Marching Forth!

Have you ever had a conversation where you look back with disgust upon yourself?  Many times I have looked back and prayed my foolishness would somehow be forgotten!  When we trust in Christ and repent, God forgives and remembers our sin no more.  But the same cannot be said for most people!  I remember one conversation I had with a friend during my high school days I would love to revise.  I was a professing follower of Jesus Christ, and I knew in my flesh no good thing dwelt.  But during a conversation, she demanded I admit I was a good person.  At first I resisted.  Then she insisted.  "Alright, fine!" I said.  Those are words I would love to take back, being in direct violation of scriptural truth.  Psalm 14:3 reads, " They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one ."  Jesus once told a man, "There is none good but God."  God is right, I was wrong. Compliments...

I spent a portion of Monday on the train to and from the Sydney domestic terminal visiting friends.  As I waited on the platform for the stage to arrive, I surveyed the people to my right and left.  The closest three people on each side of me had their mobile phones in their hands and white earbuds in.  Seemingly without a clue of all around them, these six people were captivated in their own little worlds.  As we entered the train, some people picked up books or newspapers, while the young man who shared my seat played Street Fighter II on his mobile, earbuds blasting.  Taking my cue from my fellow passenger, I pulled out my Kindle to read Bunyan's classic, Pilgrim's Progress . As I read, I came across the passage where Christian and Faithful come to Vanity Fair (not just a magazine!), a place of debauchery and worldliness.  Bunyan describes in the book:  " And, moreover, at this fair there are at all times to be seen juggling, cheats, games, plays...

This morning a group of us from Calvary Chapel Sydney pitched in at the Castle Hill Cemetery "working bee."  Three times a year, a group of volunteers give their Saturday morning to pick up rubbish, toss dead flowers and broken vases, and remove any debris from the turf around the tombstones.  It was wonderful to share the love of Jesus through a simple act of kindness. Long mounds of red dirt heaved from the turf over freshly dug graves.  As I walked down the rows of headstones amid the cackles of kookaburras, I noticed something I have never seen in a cemetery before.  The burial plots were segregated based upon different faiths.  There was a Catholic section, an area for Muslims, Jews, Baptists, and Independents.  Many more groups were represented in this graveyard surrounded by tall gum trees on the edge of Fred Caterson Reserve. The thought occurred to me:  though these deceased folks are in separated in rows according to denominational persua...

Life has been a blur of late.  Between meetings, sermon/study preparation, and the fact that baseball is in full-swing in addition to daily duties and family stuff, time is certainly short!  And then things happen which make the day more interesting, like when Zed's bunny Oreo escaped from our back yard the other day!  As soon as I saw the hole under the fence, I knew finding that rabbit would be an act of God.  There is a large area of bush in front of our house, and greenery all around our neighborhood.  I prayed, "In the name of Jesus Christ, God help me to find that dumb bunny!"  You know what?  Within five minutes, I did! After Laura helped me return the bunny to the confines of her cage, I thought about how dumb that bunny was.  We provide for all her needs, make sure she has good food and clean water, protection from danger, and a secure place to romp around.  Why would she potentially throw away her life by burrowing under the fence...

Last night I saw a portion of a "60 Minutes" segment which detailed the lives of some young girls in the Middle East.  They were shown driving, eating at a restaurant, riding horses, and speeding around on motorboats.  Over and over they were referred to as a "privileged" class based upon their financial wealth.  It is not the first time I have heard the rich referred to as "privileged."  In a worldly sense I understand the point being made.  Those who are wealthy have worldly benefits.  But spiritually speaking, the Bible presents a conflicting perspective.  I would contend that with the privilege of wealth comes the probability of spiritual bankruptcy.  There is nothing wrong with financial wealth, providing it is used for the glory of God.  Many people, however, are driven by strong desires to be wealthy.  1 Timothy 6:6-10 reads, " Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is ...

