Marching Forth!

The most important ministries of the church are not always the most visible ones.  When Christians think about ministry, it is typical to think of roles like a pastor, worship leader, or teacher, someone who has a recognised position.  These are the people whose names and bios are on the church website, but they oversee only a fraction of ministry God does through His people.  There are heaps of valuable and even indispensable roles in the Body of Christ which are easily overlooked because they are not platform ministry.  Solid Bible teaching is very important, but it is not everything in a church.  Every part of the Body has been divinely established by Jesus to do its share.  The organs of a human body are largely concealed and we need them for survival and good health:  the same is true concerning the church.  The work of the ministry is something we are all called to take an active part in for the good of the whole. Ministry in the church ...

" I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, w hich have no understanding,  w hich must be harnessed with bit and bridle,  e lse they will not come near you ." Psalm 32:8-9 Horses and mules must be trained to race, pull carriages, and accomplish labour beneficial to their owners.  A bit and bridle is employed to provide direction and make discernible signals horses and mules can follow.  As intelligent as these animals are, they lack the understanding a human being possesses.  We have been gifted by God to think rationally, solve problems, have detailed conversations, and implement plans.  God did not want His people to be like the horse or mule that merely follow the pull of the reins:  God desires His children to listen, receive instruction, and be guided by the Holy Spirit without harnesses. I vividly remember buying tickets outside Disneyland ...

Whenever medical surgery is performed, a period of recovery and rehabilitation follows.  Every time I have had surgery there were always unknowns because I never had the same procedure done twice.  I would imagine no surgical result is ever exactly the same - like no pregnancy or childbirth or child is the same!  I have had my wisdom teeth removed, my ACL replaced in a knee, and a mole removed from my back.  Each time there were unexpected complications, like when fragments of tooth started poking through my gums or the full strength of my back incision would not be achieved for a whole year - not to mention the itchiness!  It's been over a year and it still itches sometimes...but that sure beats cancer. (Just for the record I have never had cancer but the mole was removed as a precaution.) A lot of people are pleased with the results of a surgery, even if the period of strengthening and physical therapy is long.  However, there are many who would have...

" After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward ." Genesis 15:1 What God was for Abraham He will be for all those who place their faith in Him.  I love that when God made promises to Abram it was not about what He would do for him, but who He would be for him.  There is a tremendous difference between the two.  God did not just shield Abram from evil or enemies but was his shield; He did not grant Abram rewards which could be bought or measured with silver or gold but He was Abram's exceedingly great reward.  God does not change, and God remained a permanent and eternal shield and great reward even after his body was laid to rest.  Abraham's soul still enjoys the awesome characteristics of our God, for He is not the God of the dead but the living. This morning I read the words of David in  Psalm 43:3-4 , " Oh, send out Your light and You...

The world is filled with contrasts:  light and dark, hot and cold, health and sickness, fruitfulness and barrenness.  Almost every human experience or condition has an opposite.  We have experienced highs and lows, and when we are in the midst of one extreme the other is almost completely forgotten.  We have felt as free as a child leaving school for a long break, and we have felt like were weighed down with burdens far greater than anyone could bear.  I have found a relationship with God and the guidance of God's Word are critical to maintain a godly and good perspective.  And we need reminders - a lot of them. David was a man whose spirit rose in joyful worship of God, yet he also experienced low moods and depression.  In his writings we see him saying to himself at times almost to snap himself out of a funk, "What am I thinking?  Trust in God and hope in Him!"  Today my day began reading of such a place in  Psalm 42:6-8 :  " O...

Sometimes it is to the financial benefit of the buyer to remove the "middleman," one who increases the cost of goods due to their involvement.  For instance, when I planned to propose marriage to Laura I did not buy the solitaire from a shopping mall but from a gem cutter.  In doing so I avoided the markups which are common with jewelry sales and was able to buy a better ring than I could afford otherwise.  The middleman in this context can be an unnecessary man, and I believe this can be true in the arena of prayer. Paul said this in  Philippians 4:6 :  " Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God... "  This is a verse which divinely instructs and guides us, and it also convicts us when we have gone astray.  Being anxious is a normal human condition and common response to trouble, but anxiousness is not to mark a child of God.  Our prayers are also to be m...

" And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You ." Psalm 39:7 How many times have I placed my hope in something other than God!  Even when he was beset by sin, David concluded his only hope was in God.  God is good to allow difficult situations so those who trust in God will be cast down and realise their hope and expectations have been misplaced.  Pains have a way of revealing our devotion is tinged with selfishness, cares, and worry.   We pray so God will immediately change our circumstances according to our will, and our impatience displays a lack of trust in the God we genuinely trust. When our hope and trust is placed in God, we will find ourselves sustained and greatly helped even when dangers and troubles multiply.  If our hope for deliverance from sin or trials truly rests in our great God we will not fear, worry, or be impatient.  We will be grateful the Almighty God hears us and answers according to His will and timing....

How good it is to know we are made righteous, sanctified, and saved by the grace of God!  Many of God's blessings are conditional upon our obedience, but it would be a grave mistake to reduce our relationship with God to a business deal.  Trusting in Jesus is is not like a monetary transaction where the exchange of money confers rights to the buyer and responsibility to the seller.  We have no entitlements as children of God because we have earned them by our good standing with God or our efforts to please Him.  The blessings God supplies we have not earned but received by His grace.  All we deserve is judgment, wrath, and total destruction due to our wickedness, but God delights to bless those deemed righteous by His grace - as well as those who do not regard Him at all. Those who are born again through faith in Christ and the Gospel will desire and aim to walk in God's ways, and God does reward the humble and obedient.  These rewards are not dependent ...

