One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #263, March 2023
Greetings,
Every time we get to March, my mind goes back to my military day when I was in Basic Training. The word “March” was used many times while I was in Basic Training and it wasn’t a suggestion, but a command. It wasn’t a name of a month, but an order to do something. I finally learned that there were reasons for these commands and I also found out there were consequences to these commands. One thing that was on my side was the fact that I had a father who fought in WWII who was very strict and had also learned the military approach from his grandfather (who raised him). This experience was carried over to my relationship with my God, who is creator of all things and doesn’t appreciate unbelief and disobedience.
I loved my dad and mom and if the world had dads and moms like mine it would be a better place (I’m speaking from my viewpoint and not judging anyone’s parents). The foundation of my dad and mom was faith in God and not religion. They were virtuous and meek in spirit, but not timid and weak. From my perspective when they were serving in a military lifestyle they learned what the word march meant, so when they came to know the word of God they could hear “Forward March”. This has been the motivation of my life. Some may call me silly, unusual, peculiar or odd and I thank them for their compliments but I press toward the mark and that is to win the battle for my Lord.
My dad always said, “there is no discharge in this war”. He was speaking of the Spiritual warfare and not a physical warfare, because he knew the consequences of natural life. He also said many times, “In my mind I feel like I’m twenty-five (when he lived to be eighty five), but in my body I’m feeling the effects of aging”. By saying this he was verifying the truth that there was a distinct difference between spirit and flesh.
In John 3:16 Jesus said “For God so loved the world”, which implied the natural environment that man lived in, including man himself. Then Jesus also said in John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved”. For God to save the environment that kept and supported man, he had to establish a code of conduct for man and give to man certain rules and laws that would boost the mentality and also the motivation of man. These certain rules and laws were directed at the whole man (body, soul, and spirit) and it was directed to all mankind.
Jesus didn’t come to condemn, because the condemning effect is applied by the judgments of the rules and laws or consequences of obeying or disobeying the rules and laws. The laws and rules are equally applied and justly administered, so this led Jesus to say in John 3:18, “He that believeth (obeys) on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed (obeyed or accepted) in the name (truth, word, Savior Messiah) of the Son of God’s love”.
Jesus also said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. What he was telling them, in a paraphrase was, if you would live, believing the rules and laws I have given, you would eliminate a large portion of your tribulation and then when you look at yourself you would stop saying, “Woe is me!” But would say, Thank God I am blessed. If it is a chastisement you could say, O how much my father loves me, by correcting my disobedience, desires and mistakes.
If we look at things from God’s perspective we would find our path is well lit. John said in John 1:4, In him was life, and the life is the light of men. It is his light that leads us to comprehension, understanding, knowledge, and then wisdom.
“Keep on marching”. God bless.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts