Marching Forth!

Are there things other people do which you find troubling?  I am not speaking about something annoying or illegal, but actions, attitudes, tone, or behaviour you judge as wrong?  There are things we see easily in others they do not seem to notice.  All people have a tendency to size up others according to our own personal convictions or opinions.  There are few things easier than finding fault with others, seeing as there is no one who is faultless! God is an amazing redeemer of lost sinners.  Repenting and trusting in Christ does not mean we are suddenly perfect in thought, word, or deed.  The trouble is, having our eyes opened to the truth of God's Word suddenly shines light into all areas of darkness in our lives.  This can lead to people saved by grace through faith condemning others for their faults, real or imagined.  It is good for Christians to remember we will each answer for ourselves before God.  We will have to account for vers...

Contentment in all circumstances is possible through faith in Christ ( Philippians 4:11 ).  To be content is to enjoy a state of peaceful happiness and satisfaction.  We are given the capacity for contentment through being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.  Paul learned in all situations to be content, and therefore we too can and should embrace this learning as well.  Being content begins with knowledge of God's perfect character and confidence in His goodness towards us as His children.  We are to lay aside all fleshly ambition and any worldly sense of entitlement, and refuse to compare ourselves with others.  Recognising all we have is a gracious gift from God and thanking Him for all things is also key. There are many instructive examples from the scriptures which provide insights into the pitfalls which keep us from contentment, and here are a few concerning the Israelites and their water supply - and for our purpose can represent the nece...

Christians recognise eternity is of paramount significance, seeing it is forever.  We also recognise our call by Jesus Christ to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, teaching people to observe all Jesus has commanded us.  Jesus finished Matthew 28:20 by saying, " And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age ."  The big picture of eternal salvation is very important, but the scope of Christ's sacrifice was greater than providing life after the death of our physical body:  Jesus desires to be with us always, and we should want this for everyone today.  Jesus has a new life for us to enter into daily by faith as we heed and obey Him. A choice to repent and trust in Christ should not be decided upon simply to avoid hell and secure a place in heaven - at least that alone should not be our motivation.  Hopefully our eyes have been opened to how great God is, how He has demonstrated His love for us, and that He graciously invites us...

Today I was reminded of an object lesson given to primary school children.  Two long strips of masking tape were placed about seven feet apart from one another, and all the children were made to stand on one side of the tape.  I was asked by the teacher to help with the lesson.  My role was to keep anyone from successfully jumping over the seven foot gap, and to gently pull people close to the edge inside.  After the players in the "game" were ready, he addressed the group. The object of the game was to cross from one side of the tape to the other side without touching the ground in between.  If any part of your clothes or body touched the floor in the middle, you were out of the game.  He explained that people could use whatever means they wanted to cross, and he offered to lay down so people could walk across his body to reach the other side safely.  Right away some of the athletic boys began to back up, preparing to attempt a jump to the other si...

Have you ever had something stuck in your eye?  As a kid I would always rub my eyes and they would grow red and irritated.  Over the years I learned how to remove eyelashes and other foreign bodies by flushing them out with water.  A stray eyelash is just one of many irritants life throws our way, like swarms of pesky flies or a pen which works intermittently.  Not only can we find physical problems irritating, but other people have a knack of doing just the thing we despise.  Have you ever wondered why things irritate us which don't bother others - and the fact they don't realise the awful things they do irritates us even more? The Bible reveals amazing things about us we would never realise on our own, and perhaps don't even want to know.  One of them is found in Romans 2:1 .  After writing a long list of sins common to all men, Paul wrote, " Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you con...

In every person is a desire for significance:  to be appreciated, needed, wanted, understood, listened to, and loved.  We have many ways of trying to quench this inner thirst, and one way we attempt this is through seeking recognition from others.  We have been working and slaving away, but no one seems to notice!  A simple "Thank you!" would be nice, right?  But the truth is, recognition and appreciation by others for a job well-done is a superficial fix which leaves our souls thirsty for more.  Even as our bodies can be dehydrated by activity without replenishing fluids, Christians can find themselves feeling empty even after Jesus promised us satisfying springs of living water by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the only One who can quench our thirst for love, recognition, and forgiveness.  Only Christians therefore are able to tap into this eternal source of living water and find rest for our souls.  Not only that, but through faith in Chri...

Christian catchphrases can be scriptural in basis, but understanding the biblical context is important to avoid error.  Over the years I have grown increasingly thoughtful concerning "pat" answers people commonly give.  Even the worship songs we enjoy and sing are not guaranteed to be free of dubious doctrine.  Now granted, a song is not the means to fully explain theological truth.  But we must be cautious not to place an artist's rendition on level with God's revealed truth in scripture.  Unless the song IS scripture verbatim, it is not scripture - is it? Even as songs written to praise God should not stand in isolation from scripture, neither should scripture.  God has provided the entire Bible - both the Old and New Testaments - so we might have the full counsel and wisdom of God understood by the power of the Holy Spirit.  One of the phrases I have read and sang many times for good reason is found in Romans 8:31 :  " If God is for us, who ...

