Marching Forth!

I came across this statement about integrity in a book I'm reading titled The Kingdom of the Occult by Walter Martin, Jill martin Rische, and Kurt Van Gorden.  The final chapter is called, "Evangelism:  Reaching the hearts of People."  It is an excellent conclusion to an informative book.  We live in a day where all kinds of things are peddled for profit and gain.  A couple things which should never be for sale are the Gospel or a man's integrity.  After emphasising the need to speak when the situation presents itself instead of backing down because the Gospel truth might not be received, Dr. Martin writes this: Do not change your thoughts to meet anyone else's thoughts or you will lose your integrity.  What price will you pay for that integrity?  You have a right to your own thoughts and the expression of them.  Never change what you said under pressure or you will lose you , and that is the only thing you have.  Your words are you, u...

This morning I was treated to a series of object lessons on the theme of sin.  As I spent a couple hours mowing, weeding, and trimming, the LORD continued to impress the danger sin poses to our lives.  A characteristic of sin is how seductive it is.  With a tantalizing appearance it beckons, but there is always an incredibly high cost:  separation from God.  For those who refuse to repent and trust in Christ for salvation, this separation will be eternal. In the corner of our back yard grows a stunted, sad lemon tree.  The sparse, bumpy fruit and wrinkled leaves reveal a sick condition.  But today the tree flourished with colour!  Round, flat insects of vibrant red, orange, green, and yellow clustered on the end of each branch.  These were not bugs I was familiar with, coming from San Diego!  A quick online search revealed these insects as destructive pests called "stinkbugs."  My eyes widened as I read how they leech the sap from...

We live in a day which encourages the exploration and practice of cultural traditions.  Native Americans continue the traditions of their ancestors through dance, songs, native dress, and rituals.  Indigenous cultures at one time were under the threat of extinction through systematic eradication or amalgamation with other beliefs.  Because of the diversity of cultures and traditions, some have sought to embrace the beliefs and practices of their forefathers.  People find identity, security, and a source of pride as they revel in their ethnic and cultural background. While the embracing of cultural traditions can provide many positive aspects, it is not without great danger.  A danger exists when people assume that anything which is ancient or traditional is good.  From a biblical perspective, this pursuit and propagation of pagan culture is nothing short of disastrous.  The same thing can be said of religion.  If your faith rests in appeasing th...

The world is packed with substitutes for Jesus Christ, but every one of them is useless.  Jesus forgives, frees, and gives life through repentance and faith.  All false saviours and gods lead to disillusion, enslavement, and death.  Satan works tirelessly to deceive people to think they are fine without God and can save themselves.  Or he will convince them that God does not even exist:  there is no heaven, no hell, no right or wrong, no purpose or meaning to this life, no absolute truth, no free will. How many people have poured out their lives in pursuits of obtaining fame, wealth, and the accolades of men only to remain empty and devoid of life!  People are caught in addictions, gangs, the occult, and destructive cycles of violence out of fear, depression, and hopelessness.  Satan is a master at showing the alluring side of sin.  Commercials for beer commonly employ humour and most of them show fit, attractive, young people having fun partyin...