Marching Forth!

A subject which has come up several times lately is the claim Moses was prevented by God from entering the Land of Promise because he "misrepresented" God.  Let us allow God Himself to speak on the subject directly before we misrepresent scripture!   The sins of Moses were unbelief, rebellion, and that he did not sanctify God among the people.  The following passages make it clear Moses was disciplined for these reasons, not because he ruined God's typology concerning Christ or according to many other theories I have heard.   Numbers 20:10-12 says, " And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" 11  Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. 12  Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in...

Today I went on a walk around the Old City of Jerusalem - literally.  It took me about an hour and 15 minutes from stepping out the door of my hotel to follow the rampart walk path, walk up the Mount of Olives for a few pictures of the Temple Mount, and then complete the circuit around the ancient walls.  When I have the proper cable connection, I will share a couple pictures! One of the themes which has been on my mind of late is the importance of walking in the light.  Paul wrote in  2 Corinthians 4:1-2 , " Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2  But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God ."  Christians freely confess their belief that God sees all, yet this knowledge does not mean we naturally walk uprightly.  We tend ...

Last night we met at Christ Church in the Old City, the oldest protestant church in the Middle East.  It was a refreshing time of worship through song and the study of God's Word.  It was wonderful to "come away" into the LORD's presence for a sweet time of fellowship. While expounding on the first dozen verses of Hebrews 11 , the speaker talked of the ark Noah built as a picture of the safe place we have in Jesus.  The rain fell and the waves billowed, yet those who sought refuge in the ark were saved from destruction.  He also mentioned the house of Rehab the harlot in Jericho as a safe place.  It was a city doomed for a great fall, but after she obediently hung a scarlet cord in the window all who took refuge in her home would be saved.  Cities of refuge were also spread throughout Israel, places where those who were guilty of manslaughter could face a fair trial before the priests and the congregation. There is one safe place (albeit quite ironic!)...

Yesterday I walked with a friend through the Arab Market in Jerusalem to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the first time.  Believed by many to be a church built over the place of Christ's crucifixion and where He was entombed, it is a tourist attraction frequented by Catholic pilgrims from all over the world.  A crowd of people filled the courtyard, and it was even more crowded inside. The first thing which struck me as I entered the building was how crowded and dimly lit it was.  Though I had seen pictures of the interior of the church before, they didn't capture how big and sprawling the place was inside.  Ambiance aside, it was the activities of the visitors which surprised me most.  People were kissing stones, prostrating themselves on the ground in prayer, and crawling under the foot of a cross to kiss and touch a picture.  In a word, I felt it was bizarre.  People queued up before stones and relics like people at Disneyland for ...

Jerusalem is filled with people these days because of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.  It is wonderful to see many families with happy children thronging the streets.  My hotel is located just inside the Jaffa gate which is a major thoroughfare for foot traffic.  At the gate you will see armed policemen, monks, tour groups, vendors selling bread and pomegranate juice, orthodox Jews, and pilgrims from all over the world.  There was a group of people whose matching bright-green shirts caught my eye.  On the back of the shirts was printed, "Vision for Israel." As a person who has immigrated to a different country from where I was born, this shirt sent a message I imagine Jew or Gentile living in Israel finds offensive.  Their intentions may be noble, but the only One with a relevant "vision for Israel," Australia, or any other nation is God!  Scripture makes it clear God has a clear vision and plan for people, cities, and nations.  On one level ...

It's often hard times which cause people to evaluate their lives and help to re-align perspective.  Jesus told a parable about two men who both built houses which were exposed to a fierce storm.  One built his house upon the rock, and the other built his home upon the sand.  They chief difference between the two was the foundation they chose to build on.  The aftermath of the storm provided evidence who built wisely:  the house on the sand was completely destroyed, and the house on the rock endured. Jesus told this parable to illustrate the difference between those who hear His words and those who actually put them into practice.  The one who heeded the words of Christ and obeyed them was compared to the man who built his house on the rock, a solid foundation.  Today it dawned on me that it required a storm to reveal which foundation was worthy.  When weather was fair all seemed well, even when the foundation was not trustworthy.  God allo...

It's not every day I am excited about a scientific discovery, but the most recent revelation from NASA has kept me happy for days.  In the 1990's - not the 1890's - it was estimated there were about 200 billion galaxies in the known universe.  Well, according to most recent data, those facts were only 10% correct:  it turns out there is in excess of 10 times more galaxies than previously estimated.  This is mind boggling, right?  If there are estimated to be 2 trillion galaxies now, imagine what a more accurate count might be in twenty years' time! Now I am not saying the original estimate was "wrong," because the estimate was simply that - an estimate.  But when I hear a highly-touted "landmark" study being 90% off from what we now know is a more accurate estimate based on factual evidence, it only increases my faith in God and the Bible.  I would never consider myself among the "best and brightest" and I certainly have no scientific ...