Marching Forth!

The world for some time has been operating under the illusion that lasting peace is just beyond our grasp.  The generation which saw the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin wall, and sang along with "We Are the World" had bright hopes for the future.  The self-esteem movement, the tackling of social issues like illiteracy, world hunger, poverty, and campaigns to promote safe-sex, end racism, bullying, drug abuse, human trafficking, and domestic violence worked to make a difference.  In light of the ongoing riots and looting in the United States, from a humanist perspective it seems the hope of a brighter future is in grave doubt. The protests, riots, and looting show a greater and enduring cure is needed for the ills of hearts of men.  As awful as violence and destruction is it can be compared to a sore throat and fever that finally moves a person to seek medical aid.  I pray this is a moment when despairing people turn to God instead of on each oth...

" The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2  shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away ." 1 Peter 5:1-4 Peter exhorted those given oversight in the Body of Christ to volunteer willingly and not to be motivated by financial gain.  It is fitting those who labour in the Word of God and sow spiritual things reap a reward according to God's gracious provision ( 1 Corinthians 9:7-11; 1 Timothy 5:17-18 ).  The opportunity for income should never, however, enter into our motive for Christian service.  If earning money is why we "serve" we are nothing more than hire...

One of the scenes I enjoy in the movie "The Great Race" (of which there are many) is when Max urged Professor Fate to rise from his backseat bed:  "Time to get up.  C'mon Professor, rise and shine!"  The grumpy and likely hungover Professor shouted, "Rise and shine?"  "It's 7:30," Max calmly replied.  "Then you rise and you shine!" bellowed the villain professor to his sidekick.  Though some of us are reluctant to leave the warmth of our beds on a cold morning, God created the sun to faithfully rise and shine.  The sun supplies light and heat according to God's design. The sun shining is a declaration of God's glory as is written in  Psalm 19:4-6 :  " Their line has gone out through all the earth, a nd their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5  which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, a nd rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is fr...

Since my mum taught me to bake as a child, I have enjoyed making tasty treats to share.  With the rise of the internet it has allowed me to branch out from my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook and learn to make an array of balanced meals and deserts.  My personal method regarding new recipes is two-fold:  the first time follow the recipe as precisely as possible before making any adjustments, and the second is always try out a recipe before serving it to guests.  Even if I suspect there is too much of one ingredient or not enough of another, I find it necessary to establish a baseline according to the actual recipe so I can know if I have found a keeper or should move on. One of the greatest compliments as a casual baker is when someone enjoys my offering enough to ask for the recipe.  I have benefited greatly from people sharing recipes with me so I am happy to freely share the love.  Some of the best recipes I have my mother was given by an old lady down ...

" Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11  searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12  To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into ." 1 Peter 1:10-12 We can have this idea those who have received revelation from God have all the answers or insight, but these verses paint a different picture.  Through the prophets in the Old Testament God revealed the Messiah would suffer and it puzzled the prophets who received this divine revelation.  Under the heavy yoke of the Law of Moses the grace of the Gospel was preached yet not unders...

Recently I was impressed by the amount of consideration and detail which goes into the customising of a Rolls Royce automobile.  According to a video by Business Insider, there are 44,000 colour options and your customised colour becomes your own.  Expertly handcrafted inside and out, a Rolls Royce is a luxury ride just over 5,000 people purchase a year.  One person had the dashboard to reflect their DNA, and another decided the fibre-optic lighting in the "starline headliner" to match a constellation of stars on the day he was born.  The video went into the effort made to make the stitching of letters and images of roses pop. When I watched this video, what I found more impressive than the cost of a Rolls Royce was the thought, engineering, and effort put into building a car that reflects the owner.  I can't help but turn my thoughts to the Creator of the universe man can only copy:  God is the One who put DNA in every living cell of our bodies, the O...

One letter can make a huge difference in the meaning of a Bible passage.  If I read the New Testament in Greek there would be little chance of confusing "work" with "word."  I don't always wear my glasses (and maybe I should!) when I read but "ergon" looks nothing like "logos."  While I have been guilty of finishing God's sentences in the past, sometimes I have also been guilty of skimming through scripture instead of carefully reading each word.  When we do this we literally don't realise all the revelation from God we missed. But praise the LORD, even without wearing my glasses I came upon a passage I have mis-read in times past.  I looked it up in another Bible just to make sure it wasn't a typo!   James 1:21-25 says, " Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word , which is able to save your souls. 22  But be doers of the word , and not hearers only, dec...

