Marching Forth!

In preparation for the discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney I listened to a message by Edwin Orr called, " Sanctification ."  In the message he talked about a poor young man years ago who traveled from a Baltic port immigrating to the United States.  His plan was to connect with family who lived in Chicago and start a new life.  He had been provided a ticket on the ocean liner but his parents knew he would not be able to afford meals.  So they kindly packed him a basket of bread and cheese. Day after day the young man would hear the dinner bell and glumly eat his bread and cheese.  He cheered himself by thinking such mundane meals wouldn't last forever.  But before long, however, the cheese began to grow mouldy and the bread became stale.  In desperation he went to the kitchen and begged for a job for some better food.  "I am sick of cheese," he told the chef.  The chef saw this as most extraordinary:  a ticket holder askin...

" For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. " 1 Thessalonians 2:13 The believers at Thessalonica welcomed the scriptures as the true word of God, and for this Paul was thankful to God.  God's word ingrafted into their souls not only provided good fruit unto eternal life, but like the hands of a potter working clay it shaped their lives on earth.  Man's words should be taken "with a grain of salt," as believing listeners weigh words carefully, separating the chaff from the wheat using righteous judgment.  God's word, however, is pure, perfect, unchanging, and enduring.  As good seed germinates and sends tender shoots through the soil, so God's word " effectively works in you who believe ." Because of the strong stance of Christia...

No matter of change in the world, people remain the same.  There is pride in every human heart nothing but the power of God can free us from.  Pride is seen by some as liberating, but the scripture reveals it to be a cruel master, a sin which only brings bondage and death.  One example of pride which binds and blinds is seen in the book of Jeremiah, when people who gathered in Jerusalem asked him to seek God's counsel.  They did so promising to do whatever God said so they could be saved.   Jeremiah 42:5-6 reads, " So they said to Jeremiah, "Let the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the LORD your God sends us by you. 6 Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God ." After 10 days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah and he held nothing back of all God had said.  De...

Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney the passage mentioned King Cyrus who reigned over the Persian empire.  He was a man God spoke of by name about two hundred years before his birth, a man whom God anointed to do His will.  Cyrus was faithful to perform the word of the LORD and released the Jews from their captivity in Babylon.  He commanded the temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt so sacrifices could be offered to God.   Ezra 6:3-4  Cyrus did this early in his reign:  " In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: "Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, 4 with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king's treasury ."  The King commanded the temple be built at his own expense. This reminded me how Christians have been purchased by...

As part of the discipleship course I am leading at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we recently listened to a message by pastor David Guzik titled, "Break Up Your Fallow Ground."  Among the many excellent points held forth by this gifted teacher of the Word of God, the part which stood out to me this time was how we can be resistant to breaking up our own fallow ground.  Ground which has laid "fallow" means it was once cleared and plowed but nothing fruitful or profitable has been sown into the field.  After awhile it hardens and yields only weeds and what grows of itself.  At one point in the message Guzik said our tendency is respond, "God, you break up the fallow ground, and I will prepare the synthetic irrigation system."  The point being made was only God can send the rain of the Holy Spirit, and our call is to examine and deal with our hard hearts according to scripture. The overarching takeaway from the message is we all have areas of our lives and hearts...

Last evening I began reading Magnificent Obsession:  Why Jesus is Great by David Robertson.  It is a series of letters he wrote in stating why belief in Jesus Christ is a viable, rational faith based upon factual evidence.  In a logical manner, the well-read Robertson expresses thoughts on this critically important and complex subject in a way easily understood.  I am glad God has gifted people who are perfectly suited for intellectual debate and Robertson provides a good mix of theology, practical examples, and thoughtful quotes with a little humour sprinkled in.  So many times Christians make claims or answer questions no one is asking, and this book is a good reminder to actively engage people with different beliefs with a receptive and willing mind.  We can be so focused on trying to hammer scriptural truth into someone else we don't listen.  Robertson listens carefully and then is able to answer succinctly with grace and wisdom. I once went on...

