Marching Forth!

I was riding along with a co-worker to a jobsite listening to the radio the other morning.  A couple of songs were played in a row which had surprisingly similar lyrics.  First there was " You Belong With Me " by Taylor Swift, a song about a girl who likes a boy who does not share her feelings of desire.  " Been here all along, so why can't you see?  You belong with me ."  Immediately following that song Boyz II Men's " End of the Road " played, a song similar in many ways:  " Although we've come to the end of the road still I can't let go, it's unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you ."  After hearing these songs in succession, my mind drifted to a song I actually used to own on vinyl by the Police, " Every Breath You Take ."  This creepy-stalker-song is a twisted view of romance:  " Every step you take, I'll be watching you - every single day and every word you say, every game you play, every night yo...

Here is an untitles poem found on page 109 in Ralph Turnbull's book "A Minister's Obstacles."  It sums up the duty and desire of every Christ-follower very well. " He held the lamp that Sabbath day So low that none could miss the way, And yet so high, to bring to sight That picture fair of Christ the Light, That, gazing up, the lamp between The hand that held it was not seen. He held the pitcher, stooping low, To lips of little ones below; Then raised it to the weary saint, And bade him drink when sick and faint. They drank, the pitcher them between, The hand that held it was not see. He blew the trumpet soft and clear, That trembling sinners need not fear; And then with louder note and bold, To storm the walls of Satan's hold; The trumpet coming thus between, The hand that held it was not seen. And when our Captain says, 'Well done, Thou good and faithful servant; come, Lay down the pitcher and the lamp; Lay down the trumpet,...

I recently read a new biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer called " Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy " by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson, 20 April 2010).  Bonhoeffer was a theologian and pastor who was involved in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during WWII, was imprisoned for years, and was executed shortly before the end of the war.  This is not meant to be a detailed critique of Metaxas's  work or a character study of Bonhoeffer:  the book does a stellar job of the history and theology of Bonhoeffer, and I highly recommend it.  It is objective, passionate, and gives a keen view into a great mind and genuine Christian life that marked Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  I'm looking forward to reading Bonhoefffer's " Cost of Discipleship ," seeing as my dad picked up a copy today. The book drives home the horrors of the holocaust.  Today I worked at UCSD and the jobsite sits directly across from dorms.  When I drove in at 5:55am there was a group of stud...

I read an interesting verse this morning during my devotions and I thought I would share it and my response.  It goes so well with the quote of the week that I couldn't keep it to myself!  I also can't help thinking it will minister to someone else rather than me, for we all have difficult times and seasons. Leviticus 14:34 reads, " When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give you as a possession, and I put the leprous plague in a house in the land of your possession... " Notice who places the plague in the house:  God does!  This is a shocking revelation to people who think the devil is to blame for all the "bad" we experience and God is to thank for all good.  God is able to take something which appears bad and use it for good.  God tested His people in the wilderness with traveling and hardship, to see if they would walk in His ways or not.  God allowed Satan to take Job's wealth and health.  Job said to his wife who tempted hi...

When I look upon how far God has brought me it energizes my faith to believe how far He will take me.  Willpower falls woefully short of the fulfillment of God's will.  It is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit which not only goads us but enables us to do anything.  At the top of a grand peak the climber might shout "I did it!" in exhilaration, yet a Christian after conquering the weakest of temptation or the greatest of struggles humbly says, "You did it, God.  Amazing considering the weak vessels you choose to use!"  When we have done all our duty we are still unprofitable servants, and all profit comes from the gracious hand of God. If we neglect to consider where we have been, it's likely we'll lose our way wherever we're going.  Many biblical prayers include a history lesson which is not always the most flattering.  Take the prayer of praise in Nehemiah 9:5-37.  There is much confession of sin, rebellion, idolatry, and stubbornness of previo...

" And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, [12] for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, [13] till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [14] that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, [15] but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- [16] from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love ." Ephesians 4:11-16 Every cell of a healthy human being interacts harmoniously with the rest of the body.  These cells...

Few things are misunderstood more than holiness.  It is a quality entirely foreign to this world.  In his fallen state man cannot conceptualize holiness, much less understand it.  A sinner trying to figure out holiness would be like a snail trying to comprehend the speed of a F-22 Raptor.  God does not act holy:  He is holy.  He stands alone in the universe as the only pure, righteous, and flawless being, holy in Himself.  Humans have no context for holiness of character or thoughts.  If we were to do a word association with "holy," perhaps common responses would include:  religious, serious, uptight, a saint or priest.  From a non-christian perspective, trying to think about holiness is like a person trying to fly by waving their arms. The other night after dinner, we read something which shatters our misconceptions of what holiness is.  Neh. 8:8-12 :  " So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gav...