Marching Forth!

The life, experiences, and example of Jesus are a constant source of comfort to Christians.  He was in all points tempted, yet without sin.  This demonstrates how He walked in obedience to the Father and He will always lead us according to the Father's will.  The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah being a "man of sorrows" and "acquainted with grief."  We have all experienced sorrow and grief, but never to the level of a holy God who completely knows the thoughts and hearts of men.  There is much which grieves God that escapes our notice, yet Jesus retained fullness of joy. Though He grieved Jesus did not despair, and this is a trap we can avoid by His grace. Today in prayer I was speaking with God about things which grieve me.  The Webster's 1828 dictionary defines "grieve" in these ways:  " 1 . To give pain of mind to; to afflict; to wound the feelings;  2 . To afflict; to inflict pain on; 3 . To make sorrowful; to excite regret in; 4 . ...

" And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23  For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24  saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you .'" Acts 27:22-24 During a voyage, the ship bearing Paul to Rome was caught in a severe storm in the Mediterranean sea.  When all hope had been given up of being saved, Paul addressed the men.  He shared with them a fantastic revelation spoken by an angel sent from God that every one of their lives would be preserved.  God had answered Paul's prayer and there would be no loss of life among them.  It was not uncommon for people to worship and serve many gods in a polytheistic culture - including the emperor.  People had household idols for protection, prosperity, good fortune, and countless more.  What was unique ab...

People who speak the same language can have distinct accents.  As a person born in America now living in Australia, my status as a dual-citizen nor the years I have lived here have softened my foreign accent.  I can use and understand Aussie slang in conversation, but my accent still stands out.  I have discovered a similar phenomenon to this in Christian circles, how particular words they employ reveal their beliefs and background.  There is a Christian culture which places large emphasis on the "authority" of believers as children of God.  Whilst God has equipped His children to do His will and contend for the faith, I believe it is much better to focus on the authority and sovereignty of God.  Can you imagine a little child shouting at an advancing army, "Go away!  I have authority!" because he is the son of a king?  As an enemy that's not a kid I take very seriously. I was reading A.W. Tozer and he had some excellent insights on how believ...

There are many comparisons made in the Bible to help us understand the roles God has called us to.  Each genuine Christian in the church is an important member of the Body of Christ.  The church (and Israel too) are compared to being God's bride.  At the same time we are children of God, and we should relate to Him as a trusting and obedient child would in relation to his father.  We are to be living sacrifices, ambassadors of Christ.  His is the Vine and we are the branches, and we are the sheep of in the fold of the Good Shepherd, Jesus.  All together this imagery creates a pictorial symphony, harmonising beautifully our relationship and roles before God.  It is important to maintain a biblical view, well-rounded by the many pictures provided in scripture. One aspect of the Christian life alluded to in scripture is that of warfare.  This imagery is employed in  2 Timothy 2:1-4 :  " You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that ...

Jesus spoke of a future time when He would come in glory and all people would be gathered and judged.  After commending them for feeding Him when He was hungry, giving Him a drink when He was thirsty, visiting Him when He was sick or imprisoned, housing Him whilst a stranger, and clothing Him when He was naked, He said to the wondering chosen who would enter into eternal rest in  Matthew 25:40 ,  "... Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me ."  There is an example of this in the book of Jeremiah with the Rechabites. In Jeremiah 35 God used the house of the Rechabites as an object lesson for His erring people.  The patriarch Jonadab the son of Rechab gave his sons clear commands:  they were not to drink wine, build houses, plant vineyards, sow seeds in a field, and were to only live in tents for all their generations.  Generations later the family members faithfully heeded the...

Today I was reminded of when Cain and Abel brought offerings before the LORD in  Genesis 4:3-5 :  " And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD .  4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,  5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. "  Cain was a tiller of the ground and brought an offering before the LORD, and Abel also offered of the firstborn of his flock.  Abel's offering was accepted by God, and Cain's was not. Now the explicit reason why Abel's gift was accepted and Cain's was rejected is not mentioned here.  It would be unwise to claim we know hearts only God can righteously judge.  Personally I do not believe the issue is primarily what was offered but the condition of the heart of the one who offered it.  Hebrews 11:4 says Abel gav...