During songs of worship after the sermon in church this morning, I reflected upon how drinking and being filled with the Holy Spirit are voluntary.  Suddenly I had the picture in my mind of a gridiron player standing on the sideline and an attendant raising a water bottle.  If the player is thirsty, all he need do is open his mouth and will be given a drink.  It would be rather silly for a thirsty player to keep his mouth shut but open it later to complain of thirst.  I was reminded of God's promise:  " Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. "  All who are thirsty are invited to come to Christ and drink.  It is not complicated and no ritual is required, but it will take humility which does not come naturally.  Those who admit their dryness, crying out in prayer and opening their mouths in praise of God will receive God's refreshment.  Those who desire the baptism with the Spirit only need open their mouth in faith, and God will make such ...

Towards the end of school term, Laura seems to pick up casual work at the boy's school.  In Australia "casual" work means you are not under a contract and do not have regularly set hours.  After volunteering for years in the library or uniform shop, sometimes she will receive a call to come in and work for pay.  It seems Laura has become a useful person to call when school staff is sick or on leave.  She is able to slot into many roles on short notice, recently helping out in Food Tech.  Lately it has been about eight hours spread across the week and looks to increase slightly next term.  And should the school call her in to help out, I expect she will by God's grace rise to the challenge! Being a casual worker in Australia affects pay rate, superannuation, and benefits.  If Laura was a full-time employee at the college, there would be additional security and benefits granted her.  Though Laura is often called into work, she is a casual employe...

I have been reading through Radical Prayer by Manny Mill recently, and it has been a good reminder of the importance to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer to God.  One of the points which was spot on was an explanation of what is commonly called "The Lord's Prayer," a prayer commonly recited.  This is ironic, as Jesus had just warned His disciples about vain repetition in prayer during the Sermon on the Mount!  Then Jesus said, "In this manner therefore pray, 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.'"  Because Jesus told His disciples to follow His manner of prayer, some have interpreted this to be a "model" prayer.  I have heard different explanations of how this model should be used.  In his book, Manny Mill goes a refreshingly different direction.  He points out the words of Jesus are more than an affirmation of God's holiness, and actually are a request for God's name to be hallowed and glorified in everything.  All the requests f...

Yesterday marked the opening day for the National Football League regular season.  After my sons arrived home from school in the afternoon, we watched the San Diego Chargers lose a game in overtime to the division rival Kansas City Chiefs.  It was more than just a tough loss to a division foe on the road, but far worse than that was our best receiver went down in the first half with a torn ACL.  Having endured that injury myself, I know it will be a long and painful road back for Keenan Allen. Health is a precarious thing, especially for gridiron players.  There have been at least five or six season-ending injuries for Charger's starting players on offense by the end of the first game!  Players work offseason and training camp to be fit to play in the NFL, and to see it all over in an instant was hard to watch.  Number 13 was firing on all cylinders in the game and was unstoppable.  Move after move, catch after catch, he rose from the turf triumphan...

Christianity is far more than a belief system or a tradition which governs behaviour:  it is a complete transformation of the person from within by the indwelling power of God.  A person born again through faith in Jesus is empowered to live life from a new perspective.  Instead of self being our central point of focus, a love for God and others governs our thoughts, attitudes, words, and deeds.  Things we naturally used to do without thinking brings conviction from the Holy Spirit.  We have an new desire to feed on the truth of the Bible and our spiritual appetites change.  The transformation God works within us is both immediate and continual.  We are born again as new creations in Christ yet there is a path to maturity we must intentionally embrace through obedience to God. Hagar the Egyptian is a wonderful example of God's grace.  Though she was a Gentile, God revealed Himself to her and spoke kindly to her.  After she ran away from Sa...

It's been a bit windy in Sydney of late, and the picture above of the fallen tree at the baseball field in rouse Hill is evidence!  The fall of this sizable tree revealed the reason why:  very few large roots.  For the many years I have walked past it on the way to train or play baseball games, the tree appeared healthy and strong.  But all it took was a bit of wind to topple the tree and prove the roots were not sufficient to support the weight.  Without adequate roots the tree had no chance. Jesus told a parable about a sower who sowed seed.  This tree reminded me of the seed (the word of God) which was scattered on thin or rocky soil.   Mark 4:5-6 reads, " Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away ."  Jesus explained the meaning of this part of the parable in  Mark ...

