Marching Forth!

One criterion of good Bible study and teaching is that we emphasize what the text emphasizes. Many preachers use the "springboard" method of preaching that starts with a premise outside of scripture. Verses are used to confirm this extra-biblical premise to validate it. This is the same as a builder constructing a building without a foundation. The building can be no stronger than the foundation: if the foundation is faulty, the building will not stand. A preacher has a responsibility similar to the media in that he must hold forth the unbiased truth. The media does not always provide honest, hard facts. I was working at San Diego State University on the campus and watched a news team with cameras interview a group of people holding signs. One of the ten people of the group held a megaphone speaking out against "injustice," while five other people milled around with signs. It occurred to me that out of the thousands of people that walked by, the handful w...

Churches throughout the world place emphasis on teaching of the Word of God.  Modern-day sermons are vehicles to express themes that range from "God's best for you" to "Jesus loves you and has a plan for your life."  Though often sermons are the centerpiece of a Sunday morning worship service, I am amazed how infrequent God and His attributes are the centerpiece of those sermons.  If there is a cause for the disillusionment, ignorance and faithlessness of the modern church it is largely due to the shift from God to what a man can get from God. When was the last time you heard a message that focused on God, like His perfection, justice, mercy, immutability (the fact He does not change)?  I feel the need to define immutable because it is likely you have never heard the theological term used by Holy Spirit-fired preachers of centuries past to try to describe God:   Malachi 3:6 says, " For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O so...

I brought a single book besides the Bible to Australia, A Body of Divinity by Thomas Watson.  It was originally printed in 1692, and the truth it contains remains to this day.  I would like to quote a paragraph from the book concerning the wisdom of God.  It's rather long, but as a gourmet meal is not prepared in 10 seconds, deep thoughts or a spiritual nature are rarely conveyed in a sentence. The wisdom of God wonderfully appears in the works of His providence.  Every providence has a mercy or a wonder wrapt up in it.  The wisdom of God, in His works of providence, appears.  (I.) By effecting great things by small contemptible means.  He cured the stung Israelites by a brazen serpent.  If some sovereign antidote had been used, if the balm of Gilead had been brought, there had been some likelihood of a cure; but what was there in a brazen serpent?  It was a mere image, and not applied to him that was wounded, he was to look upon it only; y...

Perhaps you're wondering how I'm spending my time over in OZ.  If I was staying in El Cajon with my family, it may not be quite as interesting.  People here put their pants on one leg at a time just like at home, but because it is 7,300 miles from home it garners interest! I left San Diego at 8:50pm bound for Los Angeles and departed for Brisbane at 11:20pm.  The flight was about 13 hours and went very smoothly.  I arrived at 6:30am to find that the exchange rate had swung against the dollar severely.  In May when I handed the money changer $300 American I received $400 in Australian dollars:  this time I forked over $400 and received $412.  Unfortunately nothing is cheaper than before, but God has provided abundantly for me! Since my arrival, I still have not been waked by the sound of my alarm.  I go to bed around 10pm or later feeling very tired and wake up at around 5am feeling very tired!  The beauty of life in AUS is coffee provided...

This morning I took a little walk in the woods.  Less than a stone's throw south there is an expansive forest near the home where I am staying.  The sky was a clear blue, the temperature cool, and the sun bright.  I decided it was a perfect time to do a little exploring.  I stuck to the trail and walked for half an hour, taking in the sights and sounds of the thickly wooded area. As I walked, the song of a bird prompted me to sing a worship song, perfectly hitting the first four notes of " I want to live...to live for your pleasure.  I want to run...to run for your fame.  I want to dwell...in your house forever:  to seek your face, as you call my name, to hear you say, "Well done !"  Creation itself worships God, glorifying Him in song and activity. Much can be learned through the call of a bird and the hurried scramble of ants over rocks and leaves.  In the words of Solomon:  Proverbs 6:6-8 says, " Go to the ant, you sluggard!...

