Marching Forth!

Confidence in the goodness of God and His sovereignty is a key factor in us experiencing the rest and abundant life graciously offered by Jesus Christ.  Paul expressed great confidence all Christians ought to have in  Romans 8:28 :  " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose ."  Because God is almighty, a Redeemer and faithful, we are assured on the basis of His glorious deity His good purposes can be furthered in what we can only see as bad circumstances in this life. Since God has revealed Himself to us in truth, having provided His Word and the Holy Spirit, we know one of His purposes is our sanctification:  for us to be set apart for Him and submit to being made more like Him continually in thought, word and deed.  Another purpose God has in saving us and adopting us into His family by the Gospel is to make us spiritually fruitful.  We have been created for the ...

" And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart ." Galatians 6:9 In preparing to preach on this passage, it occurred to me how the concept of sowing and reaping has been hijacked by some to convey a distorted, unbiblical teaching:  we can get what we want if we do our part.  I have heard some preachers urge their hearers to make a vow or donate money motivated by paying off bills and becoming more wealthy and prosperous.  Such seem to forget that what is reaped is different than the seed.  Money given to a church or ministry is no guarantee of money multiplying, but when it is done by obedience to God will result in bearing the spiritual fruit God intends--something priceless that money cannot buy. The passage found in Hosea 10:12 shows what we sow differs from what is reaped:  " Sow for yourselves righteousness; r eap in mercy;  b reak up your fallow ground,  f or it is time to seek the LORD ,...

" Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD , "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces ?" Jeremiah 23:29 This verse follows on from God saying through the prophet, " What is the chaff to the wheat ?"  The chaff is a thin, papery coating that is distinct from the edible wheat that can be planted and produce more grain.  God followed on to ask, "Is not My word like a fire?"  There was a statute in Israel that all spoil obtained from enemies was to be purified by fire if it could endure fire.  Dreams and prophesies were thus tested and approved by the absolute truth of God's word He had spoken.  God's word would consume the chaff of lies and deceit and reveal the living word God spoke through His faithful ministers that would bear much fruit.  As it is written in  Psalm 12:6 , " The words of the LORD are pure words, l ike silver tried in a furnace of earth,  p urified seven times ." God then likened His word to a hamme...

Without God's grace, humanity would remain in a perpetual decline.  While we observe many sons walking in the sinful ways of their fathers or departing from the living God their fathers faithfully served, there are many occasions when the son of a wicked king did what was right in God's sight.  I think of Jeroboam who made all Israel sin through idolatry and yet he had a young son God revealed "... in him there is found something good toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam ." ( 1 Kings 14:13)   In all the house of Jeroboam, one boy who would have been the most naturally impressionable and influenced by his father instead had a heart that was inclined to the LORD God of Israel. King Saul and his son Jonathan also provide a stark contrast.  While Saul began his reign with humility and faith in God, in a short time he was lifted up with pride and disobeyed the LORD's commands.  Just this morning I read of what happened as Jonathan and his armourbear...