Marching Forth!

God is present in the everyday situations of life, and sometimes we are given insight to see Him at work that brings encouragement.  Looking back on God's faithfulness to people in the pages of scripture, through the testimonies of others and our own experiences, we can rest assured God will be faithful to us presently and in the future forever.  Though the future is uncertain, we can know without a doubt our good God knows us and will preserve us going forward. Recently I reminisced over a challenging move that took place years ago.  Several fellows from church and I organised to help a family move house.  This move was a struggle because the family moving was not sufficiently prepared, it was on a weeknight, and we needed to travel a long distance--and we were all slated to work early the following day.  In our initial discussion, we were told to be extra careful with a bureau and a large matching mirror.  The furniture had been in the family for a long t...

" What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not !" Romans 6:15 In the movie The Princess Bride , a hired swordsman named Inigo  wondered if his boss knew what "inconceivable" meant because he repeated it over and over.  " You keep using that word ," he said.  " I do not think it means what you think it means ."  There is debate over whether the swordsman was showing his ignorance, that he ironically instructed his "genius" boss or accurately identified hyperbole.  The fact is, people can mean different things by saying the same word or phrase.  "Taking out the trash" may mean carrying rubbish from inside the house to outside or also include hauling the bins to the kerb for pickup.  Not understanding the full implications of a word or phrase can lead to misunderstanding or a job only half done. Sometimes I feel a bit like Inigo when I hear people talk about not being "under the Law....

Because Timothy was a man who had genuine faith in Jesus, Paul urged him in  2 Timothy 1:6-7 :  " Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind ."  Paul had been instrumental in Timothy receiving the gift of God, the filling with the Holy Spirit Jesus promised to give to all who trust in Hm.  In addition to producing the fruit of the Spirit in the life of a born-again believer, the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to each one according to the will of God.  Paul reminded Timothy to "stir up the gift of God" that was in him without fear, the the Spirit He has given is of power, of love and of a sound mind. Timothy was exhorted to stir up the gift of the Spirit as one fans coals that began to smolder back into flame.  The Holy Spirit provides the fuel to let the light of the Gospel shine before men thro...

Though people of faith in God mentioned in Scripture had experiences different to ours, they are relatable because we trust the same God.  Many times the situations people faced were far more extreme than our current struggles and troubles, and this ought to inspire great confidence that God is able to help us in all He allows.  In my youth I was foolishly distracted by flaws or inconsistencies in God's people in scripture rather than emulating steps of faith they took and the LORD who helped them overcome all.  One such person is David, a man after God's own heart.  He was not a perfect man, but who among us is?  His steadfast faith could put the most stalwart among God's people to shame. While on the run from King Saul, David and his men spent over a year in Philistine territory.  After their return from the field of battle, they were shocked to find their city Ziklag a burnt ruin, all their wives and children taken captive along with their possessions....

Satan walks the earth like a lion seeking whom he may devour, yet he can take the form of an angel of light.  Like the Pharisees who were clean on the outside yet spiritually were like unclean tombs within, the devil and those who follow him can seem to have our best interest in mind while working to ruin us.  Peter believed he spoke as a man inspired by the Holy Spirit when he rebuked Jesus for saying He would be killed, yet it was as if Satan were speaking.  Jesus then rebuked Peter for such a suggestion in  Matthew 16:23 :  " But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men ." Satan foolishly sought to be like the Most High, and his pride led him to a great fall.  The father of lies is the master of telling them, and it is only by being grounded in the word of God we can recognise and avoid falling prey to His deceptions.  Satan was able to dece...

Upon my return to San Diego, I was surprised to hear of a hurricane Hilary moving straight towards "America's Favorite City."  I grew up and spent a great deal of my adult life in San Diego, and I never heard of such a thing--or had seen such an almost hysterical response to an incoming storm.  Television programs were rescheduled to provide extra coverage of the "hurricane", and long before it entered the United States it had been downgraded to a tropical storm.  An insurance company made automated calls to encourage their customers to take every possible precaution for this potential disaster.  The hype was so intense school was cancelled for many students today. Because the buildup was so intense, when it finally started drizzling and raining yesterday the storm was quite underwhelming.  Before the storm everyone was talking about the forecast, and many after the storm had a chuckle over how much a non-event it was.  If this storm was a test of San Dieg...

" As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,  4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith ." 1 Timothy 1:3-4 Paul urged Timothy to remain in Ephesus for the purpose of directing some to teach no other doctrine than those that result in godly edification in faith.  In his introduction Paul mentioned Jesus Christ our hope along with with grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus our Saviour.  These are fundamental Gospel truths that adorn all sound doctrine in scripture.  Previously in Corinth Paul kept Christ central in his preaching, for he determined not to anything among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. As in modern times, there were some in Ephesus who taught, emphasised and discussed topics or doctrines that promoted controversy.  It is possible for genuine believers to be swept up ...