Marching Forth!

Experiencing fellowship with God today should be a Christian's prime focus.  Living in obedience to God is evidence that I am His, and He is mine.  Eternity weighed against the temporal is more important in a sense, but if I do not fear God and love Him today my sense of eternal security could be a product of self-deception.  If I genuinely love God, I will obey Him and desire to spend time with Him now and gratefully join with others in the Body of Christ in worship.  I will desire to have a deeper understanding of God and take practical steps to draw near to Him. 1 John 1:6-7 reads, " If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin ."  My theology does not assure me entrance to heaven, but the blood of Jesus Christ applied to my soul by grace throug...

Ultimately God is the One who prepares and sustains people in ministry whether locally or abroad.  There are unique challenges faced by those who are led to serve in a foreign field.  Recognising and preparing for these changes will aid you immensely in overcoming all by God's grace.  When shrubs or trees are transplanted they can experience shock, and moving a family across the ocean can be shocking as well.  But the glorious truth is Christ is the best husbandman, and the fruitful tree He prunes so it might bear more fruit. I never aspired to foreign ministry, but it is something God has called me to embrace.  Answering the call has been rewarding beyond belief.  Such aspirations will eventually end up disillusioning and burdensome when of the flesh.  Travel and living abroad has a romantic appeal to some, like a boy who becomes temporarily infatuated with a girl.  But those for whom God has opened a door no man can shut to a foreign field, h...

God is not looking for men but for a man, said J. Oswald Sanders in the classic Spiritual Leadership .  He seeks one person to fully surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit within his regenerated heart.  Are you willing to pay the price to be the man upon whom God shows Himself strong?  Sanders wrote, " But not all who aspire to leadership are willing to pay so exacting a price.  However, God's conditions must be complied with in secret before He will honour a man in public ." (Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership . Rev. ed. Chicago: Moody, 1980. 21-22. Print.)  If we desire to lead others in following Jesus, it is important we take those necessary baby steps when the camera is not rolling and no one is cheering. Last night during the discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney, I was reminded how tempting it is to offer God sacrifices over simple obedience.  The Holy Spirit is persistent, and His conviction is not ignored without internal strife an...

We live in a world under the sway of Satan, and he has been a liar, murderer, and destroyer from the beginning.  Consequently, this world today is far from a reflection of the glorious perfection which initially marked God's creation.  This is nothing new.  Even when Christ walked the dusty roads in Israel, there was no shortage of political problems.  His cousin was arrested for criticising Herod's unlawful marriage, and was beheaded because of a rash oath Herod made to a dancer!  My point is, Jesus could have enacted an "anti-Roman" platform which would have garnered great support among the Jews.  But He didn't.  Jesus went around doing good, preaching repentance and the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul had no shortage of difficulties from governments, assassination plots, unlawful arrests, beatings, and incarcerations.  The issues he was privy to by true and false brethren in the church were countless.  Yet Paul did not become an "anti" ...

I have seen the phrase "celebrate pride" often of late, but I cannot from a biblical perspective be persuaded to do so.  Pride is always a precursor to destruction, and therefore I have great concern for all who rejoice to embrace it.  Much of my young life was poisoned with pride and self-righteousness, and pride would have ruined me completely apart from the grace and mercy of God.  Those who celebrate pride celebrate their own destruction.  Pride was found in Satan in heaven, and he will ultimately be cast down to hell. John warned Christians in 1 John 2:15-17 , " Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever ."  Pride is of this world, and t...

" Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven ." James 5:14-15 It is the prayer of faith God will answer.  There is no special power in elders to pray, as if elders in the church know the secret words or a better chance because of tenure to acquire God's favour from any who are born again.  It is not the long-winded prayer of an orator which beckons the ear of God.  It is not a prayer of a professional, nor of someone whose prayers have been answered before.  There are no healing properties in oil applied to the sick which brings a miraculous cure:  it is the simple prayer of faith in God.  Prayer duration and diction do not enter into it, but a heart and mind compelled through faith.  Faith demonstrated by obedience ...