Some of my favourite fairy tales as a lad were ones written by Hans Christian Andersen:  "The Ugly Duckling" and " The Emperor's New Clothes ."  I especially enjoyed the latter because of the incredible ridiculousness of the concept but how apt a depiction it was of the human heart.  The pride and vanity of the Emperor was targeted by deceptive and greedy weavers who promised to make him the most lovely apparel.  They sat before looms without yarn or linen, moving their hands without a thread to be seen.  The weavers claimed the fine fabric they wove was invisible to anyone who was unfit for their office or hopelessly stupid, and because the Emperor was obviously neither he agreed it was the finest he had ever seen.  The whole charade reached a climax when the "clothed" Emperor made a grand appearance before the townspeople who murmured with approval.  Only a child had the sense to say what all the people knew when the foolish king paraded by them nud...

This morning I was impacted by  Psalm 134:1-2 , a passage put to music in my church long ago:  " B ehold, bless the LORD ,  a ll you servants of the LORD ,  w ho by night stand in the house of the LORD !  2  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD ."  The priests and Levites were servants of the LORD who stood in the Temple and courts and "blessed" the LORD.  This blessing of God was an act of adoration, like kneeling before the king.  It is interesting the priests are described as doing this by night, as this typically was a time reserved for rest and sleep.  It is fitting to praise and bless the LORD at all times, especially since His people find rest in Him.  This posture of praise with upraised hands is most appropriate, for these hands would have been washed and empty before the LORD.  Night is a good time to sleep, and hands are designed for holding things and performing work, and to dedicate these to ...

Having recently returned from speaking at a Teen Camp for a week, it made me consider again the key components of the Gospel.  Paul summed them up well the implications of the Gospel in his address before Festus, King Agrippa, and Bernice in  Acts 26:20 when he said Jew and Gentile "... should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance ."  Though Paul does not speak of the salvation we have by only grace through faith in Jesus, this emphasis on repentance should be no surprise to the converted.  It is interesting to me how Paul did not emphasise common themes camped on today like God's love, forgiveness, or grace. Perhaps repentance is not a major theme in too many presentations of the Gospel today because it is confronting for both the speaker and the audience, yet without it none shall be saved.  When John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Jesus,  Matthew 3:1-2 describes repentance as the primary thrust of his discourses:  " In...

As a kid I always enjoyed wrestling with my dad and brother.  I remember once at a family gathering my uncle Rocky pounced on my brother and I and pinned us both on top of each other.  We loved it.  In high school my brother joined the wrestling team at school and quickly became a far more talented and capable wrestler than I ever was.  But over the years we enjoyed many a good-natured roughhouse together.  Well, most of the time it was good-natured. :) Wrestling is an activity which one cannot really practice well or even compete in alone.  A person can watch take-downs, holds, and how to ride a leg all day long, but until he grapples with an actual opponent he knows nothing of the fatigue, reversals, and surprises a human opponent brings.  Competitive wrestling always requires another person to have a proper match.  The struggle, strain, and sweat of a good wrestle is only known to those who actively engage with others. And it is o...

One of the themes I spoke on recently at a teen camp is the subtlety of sin, and it has an uncanny ability to appeal to our personal desires.  This is why examining our motives in light of God's truth is so important.  Thoughts and feelings are able to undercut biblical morality with ease and conceive sin before we even realise it.  A primary way this can happen is in relationships.  We all deal with insecurities on fundamental levels, and it is only when we find our identity in Christ and worth in His love of us where we can avoid being drawn away after sinful desires. In an address titled "The Inner Ring," C.S. Lewis masterfully describes the subtle draw we all face in seeking to please people - and how elusive the belonging we desire can be.  He makes the point we are all parts of inner rings or circles, yet there are others we long to be a part of.  People are often willing to make concessions or compromise to be accepted, yet even when they achieve ...

" Unless the LORD builds the house,  t hey labour in vain who build it;  u nless the LORD guards the city,   t he watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, t o sit up late,  t o eat the bread of sorrows;  f or so He gives His beloved sleep ." Psalm 127:1-2 Have you ever lost sleep due to pressing worries or cares?  I typically sleep well, but there have been occasions when I struggled to sleep because my mind was working overtime on some problem out of my control.  If you can identify with this, you likely also can identify with this rationale:  "I just can't help it."  It is natural for all people - even followers of Jesus - to worry or fret over difficult or seemingly impossible situations.  There are a lot of things we naturally do which are sinful, and worrying is one of them. I was blessed to read Psalm 127 this morning and have my mind renewed by God's changeless truth.  Recen...

A great instance of poetic justice in the Bible is seen in the book of Esther.  The wicked adversary Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews and had access to the king of Persia.  Though he was able to pass a law to achieve his murderous intentions, he was foiled by the courage and bravery of Mordecai and Queen Esther.  The life of Haman well-illustrates  Proverbs 26:27 :  " Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, a nd he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him ."  The one who wanted to kill Jews was himself killed for his evil scheme - on the same gallows he had built for Mordecai. When King Ahasuerus was informed of Haman's evil plot, he left the room in a rage to compose himself and collect his thoughts.  Haman knew his life was in great danger.   Esther 7:8 says, " When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, "Will he ...