The length of time we have formally followed Christ is a source of pride for some.  I wonder, dear professing follower of Christ, if you are closer to Him now than you were at the first?  Has your love and passion for Him grown?  Or has your love become familiar and cold?  Are you as excited now to pray as you once were?  Do you have an almost ravenous desire to consume the Word of God like at the beginning when you know you knew nothing?  Have you become cynical about church and Christianity because of some bruises you've experienced over the years?  This line of thought will not apply to all, but it certainly applies to some. Are you willing to admit that up until now you have really played at Christianity?  Are you willing to sacrifice your honorable badge of years following Jesus to say that you have never known Him as you ought?  Are you ready to disown all works previous to now as done in the power of your flesh?  Are you willing...

The earth is abundant with natural resources.  The perfectly tuned atmosphere exists on earth which promotes health of plant, animal, and human life.  Fruits and vegetables are grown in abundance on farms, and living animals both in the sea and on land provide food to support life.  Beneath the surface of the earth, vast reserves of oil and coal are collected to supply fuel for heating, transportation, and manufacturing.  Precious metals and gems are mined throughout the world for both industrial and cosmetic use.  The more plentiful the natural resources, the more profitable the enterprise.  When rarity of a resource is coupled with high demand, the value of that resource skyrockets. From a worldly perspective, limited resources means limited success.  The ultimate resource for business and people is money.  Unfortunately, many churches these days also perceive money to be either the catalyst or great limiter for "ministry."  I recently re...

The other day I picked up a biography on Heath Ledger, an Australian-born actor who made it big in Hollywood until his untimely demise at the age of 28.  My greatest interest in reading the book is learning about the man behind the masks.  As I read the book, however, I find that the author doesn't have insights into Mr. Ledger on a deep, personal level.  It is more of a chronology of events, a timeline sprinkled with quotes.  Heath's own words open a small window to his heart. Heath had a unique perspective of the world and his place in it, as illustrated by this quote:  " I've always been very big on self-exploration and answering my own questions...I look up at the stars and go, 'There's no explanation for us to be here.'  When anything is blocking my head or there's worry in my life, I just - whoosh! - go sit on Mars or something and look back here at Earth.  All you see is this tiny speck; you don't see the fear, you don't see the pain, y...

" Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD ." Jeremiah 9:23-24 Last night during our family devotions we read through this passage.  What a wonderful reminder it is of the loving, gracious, and holy character of God.  How easy it is for our ideas of God to be warped by the opinions of those who do not know Him or through our own prejudice!  People's ideas of God range from imaginary to real, a benevolent "Santa Claus" or Genie contrasted with the fire-breathing destroyer and hater of men.  To magnify a single aspect of God's character at the expense of ignoring another contorts our perception of God. In the Jeremiah passage, God entrea...

Yesterday marked the first day of baseball season for the Grisez boys, and it was nostalgic for me to be back on the field as a third base coach.  Both boys had two hits and scored a run, so it was a great boost to their confidence.  One thing that is different about playing baseball in Australia is the absence of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Little League Pledge.  Near the scoreboard of Little League fields all over America, the American flag flies.  After stating the Pledge of Allegiance, the players recite:  "I trust in God, I love my country, and will respect its laws.  I will play fair, and strive to win, but win or lose, I will always do my best."  Play ball! I am happy to say the Pledge is still around, even after all these years - just like God!  For me, saying that pledge is still a statement of fact.  I do trust in God, I do love my country (currently Australia).  I will play fair and do my best to win.  When two tea...

Blogs are interesting animals.  I suppose the motivation for regularly maintaining blogs are endless.  For some it might be strictly cathartic, for others it might be the opportunity for self-revelation.  Though an avid reader, I spend virtually no time reading blogs.  Some are chronological family reports, while others are dedicated to political rant.  I have the feeling that some blogs scream, "Look at me!" in a frantic attempt for significance in the vast yet cluttered cyberspace. I am convinced people write blogs so people will read them.  I write because I believe it is what God wants me to do.  With the amount of writing I do in study and sermon preparation, it seems unnecessary for me to write more.  This blog is a medium which allows me to share the truth He teaches me with others who care to hear it.  Today this blog has notched over 10,000 page views from all over the world, and to me that is a significant milestone.  Tack on...

