Marching Forth!

" I know some people with mo' money then we'll ever see...they don't believe in Karma, but they believe in commas ." Lecrae in " Confe$$ions " Money has many slaves in this world, and the queue of the willing seems to stretch on forever.  The thing about the love of money is no matter how much money you have, it never seems to scratch the itch.  The varnish of bigger and better ultimately loses its appeal.  Like superheros lining up to have a go at lifting mighty Thor's hammer after watching others fail, people still covet a chance at great wealth.  Millions are spent on the lottery every day as people dream about a few more commas in their bank account.  The trouble with being a slave to the love of money is you cannot buy your freedom. Now there is nothing wrong with money in itself, and many would point out much good can be accomplished by it.  I agree, but there is no question it has also cast down many wounded, destroyed lives throu...

God endowed King Solomon with wisdom like no other king before or after him.  His wisdom was demonstrated with an incident which involved two harlots who came before him for judgment over a baby.  They lived in the same house together, and their case was a sad one.  They both gave birth to sons, and one of the infants was tragically smothered during the night.  One woman accused the other of switching the dead baby with her living one, and the other denied it.  In those days there was no DNA testing, and being only three days old perhaps the babies were quite similar in appearance and behaviour.  Who was the real mother of the boy both claimed as their own? 1 Kings 3:24-28 reads, " Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other." 26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion fo...

" Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice !" Philippians 4:4 How good it is for us to thank and praise God!  Paul exhorted believers to rejoice in the LORD always, and he wrote this whilst incarcerated.  The Christian life is one of faith, not feelings.  I imagine Paul did not always feel like rejoicing in the LORD because of his circumstances, but he urged all to rejoice in the LORD always.  No matter what season of life or the struggles we face, God remains good and praiseworthy.  Jesus gives fullness of joy to all who trust in Him.  Walking in the joy of the LORD is done by faith regardless of how we feel. We can be so fixed on learning more about God or desirous to receive something from Him we can forget to simply rejoice in Him.  It is easy in this weak frame to forget of God's wondrous works and promises.  Yet how our souls soar when we praise God for being God!  When David's felt there was but a step between him ...

It is a pattern which extends through all history:  government and leaders once celebrated by the people becomes increasingly corrupt.  The overthrow of a government does not always usher in the peace and prosperity the people desire.  When the Jews demanded Samuel give them a king and monarchy rather than a theocracy, the decision cost them dearly when Saul took their children, forced them to fight his battles, and oppressed the innocent.  Ask the people of Cambodia who celebrated the end of a civil war when the victorious Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh clothed in black wielding machine guns.  What seemed a day of hope ended up ushering in the darkest season in the nation's history.  The evil which seemed to have been stamped out rose from the ashes with greater force and brutality. This tendency towards oppression and corruption by leaders was evident to King Solomon thousands of years ago.  He wrote in  Ecclesiastes 5:8 :    " If y...

From my limited perspective in Australia, it seems the entire world stares horrified at the presidential race in the United States.  It is a nation which appears more fractured and divided than ever, and it is clear that no person - no matter how savvy or capable - will be able to bind or heal these wounds.  If I was tasked to describe each of the leading candidates with one word, positive possibilities do not immediately spring to mind.  These candidates should not be blamed for polarising America, for this race has only brought the septic boil which had already been festering to the surface.  Believing a person, political party, or even "the people" have the capacity to create positive change by effort alone without the aid of God is like a man thinking he is able to stop an earthquake with his hands.  The word "futile" comes to mind. Should Christians vote as led by the Spirit?  Absolutely.  But we are to engage in political process recognising o...

God has placed in every person a conscience, a moral faculty which aids us in knowing right from wrong.  The fact we deem certain actions or behaviour immoral shows humans are moral beings.  Without breaking a law we can feel guilty about what we have said or done which is contrary to our own principles.  Though the conscience of everyone develops according to beliefs, even if we were governed by conscience alone all people embrace a system of right and wrong.  As important the knowledge of right and wrong is, knowledge of doing wrong is insufficient to put things right.  Feelings of guilt are not enough to atone for our sin, regardless of how prolonged or profound they might be.  Without repentance there can be no forgiveness, no matter how awful we feel. One biblical example which comes to mind is Judas, the man who betrayed an innocent man named Jesus to His death.  He secretly sought out the chief priests and agreed to betray Jesus Christ for ...

