Marching Forth!

I was reminded of an awkward situation recently.  After using an electric griddle I wiped it clean--only it wasn't very clean.  Small bits of the wet paper towel I used broke off and littered the surface, but I didn't notice them.  When I walked by and saw someone cleaning it, I informed them I had already cleaned it.  Then I received an explanation that the griddle wasn't actually clean, and more cleaning made perfect sense. One time when we were hosting a family I noticed the bathroom shower looked a bit dull, and upon further inspection it was due to a build-up of soap residue.  As I began the process of cleaning the fiberglass shower enclosure, one of our guests mentioned the shower had just been  cleaned.  The clear insinuation was that I was re-doing what had already been done.  I responded by running my thumbnail along the surface which produced a curled strip of soap similar to how a block plane produces wood shavings.  I had no reaso...

God's word is powerful and able to rebuke, exhort and encourage at the same time.  I had this experience as I considered the prayer of Nehemiah in chapter 1 after he heard about the desolation of Jerusalem and the affliction of God's people.  After a period of intentional inaction, fasting and mourning, Nehemiah prayed to God in a way that is, to some degree, foreign to my regular approach. What I observe in Nehemiah's prayer is how he prayed for what he knew and believed God would do according to His word and promises:  that God would be attentive to his prayer and the prayers of God's servants who turned to Him, and that Nehemiah would find mercy in the eyes of his king whom he served.  What is absent from Nehemiah's prayer is any request or suggestion what God could do to alleviate His servants who were afflicted and reproached.  He said nothing about how God should help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem or mend gates burned with fire.  Nehemiah prayed a...

Over the Christmas break, I watched the live-action version of the Dr. Seuss classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas .  The major difference between the 2000 version and the original animated film is it delves into the backstory of the Grinch and provides a revenge theme for his hatred of Christmas due to bullying and abuse suffered in school.  The young Grinch was mocked for his appearance and the special gift he worked hard to make was destroyed, and this deep-seated resentment and bitterness fueled his hatred of the Christmas season and desire to cause havoc in Whoville. I might just be getting old and forgetful, but there seems to be an emphasis on backstories these days as a means of justifying bad behaviour and the rise of the antihero.  Gone is the squeaky-clean person who desires to do good despite their own suffering:  the gritty details of their past must be unearthed that are credited with shaping them into whomever they grew to be.  People commit desp...

We are blessed to have the whole Bible to read and grow in understanding of our Creator and great God.  Reading one Bible passage without comparing with others can throw our interpretations and applications off balance, tilting us away from the truth God has revealed.  It is beneficial to consider what other verses say concerning a subject, and these revelations provide greater accuracy when compared and contrasted with one another.  Today a passage in Ezra reminded me of these important facts. Job and David wrote of God's hand being upon them, and because of their experiences this has a negative connotation ( Job 19:21 ; Ps. 32:4 ).  In 1 Samuel 5 God plagued the Philistines for 7 months after they captured the ark, and the destructive plagues were described as the hand of God being heavy on them.  If these were the only way God's hand was mentioned, we could support the view of God's hand indeed being heavy, perhaps even oppressive and destructive.  This...

Those who read the Bible without faith in God--that He is and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him--will find themselves hopelessly hamstrung, blind and ignorant of the spiritual riches presented to them in God's word.  Those who read Scripture to find fault with God, His Laws or His people will have no problem doing so because mankind's spiritual perceptions are naturally distorted, and there is nothing easier than projecting our faults onto others and justifying ourselves.  Those who willfully deny the truth made evident by God erect endless obstacles for themselves which faith according to God as revealed in His word easily clear away.  I was reminded of this when I thumbed through a book written by an atheist who penned multiple volumes to espouse his hatred of God and defiance of Him.  A learned and intelligent man, no doubt, but lost in a morass of willful unbelief only humility before God can deliver from. My first tip this book was not exposition o...

One thing that struck me in preparation for the sermon this week was the visual of Jesus riding a white horse with the name written on His robe and thigh:  "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  The only time I have seen artwork where the thighs of Jesus are exposed are during His crucifixion, but John saw in the book of Revelation the legs of Jesus which were compared to bronze will be seen and declare a message of His authority and power over all. When John penned Revelation , one of the most devastating hand-to-hand weapons at the time was the large sword wielded by Thracians called a rhomphaia.  It was so effective it was the only weapon (as far I know) that prompted the Romans to make wholesale changes in armour because of cutting power that could split a shield.  Innovations like horses, chariots and strategic formations resulted in the defeat and subjugation of worthy fighters who were undone by outdated and insufficient resources.  In later times bows and ...

Family Bible reading after dinner provided a great example of what a difference one person can make--even as a child.  We read 2 Chronicles 23 which was a turning point for the southern kingdom of Judah as the coronation of Joash suddenly and dramatically ended the rule (and life!) of the tyrant Athaliah who murdered her grandsons to assume the throne herself.  The High Priest Johoiada bravely sheltered Joash for years in the temple, and when the heir to the throne was 7 years old the priest organised a public coronation ceremony with high security.  Once Joash was crowned king, it meant the treasonous queen was dethroned and promptly executed. Joash being crowned king resulted not only in the dispatching of Athaliah and all who followed her, but the establishment of a covenant the people of Judah would serve God only.  This immediately resulted in the overthrow of idolatrous worship by destroying altars, breaking Baal's images, and the execution of the priest of Ba...