Marching Forth!

After writing a post of the necessity for a "hands on" approach to Christianity, I decided it would be important to develop the concept a little further.  While "hands on" training is important for honing skills in a trade, the work done in the classroom is not necessarily what you will face in the field.  In fact, it is safe to assume the work done in a classroom will always be different than the field!  The concepts could be applied, but the differences are many.  The level of fitness required to be a mechanical insulator (potentially climbing up and down a 10 foot ladder hundreds of times in a day, for instance) is not addressed in the confines of a classroom.  In a classroom, the material needed for the job is on hand.  Specialised tools are easily accessible to fabricate metal.  Pipes and vessels in class are not energised, unlike in the field when repairs need to be made on "live" steam pipes.  In class therefore, no care is required to avoi...

Something I've been mulling over lately is the value of "hands on" experience.  When I was in training to be a journeyman mechanical insulator, my classes were broken into two basic parts:  book work and hands on.  We spent a good deal of time learning about hydronic systems, four and three pipe systems, chillers, boilers, and identifying what pipes or surfaces required insulation.  A bit dry at times, but valuable information.  But hitting the books did nothing to develop the eye, hands, or gain any practical experience of actually doing the work.  Hands on training was the primary part of our training so we could familiarise ourselves with layouts, cutting styrene, metal jacketing, fiberglass cloth, and rubber.  The high quality our teachers required was obtainable only after much practice, repetition, and the development of learned skills. In the church today, I think the tendency is to have things backwards.  In my view, there is a real poss...

" Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan 2 (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), 3 namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath ." Judges 3:1-3 When the people of Israel neglected to drive out the inhabitants of the land according to God's command, He allowed the people to remain to test the Israelites.  In Judges 2:22 God revealed one purpose why He allowed the nations to remain:   "... So that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not ."  By allowing nations that did not fear God to remain, He effectively provided His people a choice.  The Isr...

I learned a new word today:  nimby.  It means, "Not in my backyard!"  It reminded me of something I've been thinking of lately.  The messages at Calvary Chapel Sydney lately have compelled me to do some personal examination and inventory.  As a parent or leader, we are to be circumspect in our conduct and that of our children.  There is always the potential that we will be personally offended when kids we are supervising (especially our own!) fall into destructive or sinful behaviour.  We can forget that we too are imperfect, and sin ultimately is not against us but God. It has been revealed to me by God that I tend towards a "nimby" or "Not on my watch!" mentality.  When we make the struggles of others focused on primarily how they affect us, we have ceased to walk in love.  If I grit my teeth in frustration because of the inconvenience of an internet filter installed for the safety of my children, I am walking in selfishness - not love. ...

We are living in a day when point of view is king.  People see what they want to see, and hear what they want to hear.  The internet has transformed the way we view information, a place where we decide whether the information is credible or not.  If you disagree with the "facts" presented, it can be explained away as irrelevant propaganda - despite any research or support for the view.  Whether it is news being reported on TV, books, magazine articles, or blogs, there seems to be a constant and growing suspicion of an underlying personal bias or political agenda.  We may not even notice that the one with the bias could be ourselves!  I wrote more on this point in a previous post in titled, " Particularized Trust ."  The field has been leveled to such a degree that a claim substantiated from 20 years of research can be instantly debunked by a web surfer who doesn't know a test tube from a beaker. I recognise this blog is one among hundreds of millions...

Some people say their primary hindrance to sharing their faith in Christ is a lack of knowledge.  Faced with the prospect of arguments they do not feel equipped to answer, sharing Christian beliefs with others may appear a daunting task.  It is important to recognise Christianity is more than facts but a real relationship with God.  If we have Christ we can share Christ, even if we do not have the academic background to match others.  Knowledge is valuable and reasonable, and for Christianity it is an imperative.  Our minds are convinced of the truth by evidence in scripture.  Our hearts are moved to receive the truth, and our will responds to walk according to it.  These three things in that order - the mind, heart, and will - must unite together to be born again by grace through faith. Facts are like keys, but we must realise only God can fit them into a locked mind and turn them to open the understanding of an unbeliever.  That is why facts a...

