Marching Forth!

It occurred to me how seldom I have seen people actually desperate to be saved.  In the Bible there are grave warnings given concerning those who have done wrong.  Ezekiel 18:20 bluntly states, " The soul that sinneth, it shall die ."  The death spoken of here is not merely a physical death, but a spiritual death spent in eternal torment separate from God.  I have great concern that this warning is either not being given, people don't really believe it is true or could care less.  Most people are more worried about being stuck in traffic, their car breaking down or losing their mobile phone than going to hell.  Something is very wrong with that picture. Are people any less desperate now than they used to be?  I don't think so.  We are so desensitised to death from TV and movies that when we see it for real we don't know how to respond.  There are also more distractions in our lives than ever to keep us from thinking about the things of ete...

The Bible is an utterly awesome book in every respect.  I feel humbled and privileged every time I open God's Word and explore the limitless storehouses of wisdom contained therein.  It is not just history, poetry, dialogue, and hard-hitting action:  it is the primary means of God speaking to us as we are led by the Holy Spirit.  Every word of it is pure, powerful, and relevant to the struggles and questions we have today.  For a high daily percentage of the last 30 years of my life, I have read the Bible.  The lustre of its truth has not dimmed, nor the depth of the riches of wisdom.  Through it God is revealed to man, and man is shown his great need for a Saviour and King. When I was young, I used to report weekly at church to my friend Evan all the juicy tidbits I found.  I loved reading the book of Judges most of all.  Some of the historical accounts are quite graphic in detail.  One of my favorites was when Ehud gutted King Eglon ...

" A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment ." Proverbs 18:1 Because of sin, a man is naturally separated from the holy and righteous God who created him.  Adam rebelled from God and chose to go his own way, the way of disobedience and death.  Even as sin has passed to all men and death through sin, God has provided the opportunity for eternal life for all through Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 2:13-18 explains, " But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came...

There's a saying that goes, "Don't sweat the small stuff."  It is important that as we journey through this life we align our perspective with God's.  What the world sees as insignificant God views with utmost importance.  The opposite is also true:  the things the world cites as paramount are not crucial in God's eyes.  While the world is focused on outer appearances, God looks upon the heart.  Many people make riches, earthly security, and physical gratification their aim.  Instead Jesus says to " seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness " and He will meet all our needs. Discipline in seemingly small matters speak volumes concerning our true condition.  I am convinced that when it comes to matters of the heart, even seemingly small things have enormous implications.  If we do not show ourselves faithful in little things, why should God commit greater responsibility to us?  Jesus says in Luke 16:10-12 :  " He who is fa...

This past week I had the opportunity to spend some time fishing at Lake Jindabyne and Lake Lyell.  A friend and I drove about six hours southwest from Sydney to Jindabyne.  The weather was brisk and mostly very good.  One thing that struck me is how fast a clear day can change to overcast, or how a choppy surface can quickly become like glass.  I took this photo from the bank of Lake Jindabyne, and I assure you it does not do the breathtaking beauty of the scene justice.  After several days we packed up and drove six hours north to Lake Lyell, about two hours west of my home.  As we walked around the lake looking for a good spot we came across a couple full grown kangaroos.  I was almost right on top of one before it moved.  The beauty of this place was equally striking. Since it is still early spring, the water was quite cold.  I expect when the water warms up the fishing will too.  Not too many fisherman were out on the lak...

As I read the Bible before bed last night, I came across Joel 3:14 :  " Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision ."  How true it is, I mused to myself, that the valley is the place of decision.  The place of decision is not the mountain peak or the plain:  it is in the valley.  When we are at a low point every man must decide what he will do:  dig a grave and lie down in it, or decide to follow Jesus to a higher plane.  He stands at the right hand of the Father and bids us join Him.  Every man is in the valley of decision, and the day of the LORD is near. When everything is going smoothly in our lives we are happy to just keep plugging away.  But when disaster strikes, the fiery trial brings us low, or the depression begins to take hold, we are in that all-too-familiar valley of decision:  should we remain in the valley or climb out of it in God's strength?  There ...

Next week I plan to head down with a friend to Jindabyne.  It will be our first time ever visiting the snowy mountains.  While I am not too interested in the "snowy" bit, I am looking forward to fishing and having a little break from the normal routine.  It's amazing how much preparation goes into planning even a short trip to be a success:  accommodation must be booked, fishing gear prepared, planning for the weather conditions with clothing and boots, buying food, sorting out activities, and on.  It's like a full-time job trying to prepare yourself to not be on the job!  Perhaps a little bit of my American self is showing through:  planning a getaway is so much work it is a relaxing thought to stay at home, go back to work Monday, and forget the whole thing! All this preparation has me thinking:  with all the prior planning necessary for a short holiday or vacation, how can it be that people think no preparation is necessary for eternity?...

How important it is to place your trust in God!  Many people rely upon things that are not God and have no power to save.  Even we Christians can be deceived or deluded into trusting in an arm of flesh when only Christ can deliver us.  Daniel was a man who trusted in God.  Because God was with him, he had been highly promoted in both the Babylonian and Medea-Persian empires.  There were high-ranking men in the Medea-Persian empire who were envious of Daniel and sought to kill him.  Through treachery, they passed a law that prohibited anyone from praying to anyone but King Darius.  Daniel, being a devout and faithful man, was unmoved by the law.  He continued to openly pray as he always did three times daily.  Thus he was found guilty of breaking the law, and King Darius reluctantly sentenced him to be thrown to the lions.  He said to Daniel when they parted in Daniel 6:16 , " Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you ." ...

