Marching Forth!

"Hunger strikes" can be employed as non-violent protests to raise awareness of perceived injustice or as a means to achieve a desired purpose.  Youth at our church have participated in World Vision's "40-hour Famine" to raise funds for the hungry or displaced refugees.  Those who deny themselves food or the convenience of furniture or technology for 40 hours receive funds from willing supporters to pass on to people in need.  It is good to bring awareness to the needs of others, but we too can have pressing needs which seem unmet - despite or best efforts or sacrifices. Based upon Isaiah 58 , it seems the children of Israel made fasting and wearing sackcloth a practice as they sought God.  They thrived on seeking after God by observing His ordinances.  But after afflicting themselves - kind of like people on a hunger strike - it didn't seem like God was listening to their prayers.  They weren't receiving the response or reward they felt their sacrific...

Though God has created people to be unique individuals, He also created us for community.  The way human reproduction works it takes a man and a woman to start a family.  As we grow we begin to identify ourselves arbitrarily according to personal views shaped by a number of factors:  our parents, church, society, interests, etc.  We can view ourselves as being a "morning person" or a "night owl," and "introvert" or an "extrovert."  These labels often provide insight more on our personal preferences than our physical needs.  It may be one person can operate well on less sleep than another person, and that is an obvious fact.  But I believe it is possible to bind ourselves to a particular label to justify our decisions, lack of discipline, or even disobedience to God. Allow me to illustrate:  I am sure Moses was one of those people (along with Elijah and Jesus) who enjoyed regular meals.  But a key lesson God taught the children of Israel ...

Motive of the speaker is the primary difference between a genuine compliment and flattery.  A compliment is a polite way to acknowledge quality efforts and accomplishments of others, but flattery is false praise with the aim of gaining advantage for self.  Those who flatter can say the exact same words as the one giving a compliment, but for them those words are sin.  Words of flattery are an indication of a perverse and wicked heart.  Because we do not even know the depths of depravity natural in human hearts, we may not even realise how commonly we employ nuances of flattery.  God knows, and praise the LORD He is gracious to shine His truth to expose our need to repent and guides us in the way of truth. People in positions of power are often targets of flattery, and King David was no exception.  He wrote in  Psalm 5:8-9 , " Lead me, O LORD , in Your righteousness because of my enemies; m ake Your way straight before my face. 9 For there is no ...

Every life is full of contrasts which add to the richness of life.  Many things we deem negative are in light of the positive we once enjoyed.  For instance, we start life young.  It is only as we grow older and experience the effects of age we look back to aspects of youth with longing.  Sickness reminds us of how it once felt to be healthy and well.  Painful joints and injuries are reminders of a time when we never thought about joints, anti-inflammatory medication, or scar tissue.  The negative feelings we have can be useful triggers to remind us of many things we have taken for granted:  we had been richly blessed by God with youthful vigour and health and didn't even notice. My grandpa recently told me because of his physical ailments and compounding limitations a few classic words of wisdom:  " Don't get old !"  The beauty of growing older and even creaking joints is not discovered in supplements, therapy, or miracle cures, but in r...

In Australia we recently had a change in Prime Minister.  Being relatively new to Australian politics, occasionally I will make inquiries with Autralians because they have a wealth of knowledge - especially from a historical perspective I do not possess.  On the ABC website the other day I read an article which seemed to match what I have observed:  leaders in parliament go to great lengths to show they are everyday, ordinary people.  Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke makes an annual appearance at the SCG to scull a beer, and whilst in office Tony Abbott was seen jogging with lifesavers or volunteering with the Fire Brigade.  Malcolm Turnbull would wear an Akubra hat when visiting rural areas.  The new Prime Minister Scott Morrison was pictured in the article tending a BBQ covered with fried eggs.  The title of the article was, " Just a regular Joe (or Bill or ScoMo): How our leaders work hard at being 'ordinary .'" The article took a bizarre turn as...

