Marching Forth!

Back in the '90's, the unfortunate term "deadbeat dads" came into vogue to define dads who didn't rise to the subjective expectation of what a dad should be.  Dads who refused to pay child support, denied they even had a child, or shirked their responsibility to raise their children in the eyes of their ex-wives, girlfriends, or the courts, were labeled as such.  Now I read the politically-correct revised term is "deadbeat parent."  Whether it is dad or mum who chooses to neglect the God-given privilege and responsibility to raise their children, the kids are the biggest losers. I have lately been thinking about my responsibility to disciple my own children, striving to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the LORD.  Kids need more than food, water, love, and affirmation from their parents; they need much more than quality time, holidays, recreation, schooling, sport, social interaction, and a bed to sleep in.  Jesus said that man shall not live...

Humans have a tendency to focus on the wrong things.  Sometimes it requires a near-death experience before we realise our priorities in life are skewed.  It takes losing something to appreciate what we had.  In the Bible we see this same shortsightedness demonstrated.  2 Chronicles 16:12 documents the case of king Asa:  " And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians ."  God is the one who heals, but Asa looked instead to men God had given wisdom and understanding.  When Peter was called by Christ to step out of the boat and onto the Sea of Galilee, he took his eyes off of Jesus and instead focused on the waves and was filled with fear.  Even the crippled man who lay by the pool in Bethesda didn't recognize the power of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  When Jesus asked him if he wanted to be well, listen to his answer in John...

" For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin ." Ecclesiastes 7:20 History is littered with examples of well-intentioned people who believed they could create utopia, a sort of "heaven on earth."  I find the definition of "utopian" in Webster's 1828 edition to be most revealing:  " ideal; chimerical, fanciful; not well founded ."  There is no possible way to usher in utopia through force.  Governments and religious groups who have attempted this have only ended in death and disaster.  Utopia cannot be obtained through any human means, for all humans are flawed and fail.  Even when we obtain the thing our heart desires, we become dissatisfied.  King Solomon personally understood this fact:   Ecclesiastes 5:10 reads, " He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity ." Education is not the answer for our ills.  If they were honest, mo...

When our family lived in the USA in 2005, our family hosted a Chinese student who brought us some hand-picked green tea as a gift.  For me, that is what put loose tea on the map.  I would wake up early, put the kettle on, and drop about 10 tiny green balls of dried leaves in the bottom of my mug.  As I poured in the hot water, the dark green leaves floated to the top and slowly unfurled.  It always amazed me how big the leaves would grow, kind of like those tiny plastic dinosaur toys which absorb water and grow large.  It wasn't long before I had finished the tea.  I was never able to find the same brand or type of loose tea again, much to my disappointment. This week our family went to a meal at a friend's house and I was offered a cylinder of unwanted tea our hosts had received as a door prize at a company gathering.  My eyes lit up as I examined the tea.  "It's supposedly good quality, but we won't drink it," I was told.  The red tin had...

" Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it ."   Proverbs 22:6 Those God has blessed with children have the important responsibility to train our children to serve, honour, and worship God.  We cannot relegate the meaning of training to only include what pertains to this temporal life, like household chores, manners, social behaviour, or instilling a good work ethic.  Deuteronomy 6:6-8 explains that teaching children of God through His Word and modeling worship of God is the primary role of parents, contrary to what many believe today:   " And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes ."  God delivered His Word so we might know...

While watching the Australian Open on television yesterday, several times an ad to promote the new season of "The Biggest Loser" (Australia edition) was shown.  A woman spoke of how she needed to love herself and be self-confident before she could be a contributor to a loving relationship.  After the woman tipped the scales at over 150 kilos, shame was evident on her face when she saw her weight revealed in large digital numbers for all to see.  "Sorry Mum," she said sadly, embarrassed for her mum as much as herself. I have started working through the Biblical Counseling Foundation's Self-Confrontation manual of late.  Part of the role of the manual is to lay the foundation for a biblical world view through scripture.  One of the rhetorical questions asked in the preface is, " Don't I have to learn to love myself before I can love others ?"  The conclusion is terse and shocking for those who would answer in the affirmative:  " Questions lik...

I've been thinking about the mutually beneficial relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.  A shepherd is not motivated about what is best for himself, but what is best for the sheep.  It is in his best interest to provide safe pasture, free from noxious weeds and potential predators.  The shepherd will seek clean, slow moving water for the sheep to drink.  He will apply medicine to infections, rising up early and staying out late.  A good shepherd puts the needs of the sheep over his own.  He does not labour to manage the flock because it is convenient.  If he tends the sheep with care for their safety and health in mind, they will yield valuable wool in good time. Romans 8:28 says, " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose ."  Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and Christians are sheep of His flock.  All things the Good Shepherd allows in our lives will ...

Today I mowed the lawn front and back.  As I wheeled the bin over to the middle of the front yard, I noticed a snail in the driveway with a freshly cracked shell.  Feeling bad for the little guy struggling for life, I moved him off to the side.  I must have accidentally damaged the shell as I focused on filling the tank with petrol, priming and starting the mower, and cutting the grass.  After the job was done I walked by the area where I placed the snail.  Some ants found him and were very excited.  I was actually sad. This kind of thing can happen all the time, and not only with snails.  We can hurt other people without intending to be malicious.  We can be so focused on the job at hand that we don't notice when we trample on feelings with harsh or careless words.  Damage can be done that we never even see.  When feelings are hurt, there are often two parties involved.  Early in my Christian walk, I was more on the stomping end....

It is amazing how God reveals more of Himself to us every day by His grace.  This week the Holy Spirit has opened my eyes to the life of Jesus as never before.  On Sunday mornings at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we have been studying the Gospel of Mark.  For weeks we have been building up to the crucifixion of Jesus.  If last week you were to ask me what passages I associate with the grief and suffering of Christ, several portions of scripture come to mind.  I would have considered the moment when Jesus wept over Jerusalem, grieved that His chosen people were unwilling to be loved by Him.  I would have cited the moment when Jesus laid down His will in Gethsemane, and when He experienced betrayal, torture, and suffered at the hands of merciless, hateful men.  I would have thought about Christ being separated from God on the cross by the sins of the world when He cried out in a loud voice, " My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ?" This week God has shown...

I have been blessed and challenged through the reading of They Found the Secret by V. Raymond Edman.  Chapter 18 speaks of the yielded and consecrated life of Walter L.Wilson.  Like all people, Dr. Wilson was not always yielded to the Holy Spirit.  Edman relates how Dr. Wilson lived a Christian life for many years independent of the Holy Spirit's power.  His concern was that any focus on the Holy Spirit would reduce the glory of Jesus Christ.  Yet we read in scripture that the Holy Spirit will not glorify Himself but magnify Christ.  Jesus says in John 16:12-16 :  " I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Fat...

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 ...