God's redemptive power is seen in His power to restore what is broken to wholeness.  After the severe testing of Job God gave him double what he had previously.  His health was restored, many children were born to him, and Job was held in great honour.  Job was faced with the temptation to lament all God took from him previously or celebrate the grace and goodness of God with what He provided.  Is your tendency to grieve over what you no longer have or rejoice in God's presence today and the help He provides? Naomi is a woman who suffered the loss of her husband and two sons in a foreign land and returned to Israel bitter and angry at God.  Her widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess, was all she had to show for the many years she was abroad because of famine.  Naomi said, "I went out full but the LORD has brought me home again empty."  Ouch.  Despite the bitterness of Naomi, Ruth loved her and worked to support her by gleaning in the field...

When Jesus walked through Israel teaching and doing wonders people disagreed about His true identity.  Some said he was John the Baptist, others claimed he was Elijah, or one of the old prophets had been reincarnated or risen from the dead.  None of these contradictory opinions were true because Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Elijah and John were reformers but Jesus was a Redeemer.  We know our Redeemer lives because He is risen! Elijah spoke strongly against the regime of King Ahab and the idolatrous condition of the nation.  He conducted a test between the prophets of Ba'al and himself to prove to the people who was the true God to be worshipped, and God answered with fire from heaven.  Having exposed Ba'als prophets as frauds, they were swiftly executed.  John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance, driving home to individuals their need to confess sin and change.  Various groups of people (including tax collectors and s...

The LORD is faithful to bless those who read His Word.  Because the wisdom of God is infinite and His ways unsearchable, there will always be revelation for us in the scripture.  Today one minute I was reflected with amazement how I didn't comprehend basic biblical truth in my youth yet moments later noticed something new to me, a fresh connection which confirms the truth I am still learning.  Jesus says not one "jot or tittle" would pass from the Law until all was fulfilled, saying that the smallest of markings remained of great significance.  We know tone, timing, and emphasis can tweak the meaning of a simple sentence, and the writer of Hebrews keyed in on the posture of Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father to confirm the effectiveness of His sacrifice and much more. A little historical background:  it was customary morning and evening to offer sacrifices at the tabernacle and later the temple in obedience to the Law of Moses.  After Jesus di...

The book of Esther provides a great example of God's deliverance and the marvelous reversals only He is capable of.  The wicked Haman had signed into law of the Medes and Persians (which could not be changed) the Jews were to be slaughtered and plundered.  At the persistent urging of her cousin Mordecai, queen Esther brought the evil plot of Haman against the Jews to light before her husband and king.  Furious at this great betrayal, King Ahasuerus executed Haman, promoted Mordecai to a position of honour and power who drafted a new law which allowed the Jews to protect themselves from all adversaries.  Filled with ironic turns and unbelievable plot twists, the book of Esther puts the best Hollywood attempts to shame. Mordecai and the people went from fasting, mourning, and wearing sackcloth because of their eminent doom to celebrating together.   Esther 8:15-17 says, " So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and whi...

" When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah " Psalm 32:3-4 Reading through this Psalm this week I was prompted to see this in fresh light.  David penned this psalm considering the oppressive nature of sin:  when he refused to confess and repent of sin it gnawed at him day and night.  The picture he paints is one wasting away in pain, a dry soul groaning in distress.  A tree lacking moisture withers and dies, and the drought of summer sapped him of spiritual vitality. There are certain foods which are delicious when moist, but when the moisture dries up they become stale and unpalatable.  Because of sin David's life became dry and stale.  It is a strange thing how the composition of baked goods changes dramatically for the worse when exposed to air for extended periods of time.  We do not need to int...

What pictures does "lovable" bring to mind?  Personally I think of a cute and fuzzy plush toy, a smiling face with outstretched arms just begging to be held close.  Synonyms for "lovable" include:  endearing, engaging, attractive, adorable, lovely, sweet, cuddly, charming and pleasing.  One thing these synonyms have in common is being lovable is largely based on appearances and subjective personal opinion--not by demonstrated quality of character.  We can put a great deal of emphasis on looking lovely, but that does not mean we are lovable. I was struck by David's exhortation in  Psalm 31:23-24 :  " Oh, love the LORD , all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful,  a nd fully repays the proud person. 24  Be of good courage, a nd He shall strengthen your heart,  a ll you who hope in the LORD . "  Forget the fluffy teddy bear with the embroidered smile:  God is the most lovable being of all!  God is worthy ...