This guest post has been contributed by my sister-in-law and sister-in-Christ, Jena Grisez.  The message of our need to be transparent and connected through relationship with fellow Christians resonates in me strongly.  In our western culture deeply steeped in individualism and self-sufficiency, there is a risk Christians can be influenced to worship the idol of privacy instead of exercising faith in God by allowing others to share our private lives.  Enjoy! I hate cleaning. I guess it would be more appropriate to say, “I hate scrubbing.” I like vacuuming, laundry, dishes, etc., but I can’t stand showers and wood floors. My cycle goes like this:  showers need scrubbing and I begin to notice, then the mold starts growing and I start to consider cleaning them. At some point it’s so disgusting and I’ve put it off for so long, that I begin to fear for our health and I clean them. Because I’ve let it go so long, it’s an hour long deal and I vow to wait as ...

I recently read Power in Praise by Merlin R. Carothers, and the LORD used it to speak to me.  The focus of the book is how in obedience to God's Word we must learn to thank and praise God for everything which happens in our lives, whether we perceive it as good or bad.  It occurred to me I am more apt to thank God when I am able to perceive or imagine some possible good from what God has done.  When I cannot see the good in something God has sovereignly allowed in my life, I can be so focused on trying to figure out what could be redeemed in the circumstance I neglect to praise and thank God. Romans 8:28 provides rock-solid, objective truth for the life of a Christian:  " 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 ."  IF I truly believe this to be true, then I am free to praise and thank God for everything which happens to me, knowing God will work it together for good. ...

" Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind ." 2 Timothy 1:6-7 Through the Holy Spirit, God gives spiritual gifts to His children to be exercised for the edification of the church and the glory of God.  Timothy was a faithful believer and pastor, but even he needed the exhortation from a brother to " stir up the gift of God " divinely placed within him.  His gift smoldered instead of burning with fervent and intensity.  Just like the wood in a dying fire needs to be stirred with a poker to burn hotter and brighter, Timothy needed to stir up his gift.  This phrase is ambiguous for a profitable purpose.  If a specific gift was mentioned here, it would limit Timothy's and our responsibility to remember and take intentional steps to stir up only a particular gift.  We do not know the gift, but it was a gi...

In the wake of the tragic events in Paris which unfolded over the weekend, I have heard a word repeated over and over again:  solidarity.  The word is defined in the American Heritage dictionary as, " A union of interest, purposes, or sympathies among members of a group; fellowship of responsibilities and interest ."  In a sense, those who stand in solidarity with Parisians share their shock, pain, and desire comfort all affected by the cowardly attack.  On the street one might say, "I'm feeling you.  I've got your back."  On the same street there is no shortage of opinions of what the problems in the world are or the best ways to stop them.  It is good to be united against evil, but often the common responses are anything but righteous. The world's methods of fighting are incapable of stemming the tide which threatens to wash the globe in blood.  People are divided over how to deal with the complex issues and potential threats nations and indi...

It was president JFK who famously said, " Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country ."  This self-sacrificial outlook did not originate with Mr. Kennedy, for it was Jesus who said it is more blessed to give than to receive.  In our study of Romans at Calvary Chapel Sydney, I was struck by Paul's desire to visit the Romans and his motivation for doing so.  His reasons were very different than reasons people today might have for choosing to visit or attend one church over another. In the west we have coddled an outlook fostered by capitalism and consumerism.  For instance, recently I took the boys for ice cream cones on the way home from church:  one week we went to McDonald's, and the following week we tried Hungry Jacks.  The prices for the cones were the same, but the ones at Hungry Jacks were almost twice the size!  "Now that's what I'm talking about," I said as the cones from Hungry Jacks were handed to me ...

It is in our moments of despair and heartbreak God is gracious to draw near to us and speak.  After finding the tomb empty at daybreak, despite receiving a message from an angel, Mary wept.  At that moment the risen Jesus Christ drew near to her and softly spoke her name.  Instantly she recognised Him.  Even in the Old Testament, God drew near to people who were gripped with sorrow.  One instance is when Hagar and her son Ishmael were sent out from Abraham with bread and a skin of water.  They wandered helplessly in the wilderness of Beersheba until the water was spent.  The boy was faint from thirst, and after placing him under a shrub Hagar believed he was going to die.  Her resources were spent, she was without guidance or direction, and all seemed hopeless and lost.  But with God there is always hope. Genesis 21:16-19 reads, " Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, "Let me ...

