Marching Forth!

We have been studying through the book of Romans at church, and it has been wonderful to have a better grasp of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for believers.  Knowing the spiritual reality of receiving the Gospel, our minds are renewed to live for God with more clarity and focus.  A married person does not need to wear a wedding ring to remain married, but wearing the ring can be an intentional acknowledgment of marital status everyone can see.  When our minds are renewed by what Jesus has done and our privileged position in Him, it impacts the way we see Him and desire to serve Him.  He has not saved or blessed us anonymously, and the indwelling Holy Spirit guides us to live to please and glorify our Saviour in particular.  My relationship with my wife is special because we uniquely belong to one another, and through the Gospel we have a marvellous relationship with God because He loves us, saves us and lives in us--and we in Him. The Bible opens our eyes ...

Christians are saved eternally by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and we are also called to walk by faith in Jesus today.  Since we are willing to trust Jesus forever, it follows we ought to seek, trust and obey Him today.  The work God has begun in us He is faithful to complete, and we can take God at His word regarding our lives and other believers as well as it is written in  Philippians 1:6 :  "... being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ ..."  Though Jesus has not yet returned in glory, His glorious life is in us and lives through us today. In the book Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness , Cook and Baldwin make a good point of our need to trust the power of the Gospel as well as the life of Jesus in other Christians.  From the perspective of one in church leadership, Cook wrote:  " Besides lacking faith in the gospel, there is among us a tragic distrust of the l...

After God gave His people the design of the tabernacle, the wise-hearted among them gave of their goods to provide the materials to build it.  I was intrigued by a verse that revealed the source of the brass for the laver crafted by Bezaleel in  Exodus 38:8 :  " He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting ."  Peering through the door of the tabernacle, immediately one saw the altar for sacrifices that likely obscured the view of the laver--the vessel for priests to ceremonially wash their hands and feet--because it was located between the altar and door to the holy place. It is ironic the women gave brass mirrors they used to see themselves with to construct a laver they could not touch or see.  They were not permitted to enter the inner court of the tabernacle, yet their generous gifts made the work of the ministry possible.  Every time the priest...

I have always enjoyed Bible trivia as a test of knowledge, yet it is good to take the next steps to grow in personal understanding and application.  Trivia or rote recitation is of little practical value when information is stored in our heads and stops short of our hearts.  Looking at pictures of food or reading about nutritional content does nothing to sustain our bodies with energy for strength and growth.  In a similar way, the word of God benefits us spiritually and practically when we receive it by faith and live according to God's revelation.  When we come to God hungry and open our mouths wide in faith, He is faithful to fill us. For instance, Hebrews 9:4 tells us what items were placed in the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies:  a gold pot of manna, Aaron's staff that budded, and the 10 Commandments written by the finger of God on two tablets of stone.  All these items were significant in the history of Israel and also provide insight conce...