Marching Forth!

" The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; i t wearies him to bring it back to his mouth ." Proverbs 26:15 When I think of this passage a story comes to mind.  Years ago a co-worker told me about a small dog (Chihuahua mix) he owned that had a voracious appetite.  Having bought a new bag of dog food, on a whim he decided to see how much the dog would actually eat.  He cut the top off the bag and laid it down for the hungry and frantic pup's special "all you can eat" meal.  After leaving for awhile, he returned to see how the dog was doing.  The dog was completely exhausted and full, laying on his side with his head in the bag, seemingly unable to move but humorously drew an occasional morsel into his mouth with his tongue. The lazy man in Solomon's parable is like a fellow who has a bowl of food in front of him--in his own hand even--but it seems too much work to move his hand from the bowl to his mouth.  The irony is someone had gathered...

Last night before bed I read the passage in Revelation when the sixth seal is opened, one of many judgments which are coming upon the earth.  God's wrath with be released upon people who have rejected Jesus Christ as it is written in  Revelation 6:15-17 :  " And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,  16  and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  17  For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand ?" When I think of lambs, I picture a soft woolly creature feeding on grass or bouncing around a green meadow--not anything capable of wrath and destruction.  Jesus Christ is the Lamb without blemish referred to here, for He is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  The first time Jesus walked...

It struck me the other day how remarkable it was of the thief crucified with Jesus to say to Him, " LORD, remember me when you come into your kingdom ."  In doing so he demonstrated great faith which perceived more than what he could naturally see.  Over the head of Jesus was a sign inscribed by the hand of Pontius Pilate with the accusation brought against Him:  "J ESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS ." (Matthew 27:37; John 19:19) Never had a king been so ill-treated by His own people, being accused as an evildoer by envious men with His subjects shouting to the Roman ruler as one man, "Crucify Him!"  He hung battered from blows and brutal scourging, covered in gore, barely recognisable as a man.  The thief who lived his life in violation of God's law and initially reviled Jesus had his eyes suddenly opened to the reality Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of God and Son of David who would have an everlasting kingdom. In desperation the dyin...

God is truly all powerful.  The creation of the universe, global catastrophes, and miraculous might are just the edges of His ways.  It is remarkable to me how God has all authority and power, yet men can move Him through humble requests.  Many times God stated His intention to do something, and when those who feared Him spoke with God He relented.  God remained righteous and good, yet mountains were moved and inevitable judgment delayed by a simple request. This morning I thought back to the time after Jacob left Laban's house as a wealthy man with many children.  He heard Esau was coming to meet him with hundreds of men and he was concerned for the safety of his family and himself.  That night the biblical account says he wrestled with a man until the breaking of day.  This man and how they began to engage in the tussle is not explained in scripture.  But reading on shows this "man" was much more than an ordinary man, for he simply touched Ja...

" You have plowed wickedness; y ou have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies,  b ecause you trusted in your own way,  i n the multitude of your mighty men ." Hosea 10:13 I forget things or misspeak, but God does not.  He knows all things, having created the world and all the processes therein.  Reading this verse holds forth an important principle by what God through the prophet did not mention.  A farmer typically ploughs furrows, sows seed, and reaps the harvest.  This passage references ploughing and reaping but does not mention sowing at all!  The fact is unless we plant good seed we cannot expect good things to grow. We see evidence of this all the time:  we turn over the soil to plant flowers or a vegetable garden and all manner of weeds and grass sprout up.  These weeds ought to be pulled because all these do is propagate after their own kind and rob the good plants of nutrition, sunlight, and space. ...

It is tragic when people do not have basic necessities for survival like clean water, wholesome food, or adequate shelter.  Billions of dollars of financial aid and countless volunteer efforts go towards helping those in need near and far.  As real the risk is for those who lack, there is also a risk for those who have .  It is ironic those who have great abundance also run the greatest risk of forgetting who they need most:  God.  In the Law of Moses God provided warnings for the wealthy.  Having our needs met by God can cause us to be filled with pride and forget God who provides life and all we possess. Through Moses God warned His people in Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 17-18 :  " When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12  lest-...