In the classic film "The Princess Bride" based on a novel by William Goldman, a young woman found true love in a servant who worked for her.  When she made requests of him he would always answer, " As you wish ."  The Grandfather, played by Peter Falk, read this line from his book:  " That day she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'As you wish," what he meant was, 'I love you .'"  True love is always displayed through action, and Westley showed he loved Buttercup by his faithful service. Being a hired hand, it may be said Westley did not have a choice whether he obeyed Buttercup or not.  But Westley certainly did have a choice.  It could have cost him his position or had other negative consequences, but Westley had the freedom to choose.  The same can be said for all people concerning belief, trust, and obedience.  God has given every person the freedom to choose who we will serve.  There are ultimately two final choices:...

We have embarked on a study of Song of Solomon during our Sunday morning messages at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  The epic romance of the Shulamite and her beloved is like a rich tapestry, with multiple layers of meaning and insights into the love of God.  It is amazing to think of royalty courting and marrying a common working woman, but even more phenomenal to consider the great love of God for people. As I studied the beginning of chapter 2, it dawned on me how Solomon's love for the Shulamite was revealed in at least five ways.  The love God has granted us by His grace ought to be love which marks our lives towards God and all we meet, especially those of the household of faith with whom we have been made one body through Christ.  The way Solomon displayed love for his betrothed is a striking parallel to the way the love of Jesus has been given to me. Solomon's love for his betrothed was personal .  He affirmed his love through sincere compliments, and she wa...

During a discussion recently, the topic of conversation turned to one not often addressed:  being angry with God.  My friend observed he had noticed an increasing number of students and interns in Bible schools who claim to be currently "angry with God" like it is a badge of honour and justifiable.  For some time he noticed a growing trend - among professing Christians - who said they were angry with God.  That brings up a question:  is it OK to be angry with God? The scripture says of anger in Ephesians 4:26, "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath. .."  Whilst it is possible to be angry without sin, this scripture reveals it is impossible for us to remain angry without sin.  Solomon cautioned in Ecclesiastes 7:9 , " Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools ."  Frequent anger is an indication of foolishness, and a fool is someone who lives without regard or fear of God.  W...

The best stories are those straight from the Bible, but a close second are those which affirm God's eternal truth.  God has crammed life full of situations the Holy Spirit transforms into meaningful parables for those with eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand.  I am always on the lookout for good stories, and I came across one yesterday written by my sister-in-law, Jena.  Enjoy the following guest post! Several years ago, when Jack was a wee lad, no more than four, we would head over to Mission Trails and take a small hike to a little place called Crystal Cave. I don't even know if that's its actual name; it's just what I was told. My aunt and uncles grew up living on Mission Trails, and I grew up listening to the stories they had of adventure and conquest during their childhood. Crystal Cave was one of those places. Apparently it was once a cave used to mine crystals, but for whatever reason was abandoned and broken down. Around what u...

It is a tragedy the Christian life for many is an ever-increasing litany of "do's and don'ts."  People focused on external works of doing good or avoiding sin forms their own identity and sets them at odds with fellow believers.  Don't misunderstand:  we ought to be obedient to the commands of our Saviour, and we also ought to put off sinful deeds, thoughts, and motives.  What defines a Christian is not what he does or doesn't do, but Jesus Christ who has saved him!  Being born again by grace through faith is an supernatural inner work by the Holy Spirit of God which will certainly be perceived outwardly. The Jews set a very high standard of outward obedience to the Law.  Amazingly complex and technical definitions of sin were established and observed according to oral tradition, and man taught as Law the traditions of the elders.  In the book of Zechariah, God pointed out prolonged fasts the Jews observed even in captivity.  Zechariah 7:4-6 re...

" Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth ." 1 Timothy 2:1-4 The rise of democracy has given common men a say in who holds positions of authority in government.  In the days when kings ruled, men and women did not have such a luxury.  One of the effects of this responsibility is to vocally support those whom you have voted for and approve of and to stand firmly opposed to all others.  Kings had the power to imprison and execute any who spoke or acted against them, and the freedoms afforded by democratic process have eliminated such a threat.  People who would have been branded traitors in the old days can speak their m...

