Marching Forth!

When I read the works of C.S. Lewis, I am always blessed and encouraged by his God-honouring intelligence which far exceeds my own.  His literary skill and creative approach to answering meaningful questions puts me in the place of a little child having to run to keep up with his father's long stride and still lagging behind.  I recently started re-reading The Problem of Pain , a book Lewis wrote in 1940.  It is the sort of book which strikes the reader differently in each reading because of the depth of content and how much the reader or his circumstances have changed.  Instead of following a familiar pattern of discussion, C.S. Lewis blazed a trail academics, theologians, and us ordinary folk do well to follow. Having laid the foundation for the existence of God, C.S. Lewis began to explore how people have a belief that if God is all powerful and loving, He should ensure our constant happiness.  A false contradiction and even the denial of God's existe...

God's Word is like a fire, like a hammer that breaks the rocks in pieces.  It vapourises the chaff of personal opinion and shatters assumptions about God and what we must do to please Him.  It is a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our path, guiding us to avoid pitfalls and obstacles common in life.  In reading the Bible we are warned and in heeding the scriptures there is great reward.  We are most blessed to have the Bible preserved and provided for us personally. I was impacted as Paul hammered home the nature of the Gospel to believing Timothy in  2 Timothy 1:6-10 :  " Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has...

" Though the LORD is on high, y et He regards the lowly;  b ut the proud He knows from afar ." Psalm 138:6 God is exalted and on high, greater than all others.  The affluent, famous, and powerful among men fraternise with others like them, but the Creator of all things condescends to hear the lowly.  No amount of riches can compensate for or afford His blessings, but Jesus gladly acknowledged the widow who freely gave two copper coins which amounted to a penny because she gave all ( Mark 12:41 ).  The Most High draws near to the humble soul He regards, but keeps the proud at a distance. It is entirely possible to have great wealth with humility as Jesus Himself showed:  all things are created by Him and for Him, yet He gave all to put on human flesh with humility.  Since He has all authority in heaven and earth Jesus could have come as a king in glory attended by the host of heaven shouting His praise.  Jesus was instead born of a virgin, w...

" Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses ." 1 Timothy 6:12 Paul strongly urged Timothy not to be swept up by fables, the pursuit of riches, or the works of the flesh, but to fight the good fight of faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul realised a door opened by Jesus did not mean there would be no adversaries or conflict.  All who walk through doors Jesus opens will face opposition, starting with themselves.  Answering the call of Jesus will always require a personal cost of dying to self, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus. Being "called" by God does not mean the path of following Jesus will be easy:  there are many people Jesus called out to who refused to follow or heed Him at all!  Timothy had been called to eternal life through faith in Jesus, called as a pastor, and gifted by the Holy Spirit.  But calling was no guarant...

I don't know about you, but in school I never preferred a pop-quiz.  I always appreciated the opportunity to review and brush up on information to perform at my best.  Being unexpectedly put on the spot with the possibility of failure was never a enjoyable feeling.  The one major upside of a pop-quiz is all the students were in the same position, and if all did poorly it indicated ignorance of the students and the need of additional lessons. Life is full of pop-quiz moments God allows for His good purposes, and when we realise we have failed it compels us to labour to be better prepared in the future.  Though God knows everything He also tests us so the condition of our hearts will be revealed to all.  These tests are not undertaken in a classroom with pencil and paper at a desk but in our responses to God in words, deeds, and attitudes.  Moses told the children of Israel in  Deuteronomy 8:2 , " And you shall remember that the LORD your God led y...

Every time we speak, text, or write, God's people have the opportunity to edify one another in the faith of Jesus Christ who is our Hope.  I started reading 1 Timothy this morning and was reminded of Paul's exhortations to Timothy to faithfully teach the doctrines of Jesus Christ our LORD, "... nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith ." ( 1 Timothy 1:4 )  As long as people have been around there has never been a shortage of political intrigue, controversies, and conspiracies which cause disputes, often preying upon fear and ignorance.  Fueled by doubt and speculation, the fear and praise of God can be overshadowed with endless disputes which profit nothing. The praise, worship, and glory of God however is timeless in beauty, truth, and relevance.  The youngest son of Jesse named David who God brought from the sheepfold to be a ruler over all the tribes of Israel had plenty to occupy hi...