I am about halfway through reading the memoirs of A.E. Wilder-Smith called Fulfilled Journey .  He concisely describes his observations as to the cause of the "disintegration" of the modern education system.  A couple of sentences stood out to me:  " School is too often no more than a means for the manipulation of opinions and the leveling of society for ideological reasons.  It is no longer for training in independent thought and the formation of one's own opinions based on facts and data.  In such a school system the development of an independent personality is neither possible nor desired ." ( Fulfilled Journey , Wilder-Smith, pg. 202)  I heartily endorse and agree with this observation as being true to my experience.  In my university days it seemed the focus was more on freedom of speech and expression rather than freedom of thought. I appreciate A.E. Wilder-Smith's perspective because he is a scholar, scientist, an intellectual, and also a Chri...

Love is the ultimate pop-culture icon.  The word and associated baggage are tramped around on a global stage, saturating music, movies, and all media.  In the English language, "love" is a word so generic that the meaning has been diluted and virtually lost.  "Love" has been reduced to the vague description of a feeling or a sexual act, a complete abandonment of the biblical description.  Forget God, sing musicians:  love is all you need.  But what is love without God?  What is our basis of love?  Is it really nothing more than a casual excitement of glands?  How does the world's idea of love differ from God's? The Yardbirds sang long ago, " For your love I would give the stars above...For your love I would give you all I could ."  It is hard for us to detach love from sex, something which stunts our concept of love greatly.  On one hand the Yardbirds were vying for physical intimacy, while at the same time petitioning for the af...

When driving yesterday I saw a bumper sticker which read, " Yes, this is my truck. No, I will not help you move ."  Everyone who has owned a truck or ute knows well the high demand of friends and acquaintances to use it!  I once had a friend who was so tired of people asking to borrow his truck to help them move that he bought a fiberglass cover for the bed!  The usefulness and practicality of moving greatly reduced, he rarely had to deal with requests.  When he wanted to move something, it was no trouble for the top to be removed again!  Most people don't buy a truck hoping every weekend someone will borrow and load it with sand, bricks, or furniture.  The bumper sticker emphasizes the perspective that my things are for me, not for you. This is the common philosophy of the world:  my things are mine.  In the Russian fable of the Little Red Hen , she planted, watered, tended, harvested, threshed, milled, and used the wheat to make flour into br...

Reading is something I do every day.  I am always in the middle of several books in addition to the Bible.  Over the years I have either purchased or acquired books that I have yet to read.  There are some books I read every couple years of so, like Charles Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students , Foxes Book of Martyrs , and a 1st edition copy of J. Oswald Sander's book Spiritual Leadership .  I also have some large sets which were purchased as an investment because of the incredible price I am still working through.  One of these is a 10-volume set titled The Westminster Pulpit which feature the preaching of G. Campbell Morgan.  Slowly and surely I intend to read through the thousands of pages still unread in my library. I read a passage this morning I thought was very beneficial.  G. Campbell Morgan was preaching on the conversation of Jesus Christ with two distraught, disillusioned disciples on the road to Emmaus.  It is my pleasure to share a p...

" After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest ." Nehemiah 3:20 As I read the Bible this morning, this verse stood out from all the others.  Thirty-one times in chapter 3 of Nehemiah (KJV), children of Israel are named as ones who laboured to "repair" Jerusalem.  The wall had been broken down, the gates were burnt with fire, and the city had been desolate for a long time.  What grabbed my attention is that Baruch was the only one with a descriptive word included to show how he repaired:  " earnestly ."  The NKJV translates the word "carefully," but it is not as close a translation as the KJV in this instance. I wondered, what did Baruch do that distinguished him from all the rest?  Many repaired the city, but Baruch repaired earnestly.  The transliteration of the original Hebrew is "hara," and this is the only time in scriptu...