Marching Forth!

I have been the happy recipient of the unexpected gift of trust.  It profoundly affected me.  Trust is something the world figures must be earned, but the impact of trust is greatest when it is all of grace.  Years ago I had an experience confirming this I will never forget.  The battery on my wife's car had gone flat, so during my lunch break I took it over to Viking Battery in Santee, California.  I knew the shop carried the type of battery I wanted.  When I walked into the tiny shop with a handful of batteries on display and a dog lazing on the dirty floor, it was far from the polished displays of conventional retail stores. A friendly man (who I assumed to be the owner), supplied the battery I was looking for as I handed over my old one.  But as I pulled out my credit card to pay, he surprised me:  "Sorry, we don't accept credit cards here.  Only checks or cash."  I was flummoxed.  Having left my checkbook at home, I found my...

Paul desired to be found in Christ so he might experience the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings ( Philippians 3:9-10 ).  He wanted to be conformed to the death of Jesus Christ so he could partake of His life and resurrection.  All men, Christian or not, are lured by a desire for power.  Most people would love to possess the miraculous power displayed in the life of Jesus Christ.  But very few people have any interest whatsoever to share in the sufferings of Christ.  All people suffer, and to increase our degree of suffering seems to have little upside from an earthly perspective.  It is important to recognise it is impossible to have the power of Christ without suffering with Christ.  And if you are content to have one without the other, there is a disconnect between God's will for your life and your own will. When you think of suffering for Christ's sake, it is likely persecution which leads to suffering by unbelie...

Whilst driving today I was caught in a massive downpour.  Traffic inched forward with very limited visibility as lightning flashed.  Asaph wrote in Psalm 77:17-18 :  " The clouds poured out water; the skies sent out a sound; your arrows also flashed about. 18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook ."  There is something awe inspiring in the power of nature, and God put souls in men with the need to worship what is greater than themselves.  For this reason men have worshiped nature, the sun, moon, stars, and things God has made.  Men bow before their human idols in appreciation and admiration.  A violent storm cell brings men uniformly back to those common feelings which can become unfamiliar to us:  awe, fear, and the understanding we are small and our existence is precarious indeed. As I cheered on God for the powerful display, my mind went to the passage in Psalm 29:1...

I have ramped up my reading of late and have been delighted with a book bought years ago but never actually read:  The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton.  I encourage you to open and read your own books.  Many treasures sit unknown or forgotten on our own shelves as we place another online order of books.  Spread your branches far, but recognise depth of root is needed to support the growing weight of knowledge.  In the priceless gem that is Spurgeon's Lectures To My Students , he gave this exhortation:  “ Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and reread them…digest them. Let them go into your very self. Peruse a good book several times and make notes and analyses of it. A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed. Little learning and much pride comes from hasty reading. Some men are disabled fro...

" I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law.  The Law is the needle, and you cannot draw the silken thread of the gospel through a man's heart unless you first send the needle of the Law to make way for it ." C. H. Spurgeon A man must see the enormity of his sin and his offense before God before he can truly repent of it.  There may be many clever analogies used by preachers unfortunately without a basis in scripture, but this is not one of them.  Paul wrote, "I would not have known sin except by the Law." ( Romans 7:7 )  Sin is so natural to a human being we would never recognise it as wrong without the clean mirror of God's Law.  Without knowledge of sin there can be no repentance, and without repentance there is no hope for forgiveness or salvation.  A man must submit to the reality of his deadly disease before he will seek and receive the cure.  Unless a man submits to his condemnation under the Law, spir...

God knows perfectly all motives and intentions of people.  We are called, as followers of Jesus Christ, to examine carefully ourselves with the probing sharpness of God's Word.  A splinter of wood covered by a callous of skin can be uncovered and removed only with a sharp instrument, and the sin which festers in our hearts is revealed by the sterilised scalpel of scripture in the hand of the Holy Spirit.  Our actions are more easily observed and judged than our motives.  Because it is outwardly visible our aim can be mistakenly on modifying our behaviour rather than dealing with the underlying sinful motive hidden within.  Man's tendency is to focus on relieving symptoms and with little thought of the root source. Nothing is hid from God's sight, even when it is our motive in grief.  Tears do not fall from our eyes without a reason.  David recognised God's careful observance and divine documentation of his troubles and tears.  He wrote in Psal...

" Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 8 If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire ." Matthew 18:7-9 Jesus spoke these words to show the gravity of sin's consequences.  It would be better to endure pain or lack on earth than deny yourself the ultimate joy of eternity shared with God in heaven.  Jesus was not suggesting men should mutilate their bodies, for the whole of scripture makes clear what is needed is inner transformation, not outer reformation.  Cutting off a hand or gouging out an eye does not eliminate the source of sin in a man:...

In my youth when I read Martyr of the Catecombs , Jesus Freaks , or Foxe's Book of Martyrs , I at times pictured myself facing the life and death decision of those faithful saints who gave all:  would I boldly stand for Christ or would I capitulate?  I would always convince myself I would take a stand for Christ if it came down to it, but didn't Peter say the same thing in the upper room to Jesus?  It only took a few questions from servants to bring his fantasy crashing down.  Boiling down a decision to follow Jesus into one climactic moment in time is easy when it is fantasy and because it is one decision, not a continuous one.  We can deny Christ without a gun being placed to our heads through disobedience or indifference without even knowing it.  The little decisions provide evidence of how we likely would respond to great challenges of faith. Separating fantasy from reality is a product of renewing our mind according to God's Word.  It is easy f...

God graciously gives us all things to richly enjoy.  As Christians mature in faith, we enter into new territory God granted us from the beginning we couldn't be bothered to explore for years.  In the church I grew up in, in my younger years I cannot recall any talk of being "baptised with the Holy Spirit."  There was no explanation of how children or youth as born again believers could be filled and gifted with the Holy Spirit for God's service.  In retrospect, there seemed to be a disconnect between various operations of the Holy Spirit.  The fruit of the Spirit was often spoke of, but specific gifts of the Spirit were not a point of discussion. As my faith in Christ became increasingly my own in adulthood, my curiosity and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit also grew.  Searching the scriptures illuminated my lack of this baptism with the Holy Spirit, a specific "coming upon" of the Spirit that can coincide with justification or be received later....

For those who have eyes to see and a heart to understand, the Bible is packed with wisdom and eternal truth.  As we walk with God through our earthly journey, the Holy Spirit sharpens our discernment of God's Word.  We may read a passage a thousand times and never see spiritual reality which has always been hiding in plain sight.  Just this morning I read a familiar passage which struck me like never before concerning Christ's deity.  In blank pages in the back of my Bible I record verses which emphasise the divinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Though it was already noted, God's truth refreshed my soul anew. I was reading Zechariah 12:9-10 which says, " It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn...

Among some Christians, "God's will" has a perpetually mysterious quality.  People wonder what God's will is concerning their lives and for each circumstance they face.  This approach to know God's will can resemble greatly a quest in seeking a medium, palm reader, or fortune teller believing special knowledge will provide useful aid.  It is important we recognise God has revealed His will through His Word, and He has done so for the express purpose we would walk in obedience to it.  Christianity is more than knowing the truth but living it out aligned with God's desires.  It is a shame when Christians live in state of self-imposed paralysis and confusion, not knowing what to pray or do because they are torn in recognition of their limited perspective of "God's will."  God has provided much more than facts about Him:  God has provided Himself and all that pertains to life and godliness ( 2 Peter 1:3 ). Because all humans tend to worry, knowledg...

God has chosen to reveal Himself to men.  Without His light and divine assistance, we could only stumble in the dark.  That being said, the ability to know God is only through faith according to knowledge revealed in scripture.  Because God is eternal and infinite, He cannot be completely known.  His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways.  An element of faith is required on every step as our understanding develops and grows. Take being "born again," for instance.  When Jesus told Nicodemus a man must be born again to enter into God's kingdom, the learned man was confused.  Was Jesus saying a man must squeeze himself back into his mother's womb to be born a second time?  No!  Jesus immediately pointed to the wind:  the effect of the wind is clearly seen in the trees, but no one knows exactly where it comes from or where it goes.  So is the way of the Spirit of God.  When a man repents and trusts in Christ a...