When my wife and I bought our first house, apparently the previous tenant owed money to creditors.  Our neighbour divulged it was not uncommon for her to have a "new car every week" only to have it towed away from the driveway.  Then something unsettling happened:  a creditor showed up on two occasions when I wasn't home with the intent to repossess the furniture the previous tenant had bought on credit.  My wife explained how the house had been sold and we had no contact with the previous tenant, but he was undeterred.  He did not believe she was telling the truth and wanted to enter the house to find the lounge and bedroom set he imagined was hidden inside.  Having refused his demand to come in, my wife told him if he wanted access to the premises he would need to contact the police. In preparing for this week's sermon I was reminded of this incident from the past and realised for a lot of Christians who have been born again and forgiven through faith ...

Humans have the propensity to turn good things God gives us into idols.  The common examples used as illustrations to me when I was a kid were things like money, cars, music, and self.  I believe it is possible the current isolation restrictions preventing churches from gathering in person might expose one I never could have believed possible:  church attendance.  Gathering at a local church with believers to worship God, study the Bible, and serve one another is a very good thing and the scripture exhorts us not to forsake assembling.  Nearly all the "one another" commands put forth in the New Testament require a degree of personal involvement together.  Going to church is a vital part of growing in faith and edifying one another in obedience to Jesus. At the same time there might not be a greater metric relied upon for "how we are doing spiritually" than church attendance.  Yet like the shopkeeper who bows before a shrine and image for good fort...

" Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12  And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13  so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. " 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 This is one of many prayers Paul spoke according to the will of God for the Thessalonian church.  I appreciated the connection Paul made between walking in love to one another and holiness.  Holiness is not obtained by attending church services, wearing sacred vestments, offering sacrifices or tithes, but is demonstrated by love for God and one another.  Jesus gave His disciples the new command to love one another as He loved them, and this would distinguish them as children of God having been born again by the Holy Spirit. Another truth which stood out to me is Paul prayed for the ...

Every good gift comes from God ( James 1:17 ).  The LORD who causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall supplies our every need, and the capacity to enjoy anything about life on this planet is also a gift from Him.  Because of our selfish and greedy nature, we can begin to worship self or the creature more than the Creator, the gift rather than the Giver.  When we make stuff, fame, money, or anything that is passing away our desire rather than God, we are not grateful for what we do have.  The one thing we don't have that we want can sour the very things we enjoy. A perfect example of the folly of discontentment is seen in wicked Haman, enemy of the Jews.  He found favour in the eyes of King Ahasuerus and was promoted to a high station.  He was given privileged access to the king and everyone on the street bowed before Haman in reverence.  However, there was one man named Mordecai who refused to bow.  When Haman discovered Mordecai would not p...

This morning I was impressed by Paul's praying for the Thessalonian believer who had been born again through faith in Jesus Christ.  Their response to the Gospel was not an emotive response but reflected marked personal transformation as real as Jesus rising from the dead.  Paul wrote in  1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 :  " We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4  knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake ." Paul addressed followers of Jesus he called brethren because their changed conduct provided evidence they were indeed elect of God.  This assurance came not through willpower or because o...

" As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving ." Colossians 2:6-7 Christians have received Jesus Christ by grace through faith, and thus it is by faith we walk in Him.  Freely have we received, so freely we give and live.  No longer are we governed by the Law of Moses written on tablets of stone but by the righteousness of Christ in faith, love, and obedience to God.  Forgiveness and salvation is a free gift we receive through the Gospel, and having been established in the faith by God we are to abide in Christ.  Paul went on to explain the impact of receiving Christ by faith in verse 10 :  "... you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."   The Law is the shadow and the Light of the World Jesus Christ has made it obsolete. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17 , " Now the Lord is ...