Grief and anger sometimes go together.  This connection is seen in the life of Jesus.  One of the only recorded times Jesus was angry it stemmed from grief in Mark 3:5 :  " And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other ."  Jesus was grieved, but continued to love, heal, and do good.  Though Jesus was angry because of grief over the hardness of heart in His critical observers, He remained without sin.  Feelings of anger are not sinful in themselves, but as human beings in a body of flesh nearly every time our anger remains unchecked it leads to sin. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil ."  If we are angry for selfish reasons or if we justify our continued anger, we give opportunity for additi...

" Understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? 10 He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? 11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile ." Psalm 94:8-11 When I read this scripture last night, it struck me how all things man can do are tiny glimpses of the infinite capacity and ability of God.  Man devises machines to do work he cannot do alone with pulleys, cables, engines, hydraulics, compressors, pipes, wires, and computers.  God does everything, and therefore has no need for any help.  When God created man in His own image, He created human beings which temporarily possess mere shadows of His own unique abilities.  My sense of hearing is average compared to other people, but God is able to hear all prayers with understanding at the same time.  It only takes a tiny bug, a...

" By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward ." Hebrews 11:24-27 Isn't the eternal perspective Moses maintained amazing?  He willingly chose suffering with the people of God rather than enjoying the passing pleasures of sin.  He saw reproach for God's sake - for Christ's sake - greater riches than the treasures of Egypt!  Moses had not received his heavenly reward in full when he obeyed God at great personal cost, yet faith in God enabled him to see beyond his own pains and to the goodness of God who called and empowered him. I must be honest:  my flesh never holds reproach for any reason in high esteem!  Who rejoices when others disagree and express their strong disapproval of them or ...

Faith is such an important part of our Christian life.  The scriptures tell us whatsoever is not of faith is sin ( Romans 14:23 ), and without faith it is impossible to please God ( Hebrews 11:6 ).  In the midst of trials our faith in God is tested, and it is this God-ordained tested process which brings us to spiritual maturity.  In the midst of suffering our lack of faith is often revealed to us, and we like the disciples can plead according to the will of God, " Increase our faith ."  All people will suffer in this life, but only those who choose to trust God despite pain will discover the joy of the LORD is their strength. Faith is also critical for us to receive the wisdom and benefits God provides through His Word.  Consider the passage in Hebrews 4:1-2 :  " Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the wo...

I've been thinking lately about the importance our examining our motives according to God's Word as we draw near to Him.  As critical as it is to come to God at the beginning in humility and submission to His will by grace through faith, so we must continue in this posture in seeking the fullness of His Spirit.  We can at any point of our Christian pilgrimage begin to unknowingly entertain selfish motives.  Our desires can degrade to what God can provide for us or do our will rather than humbling ourselves to seek His.  Instead of selfless desire for the glory of God, we can be focused on our problems, pain, or how God should end them for us. God will not become a means to our end.  God knows what we need, but will acquiesce to our greed and selfishness to chasten us back to Him.  This sobering reality is demonstrated in Psalm 106:13-15 :  " They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, 14 but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness...

" The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare; and in His temple everyone says, "Glory !" Psalm 29:9 In my recent study of Psalm 29 , this verse stood out among others in this chapter which speaks often of the powerful and far-reaching impact of the voice of God.  It struck me the sound of God's voice impacts people differently, even as it causes the deer to give birth or stripping a forest bare.  One is left exposed and broken by the God's voice, and the other is startled into bringing forth new life.  Recognising God remains in control regardless of any circumstances we face is an abiding comfort in the life of a follower of Jesus. The heart strengthened by faith in God as revealed in His Word is convinced He makes all work for good in the life of those who love Him ( Romans 8:28 ).  Despite storms, pain, and trials, God's people are able to rejoice in Him regardless.  It is one thing to read about the faithful peopl...

Yesterday I travelled to Rotorua, New Zealand to meet with friends at the Calvary Chapel Bible Institute.   It just so happened Australia played New Zealand in the World Cup Rugby Union final for the first time in history.   As with most teams who face the legendary “All Blacks,” a respectable effort from the Aussies ended up as second best.   For the first time ever, a team has won the World Cup back-to-back, and with it “bragging rights” for the next four years. The term “bragging rights” is an interesting one.   The concept in the sporting world is when your team wins and you “have scoreboard,” you have the right to remind others of your victory and their defeat when it pleases you.   It occurred to me that bragging is never good when it springs from a root of pride, and the scoreboard says it all.   Better than being proud over our personal accomplishments or those of the teams we support, the biblical approach is to consider the humble privilege of ...