When it comes to temptation to sin, we can feel very alone.  In the moment we can feel powerless to find the way of escape God has provided for us.  But this pitiful self-focus is a chief source of our chronic problems, that we imagine ourselves to be the central figure in the struggle and forget about the power of God.  We think it falls to us to do the impossible rather than seeking the LORD.  Failure can lead to our resignation to sin instead of fleeing as we ought. Last night I was struck by what Peter wrote in  2 Peter 2:7-9 .  Those who sinned without repentance God destroyed " ...and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked  8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--  9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment... "...

Temptation is more than enticement but actually puts us to the test:  it is an examination to see if we will choose God's way or not.  The Bible explains God cannot be blamed for temptation to sin, as it is written in  James 1:13-14 :  " Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed ."  The fact temptation to sin appeals to us at all is because we are the crooked and corruptible ones.  God is righteous and always leads us to do righteously.  It is we who err. The grace of God is revealed in providing a way for those who trust in Christ to avoid sin and do what is right.  See what  1 Corinthians 10:13 has to say on the subject:  " No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you ...

I read a discourse to working men called "The Great Strike" by W.R. Bradlaugh who spoke of a young woman who had been a prodigal.  After making a decision to follow Jesus Christ as LORD she returned home at midnight and was surprised to find the door unlocked.  She found her mother praying for her.  After an embrace she expressed her surprise the door was unfastened.  "That has never been fastened since you went away," the mother said.  "I knew you would return, and it should never be said my child came home and could not get in."  Bradlaugh used this to preface the following heartfelt message for doubters, infidels, and those who have departed from Christ: That is just how our Heavenly Father acts.  He neither slumbereth nor sleepeth.  He is ever ready to receive the wanderer.  Friend, sin has separated you from a father's love and a father's care.  But though you have wandered from God, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has gone after you, ...

" We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- 10  always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. " 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 This was a description of the Christian life by the apostle Paul, one who suffered according to the will of God.  But where suffering abounded, consolation from God was greater still.  It was God who enabled Paul to endure and He is faithful to help us as well. Paul was pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down.  Blows were landed physically and spiritually upon him yet he was not crushed, did not despair, was not forsaken or destroyed.  It could be said he was upheld and sustained, encouraged by hope in God, experienced God's presence, and was delivered.  The victory obtained through Christ's death and resurrection were...

" I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service ." Romans 12:1 Over the past few days I enjoyed a getaway with a delightful group of men in Newcastle.  During that time we studied through portions of the Bible and this was one of the first passages we read.  As we discussed this verse, I was struck with the implications of what it means to be an acceptable sacrifice to God. Those of us who love and desire to please God have an interest in what we can do to make efforts to demonstrate this.  Whilst this verse is a directive to do, it is largely overshadowed by what God has already done.  Understanding this fills us with gratitude, thanks, and humility at the grace and mercy of God that enables us to be in any way acceptable before Him as a living sacrifice or servant.  We are brethren of Christ and children of God by the mercies of God...

I was privileged over the last week to speak to kids about Jesus Christ, some of whom admittedly had never heard anything about Him.  It was fun to focus on the life of Christ and His amazing deeds which revealed He was indeed the Son of God sent as a Saviour.  While camp is a great opportunity to be intentional about speaking of Jesus, it is good for us to approach every day with the same focus. D.L. Moody wrote about the great zeal of the blind man healed by Jesus.  He could have remained silent because of the opposition and pressure of the Jewish religious leaders, but his boldness and courage rivalled that of Peter and John before the Sanhedrin after being filled with the Holy Spirit.  Moody points out the fault of silence among those who have had their eyes opened by Christ, a fault I have been guilty of myself: It is a very sad thing that so many of God's children are dumb; yet it is true.  Parents would think it is a great calamity to have their chil...

