Marching Forth!

I love it when reading scripture casts new light on old truths.  I was raised in a Calvary Chapel in the '80's, a time when the rapture of the church and the coming of Jesus Christ was often discussed.  As I child I would hears adults say things like, "God knows everyone that will be saved.  When the gospel is shared with the last person and they make a decision for Christ, it will swing into motion the end time events we read about in scripture.  Won't that be amazing?"  It was an interesting thought, but one I didn't ponder much.  This viewpoint may encourage some people to spread the gospel.  Throughout my life, however, this has never been my personal impetus for sharing Christ with those who are lost. The fact is, Jesus will someday return to set up His kingdom on earth.  I believe we are living in the last days, and the catching up of the church is not far off.  But the other day I read something in Revelation that floored me, a twist...

I am convinced that we often assume we are walking in faith when we haven't even taken a genuine step.  It is so easy for us to walk by sight, trusting our eyes or even our gut over relying wholly upon God for direction and preservation.  Putting on a parachute requires no faith:  it is the jump from the deadly height that is the first step of faith in a parachute.  To me faith in God looks and feels at times more like leaping out of a plane without a parachute with only His hands to catch us.  We step out in faith when He is our only recourse, strength, and salvation. The scriptures reveal times where people came to a place when they had no choice but to trust God.  If we have not been uncomfortable to do what God says, then we must wonder if we have ever walked in faith!  The flesh despises the path of faith, but there is nothing better for the soul.  Jacob was forced to walk by faith.  He was a man who trusted in God and taught his chil...

The cliche goes, " The bigger they are, the harder they fall ."  It is not a question of whether people fall:  sooner or later everyone falls.  The more well-known a person is, the bigger the media splash will be.  When Jesus came to earth as Immanuel - God made flesh - He came to a fallen world.  He came to a world cursed by sin and death.  Eight days after His birth to Joseph and the virgin Mary, they brought Him to the temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised and to give a sacrifice according to the law.  A just and devout man named Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit to be in the temple at that time.  After taking Jesus in His arms and praising God, Luke 2:34-35 says " Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed...

When I think of someone in charge on a jobsite, I don't think of the men wearing the tools.  What comes to mind is a man wearing a suit and tie, glossy hardhat on his head without a single scratch or sticker, and carrying a tablet.  The boss of the bosses is not paid to swing a hammer, sweat in the sun, or personally install the product:  his role is to make sure the job is manned, coordinated, and completed.  He has assistants who aid him with everything including making copies, proofreading, orders, mailing, cleaning and even picking up lunch.  His time is always at a premium, and it is a waste of valuable company time for him to do menial duties. God's picture of leadership is quite different from what we see modeled in the world.  Jesus explained this to His disciples in Mark 9:35 :  " And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all ."  The greatest in God's ki...

A mate and I woke early and headed out for some fishing off a pier at Como, a picturesque spot.  Boats were docked to the left, and a large swimming area with the perimeter secured with a shark net was to the right.  A public pool, park, clean toilets, and a cafe were all close by.  As we spent the morning fishing, many people brought their dogs to the swimming area and let them splash around.  On my way to the toilet I found this sign on the pier most amusing. It does not take a genius to see that the sign had been tampered with!  Obviously the sign was provided with the intent to prohibit dogs using the swimming area.  Someone who disagreed with the council decision to prohibit dogs spent much time and energy carefully scratching out the red line which once stretched over the dog pictured.  What was intended to keep dogs out of the area could now be used as an encouragement!  The absence of the red line eases the conscience of those who bri...

" They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes ." Revelation 7:16-17 It's hard to imagine living without hunger or thirst.  Because our bodies need food and water for survival, we have been created to desire what we need.  After the fall of Adam and sin passed to all men, our desires have been tainted by sin.  Instead of drinking for the health of the body we have descended into drunkenness, and our appetites have led us to gluttony and all manner of excess.  Even though it is not a sin to eat or drink, after we are glorified in heaven we will no longer hunger or thirst.  We will be able to eat and drink but it will be voluntarily, not out of necessity. When God created man, He created man without sin.  Yet in His wisdom, God saw f...