On the blank pages in the back of my Bible I keep a running list of key verses which emphasise the deity of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and verses which confirm the Trinity.  Though the Bible does not employ the word "trinity," throughout scripture the doctrine of the Triune Godhead shines forth.  I recently came across a couple of great verses which I added to the list from the book of Isaiah. Through the prophet Isaiah, the God who spoke from the beginning addressed the children of Israel.   Isaiah 48:16-17 reads, " Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning;  f rom the time that it was, I was there.  A nd now the Lord GOD and His Spirit  h ave sent Me."  17  Thus says the LORD , your Redeemer, t he Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God,  w ho teaches you to profit,  w ho leads you by the way you should go ."  It is evident the prophet Isaiah is not speaking for himself, for he co...

The English language is filled with nuances which impact our perspective.  So many words we commonly use have a range of meaning, and learning the definitions of words enriches our understanding.  It is very possible we limit the meaning of a word to one facet and miss the implications.  Take as an example the word "commit."  The vast majority of times the word is used is in a negative sense, for instance to "commit" murder or adultery.  There are positive uses of the word as well, like in  Psalm 37:5 :  " Commit your way to the LORD , t rust also in Him,  a nd He shall bring it to pass. "  The implication of the word is to roll away, give, or entrust. To illustrate the wide range of meanings of this word "commit," here is the definition from the Webster's Dictionary 1828  edition (punctuation and spacing edited by me to save space): COMMIT , verb transitive literally, to send to or upon; to throw, put or lay upon. Hence, 1. To...

No one likes the feeling of being judged, especially when perceive judgments are unfair.  Negative opinions others have about us can be hurtful and impact us deeply.  How can we balance caring for people without trying to please them?  Paul was a follower of Jesus who set a great example of how to do this because he primarily lived to please God.  He was not careless about the feelings of others, for he loved deeply and served others sincerely.  But even when he was judged negatively by people inside or outside the church, he pressed on in faith in pursuit of Christ without regrets. Paul wrote to people in the Corinthian church, and many in that fellowship had a low view of him.  They questioned his motives; they downplayed his leadership.  They admitted he wrote powerful letters, but his bodily presence was weak and his speaking contemptible - which means they despised it!  Paul knew well he would one day stand before the judgment seat of Ch...

God rewards those who trust and diligently seek Him ( Hebrews 11:6 ), and the life of Enoch is cited as an example.  Enoch pleased God, and without faith it is impossible to please God.  He was translated to heaven and never saw death, and what a great reward eternal life is for all who place their faith in Jesus Christ.  Heaven is not the only place where God rewards His people, for we are abundantly blessed with God's presence, love, forgiveness, peace, and fullness of joy even now. The rewards supplied by God by His grace come to us in unexpected ways.  God has set aside for us a "full reward" John alludes to in 2 John 1:8 .  There are ways we can miss out on the rewards God intends to give us.  Paul revealed when followers of Jesus are judged for our stewardship before the judgment seat of Christ we could potentially suffer loss ( 1 Corinthians 3:15 ).  Perhaps a little story might help this make sense. There was once a man who worked for his...

The Bible is full of truth, layer upon layer.  The more I consider and study it, the basic and fundamental themes grow more profound.  I find myself increasingly amazed by the power and simplicity of the Gospel.  God's love and grace is a revelation of not only His goodness towards us, but to guide how we live.  The world has hijacked terms like "love" and "peace" for worldly pursuits, and these feeble caricatures bear no resemblance to the abundant provision God supplies for those who trust in Him. After Jesus miraculously fed a crowd of thousands, they returned the following day hoping for more food.  Jesus told them not to work for food which perishes but for what would provide them eternal life.  The Jews asked Jesus, "How can we do the works of God?"   John 6:29 says, " Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent ."  The good work Jesus spoke of was to believe Jesus was indeed...

"Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27  nor give place to the devil ." Ephesians 4:26-27 Anger is a natural response for people, and it is not always a sinful one.  It is possible to be angry without sin, but the occasions are very rare.  Paul makes clear the connection between remaining angry and giving place to the devil - which makes us exponentially susceptible to sin.  When Jonah became angry after God relented from destroying Nineveh, God asked Him a question we do well to consider when we are angry:  " Is it right for you to be angry ?"  If we would answer honestly, much of our anger has nothing to do with God or righteousness at all.  The driver behind much anger we experience is pride and self.  It is fuelled by perceived infringement on our rights or desires, and it is nothing about God being robbed of His just due or being sinned against. Is it possible to be justified in anger towards God?...

