Marching Forth!

God allows His people to experience situations that put their faith and leadership to the test.  There are tests God brings that refine us, that prompt us to exercise faith in God that builds faith and results in spiritual growth as we trust in God.  There are also tests that reveal our heart, motives and actions to be sinful and in need of repentance.  Tests can reveal what our hearts carefully conceal, the reality about us the LORD knows already.  When Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, it indicated his lack of strength to resist the fear of man and his lack of faith in Christ's word--which resulted in weeping, repentance but ultimately spiritual growth and fruitfulness. There are examples in Scripture of people who tragically were exposed as lacking faith in God and never seems they came round to repentance and renewed trust in God.  King Saul was one of these people.  He had been a king for a couple years when he commanded the trumpet sound to anno...

Knowing we are to bear the infirmities of the weak and to edify one another according to Christ's example, Paul wrote of the Bible in  Romans 15:4 :  " For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope ."  Reading the Scripture illuminates our hearts and minds to reveal the truth about us with the light of God's wisdom, that we naturally follow examples of those who did not trust or rely upon God.  The Bible also illustrates time and again the confidence we can have in God who is faithful to deliver people from sin, adversaries and troubled hearts. None of us are strangers to bad news, and it seems with the lightning speed of the internet bad news reaches our ears and eyes faster than ever.  Paul's teaching leads us to conclude that what happened in Israel long ago--before the advent of what we call snail mail--remains relevant and edifying for us today.  In 1 ...

" And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.  15  Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother ." 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 In his second letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul issued corrections and instructions concerning those who were idle and disorderly.  He directed Christians who observed unruly believers to warn the disobedient and to avoid company with them for the purpose of repentance and restoration.  In this case social pressure to obey God and walk in holiness served a good purpose, for shame and conviction over sin provided strong motivation to repent and live in the way that pleases God and fostered unity in the church. Paul said a fellow Christian who erred was not to be treated as an enemy but believers were to " admonish him as a brother. "  Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines to admonish as, " to teach, warn counsel, to reprove wit...

When correspondence is written to us personally, it changes the way we receive it.  I remember holding letters from local politicians up to the light to see if it was actually signed by the dignitary or merely printed coloured ink.  If it was signed by hand it wouldn't have changed my view of the policies--but I would have respected our government representative more.  Personal letters ought to be taken personally, for they were sent to an individual in particular.  A letter directed to you ought to have more impact than a news article or encyclopedia entry, for within could be a call to action or request that requires a response. The reading of the Law of Moses certainly made an impact on king Josiah after it was found in  2 Kings 22:10-11 :  " Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.  11  Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,...