" And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart ." Jeremiah 29:13 My boys and I headed out to Mission beach early this morning for a little metal detecting.  The weather was overcast and cool, and before 9am we had cleaned the beach of tent pegs, coins, nails, bottlecaps, keys, and even a mobile phone.  We weren't the only ones scouring the sands of Mission beach:  because of the low tide many others searched the wet sand for hidden treasures.  I have found metal detecting to be a bit more consistent than fishing.  I have been skunked many times without a bite whilst fishing, but every time I have headed out with a metal detector I have found something - even if every target turns out to be junk. I've had some interesting finds during my time detecting, but I'm still waiting for a discovery of monetary value.  This is in sharp contrast to the discoveries I have been blessed with when I have sought the LORD:  ...

When God created the heavens and the earth, He placed the sun, moon, and stars in the heavens.  He established days, months, and years - but that wasn't all.  He made the earth to experience seasons which are opposite in the northern and southern hemispheres.  The varied seasons are a part of ordinary life we can almost take for granted.  People usually have a reason for their preferred season, yet if a season went on forever, it wouldn't really be a season.  There is blessing in the contrast.  The earth experiences a cycle of seasons, and church ministry does as well.  It is easy to ignore this and assume everything should continue as it has in the past - only more, bigger, and better. Let us read again what Solomon said in  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 , and it would be a shame to reserve these timeless truths for funerals: "To everything there is a season,  a  time for every purpose under heaven:  2 a time to be born, a nd a time to...

" Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; b ut he who trusts in the LORD , mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; a nd shout for joy, all you upright in heart !" Psalm 32:10-11 Negative symptoms help accurately diagnose illnesses in those who are sick.  There can be sorrows of heart where the cause is not physical but spiritual in origin.  The psalmist said "many sorrows" shall be to the wicked, but the one who trusts the LORD shall be surrounded by mercy.  The weight of sin is a heavy burden the wicked do not realise they carry.  Other times people experience guilt due to their sin and sorrow over being in bondage.  Even followers of Jesus experience sorrow and suffer, for Christ Himself was described as a man of sorrows.  Suffering is not reserved for the wicked, yet they have no healing balm to ease their pains. In contrast to the wicked whose sorrows are increased, those who are righteous have profo...

I am continually amazed by the things Jesus said and did.  Reading through Old Testament passages can also shed further light on the implications of the words of Jesus.  For instance, I did not always know Jesus was quoting the first line of Psalm 22 when He said, " My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ?"  The devout Jews who heard these words would have been familiar with what followed.  The scripture was being fulfilled by the promised Messiah right before their eyes, and the words of Jesus were signposts pointing to that reality they refused to acknowledge. Another compelling statement is found in  Luke 23:46 :  " And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last ."  If one reads these words in the KJV there is no hint this a quote from the Psalms as well.  I was blown away when I came upon these words written by David as inspired by the H...

One passage of scripture which always brings a smile to my face is the interaction between Abraham and Ephron the son of Zohar.  Sarah the wife of Abraham had died, and as a stranger in the land he did not have a place he owned to provide a proper burial.  Abraham gathered the children of Heth together and because he was highly regarded the people invited him to make his request.   Genesis 23:7-9 states, " Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8  And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9  that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you ."  And so began an extended discussion concerning the land and their final agreement. The way Abraham spoke about buying the field is intere...

Suicide is a blight upon the world, and the awful impact has touched virtually everyone.  Today I read an article  on the 9 News website about a young man of 24 who committed suicide because " He felt there was no way out ."  The article went on to highlight the connection between tradesman and higher than average rates of suicide - and increased alcohol and drug use.  For those who are battling depression, alcohol and drugs make the downward spiral much worse.  The article said the stress the young man faced "was just too much," and suicide was his solution. What do you do when life is too much?  From a biblical viewpoint, suicide is never a good option.  But the world has romanticised suicide to a degree, and this perspective is held for in the classic cowbell rock tune by the Blue Oyster Cult, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper."  This is a song millions have heard and sing along, but beyond the cowbell and catchy riffs the lyrics could have a siniste...

My wife Laura shared an observation with me yesterday I thought was profound.  She related how common it is when we hear someone is going through a hard time to instinctively pray for the trial to be over immediately and miraculously, for healing, for an easy escape from the difficulty - not considering the circumstances could be divinely ordained to accomplish God's purpose we do not comprehend.  I have found this to be true in my own experience.  It is easy for compassion to regress to mere human pity and we pray for a swift and preferably painless conclusion.  We can pray according to the direction of men rather than seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Should God employ hard times to work wonders in the lives of people, should we pray against that? After turning these thoughts over in my mind, my evening Bible reading echoed what Laura had said.  Written by Asaph, Psalm 83 addressed God concerning those who opposed Him and His people as enemies....

Being born again through faith in Jesus Christ brings about a new perspective and identity.  We discover the reality of who Jesus is and many blessings afforded us by revelation in the Bible.  God's Word says it like it is, whether we feel like it or not.  We learn how God created us, loves us, and made a way for salvation through Jesus.  The Bible speaks of God's faithfulness and all He has accomplished, and in addition provides commands and directives which by His grace we can obey. A familiar example is presented in Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus.   Ephesians 6:10-13 reads, " Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11  Put on the whole armour  of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wicked...