All Christians have the sober responsibility to rightly divide the Word of truth.  It is important we observe what the text plainly says before we rush to explain what it means.  It is also critical we do not parrot what we have heard but do our best to stay true to the text with our emphasis.  It is a common mistake to transfer assumptions based upon hearsay or our opinions into passages and provide the wrong impression.  One passage where this is commonly done is when Jesus on two occasions cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem. People have used this passage to justify being angry when the passage never explicitly says Jesus was.  The harmonising scriptural accounts of the Gospels portray Jesus observing the illicit trade in the Temple, fashioning a scourge of small chords, and then driving out the animals and overturning tables.  Those who say Jesus must have been angry (maybe they would have!) might be the same people who assume a parent must be fueled ...

For many people, happiness and joy is always out of reach.  We hope changed circumstances in the future will make things better, but quite often when we arrive at our destination we face another set of problems.  Like a man looking for an oasis we stumble from mirage to mirage, exhausted and increasingly disillusioned.  We swallow our fantasies and grow sick when they never deliver what they promised us.  Man looks for relief, rest, contentment, fulfillment, and satisfaction, and yet to reach for them is grasping for the wind. When I worked at a church in the United States, people would often come off the street asking for something.  People would ask for food, money for petrol, bus tokens, to use the phone, for a lift, to leave their car in our carpark overnight, for counselling, anything.  I remember one man in particular who asked for money to fix the transmission on his van.  During my initial conversation with him, it seemed like his broken t...

" Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord ." Colossians 3:20 After Jesus explained the Parable of the Sower to His disciples, He warned them:  "Take heed therefore how you hear." ( Luke 8:18 )  Though all in the parable heard the Word of God, only those who received the Word and put it into practice were fruitful.  The hearts represented by the footpath, rocky soil, and thorny ground all heard the same words but they were prevented from having the intended effect.  Only with humble and repentant hearts can we receive God's truth and walk in obedience. Recently the worship team at our church has played Chris Tomlin's song " Good Good Father ."  It is a sweet song which I know ministers to people who need a reminder that God is a good Father to those born again through faith in Jesus Christ.  Not all people have had a loving, close relationship with their biological dads.  It is comforting to know God ...

We are so blessed to have the written words of God.  The scriptures can introduce man into a growing relationship with God and illuminate the path of righteousness.  In our world of memes, cliches, and catch-phrases, God's Word can be tweaked to suit our views and distort His meaning.  Satan sought to undermine the words of God from the very beginning with Eve, questioning what He had said.  Had Eve held to exactly what God said without suspiciously and selfishly wondering why He gave the command, she would have been on firm ground. People have a way of influencing others.  It is not just the people "in authority" who have this power:  even friends and acquaintances can possess profound influence.  Take David for instance, a man who had been anointed as king.  When on the run from murderous king Saul, David had an opportunity to avenge himself.  King Saul entered a cave alone where David and his men were hiding.  It was a vulnerable m...

I hold to a belief which is becoming increasingly rare in the world and the church:  the literal interpretation of the Genesis account that God created the heavens and the earth.  Beliefs concerning the origin of the world and the age of the earth are considered by many "not essential for salvation," and therefore many people figure it an issue of small importance.  Whether we take God at His word or not is always a massive issue, regardless if salvation is at stake.  Great errors have entered the church when people have strayed from the literal interpretation of scripture and inserted man's ideas.  The idea of Darwinian evolution and billions of years never came from the scripture.  I tell you truly:  if you cannot take literally the Genesis account of creation, you will also diverge from literal interpretations down the line when it suits you.  It is a slippery slope many have fallen down and found themselves unable to stand again. As we read...

