Marching Forth!

Sometimes I see ads for a free game claiming to be "the most addictive game" on the internet.  I wonder how that could be seen as a positive thing.  Perhaps it is because people don't see a problem with addiction or actually invite addiction to things they enjoy.  Paul says in 1 Cor. 6:12 , " All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any ."  Paul decided he would not be brought under the power of any outside influence of the world.  He would only allow himself to be influenced by the power of the Holy Spirit. Addiction could be defined as making a need out of the unnecessary.  It is a passion which has become an controlling obsession.  Alcohol is not required for life to be sustained, but many people cannot think of facing a day without it.  Drugs, Ipods, cell phones, energy drinks, television shows, social networking sites, the internet, and countless...

" Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. [22] And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel ." Ezra 6:21-22   There is no debate that our world is one in severe moral decay.  Some would say that man is basically good:  according to God's law man is completely wicked.  Nothing wholesome or pure comes from a man's heart in his natural condition, being born into the sin of Adam and reaching new depths every day in willful depravity. We need not think long before we can recall something horrible done by other people.  Our own conscience smites us for our faults and we cannot claim perfection for a single day.   Last "Bible N...

As a kid my new clothes were often someone else's old ones, and I was always excited to have them.  Sometimes we would receive a bag of gently used clothing from a church friend or a cardboard box would be shipped from my cousin up north.  Some of my favorite clothes did not come from a store, but from the kindness and generosity of friends.  My brother, sister, and I always enjoyed searching for new treasures to wear. Our family recently sold our old car and bought a much newer, hopefully much more reliable vehicle.  Before we sold it Laura and I talked about the potential of donating it to a charitable organization.  I started thinking about the distinction between an "offering" and a "donation."  Our new car made the old one expendable.  At our fellowship the ushers pass bags to "receive tithes and offerings."  Tithe literally means "10 percent" and an offering is to be the best of the first-fruits which are most treasured.  A donation i...

When I was a kid, baseball was my favorite sport to play.  As much as I loved tracking down fly balls during practice, I could never seem to get my fill of hitting.  No matter how much I wanted to hit, however, at some point fatigue placed a limit on quality swings.  After a while the hands would become sore and blistered, and the bat began to feel heavier and heavier.  My dad always cautioned me about fatigue leading to bad habits.  Compensation for pain and soreness leads to a complete breakdown of fundamentals.  This is true not only in baseball but in the spiritual realm as well. I ran cross country in high school and was blessed to have good coaching.  People may not think there is much "form" to swinging a bat or running, but there certainly is!  Though everyone may have distinct running styles, there are basic fundamentals common to every good runner:  pace, the degree of the bend of the arms, the posture of the back, arm swing, brea...

Last Friday I attended a patriotic production at Abel's school.  Kindergarten through grade three were involved in singing, dressing up in costumes of American historical figures, and reciting lines.  Abel was J.F.K. and wore a cute little suit for the occasion.  I was impressed with the kindergarten classes which recited the Preamble to the United States Constitution verbatim, a feat which I did not do until eighth grade!  I memorized it during Mr. Kennedy's history class at Emerald Junior High during a single class with the assistance of the School House Rock jingle!  " We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, promote domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do proclaim and establish this Constitution of the United States of America ." Listening to these five and six-year-old children recite the Pre...

Last night as I went to bed I thought about the difference between resting and relaxing.  Relaxing our bodies after a hard day's work is a gift from God.  Enjoying an uneventful weekend can be a great blessing to help us recover.  But when it comes to spiritual matters, when we relax we invite ruin upon ourselves.  Did Jesus ever tell his disciples to relax?  NO!  Relaxing is synonymous with lowering your guard, becoming careless, the justification of inactivity.  This is spiritual suicide.  When a warrior relaxes his hand on the hilt of his sword it can be easily knocked from his hand.  If a watchman relaxes his guard he will become distracted or maybe fall asleep.  Relaxing gives opportunity for Satan to overpower us.  The devil wants us to take it easy and relax concerning obedience, holiness, and actively seeking God with our whole hearts. If you were to "rest," in our modern vernacular we have the sense of doing something min...

Have you ever been irritated by interruptions?  It is natural to want to obtain our goals easily according to our plans.  Today I intended to go on a short run.  Not even two minutes into the run, I "ran" into a friend.  My plan to complete the run in a timely manner was thwarted.  The run was finished in due time, and God blessed me with a wonderful time of fellowship as He moved upon both our hearts in a time of prayer.  It was clear to both of us God had ordained that time for us to talk and share.  Even through the run had been interrupted for half an hour, we parted rejoicing. It is not always so easy to see God's hand at work in the little interruptions of our days.  When I worked at the church office it never seemed to fail:  there were always interruptions, but God always miraculously provided enough time to fulfill my responsibilities.  How good it is to know that God sits on the throne in heaven, Jesus stands at His right han...