Man’s idea of “peace” cannot compare to the real thing.   Man, having settled down in God’s judgment seat, believes he can accomplish what God says is impossible:   the experience of genuine peace apart from God.     Isaiah 48:22 says, “ There is no peace, says the LORD, for the wicked .”   There it is!   Man’s concept of peace is inherently selfish, making concessions only when compromise provides a more favourable outcome than standing fast.   Peace is not made through treaties, political leverage, popular opinion, or acting in one’s best interest.   Peace is not making the choice not to kill people who were once your enemy without reconciliation, love, or joy present in your heart towards them.   No signature on a document can change the hearts of the men who sign it. Peace is not the absence of war or political conflict, but unity of heart and spirit in love.   And God makes it perfectly clear no one can experience true peace wh...

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed Bible trivia.  I have spent a portion of nearly every day of my life from childhood immersed in its pages, soaking in God's wisdom, and delighting in the truth God reveals.  Because of my own dullness sometimes I read without much effect, but there is nothing on this planet so powerful, inspired, and brilliant as the revelation of God through His Word.  It is like an old friend who manages to continually surprise and impress.  People of the Book such as myself recognise the scripture is simple enough for a layman to comprehend, yet has a depth of meaning and application which will not be fully appreciated for eternity. Here is an opportunity to test your vast Bible knowledge and flex those memory muscles!  Can you tell me the significance of this list of names - and here is a hint - from the book of Numbers?  The names are:  Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and Geuel....

Few people have ever been the focus of a nation-wide manhunt, but David was such a one.  King Saul, infuriated over David's popularity with the people, his suspicion stoked with pride, sought to hunt David down and kill him.  Though David had also been anointed king of Israel, he refused to wage a smear campaign or command his men to retaliate against the LORD's anointed, King Saul.  He left the comforts of home and family and fled into the wilderness.  Many times David sought refuge in a cave, and the heading in my Bible says Psalm 142 was written during one of these occasions. He wrote Psalm 142:1-6 :  " I cry out to the LORD with my voice; with my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. 2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk they have secretly set a snare for me. 4 Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one wh...

Carts make heavy lifting lighter work.  When I used to work in the shipyard, having a motorised cart for hauling tools and materials over long distances was critical for efficiency.  Carts are also useful when moving multiple books, totes, or packages at once.  One cart greatly reduces the amount of trips necessary to move items from one location to another.  People might say the use of a cart is working smarter, not harder.  This is usually true - but not always.  God wisely directs us in what must be done and how to do it.  Sometimes the way that seems easier and more efficient isn't the right way. After the tabernacle was built, anointed, and sanctified by Moses, the princes of the people brought an offering of six carts and 12 oxen.  Numbers 7:4-9 reads, " Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 5 "Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to ever...

"If I keep drinking, I'm going to die."  The wide eyes of the heavily tattooed man stared unflinching into mine.  "I have to get clean.  I'll do anything."  This man had walked into the church minutes before, asking to speak with a pastor.  That's one thing about serving the LORD:  you never know who He will bring across your path or what unexpected thing He might call you to do. "If you're serious, I know of a place which can help you get clean," I told him.  "Let me warn you though:  it is a very intensive program which requires total commitment.  It is a free program, but you have to commit to a year of staying clean, working your way towards a job and renting your own place, and Bible study."  I didn't want to waste the man's time or the time of the people at Set Free , as it was called at that time.  I spent a few moments explaining my basic understanding of what was offered and requirements my visitor would be sub...

In my morning reading I was quite taken with reading Zechariah 1:4 , " Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds." ' But they did not hear nor heed Me," says the LORD ."  God made a distinction between the ways of the people and their doings.  God's people had turned from the Living God, and did not do the things which pleased Him.  Their motives and pattern of life had deviated from God's righteous course, and their deeds were also polluted with greed, selfishness, and pride.  They refused to hear or heed God's voice through the many prophets He sent to them, and by this God was sore displeased. Here we see the loving and gracious nature of God, who sends His Word as a light illuminating the path to those who willfully stumble in darkness.  Unless God gave me the necessary understanding I could not have known Him or recognised...