" Would it not be an encouragement to a subject, to hear his prince say to him, You will honour and please me very much, if you will go to yonder mine of gold, and dig as much gold for yourself as you can carry away?  So, for God to say, Go to the ordinances, get as much grace as you can, dig out as much salvation as you can; and the more happiness you have, the more I shall count myself glorified ." Thomas Watson, A Body of  Divinity , page 14 As I flew over the Pacific towards the coast of Brisbane, this statement was so good I had to linger for a while.  Ever had one of those moments when a text arrested your interest and chained you to the spot?  A smile spreads across the face and the heart swells up joyfully as if to shout, "This is true!  Amazing and true!"  We serve the King of kings, whose royal stores are graciously offered to all who will approach in humble faith. In the fantasy film "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," the Baron makes a w...

As I flew out of San Diego yesterday, I watched the city lights twinkle through the window of the small plane.  It occurred to me that it would be foolish to deny the existance of human life.  Lights in a contiunous grid pattern filled the darkened landscape below.  I could make out a small baseball diamond, an illuminated rectangular pool, and cars crept through the highway like blood cells flowing in a vein.  In the Pirate's of the Carribean ride at Disneyland I always loved the skeleton who drank the wine that could be seen flowing through the rib cage.  The L.A. traffic looked like that, shimmering far below in a continual stream. Every window is fitted with a plastic cover that can be pulled down to block out the sight below.  In talking to a friend today, I learned the position of the Australian government is athiestic.  Let's say I told my fellow passenger, "Look at all the electric lights down there."  He promptly closes t...

I have arrived safely in Brisbane!  It was a great flight, smooth through customs, and the Landman family was there bright and early to pick me up. Apparently there is a big windstorm coming up from Sydney and we are seeing the effects in Brisbane.  More to come!

As the time of my departure draws near, it has been a blessing to hear of the preparations taking place.  Today I received an e-mail from Louis that the preparations of "my room" have been completed.  I sent over a copy of my itinerary and Louis will pick me up from the Brisbane airport.  Over the last couple weeks there have been discussions concerning renting a car or scooter to aid me in transportation.  He and his wife Sonja have prepared a room with a bed, a laptop with internet access, a printer, and even a mobile phone.  I am blown away by their generosity, thoughtfulness, and care.  But this moved me to appreciate my Savior even more. I started thinking about Elisha.  Elisha was an Old Testament prophet who was greatly used by God.  As he passed through the city of Shunem, there was a God-fearing woman who often constrained him to eat at her house.  2 Kings 4:10 records a conversation with her husband:  " Please, let us make a...

I am excited to report that I know where I will be staying when I travel to Brisbane.  The Landman family has graciously extended their hospitality to me during my visit.  Louis and Sonja invited me over to their home for a wonderful dinner with them during my previous stay.  They have two terrific kids, Louise and Johan, and I look forward to spending time together.  If you want to check out the street I'll be staying on, feel free to check out the link .  The area is indicative of much of the suburbia that is Brisbane, very picturesque and beautiful.  Please pray for the Landman family and I thank God for their sacrificial hospitality. I had a conversation with a brother at church that reminded me that I need to explain my visa situation so you might pray towards that end.  I will be traveling on a "tourist visa," which is a one year visa that allows multiple entry but only for a three month maximum stay.  I am not allowed to do any work or ma...

" Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted ."  - Matthew 5:4   As I read the prayer of Paul for the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 1:15-23 , I sit astonished at how far I am from experiencing the fulfillment of Paul's prayer.  I mourn over the fact that the church has not only fallen short of God's glory, but how far we are from the will of God in this area.  Paul laments in Romans, " Oh wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death ?" ( Rom. 7:24 )  The church is the Body of Christ, and Jesus is the Head.  This Body which is intended to be marked by life is little more than a comatose man with spasms.  How far we are from fulfilling God's will in His Body with the life He has graciously provided! We must be brought to mourning for our condition before comfort will be provided.  We must repent before we are forgiven.  We must confess our blindness before our eyes will be opened.  Jesus had ...

Today marks one week to my departure date, and time seems to be against me!  There is much to do and time is short.  I've heard it said that "Time flies when you're having fun" but time also flies when you're working feverishly.  I'm of the opinion that "Time flies."  Like money, it certainly sprouts wings and flies away. I bought webcams for both my laptop and Laura's desktop, which should be a blessing to aid us in communication.  There are so many little things to do that I've actually made a running list, something that I don't often have to do.  I thank God for your prayers and all the support offered by friends and family.  We appreciate it and we are happy to confess that we a regular people who know the feeling of stress and the unknown.  But God is using this time to draw us closer to Him in faith.  Without God, none of this would be possible. I have been in communication with the fellowship in Brisbane and it is always a ble...

" Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: [33] "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; [34] and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." [35] Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." [36] And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" [37] They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory. "   Mark 10:32-37 I praise God that we have a heavenly Father who knows our frame, that we are dust.  Our ...

There is always potential for disillusionment when following Jesus Christ.  When God places in the heart of a man the desire to serve others, it might become others that motivate him.  This is a prolific breeding ground for disillusionment.  One of my favorite sermons to listen to, " Ten Shekels and a Shirt " by Paris Reidhead, contains a personal example of how his mission field experience did not measure up to his expectations. To summarize from the sermon, the preacher Paris Reidhead took a mission trip to Africa.  He had seen gruesome pictures of lepers and starving children, and heard how great the need for the Gospel was.  His heart was moved on an emotional level to go over to Africa to ease the suffering of the people.  When he arrived, however, he felt betrayed by the fact that the people knew the Gospel but loved their sin and wanted to stay in it!  Paris spoke of a time of private prayer when he practically accused God of misleading him t...

For those who are interested to hear the background on the call upon my life in Australia, I invite you to visit this link to Calvary Chapel El Cajon's website.  On Friday I shared with those in attendance how God made my call to preach in Australia clear. What is so wonderful about our God is nothing will shift His call from our lives.  Situations can be fluid, changes seem abrupt, difficulties arise:  but the call of God remains.  When Jonah ran from the calling upon his life to preach in Nineveh he ended up in a storm, was thrown overboard, swallowed by a great fish in whose belly he remained for three days, and then was vomited out.  Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah to preach in Nineveh.  No change in calling.  Praise God that He is immutable, cannot be taught, and reigns over all!

I celebrated my second Labor Day in a single year with family time and a wonderful BBQ with dear friends.  In Queensland AUS, Labor Day is celebrated on May 1st.  The White family and I had a lovely outing to the Gold Coast and Mount Tambourine during my first visit to Australia.  While driving home this evening, a license plate cover caught my eye.  It simply read, "Celebrate Eggplant."  The first thing that came to mind was "ridiculous," but then I caught myself.  I started thinking about all the things we celebrate.  People celebrate national holidays, birth of children, Little League opening day and closing ceremonies (which I will do anything to avoid and to this point have been very successful), graduations, career promotions, sports championships like the Super Bowl and World Series, a strike while bowling, a ringer while playing horseshoes, or some killer guacamole and salsa.  Now eggplant has been thrown into the mix.  I celebrate fo...

Tonight I had the privilege of holding forth my testimony at Calvary Chapel El Cajon.  It was wonderful to see all the smiling, expectant faces and receive the brotherly love that marks true believers.  Young and old came alike and took in the wonder of our God, a great God who is mighty to save all through Jesus Christ who come to Him in humility and faith.  My prayer is that God was glorified tonight, and that the Body of Christ was edified.  There are few things more exciting then people who are excited about what God is doing and take in active role in serving Him. So much of our lives are spent on the sidelines.  We think about doing but procrastinate.  We leave loving words unsaid, and withhold good from whom it is due, especially concerning God.  With the NFL kicking off the season next week, millions of Americans will spend hours watching people play a game.  Bets will be taken, fantasy football will be in full swing, sports bars will be...

I was picking up trash in front of the church building today while braving the afternoon heat.  I found the usual trash:  cigarette butts, empty whiskey bottles, Burger King bags, deflated balloons, napkins, even a pink copy of a "notice to appear."  But something unusual happened as I walked along Main St.:  a black shaggy medium-sized dog trotted down the sidewalk towards me.  His tags jingled as he moved at a relatively fast clip, tongue lolling out of his mouth.  No slack in pace as he passed.  It looked like he knew where he was headed to, and no owner to be seen.  I've seen plenty of stray dogs during trips to Mexico, but along busy Main and Johnson it was the first stray I can remember seeing for a long time. Stray dogs are easy to spot.  If only it was so easy to spot a man who has strayed from his Owner!  A dog without an owner is a stray, but every man has a Maker.  Once we are born again every man has an Owner.  Fo...