Marching Forth!

" But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD ; I say, "You are my God."  15  My times are in Your hand; d eliver me from the hand of my enemies,  a nd from those who persecute me ." Psalm 31:14-15 With our busy schedules, meetings and deadlines it can feel like we are being governed by time.  The word "inconvenient" can suggest an unwanted obligation to waste effort and time.  It is inconvenient to be in a rush to be on time and then be stuck in traffic or have a flat tyre.  It is disappointing to need to cancel and reschedule an appointment or party because someone is ill--and who knows when people will be able to set aside time to gather in the future. Today I was lamenting the timing of a unexpected illness in our household that impacted my plans for the day.  But then I remembered this scripture when David said of God, " My times are in Your hand ."  Since God is sovereign over all and my times are in His hand, despite the inconvenience of resc...

" And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage ." Acts 28:15 As Paul's voyage continued towards Rome, brethren who heard of them came quite a distance from Rome to meet with them.  Instead of being content to wait until Paul and those who travelled with him arrived, they took the initiative to introduce themselves and extend a gracious welcome.  Paul responded by thanking God and he took courage.  Their difficult voyage over many months was finally coming to an end and God had been faithful to bring them all safely to Rome as He promised. A popular worship song begins, " Everyone needs compassion... " and I think it is also true that everyone needs encouragement--even a bold and hardy fellow like Paul.  Webster defined "courage" as " Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties ...

" The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  17  For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread ." 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 Jesus Christ is the Head of the body, the church which is comprised of all nations, tongues and tribes of all the earth who trust in Him.  By the offering of Jesus on the cross for sinners He perfected forever those who are sanctified, set apart as people holy unto the LORD.  The worship of believers and receiving of communion together was an act of unified worship that illustrated the spiritual reality Jesus makes possible by the Gospel. As I considered the broken bread and cup partaken of during a communion service, it struck me that it was the same for everyone in attendance.  It was not only for the pastor but all parishioners; the rich do no receive a double portion, nor do believing...

When I went to university, the questions people asked and beliefs they espoused revealed a worldview completely different than mine.  In one sense I felt unprepared for the questions because at the core they denied fundamental beliefs my outlook was based upon.  Answering the question directly--instead of answering the questioner--put me in the position to always answer incorrectly and face the wrath or ostricisation of people I hardly knew and thus would likely never stick around for me to have the opportunity to explain why .  The result was a "for" or "against" mentality where deviation from secular, humanistic values was unacceptable and thus freedom of expression was stunted. During my time in public and tertiary education I encountered many respectable teachers and professors who were open to a vast array of liberal and conservative perspectives.  But as time went on the pursuit of objective truth (if it existed at all) lagged far behind the pursuit of self-ex...