again.  As someone who has experienced same-sex attraction, Allberry realised he was more than his sexuality and Christ's command was for him and all other believers.  He wrote: " And as someone in this situation, what Jesus calls me to do is exactly what he calls anyone to do.  Take another well-kno...