Every few months I receive a letter or email that announces an upcoming inspection from the real estate company which manages the property we are renting.  Because of the current quarantine restrictions in NSW they will be conducting them remotely and requested pictures of the exterior and each room.  Usually we have weeks to prepare for an inspection and finish tidying up on the day, but the photos were requested as soon as possible.  We have always found the silver lining in these regular inspections which aid our family to take regular stock in the cleanliness of the place, promotes being tidy and organised, and encourages effort in upkeep of the yard. Today I learned the difference between tidying up for a physical walkthrough or with photos.  As real estate agents and photographers know, pictures are able to capture and present the most flattering views.  A stack of papers, various dishes or containers, and loose clothing can be moved out of sight rather...

Human beings are incorrigibly preoccupied with self:  selfish, self-confident, self-conscious, self-righteous, and the list goes on.  The reason why self-help books continue to be perpetually popular is because we recognise we are the weak link, we are not completely content, and if there are benefits or life-hacks out there to improve our lives sign us up!  We are naturally bent to seek out formulas which promise to guarantee beneficial results in things like weight loss, how increase our net worth, superior cleaning products, and also in spiritual matters.  Passages from the Bible can be used like a maths equation, imagining if we plug the right good works or words into a formula God will bow to our will and provide the end result we desire. Consider this passage in 2 Chronicles 1:7-12 :  " On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?" 8  And Solomon said to God: "You have shown great mercy to David my father...

" Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing ." John 15:4-5 When my dad taught me to ride a bike my parents gave me for my birthday, a point came when his hand was removed from bike and I was on my own.  It was up to me to keep my balance, steer, and apply the brakes as needed.  This is not the model Jesus gave to His disciples, nor the pattern for any of God's people in scripture.  The people of God have always needed to be dependent upon God for the ability to do all He has said.  The picture Jesus supplied of our relationship with God is the connection between the vine and branches.  The vitality of the vine extends into the branches and that is the only way the branches can be fruitful, and it is our connection with Jesus which...

While preparing a sermon this week, I was struck by the wonder of the Gospel.  The Law written on tablets of stone could only condemn and revealed beyond doubt men are sinners deserving of God's judgment.  One shortcoming of the Law was the people who needed to keep it wouldn't, nor could they, as it held forth the standard of God's righteousness.  So according to God's grand design, He used the Law to lead sinners by the hand to Jesus Christ the Saviour who provided atonement with His shed blood.  After three days He rose from the dead like He promised, proving He is able to grant forgiveness and eternal life for all who trust in Him. The Law was unable to keep thieves from stealing and liars from lying, but Jesus came to change the hearts of people and make new creations through faith in Him.  Even as Jesus was raised from the dead glorified, so tax collectors, harlots, and liars are raised changed to new life through faith in Jesus.  Paul wrote to peo...

Plagues and pestilence are found in the Bible of such great scope and severity the worst we experience can be termed of "biblical proportion."  Though these are acts of God who is to be feared, He is our Deliverer and Saviour.  His proud enemies will be made to cower before Him, yet those who trust in Him are protected like Noah and his family in the ark.  The God who strikes the earth and man is able to heal and restore.  The sons of Korah wrote in  Psalm 46:1-3 , " God is our refuge and strength, a  very present help in trouble. 2  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah " It is because God is good, gracious, loving, merciful, and faithful we were not consumed long ago by our own pride, greed, selfishness and folly because the wages of sin is death.  God caus...

In our family reading last night I was struck by the mention of men from Jericho rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, tucked neatly in  Nehemiah 3:1-2 :  " Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built ."  The books of Ezra and Nehemiah confirm 345 men of Jericho returned to Jerusalem 70 years after the Babylonian captivity.  The fact they worked alongside the high priest on the walls of Jerusalem--and that they were reckoned to have an inheritance among the children of Israel--is an amazing demonstration of God's grace considering the history of that accursed city. Jericho was the first stronghold defeated in the conquest of Canaan by the LORD at the hand of Joshua.  The cit...