At Camp Kedron this week we are discussing the amazing things Jesus taught and His mighty deeds.  The miracles Jesus did weren’t an end in themselves but were signs which pointed people to Him being the Messiah:  the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the promised Saviour.  John 20:30-31 is a foundational verse for the talks:  “ And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name .” It would be a silly thing to stop in wonder at a sign but not continue to the intended destination.  The purpose of signs is to give direction, to point to something more important than itself.  Can you imagine going to Disneyland and stopping at the sign out front in the carpark?  It would do little good to follow directions to a house and stop at the street sign or at the letterbox wi...

This morning I was struck by a verse in Daniel concerning the future anti-christ who will deceive many by a means which seems counter-intuitive.  And this is the grave deception, that peace and widespread prosperity is a Trojan horse of destruction.  Daniel 8:25 says, “ And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand .”  This passage reminded me the peace offered by the world leads to destruction, and it is nothing like the peace Jesus gives. When the children of Dan sought to expand their lands by conquering territory, they took note of the people of Laish.  Their manner of living was quiet and secure, for peace caused them to be complacent, soft target.  They did not have any fortifications or defences because they sensed no scheme or attack.  Judges 18:27 said t...

“ O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; 2 take words with you, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips .” Hosea 14:1-2 I have been reading through the book of Hosea in preparation to teach it.  It is full of hard sayings because it was spoken to people hard of heart.  Because they refused to repent of their sin, severe judgment was coming from God.  God is longsuffering and patient, but the sin of Israel demanded a response of the righteous Judge of all the earth. Israel was completely lost without hope because they forsook the LORD and went after idols.  They looked for aid from other nations who could not heal or help them.  At the same time there was hope for bent and backsliding Israel—if they would return to God and repent.  The prophet urged the people to return to the LORD their God and ask for His forgiven...

God is willing to go to great lengths to reveal wisdom to us personally.  We are naturally senseless concerning God's wisdom, and we think all we need is for Him to say the word and it will make sense and be agreeable to us.  The fact we assume this to be true shows how blind we can be.  How many times have we been told the truth and pushed back against it because we could?  When there was nothing at stake but our pride we have resisted plain facts because we hate being wrong. The life of King Nebuchadnezzar provides a useful example of how God is gracious and willing to go to great pains to instruct us.  Ironically Nebuchadnezzar was deprived of his sanity for 7 years, becoming in his mind as senseless as a wild beast, incapable of speech or understanding.  God warned the king of Babylon concerning his future in a troubling dream, and God also provided Daniel to interpret it for him.  God's purposes in removing the king from his throne for 7 years ...

" He who answers a matter before he hears it, i t is folly and shame to him. " Proverbs 18:13 "Think before you speak," my dad used to say.  "You have two ears but only one mouth so you should listen twice as much as you speak."  There is great practical wisdom in these sayings.  Solomon warned his son of the folly of answering a matter before he hears it.  When people came before King Solomon for judgment, he needed to listen to both sides and also consult God's Word before a decision could be made.  We are satisfied to have knowledge and to share it, but if we answer without first listening it is folly and shame to us. Jesus provides a great example for us in His first public interaction with the scribes and Pharisees.  After Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem assuming He was with them, Jesus at 12 years of age remained in the Temple and conversed with the greatest elders and scholars in the land.   Luke 2:46-47 reads, " Now so ...

Yesterday I was given the opportunity to deliver the message at Jericho Road Christian Fellowship .  The text the LORD placed on my heart was Exodus 15 which begins with the song of Moses celebrating God's power and deliverance from the  pursuing Egyptian army.  Three days after God brought the people through the Red Sea, however, they complained because they did not find fresh water.  One might imagine a series of obvious miracles and the physical presence of God before the eyes would endow people with unshakable faith and resolve, but this passage shows otherwise.  Bitter water brought out the bitterness in people towards Moses and ultimately God. God graciously healed the waters of Marah, a picture of what He delighted to do within them.  They had been oppressed in Egypt for 400 years as slaves, and there was a lot of bitterness, resentment, and hurts.  God made a covenant with the people and said, " I am the God who heals you ."  When peopl...