We've been experiencing record-breaking heat in Sydney of late.  Last Friday the Sydney CBD went over 45 degrees Celsius!  The hot breeze fueled over 100 fires throughout New South Wales that burned simultaneously.  We are seeing temperatures hotter than ever recorded in Australia.  After one of our hot days, during my nightly reading I came to this passage in Revelation 7:16 which ministered to me on multiple levels:  " They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat... "  The Bible tells us that after the final judgment the heavens and earth will pass away.  God will create a new heavens and new earth with no need for the sun.  Revelation 21:23 says of the heavenly New Jerusalem, " The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light ."  Jesus is and will forever be the light of the world. On earth, it is understood that...

I started reading Spiritual Depression by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones today, a collection of his sermons preached on causes and cures of depression from a biblical perspective.  He has a lot of good insight on a tricky topic.  One thing I read today that I found especially relevant and wise is this:  " You must be made miserable before you can know true Christian joy.  Indeed the real trouble with the miserable Christian is that he has never been truly made miserable because of conviction of sin.  He has by-passed the essential preliminary to joy, he has been assuming something that he has no right to assume ." (Spiritual Depression, Lloyd-Jones, pg. 28)  So true. It is safe to say that everyone in their lives will face degrees of misery over seasons of their lives.  Some might be due to a troubling event or a physical illness.  This misery can range from an itchy sunburn to the death of a loved one, a breakup or even losing a valued possession....

Days after returning from Cambodia, I am now in my second full day of being the guest speaker at Camp Kedron, a holiday camp for primary students years 3 to 6 with a strong Christian emphasis.  Today the kids and leaders have gone on an excursion to a local beach, and it is the perfect opportunity to catch up with email and prepare future messages.  It has already been a huge blessing and a lot of fun.  The leaders and directors put in so much effort with amazing activities and seek to make every kid feel included. One of my favourite times has been the discussion groups after main sessions.  During those times each cabin groups meets together and everyone is invited to talk about the session, God, or about life in general.  I sneak in like a "fly-on-the-wall" to take in the discussion and contribute if appropriate.  There have been many excellent, honest questions among the smattering of chaff.  God has placed an incredible, almost insatiable desire...

Below are excerpts from a journal entry I wrote the evening after touring the notorious S21 in Phnom Penh, a school the Khmer Rouge turned into a facility of torture and imprisonment. Cambodia:  a nation which still lies under the shadow of brutal, systematic torture and murder of her own children.  As I saw hundreds of faces photographed during their imprisonment in S21, one cannot help but be haunted by their vacant, expressionless, almost soulless faces.  The only thing is, their souls were still there.  Their eyes had beheld tortures no created being should see or imagine.  They were unfeeling eyes, detached.  Their ears had heard the screams of the tortured and the dying.  The mind had ample time to play, making every waking moment an exercise in psychological torture and oppression.  When it was inevitably your turn - when it was happening to you - it made even less sense.  Tears were punishable by more pain. What of the ki...

" And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them ." Hebrews 11:15-16 Abraham was a man God called out of his own country as he walked by faith, not by sight.  He had no problems with giving Lot first choice of the land.  While Lot lifted and fixed his eyes upon the lush greenery towards Sodom, Abraham only looked to God for security, provision, and life.  Abraham did not continually remind himself of the country God brought him out of.  Should he have done so, the writer of Hebrews tells us he would have had opportunity to return.  But Abraham desired more than land:  he longed for the presence of God in a heavenly country, As I was growing up, one of the songs I remember often sung at baptisms goes, "I have decided to foll...

Yesterday I returned to Sydney after a mission trip to Cambodia.  It was an incredible blessing and an unforgettable experience.  In many ways I am still decompressing as I sort through the trip in my mind as I look through the pictures I took.  God provided bountifully and protected the entire team.  Though I am a foreigner in Australia, I do not always feel like one.  In Cambodia, I almost always felt like a foreigner!  From the moment pastor Hung drove our team from the airport, it was like being in another world.  The variety of sights and smells are more than I could possibly do justice through recounting.  I have returned from Cambodia not only rich in experiences, but also with new friendships with members of our team, translators, and missionaries who live in Cambodia. People are people wherever you go.  But the biggest difference I noticed from countries I have lived in and Cambodia is how much effort is required for survival....