I've been thinking lately about the parable Jesus told about the "Good Samaritan."  When tested by a man who sought to justify himself by asking, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus told a story about a man traveling the road to Jericho who fell among thieves.  He was beaten, robbed, stripped, and left for dead.  A priest who walked by ignored his plight, as well as a Levite who passed by on the other side.  It was the Samaritan, a man hailing from a group of people despised by the Jews, who showed compassion on the man when he stopped, lifted him from the ground, anointed his wounds, and took him to an inn so he might recover - all at his own expense. Perhaps it is more ironic still that Christ alludes to Himself through the care of the foreign Samaritan who helped the wounded man.  Jesus has done for us far more than the Samaritan in the story did for the wounded man.  Jesus was despised and rejected by His own.  He revealed love and compassion for all peo...

" Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: "How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you ?" Joshua 18:3 God had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the Land of Promise.  He also provided victory as the people drove out the inhabitants of the land.  The tabernacle had been set up in Shiloh, and the land was subdued before the people.  But a point came when 7 of the 12 tribes had not yet entered the land God intended His people to dwell in as their inheritance.  Joshua rebuked the people for their slackness.  The words of Joshua in verse 3 in the KJV read, " How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you ?"  The word "slack" in the Hebrew means, " abate, cease, fail, wax feeble, forsake, idle, let alone ."  Once the people became established in the land, they seemed to lose the moti...

Long before I became a resident of Australia, there has been an ongoing debate concerning how to handle the boats of refugees and "asylum seekers."  There are differences between these groups, though the terms are often used interchangeably.  Similar to where I lived previously in Southern California where drug trafficking and people smuggling are ongoing issues, the position of Australia provides unique challenges.  Having little practical knowledge of the conditions which have evolved over the decades to bring us to this point, I have no unique insight or authority to even suggest a solution.  It seems unlikely that a single action or policy will make the "problem" of people smuggling go away.  Even this term is a misnomer, because these profiteering smugglers are the ones who are bringing desperate refugees or asylum seekers.  Those who feel they have no where else to flee will do anything to save themselves, their family, and seek a future in Australi...

The tendency in all people is to look to the wrong things for salvation.  Even people of faith in God can be duped at times into placing too much trust in things and people other than God.  The illustration in the life of Peter on the Sea of Galilee when he took his eyes off Christ, overwhelmed by the storm's wind and waves, is a fitting one.  Whether I read the news from my home State of California, or watch debates and news concerning the approaching election in Australia, the focus is on the same sort of things:  economics, health care, and social justice issues.  The expectation on the government to "fix things" is misplaced, seeing the government has had much influence to bring us to where we are.  You might as well shout at a lost man with a megaphone and demand he find his way without a map or have 100 million people sign a petition if you want - but that will not bring his wandering to an end. C.S. Lewis wrote, " If tribulation is a necessary elem...

I suppose there is a first and last time for everything, and hopefully I ticked both boxes yesterday with a law mower "mishap."  During all the time I have mowed lawns since my youth, I have only had two incidents to report.  One of them was when I pressed my knee into the hot muffler (which cost me a little skin!) and my second came yesterday.  I was wrestling with a rusty gate whilst reaching over the running mower.  When I pushed against the resistance with my right, my left hand which held the handle pushed down slightly.  The momentum of my body went forward, and my right boot slid barely under the whirring blades.  Before you could say "jack rabbit" I heard a strange noise, then instantly sensed a vibration, and found the blades had contacted the toe of my boot.  Here's the result: I was a bit annoyed by my careless stupidity, but the feeling was quickly swallowed up with thankfulness that I still had my toes!  I can't vouch that the bo...

I've been thinking lately how the word "consequences" typically carries with it a negative connotation.  Very rarely is the word used to convey something desirable.  If we talked about the consequences of sin, it would almost seem a stretch to find anything good from sinning against God. Last Sunday at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we examined the passage in 2 Samuel 12 when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin:  the murder of Uriah the Hittite and the theft of his wife.  God makes it clear that the core of sin is not human weakness or indiscretion, but stems from the hatred of God.  The prophet spoke for God in 2 Samuel 12:10 :  " Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife ."  David had done a horrible thing in sinning against God.  Yet when confronted with his sin, David owned it, confessed without reservation, and repente...