During devotions yesterday I was struck by something I read in Luke 4 when Jesus was being tempted by the devil.  After being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, Jesus was met by Satan.  Few knew or were convinced of Jesus being the Christ at this point in history, the promised Messiah God sent to save sinners.  But Satan knew.  Because he knew Jesus was the Son of God and desires to oppose God at every turn, he tempted Jesus to forsake His lofty station ordained by the Father. The first thing Satan did was appeal to His physical needs by telling Jesus to prove He was the Son of God by turning stones into bread.  Then he offered Jesus the power and glory of all the nations of the world if Jesus would worship him.  Finally the devil told Jesus to leap from the pinnacle of the Temple - likely in the sight of many people He would amaze - and even supported this course of action with scripture!  An ordinary man would have stumbled at these temp...

" And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46  Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47   and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem ." Luke 24:45-47 When the coming of Jesus the Messiah was announced by John the Baptist, the way had been prepared with baptism of repentance.  Spearheaded by the prophet John the Jews were struck with their need to repent of their sins.  People asked, "What shall we do?"  John was a mighty prophet, and his role was not to make disciples of himself but point to Jesus.  In fact, many who once faithfully followed John the Baptist left him and demonstrated a shift in their primary allegiance to follow Jesus instead. John preached repentance, and so did Jesus throughout His earthly ministry.  The passage cite...

Today I was confronted by the bane of custodians everywhere:  glitter.  At churches and preschools the only vacuums worth anything must pass what I will call “the glitter test.”  All vacuums which fail this most remedial test aren't worth much. As I pushed an Oreck vacuum over the carpet at church, it occurred to me how glitter has a way of migrating.  A craft fashioned in a classroom manages to deposit glittery goodness on chairs and carpet throughout the whole building.  For the first time I realised glitter and gossip share a lot in common with their ability to spread – and stick.  Once that glitter is embedded in carpet it is surprisingly stubborn, and gossip once swallowed down is not easily eliminated.  Proverbs 18:8 says, “ The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body .” The best way to keep a building free of glitter is to ban the use of it.  A fire dies out when it is deprived of oxygen, an...

Today I was surprised by what the Bible didn't say.  I love how God is not like us, nor does He think as we do.  Our life following Jesus is filled with our need to change and grow in understanding of who God is and what pleases Him. Psalm 115:9-11 says, " O Israel, trust in the LORD ; He is their help and their shield. 10  O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD ; He is their help and their shield. 11  You who fear the LORD , trust in the LORD ; He is their help and their shield. "  The psalmists exhorted Israel, God's ministers, and all who fear the LORD to trust in Him.  The recurring phrase following is spoken as a matter of fact:  " He is their help and shield ."  I was intrigued at the lack of a connecting word like "because" or "for" instead of a semicolon.  The implication is God is trustworthy.  He helps and shields us whether we trust in Him or not.  Isn't this true for all people?  He is our help and shield, an...

" Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, a t the presence of the God of Jacob, 8  Who turned the rock into a pool of water, t he flint into a fountain of waters ." Psalm 114:7-8 There are many fearsome things on this planet, things like tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, lightning, and volcanoes.  These powerful, earth shaking and changing events are only the edges of His ways ( Job 26:14 ).  There are things people are afraid of for whatever reason, and many suffer from debilitating phobias.  Though there is much on earth which people fear, and the earth fears the Almighty God!  The psalmist bid the earth to tremble before its Maker who does marvellous things. I don't know physical trembling for people is an everyday occurrence, and trembling due to fear does not have a positive connotation for me.  But if there are things on this earth which make us tremble from nervousness, fear, or excitement, then we should definitely ...

Waiting is a regular part of life, and something that is often not our first preference.  That may be putting it lightly:  I'm not sure anyone finds waiting wonderful in itself.  We wait out of necessity or because of beneficial end results.  When shopping we survey our options based on which lane will save the most time.  If the lines to pay are very long and the self-serve area is open, we might choose that option to save time.  If waiting wasn't an issue, we wouldn't regret our choice if our lane took the longest. I have discovered recently I often view waiting as wasting time.  This is a perspective I believe God wants to change in me.  I recognise waiting is inevitable, but sometimes I am annoyed at what appears to be unnecessary delays.  On the golf course I aim to be as efficient as possible, approaching golf as an aerobic exercise rather than a leisurely stroll.  When there are players in front of me who are overly social and ...