Marching Forth!

It is not uncommon to see ants scurrying around the door at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  As I greeted people arriving to church yesterday, I noticed an ant casualty.  In trying to elude the sun, this unfortunate ant had found a spot under someone's shoe.  A few minutes later I saw the ant carcass had been picked up by another ant and was carried away.  My mind went to the proverb of Solomon recorded in Proverbs 6:6-8 :  " Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, 7 which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, 8 provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest . "  One of the things ants do is pick up their fallen.  When ants die, they release oleic acid during decomposition which alerts other ants to dispose of the deceased. One tradition in the United States Marines for which they are known is they never leave their own behind.  When another soldier is wounded or falls in combat, his brothers in arms w...

Isn't it amazing how God uses pain and hurt for good in the sanctification process?  He is like a master surgeon, willing to cut through skin, flesh, and bone to expose the cancer of selfish wickedness we were unaware of which grew within us.  Unlike a surgeon, however, He allows us to remain conscious during the procedure.  As we lie flat on our backs He takes a mirror, shows us the cancer, and asks us if we will admit that such filthiness exists.  He has the power and expertise to easily remove the sin which remains, but He will not remove the hindrance to spiritual health, power, and communion unless we ask and submit to His loving hands.  Sometimes God uses pain to show us how feeble our faith can be. I have been reading with interest a most useful book called, They Found the Secret by V. Raymond Edman.  The pages contain numerous testimonies of God's faithfulness to love, call, and pursue men and women He worked greatly through.  On the subject...

" O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God !"   Psalm 68:35 The irony of this verse struck me afresh this week.  It is unthinkable for a king to freely give of his wealth to his people.  In the days when kings ruled over the kingdoms of the earth, they possessed resources that eclipsed the resources of their subjects.  They had the power to demand taxes of goods and gold, gathered military might, and dwelt in safe strongholds.  Kings had the ability to write laws and enforce justice.  But all kings of the earth have one thing in common despite their differences:  their reign had a beginning and an end.  There were limits to their wealth, power, and glory.  A king only had so much food in his storehouses or gold in his treasury.  He could not give away his wealth or power freely because he only had so much.  If he weakened himself greatly, s...

In Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer , Tom and Huck Finn witnessed Injun Joe kill Dr. Robinson.  They decided they would keep the matter secret and made a pact, each signing his name with his own blood.  Though the book was written in the late 19th century, the practice of sealing an agreement with your own blood is not a new concept.  Last night during family Bible reading, we read of circumcision - not your typical after dinner discussion!  The biblical history and significance of circumcision is an interesting study because it points to the new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ. God appeared to Abram and told him to leave his father's house and land, and go to a land God would show him.  So Abram took all his belongings and embarked on an amazing journey of faith.  God made many promises to Abram.  He told Abram that he would be the father of many nations and give to his descendants the land of Canaan.  Genesis 17:1-11 reads, " When ...

Last week I had a strange dream.  In the dream I found myself in a house that was infested with mice and rats.  Traps littered the ground, all of which had caught multiple rodents in a single snap.  It was a bizarre sight, rats lined up side by side in formation.  I had been called in to deal with the problem and end the infestation.  With determination fueled by disgust of the horrible condition of the home, I set to my task immediately.  In fact, the rats had become so bold and numerous that the people who lived in the house were starving:  the rodents were eating all the food! As I emptied the traps, I began to set them out again.  The most disturbing moment was when an occupant of the home came and asked me not to set out the traps, at least not right away.  Perhaps feeling a bit sorry for the rats and mice the woman said, "I didn't think you would put out the traps again so soon.  Shouldn't we give them a week or two?"  Perha...

As I rode the train yesterday, I paused as I read the Bible to consider the battle between the Holy Spirit and our flesh.  The most common battle we face is resisting or rejecting the desires of the flesh to sin.  Though our hearts have been regenerated and filled with the Holy Spirit, our flesh still longs to satisfy itself apart from the will of God according to holiness and righteousness.  As difficult as it is to always flee from temptation, there is a battle of a different kind which can be more difficult to recognize.  Sometimes we feel led to do or say something for God and we are not sure if it is a work of the flesh or the Spirit.  We struggle and choose not to act because we would not want our efforts to be a work of the flesh.  Many times, I am realizing, this in itself allows the flesh to claim another victory. The thought occurred to me as I sat surrounded by silent people on the train.  Everyone was reading the paper, using mobile phone...

Our family enjoyed a beautiful walk at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains this morning.  We started early, beat the traffic, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the sights and sounds of the National Pass .  The waterfalls, lush green ferns and gums, gorgeous panoramic views, majestic rock formations, and squawks of sulfur-crested cockatoos made it an amazing setting I heartily recommend and never grow weary of.  Not to say it was an easy walk, though:  by the end of the walking track we were all ready for a well-deserved rest and light lunch at the Conservation Hut. As we walked along the National Pass, I frequently observed gum trees which appeared to be growing out of the rock and sandstone.  Gnarled roots heaved across dry stone, seeking after a water source.  It reminded me of a scripture which speaks of the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 53:1-2 reads, " Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 ...