Marching Forth!

When I was a kid, one of my favourite places to go at Sea World in San Diego was the shark exhibit.  Sharks always piqued my interest, and to see them slowly swimming overhead in the aquarium was nearly awe inspiring.  I was impressed by the thickness of the glass and was glad to be on the safe side of it!  But I always wondered:  what kept the sharks from eating all the other fish in the exhibit?  I later found out the primary secret, one that really isn't too complicated:  the sharks are so well-fed they are not hungry to feast on their tank mates.  Sharks in captivity are similar to most animals who learn quickly when it is feeding time.  When they are full there is little motivation to expend effort to feed. This morning I read a scripture which shed light on God's dealings with His people after delivering them from slavery in Egypt in  Deuteronomy 8:3 :  " So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which ...

" But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come ." 1 Timothy 4:7-8 The past decades have brought new awareness to the importance of physical exercise for optimal health.  From the leg-warmer Jazzercise look of the 80's to the modern gym membership or fitness camps with participants sweating through circuits in a park, many have embraced physical exercise.  For some exercise is a craze, but it is here to stay.  The fact Paul said exercise of our bodies is profitable almost 2,000 years ago is proof gymnasium junkies are not going anywhere. What I find intriguing about the passage written to Timothy is the admonition to " exercise yourself toward godliness ."  Physical exercise, while beneficial for the body, has its limits.  Whether you run, lift weights, or pl...

During my travels to Cambodia over the years I have heard the phrase "Same same but different" repeated many times.  It is used so widely and frequently by some people the meaning can become a a bit hazy!  I have seen the t-shirts in shops, but have not bought one.  A native English speaker might say of an item, "It is the same tool but a different brand."  "Same same but different" takes on a new meaning entirely when you see vendors in the Russian Market repackaging knock-off items in plastic to look like the real thing.  There are brand-name sunglasses, electronics, and clothing sold cheaply in many shops because they are not genuine.  I don't know about you, but if I am going to spend money on a product I want it to be the real thing.  I want the logo to match the genuine product and the protective plastic sealed by the manufacturer, not by a vendor in a shadowy kiosk. When it comes to following Jesus, an authentic correlation between our belief...

Though the word "indispensable" is not often used in casual conversation, the meaning is plain enough:  absolutely necessary.  The Word of God, the Bible, is absolutely necessary to the Christian walk of knowing God and His perfect will.   Romans 10:17 says " ...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God ."  Without the revelation of God's Word there is nothing definite to place our faith in.  When the Bible touches a believing heart, it is most profitable.  The writer of Hebrews pointed out the importance of God's truth to mix with faith by using the example of Jews who did not enter into the land of promise in  Hebrews 4:2 :  " For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it."   Faith combined with knowledge of God's Word leads to obedient action. The Bible is not merely a launching pad for faith, but it is the...

" Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God ." 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 These verses were read during announcements at church this morning and they were a useful exhortation to me.  A key word and theme repeated in this portion is reconciliation.  To be " reconciled" is " to restore to friendship or harmony; to make consistent or congruous ."  We are not God, and as sinners we are completely opposed to and incompatible with God.  Since repenting and believing the Gospel, God " has reconciled us to Himself ."  No amount of effort on our part can recon...

" They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, 'It is a good land which the LORD our God is giving us.' 26 "Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; 27  and you complained in your tents, and said, 'Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us ." Deuteronomy 1:25-27 The children of Israel had been brought out of Egypt by God, but their actions reveal they did not know Him.  Their unbelief and subsequent rebellion exposed their ignorance of God and skewed perceptions.  They had seen firsthand the good land God promised to given them in Canaan.  They did not doubt God's existence or the signs and wonders He had performed among them.  He miraculously supplied bread, meat, and water for their needs, but when they considered their e...

The Law of Moses and the whole Bible is a comprehensive testament of God's reality, character, and righteousness.  Thankfully the God who inspired the Bible is accessible and available to guide us into all truth, to make sense out of specific dilemmas the Word of God does not explicitly cover.  The Bible is relevant for today because God nor His Word will ever change:  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. After the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, the five daughters of Zelophehad expressed concern the inheritance of their father's house would be lost because he did not bear any sons.  Though the Law was detailed, it did not expressly say what should happen in their case.  They boldly approached Moses so their situation could be addressed.  They said in  Numbers 27:4-7 , " Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers."  5 So Mose...