Today a visit to the bathroom turned out to provide an unexpected object lesson.  We have an intermittent leaky tap in our bathroom which is the ultimate "jiggle the handle" experience.  If you have the technique and strength, it works ok.  But because the maintenance man didn't match the new handles with the old-style brass fitting it has always been difficult to keep from dripping.  So we have developed a workaround:  if the tap drips a cup is placed underneath to catch the water to prevent wasting it.  Then when I come in to wash my hands, I crank that puppy down--much to Laura's dismay. As I watched the water slowly form under the tap and drip into the cup, I mused how pointless it would be to try to keep the tap from dripping with a finger.  Attempts to keep the water from dripping by hand pressure or placement of a cup underneath does not address the internal problem with the tap.  It needs to be pulled apart and fitted with a new plunger...

" And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief ." Hebrews 3:18-19 God brought the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt by a mighty hand and led them to the threshold of the Promised Land.  Yet upon hearing a bad report by 10 of the 12 spies sent into Canaan, the people were filled with fear and even regretted leaving Egypt!  They believed the reports of huge fortifications and giants in the land instead of looking to the almighty God who had brought them thus far:  the One who led them out would bring them in with victory.  Because they would not enter in God decreed that generation (save the two faithful spies Joshua and Caleb) could not enter the land.  Their unbelief led them to rebel rather than obey. This is an incredibly relevant and thought-provoking situation to consider personally.  If unbelief prevented God's people...

Recently the jet in the pool has been blowing a lot of bubbles which suggested a leak somewhere in the system.  Today I turned off the pump and removed the clear lens on the secondary filter and discovered a small pebble had been lodged under the O-ring and prevented an airtight seal.  I thought to myself, the fix couldn't be this simple of a fix, right?  After removing the tiny stone I turned on the pump and I was pleased to see the water completely fill the secondary filter with bubble-free operation. It amazed me a little pebble caused such a major problem which compromised the efficiency of the entire filtration system of the pool.  We've all experienced a pebble in our shoe, a tiny object if laying on the ground under normal circumstances would never grab our interest.  We can try to ignore the discomfort, but ultimately we need to stop what we're doing and remove the pebble which barks at us with each step.  If a little pebble can crack a windscree...

I enjoy books and films that make me think, that take me beyond words on a page or a plot unfolding on the screen to learn something.  It doesn't need to be a clearly defined moral like in a family sitcom or a G.I. Joe Public Service Announcement, but they prompt thoughts which open a window of the mind to draw in fresh air.  These books and films do not claim to be ultimate truth, but can at times stir up the truth we have learned and been assured of through scripture and put it to more effective personal use. In the book The Problem of Pain , C.S. Lewis mentioned something I was already familiar with but stirred me to think it over.  The point he was making was not the main point taken.  This is a way the Holy Spirit often works in preaching, and I have observed many times He brings to hearer's hearts everlasting truth the preacher never anticipated.  C.S. Lewis wrote: " The thing you long for summons you away from the self.  Even the desire for th...

Have you ever been in a situation when you wanted God to tell you what to do?  It recently occurred to me telling is not the same as teaching.  A good teacher does not simply tell their pupil what to do at every moment but leads them to learn the correct way for themselves.  The person who wants to be told what to do may not even be teachable.  To be teachable we must humble ourselves and go beyond following a directive to having our minds and hearts changed to align with the master. Growing up I found 10-pin bowling fun and enjoyable, but at a point it became frustrating when my efforts did not translate to improved scores.  When I took a 10-pin bowling course in university I decided to throw out everything I thought I knew and learned an entirely new system and approach.  My education did not immediately result in better scores but it was not long before my competency and consistency improved.  One does not need to take a course or have a coach to...

As a person born in the United States having immigrated to Australia, I have been intrigued by the contrasting perspectives generally reflected in people and media.  The press in the U.S. have been throwing around terms like "tyranny" and "totalitarianism" while the Australian media muses why only 4 million people have voluntarily downloaded an app designed to track movements.  While people in California protest their right to assemble under the Constitution, a vast majority of Sydney-siders are making do best they can to respect restrictions, considering protection of the most vulnerable more important than personal freedoms.  In our polarised world one extreme sees a trojan horse of government oppression, while the other sees it as a necessity for public health. This is where the supremacy and sovereignty of God is a great comfort to me:  no matter where a person lives or what their perspective is on social matters, what constitutes government overreach, or whe...