Late this morning I took my wife Laura and my sons Zed and Abel to the Sydney International Airport.  For some time now they have been looking forward to this return visit to the United States.  It was on 5 January, 2010 when our family moved to Sydney.  Since relocating to Australia we have been blessed to host both my in-laws and parents, pastors, a family friend, and even a young man we had never met before!  So now Laura and the boys are able to be visitors and spend time with family and friends.  We praise God for the prayer and monthly financial support, and this trip was made possible through a special gift for that purpose.  We thank God for His provision and faithfulness towards us, and many people have been the conduits of that blessing. It's a strange feeling, sending the family away with a few bags while I stay home.  Almost every other time we head to the airport it has been the other way around - me leaving and the family staying behind...

I am in the middle of reading Kokoda by Paul Ham, a comprehensive overview of the Australian involvement in New Guinea during World War II.  Facing obstacles of all kinds, the Japanese, Australians, and native carriers braved unthinkable suffering from the boggy jungle, difficult terrain, disease, and starvation - not to mention fighting a war through it all.  One common problem which plagued both sides was the inability to adequately supply the fighting men.  The Allies had control over the air and employed transport planes the Aussie troops nicknamed "biscuit bombers" to supply the troops.  But there was a huge logistical problem:  most of the time parachutes were not used and the contents of the drop were severely damaged or rendered unusable.  Sometimes mortars would fuse from the impact and later detonate in the tubes, killing the Aussies who tried to use them. Ham writes concerning the "biscuit bombers" on page 337:  " Radio signals were meant...

Anyone who has read the Bible thoughtfully at times will wonder, "What does that mean?"  I must admit, when I was younger I would plow through chapters without even thinking!  But times of quality, prayerful reading trumps quantity every time.  We should open the word with a humble heart seeking to learn from God.  It is good for us to read again and consider even well-trod passages, for within them many priceless gems are hidden.  Sometimes our questions generated from a text are clearly answered later in the text if we would only keep reading.  Last night was one of those times, when reading a little further clarified with precision what Jesus meant. As I read John 15 , I came to verse 9 :  " As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love ."  I stopped there and asked my family, "What does Jesus mean that we are to "abide" in His love?  How do we do that?"  Blank looks from my sons made it evident they had no idea w...

" Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ ." 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 If I was asked for a prayer request of late, these verses convey it well.  Clear and concise, these words sum up my desire to walk worthy of God for His glory.  My heart is also in agreement with verse 10 because I desire for Christ ".. .to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. "  Man loves to be admired, but as a Christian I desire that Christ be admired in me.  Any admirable qualities I possess I do only by God's grace, for within my flesh no good thing dwells. I do pray that God would count me worthy of this calling, that I wo...

I recently acquired a copy of a C.S. Lewis book I had never heard of:  The Pilgrim's Regress .  It is an allegorical cousin of Bunyan's classic, and I found it very interesting indeed.  As I read it cultivated in me a fresh appreciation of the literary skill and depth of thought of Lewis, and made me in turn wonder if my limited faculties have the capacity me to grasp all that he intended.  The book is honest and true.  In the preface on page 19 he writes concerning the suggestion of supplying a "key" to the allegory:  " It may encourage people to suppose that allegory is a disguise, a way of saying obscurely what could have been said more clearly.  But in fact all good allegory exists not to hide but to reveal; to make the inner world more palpable by giving it an (imagined) concrete embodiment ."  This he does immaculately, and Lewis has few rivals. I do not think it right to compare The Pilgrim's Progress to this work, and I don't believe C....

Yesterday morning God prompted me to go on an early morning walk.  I woke up with expectancy, believing God would teach me something.  It was chilly and dark as I set out around 5:30am.  Every time I stepped on my right foot, I winced because of sharp pain.  The day before I had strained or sprained part of my foot, perhaps while lifting weights.  It made walking very difficult without a pronounced hobble.  But I gritted my teeth and kept on, thinking the foot simply needed to be stretched out.  The pain was still there.  It grew to the point of being almost unbearable.  "I don't know that I can do this," I said to God.  Because walking hurt, I didn't feel like doing it.  I could only maintain a decent pace with great effort. It was in this moment that it dawned on me.  Following Jesus isn't easy.  In fact, the Christian walk can sometimes be downright painful.  In the painful moments we face the temptation to quit....

Ever since custodial duties were part of my job, my eyes are drawn to things many don't notice.  I would find myself wiping down sinks, mirrors, and toilets without even thinking.  Having a background in construction only adds to my unique observations.  I suppose even how Jason Bourne in the "Bourne" films was able to instantly observe intricate details of people in the room, places to hide a gun, and exit routes, I walk into a room and I'm quickly looking at carpet, the condition of the wax, the brush marks in the casing paint, and that a few florescent tubes are dead.  Instead of thinking about how to kill people or survive, I am constantly thinking about how things can be cleaned, fixed, or improved.  It's far safer and a much more wholesome lifestyle than being an assassin! Cleaning tile or carpet is kind of like a new haircut:  only a few people will notice it without prompting.  And when they do, it will be two or three weeks after the fact!...