" O LORD God of hosts, w ho is mighty like You, O LORD ? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. 9 You rule the raging of the sea; w hen its waves rise, You still them ." Psalm 89:8-9 The LORD God of hosts is supreme over all, and all power and authority is His.  The One who created the sea can rule it, and His might is incomparable.  The psalmist Ethan the Ezrahite asked, "Who among God or man can compare with the LORD?"  Man is at the mercy of the power of a raging sea, but God has the power to still the waves. This passage reminds me of when Jesus and His disciples sought to go to the other side of Galilee in ships.   Mark 4:37-41 reads, " And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 39  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ...

Following Jesus isn't easy, but it is an abundant life worth living.  Faith in God brings a fulfilling sense of purpose and hope nothing else in this perishing world can provide.  Though we have comfort, help, and rest in our God, at times we can be bombarded with bad news, devastated by circumstances, and be drowning in sorrow.  Over the last couple of days I have felt like I cannot cast my cares upon Jesus because they are casting me.  When the burdens are suffocating and we are too weak to move a muscle, praise the LORD He can lift us up for He stands by to save. After prayer and reading Psalm 88 in the Bible (which was extremely relevant) this morning I flipped open Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.  The passage in the book that I read was exactly what I needed to hear and be reminded of.  Allow me to share it with you: In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul writes, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."...

Good teaching of God's Word to a degree depends upon emphasis.  Undue emphasis on a minor point can draw away attention from the primary purpose of a passage, and this potentially leads to bad interpretations.  There is always a danger of reading into a text and arrive at conclusions which appeal to us.  The interpretation of the scripture can become increasingly narrow until we can only see the point we want to make - and limit or discount the full range of God's truth. In reading Tozer's The Crucified Life , he uses an example to show it is possible to believe the truth but place our primary focus in the wrong place.  He had some very strong things to say about what he saw as misplaced empahsis in regards to our salvation.  Tozer held little back when he wrote: " What a bunch of unworthy people we evangelicals have become, daring to stand up on our feet and preach to an intelligent audience that the essence, the final purpose and the cause of Christ is to...

It is good to meditate on the Word of God, to take it in beyond the eye and ear and turn it round in your mind.  The food we eat is quickly stripped of nutritional value by our bodies, but not so the scriptures:  they remain just as practically useful and spiritually vital as ever.  God's Word will never pass away, and therefore as we feed on it we are renewed continually.  The Living Bread (who is Christ) which comes down from heaven does not grow stale or old but teaches us to live by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. I jotted down thoughts yesterday concerning a passage which God is still using to work in me.   Psalm 84:11 says, " For the LORD God is a sun and shield; t he LORD will give grace and glory;  n o good thing will He withhold  f rom those who walk uprightly ."  I truly enjoy spiritual metaphors and similes contained in scripture, and I remain intrigued by what the psalmist said:  " the LORD God is a su...

During medical mission trips to Cambodia at times I had the role of "policeman."  What this job entailed was ensuring the patients/guests were ushered to the correct station in a timely manner.  After a presentation of the Gospel, visitors were permitted to choose two different free services at a medical, dental, or eye-glass stations.  Part of the role was to ensure people did not sneak in without being checked in at the triage station or jump the queue.  Keeping a friendly eye on the people and coordinating movement to stations was employed for their comfort, safety, and for the benefit of all who offered the services.  Without guidance the stations would be overwhelmed with inquisitive or demanding people and services would suffer. The role of "policeman" is an important one for medical outreaches to run smoothly, but it is not nearly as important as those tasked with keeping watch of the doors of the temple in Israel.  At the gates trained men were...

" Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place ." 2 Corinthians 2:14 Growing up I remember many products which were used to treat household odours.  In bathrooms it was common to see a dusty old bowl of potpourri or a can of aerosol spray to neutralise (or mask) offensive smells.  "Odor Eaters" were marketed to reduce smells from inside shoes, and Glade made a product to plug into a power point which heats oil into a vapour.  There were sprays which made fabric smell fresh, and the women in the TV ads were always smelling curtains and sheets (pretty weird if you ask me!).  Then there were products made to smell bad, and in my junior high years "stink bombs" were not uncommon.  The smell of rotten eggs was horrible, distinctive, and provided an amusing distraction in the daily routine. My sense of smell is not nearly as sensitive or refined as other people I...