After God revealed Himself to Job, I was blessed by his observation in Job 42:2 :  " I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You ."  Job said, "I know that You can do everything."  This is very different from Job saying, "I know you can do anything."  "Anything" and "everything" are both inclusive words, but there is a huge difference between the two. Let's say I invite you into a shop and say, "You are welcome to take anything you want."  Though you are welcome to anything, it remains limited to a single thing.  It is quite another meaning entirely if I said, "You are welcome to take everything you want."  Not only can you have anything, but you can have everything you desire.  This is an offer without limitation.  Which is a greater claim:  to say you can do anything you want or you can do everything you want?  Everything, of course! We say, "God can do anyt...

According to the God-ordained structure of marriage and family, the husband submitted to Jesus Christ is given authority and responsibility to teach his wife and children to fear and honour God.  When this calling is mixed with pride of the flesh, only disaster can result.  In every way possible, I am called as a husband and dad to love and obey God first, and then to lead the rest of my family to do the same - like a shepherd who leads the flock.  Men can make the mistake of leaving this responsibility of their ministry to others or treat little lambs roughly as men do cattle: goading and driving oxen into confinement in pens with shouts and loud cracks of a whip.  A bruised reed Jesus did not break, and smoking flax He did not quench.  Love permeated all His speech and deeds. It was Joshua who uttered the famous statement in Joshua 24:14-15 , " Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served ...

The Bible is rich with practical examples people who trust in God can identify with.  As I read through the book of Amos the other day, I truly identified with the prophet.  My call to ministry echoed his own, and God's clear involvement helped Amos stay the course despite hardship.  Becoming a pastor and teaching the Bible was never my intended plan for my future, and being a prophet was not the idea of Amos.  He said in Amos 7:14-15 , " I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. 15 Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel .'"  The fact neither Amos nor his father had a background in prophetic ministry was strong evidence of the authenticity of God's call upon his life.  He didn't start prophesying because he had received professional training, but God singled Amos out for His service. As a pastor, I am comforted by the fac...

During my recent trip to Cambodia, there was no shortage of images and idolatry.  Temples, shrines, and monks were commonplace.  The smell of burning incense was strong in shops, hotel lobbies, and restaurants.  The worship of anything other than the Living God from a biblical perspective is idolatry, and it is endemic to all people.  Idols in Cambodia can be pasted on the walls or be given an offering of food, but idols in western societies can be a woman who can sing, a man who is in our favourite band, or scores touchdowns on Sunday.  Idolatry is rife even in the hearts of those who profess to trust and love God.  A prime example is seen in God's chosen people. It was unlawful for the Jews under the Law of Moses to represent God with engravings or with a moulded representation of a human body, of mammals, fish, birds, or creeping thing, for it would provide a temptation to worship the works of men's hands (Deut. 4:16-18) .  God is a Spirit, and mu...

Faith in God is demonstrated through trust and obedience.  Even when the circumstances of life seem to dictate more sensible courses of action than faith in God, trusting and obeying God no matter what are keys to comfort, rest, and salvation.  God never works in the way we might predict, for the ways of God are infinitely higher than those of men.  We might have an idea of what God is doing or what we might want Him to do, but God's judgments are not based on our shortsighted, often selfish perspectives.  For God's people all situations are worked out for our good. The Bible is filled with demonstrations of faith by God's people.  God allows us to experience troubles, trials, and temptations so our faith and character might be refined as gold.  The book of Acts describes a situation when trust in the word of God contradicted men's best ideas or efforts for self preservation.  Paul had been arrested and was being transported by ship along with two hu...

" For thus says the LORD: 'Your affliction is incurable, your wound is severe. 13 There is no one to plead your cause, that you may be bound up; you have no healing medicines .'" Jeremiah 30:12-13 There is no cure in this world for the ills which plague men.  The "self-help" section of shops and libraries has not diminished because of the success of previous editions.  New books are written to build upon the faulty foundation that man is able through effort to better himself.  The detestable nature of our hearts and afflictions of mind and body cannot be addressed by human means.  We have all sinned, and sin ultimately brings death.  Surgery does not cure, nor does therapy heal.  Our lives are one of physical decline, and all society with us.  Our affliction is incurable, and our wound is severe. Those who believe lasting positive change in the world can by implemented through government programs, laws, taxes, religion, or tradition chase ...