When it comes to confession, there is no shortage of opinions.  Because of individual experiences, backgrounds, and church practices, there is a wide range about the importance and practice of confession.  Some think it is only necessary between the sinner and God, and others have times in their meetings set aside for "open confession."  In Edwin Orr's book "All Your Need," the evangelist spoke of the importance of public confession to make way for revival.  He was careful to point out that he moderated the gathering with specific instructions:  he strongly objected to detailed confessions and warned he would silence any offender; he always exhorted born-again Christians - not the unsaved - to confess the hindrance to revival; and after explaining the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sins, he spoke of " confession as a means to forgiveness and blessing ." ( Orr, J. Edwin , "All Your Need 10,000 Miles of Miracle through Austraila and New Zealand....

I went through a season during a time of spiritual growth where I was concerned with the lame condition of "the church."  Looking back I can say I was preoccupied with negative views of the church at large, and I am truly glad to say it was relatively brief.  The truth is, I was the lame one and because of the log in my own eye I was keenly aware of imagined weakness and failure in others.  Whilst Christians are not perfect, Jesus is perfectly capable to maintain the health and growth of His Body.  He doesn't have the body dysmorphia humans are prone to.  No matter how much we slim down we can see ourselves in a negative light.  Because of God's grace and righteousness the Body of Christ is clean and sanctified. Even as I have experienced the pitfall of being judgmental of others, I have experienced the smug self-righteousness of a Pharisee.  This is a common condition when spiritual knowledge is combined with a measure of pride.  From this lof...

Spring is in the air in Sydney and that means pulling out the lawn mower, line trimmer, and edger.  Shrubs and grass shot up with our recent rain, and birds have been feasting on the seed pods on the liquid amber which grows out front.  Since my baseball game was washed out Saturday due to rain, I decided to seize the opportunity to begin yard maintenance sooner than later. Now I hadn't paid much attention to the state of the lawn recently because the LORD supplies adequate rain, the grass stays mostly green year round, and the turf grows extremely slow during winter months.  Before mowing I decided to pull a couple of weeds I could see.  As I leaned over for a better grip, I noticed some clover growing in plain sight.  Before long I was crawling around on the lawn pulling out weeds I hadn't noticed before!  And it's not like the front yard is particularly big.  I had walked along the path to the front door only metres away multiple times a day and ...

" The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD ." Jeremiah 23:28 Chaff is the thin papery material without nutritional value which covers grain.  Farmers would harvest grain and thresh grain, separating the grain from the wheathead.  The threshed grain was then "winnowed," by tossing it into the air with a slight breeze.  In this manner the chaff was blown away easily and only the edible grain remained.  The worthless chaff in no way made the wholesome grain less nutritious or rendered useless for planting.  Chaff and wheat come from the same stalk, but even a child can tell the difference between them.  A child of God, through the Holy Spirit, is given spiritual discernment to tell error from truth. God encouraged prophets to share their dreams, and those who had His word to speak it faithfully.   He concluded the verse with, " What i...

During scripture class recently I asked a year six boy, "If you could ask for anything in the world, what would it be?"  His eyes looked up at the ceiling as he grinned, thinking it over.  "I know what I would ask for," he said almost bashfully.  "Well, what would it be?"  He replied, "It's about someone who is yellow and square."  "Oh?  Would that be SpongeBob SquarePants!"  "Yes!" he gleefully shouted.  "The SpongeBob SquarePants movie!"  Later I thought to myself the boy had set the bar ridiculously low.  He was given the freedom to ask for anything in the world but chose a DVD.  Imagine being able to supply someone's ultimate dream for $20! Do you know God once asked Solomon a similar question in 1 Kings 3:5 ?  In a dream God said to Solomon, "Ask!  What shall I give you?"  God did not include the caveat "up to half of my kingdom" typical of royalty.  Our answer to the question depe...