Psalm 119 is known for being by far the longest chapter in the Bible, but it also ought to be recognised for its praise of God's Law and righteous precepts.  In nearly every single verse the psalmist magnifies God's laws, statutes, precepts, commandments, and testimonies.  It is ironic a common complaint about Christianity is all the restrictive rules and requirements, yet the psalmist saw things completely differently.  In God's Law the psalmist saw freedom, not a prison.  A man who follows his own heart is enslaved to his own lust, yet the man who seeks God's counsel to walk in His judgment finds himself free from the power of sin. Psalm 119:45 says, " And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts ."  Even under the covenant of Law it was a time of freedom for God's people.  In the United States Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers wrote all men were endowed by their Creator with "unalienable rights."  Some of those list...

Things which are impossible with men are possible for God.  This is a theme repeated throughout the scriptures, and this message is served in a concentrated dose as the life of Christ is followed in the Gospels.  As I read Mark 5 this morning, I was struck with the three major interactions in the chapter:  the man possessed with demons, the woman with the flow of blood for 12 years, and the girl who died of illness.  All three of these people faced impossible situations. Verse 3 said no man could bind the demon possessed man, even with chains.  The man was already bound with fierce demonic beings, and all hope of the man being cured was gone.  Even the attempts of the men of the city to subdue the man were futile.  Yet after a brief encounter with Jesus, the demons were cast out, the man was clothed, and sat down before Jesus in right mind.  Jesus bid him to go back to his family and tell others of the wonderful things He had done for him. ...

It is interesting how different people's standards of right and wrong can be.  While there is great diversity among personal beliefs, there are sins which are exceedingly sinful on a universal scale:  murder, sexual molestation of children, forced slavery, and theft.  My point is not about these sins in particular, but how there are certain actions the conscience of men deems wrong.  The value of having God's Law held forth in the Bible is to instruct us concerning God's standard of righteousness according to which all men will be someday judged.  Believe it or not, but this is the Bible's claim.  It is for our benefit to know our errors before the Day of Judgment so we can submit a plea bargain and receive the Gospel, having repented and trusted in Christ. It struck me this morning like never before how God chose a most simple thing - the denial of eating from a particular tree - as the only possible sin after Adam was created,  We cannot know sin ...

The Gospel of Jesus Christ should impact the way we live our lives.  When I face circumstances which are potentially frustrating and difficult, considering what Jesus has done for me helps me to meet issues with genuine joy.  Thinking about all Christ has freely given me transforms my perspective and aids me to show His love to others. In our discipleship course we have been talking about seeing our lives through the lens of the Gospel, and keeping this in mind has been vital in me keeping a biblical perspective.  No matter how tired I am, inconvenienced I feel, or the depth of self-sacrifice is too great, Jesus has done infinitely greater for me.  What did Jesus do after a long day of ministry and people continued to seek Him?  He kept on ministering with grace and love.  Was it convenient for Him to leave the glory of heaven, put on human flesh, and take the form of a servant of all?  Is there any pain I have experienced like Christ endured when H...

During a lively discussion last night at the discipleship course, I was amazed afresh by the power of Jesus Christ.  Sifting through even a chapter describing the character and teachings of Christ will blow the mind of an earnest seeker of truth.  No matter how well a person combs through a passage of the living Word of God, the same objective truth comes to people in different ways.  I love how God is able to reveal Himself to all people who seek Him.  Instead of our unique personalities or viewpoints hindering us from understanding, the Holy Spirit is able to lend our individual perceptions to shed light on a passage for all to appreciate. After Jesus arrived in Nain after the long hike from Capernaum, he saw the sad scene of a dead man being carried out of the city, the only son of a grieving widow.  A large crowd had gathered, for much of the city was there to support the woman.   Luke 7:13 says, " When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and...

It should be a sobering truth:  God gives people what they ask for.  Our gracious God loves and gives.  Despite this, the tendency of men is to look to other men for help, guidance, and provision in this life.  If man does not see God performing as he likes, he is glad to swap to new leadership.  At a time where many in the United States are voting for their preferred party or presidential candidates, concerns are mounting.  From what I see from afar in Australia, there seems to be no presidential candidate on offer who can span the chasm which currently separates parties and people, wealthy and poor, businesses and individuals.  A nation which in the past championed itself as "one nation under God" is as fractured, angry, disillusioned, apathetic, and without hope as I have ever seen.  When we look to men, women, a political party, or even the "power of the people" to save us, it is only a matter of time before we realise we have already lost. ...