The book of Joshua tracks the path of the Israelite's entry and conquest of the Promised Land.  God gave His people the land, and He called them to drive out or destroy all the inhabitants of the land.  They were forbidden to make a league with the inhabitants of Canaan.  When the people who lived in Canaan heard about how the children of Israel crossed over Jordan on dry ground and the fall of mighty Jericho through the power of their God, they were afraid.  They gathered together to fight against Israel in battle.  The people of Gibeon, however, took a different tack.  They cleverly disguised themselves as foreign ambassadors who had been on a long journey, having heard of the might of Israel and their God.  To add credence to their story, when questioned they appealed to their appearance.  Joshua 9:12-14 says, " This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and mo...

When Jesus sent out His disciples into the harvest, He told them not to bring any supplies.  In doing so, He was teaching them to walk by faith in God.  Even as God provided for the children of Israel in the wilderness and the birds of the air, He would supply their every need.  Before Jesus went to the cross Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 22:35-36:  " When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." 36 Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one ."  There is nothing wrong with wisely preparing as we follow Christ on our journey wherever He leads.  Often the securing of financial pledges or support is a means of missionaries and ministries discerning the legitimacy of a call upon a  prospective missionary before leaving for a field.  But let me say this:  fundra...

Today my thoughts were arrested by a passage of scripture.  The Israelites had been brought over Jordan on dry ground after 40 years in the wilderness.  In obedience to God's command, they walked around the city of Jericho once a day without speaking for six days.  The seventh day they walked around the city seven times, and at the sound of the priest's trumpets they were to shout because God had given them the city.  Joshua commanded the people in Joshua 6:18-19 :  " And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD ." This is most interesting.  The men of Israel were warned not to take any of the accursed things, let a curse rest upon them and the entire camp be troubled.  The next verse...

The Bible predicts that this universe and earth will someday pass away.  It is not even bold to say it will not be man's doing.  Man has corrupted the earth with sin and violence, but man does not have the power to vaporise the earth.  Even if the nuclear arsenals of the world were detonated, the world would remain.  How can I be so sure?  Because the Word of God makes it clear that it will be God's doing.  The God who spoke the world into existence from nothing also has the power to make it into nothing with His Word alone.  Jesus says in Luke 21:33 , " Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away ."  No power devised by man, no scheme of Satan, and not even the violence of Armageddon will fully destroy this earth created by God.  God created it, and God will someday destroy it.  The good thing is God will create a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.  All who repent and are born again t...

This Sunday after 3pm I lay down for a little sleep.  I had not been laying there ten minutes when I heard a loud, "Shave and a Haircut - two bits!" knock on the glass by the front door.  "Now who could that possibly be?" I thought to myself as I creaked to my feet.  I walked down the stairs hoping it would be someone that I knew.  It wasn't.  It's an experience I've had far too often for my liking, even after placing a sticker which asks politely for salespeople to refrain from knocking.  The second I cracked the door the nice young lady wouldn't stop talking, briskly showing me her wares, and inquiring about my interest in her paintings.  She was a bit put-off when I was able to break in a minute later and say, "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested."  She kept talking even after I closed the door. I have to say, I really struggle when people come to my door to sell me things.  If I wanted to change my electricity provider, I would...

Here's an interesting thought for consideration.  Perhaps you have wondered how the punishment of eternity in hell is a fitting penalty for a sin committed on earth.  One sin to us doesn't seem like such an awful thing.  Everyone sins, so it must not be that bad, right?  But consider the perspective of the eternal God, the Judge of All.  Because He operates outside the confines of time, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years a day.  A sin committed on earth is not a single moment from God's perspective outside of time:  it is an eternity.  It is therefore just and reasonable sin be punished eternally. C.S. Lewis wrote, " We have s strange illusion that mere time cancels sin.  I have heard others, and I have heard myself, recounting cruelties and falsehoods committed in boyhood as if they were no concern of the present speaker's, and even with laughter.  But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a si...