Marching Forth!

When I was born to my parents years ago, they didn't choose me from a litter.  I also did not have the choice of my parents or whether I would have a brother or sister:  God sovereignly brought us together as family and I learned to live with and love them all despite our differences.  A day came when I sought the permission of Laura's parents and asked for her hand in marriage.  After being united by God in matrimony new branches were added to the families we were already connected to.  God has graciously given us sons who are growing up and perhaps will someday enlarge our family even further. My views concerning the church, the Body of Christ, align well with this approach to family relationships that acknowledges the wisdom and sovereignty of God.  Even as I did not choose my parents, I did not choose my Sunday School teachers, pastor or church I grew up attending and later served in.  A day came when the LORD guided me and my family to settle in A...

In a increasingly polarised world it is good to remember Jesus has united believers in the church as one.  Instead of being focused on groups or people which should be excluded from the number of "true disciples," it is more useful for us to ensure we personally are in Christ and walking in His love.  Today I was reading about how timber, gold, silver, curtains, loops, and clasps united together to make one tabernacle.  This is one allusion to the uniting of Jew and Gentile in the church, the Body of Christ.  From every nation, tribe and tongue God has comprised a united church filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote to Gentile (non-Jew) believers in Ephesians 2:11-18 :  " Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- 12  that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promis...

 Occasionally on a social media news feed I see a story about a neglected or abused animal which has been rescued.  There was the little pony whose hooves had overgrown so it was unable to walk properly, a cocker spaniel with hair so matted it dragged heavily on the ground, and other animals which had disabilities or were abandoned.  The video goes through the transition of recovery, fostering, and re-homing animals that often the rescuer love too much to let go.  There is an understanding these animals need help, patience, and an investment of time to earn their trust with continued love and gentleness. These animals that have suffered from abuse and neglect can be quite skittish and hostile toward those who desire to help them.  They growl, bare their teeth, and even snap at any who invade their personal space.  Because of what the animals had suffered the animal lovers who hope to help them are compassionate and patient, realising their present condition...

How good is God to draw near to unworthy sinners who draw near to Him!  God promises if we seek Him with our whole hearts we will find Him ( Deut. 4:29 ).  An example of this is seen after the children of Israel sinned through idolatry when Moses met with the LORD on Mt. Sinai.  Exodus 33 describes how Moses daily went into the tabernacle to meet with God and from their tents the Hebrews witnessed the presence of God descend in a cloud upon it.  Overwhelmed with the dire consequences of their sin of which resulted in separation and distance from the Almighty God, the people grieved over their transgression.  The people worshiped when they saw the presence of God who spoke with Moses face to face as a man speaks with a friend. Moses provided insight concerning one of these private meetings with God.  After Moses asked to see God's glory  Exodus 33:20-23 records, " But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live."  21 ...

" Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3  And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4  to design artistic works, to wor k in gold, in silver, in bronze,  5  in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship ." Exodus 31:1-5 When people think of people gifted in work and ministry, I'm not sure Bezalel comes to mind.  I love the fact that the Holy Spirit filled him not for the purpose of preaching, prophesying, or speaking with tongues, but gave him wisdom and understanding to design, work with metals, cut stones, and carve wood.  His calling was just as important as Moses or Aaron his Creator gifted him with wisdom to work with his hands.  He did not have the privilege of wearing the ephod, but he was gifted to engrave and place the sto...

 King Solomon made his share of blunders (as we all have) but he answered wisely when God appeared to him and dream.  God said in 1 Kings 3:5 , " Ask!  What shall I give you ?"  Instead of imagining he had won the divine lottery to benefit himself, Solomon asked for what only God could provide with a view of God's calling upon his life.  On the basis of the mercy and kindness God had shown David and that Solomon was God's servant he responded in  1 Kings 3:9 , "T herefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours ?"  Solomon demonstrated wisdom in asking God to meet his need by supplying wisdom to rule well. I wonder:  if God revealed Himself to you in a dream and asked you the same question, how would you answer?  Would you be pleased for God to give you what people in the world possess or something only God can supply?...

 My eyes chanced upon a blurb about an illustrated Bible that began, " The greatest story ever told..."   Though my face did not betray any emotion inside I cringed.  While is true factual history includes stories, it would be a tragedy to bring the divinely inspired word of God to the level of a historical narrative, poetry, mythology, or fiction.  If we view the scripture as a collection of "stories" it greatly impacts the way we read and relate to it. When I worked in a trade the humble lunchbreak provided a perfect opportunity for master storytellers to trot out their best tales.  Some stories were amazing and unbelieveable, and others dragged on without a clear point.  My favourite stories were the ones I found funny and entertaining.  Those brief moments provided an opportunity to sit back and be transported to another time, have a laugh, and add the best for your personal arsenal should an opportunity to swap stories present itself.  Thinki...

 Yesterday I was reminded of the occasion when Jesus accompanied His disciples on a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee.   Mark 4:37-40 tells us, " 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, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith ?"  The disciples panicked as the wind whipped water into the boat, and Jesus sleeping through the ordeal seemed to trouble them even more. They asked Jesus, " Do you not care that we are perishing ?"  It would be fitting to ask those troubled souls, "Do you not care Jesus is with you in the storm?"  The disciples found themselves in a situation be...

" Thus says the LORD : "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, l et not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24  but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD , exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD ." Jeremiah 9:23-24 It is natural for people to be pleased with what they have earned or accomplished.  God reveals in this passage to make a show of or the celebration of our abilities and possessions (which are gifts received from Him) is misguided.  Man habitually glories in what is not God, and whether we view ourselves as wise, mighty, or rich, this passage aims straight at our hearts with divine correction and instruction. What are things you "glory" or take pride in?  The way we reveal this pride is often not through overt boasting and bragging, talking loud so everyone can he...

You don’t need to live long to suffer much.  One aspect of God’s character is He is a Redeemer:  He is able take the suffering of one person and make it a source of comfort for others today.  Christians have eternity to look forward to, yet there is also great comfort for us to receive now.  We imagine the best source of comfort is for our circumstances to change for the better, but people who have suffered and are suffering can provide an unexpected source of encouragement when they endure and rejoiced in the LORD. I recently received shocking and sobering news of friends in the States whose property and house burned to the ground.  I have never personally known such a loss, and I am grateful to have been spared from this trial.  I am also thankful beyond words for the God-fearing, trusting, and celebrating attitude from my friends despite their loss.  I am reminded of the exhortation they are fulfilling in  1 Peter 4:12-13 :  " Beloved, ...

" And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone's inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers ." Numbers 33:54 God provided an inheritance of land for His people to be divided by lot.  The Hebrews were not called to global conquest but were given land with clearly defined borders:  God would drive out the inhabitants of the land before them, and they were called to enter in and take possession of it.  Each tribe and family (save the Levites) were given a parcel of land which would be passed down through generations.  The arid land God gave His people was a small fraction of the land available, and it was sufficient for His people. It is telling God gave His people land with borders and boundaries.  The Law of Moses forbade the movin...

" If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,"  l et Israel now say-- 2  "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, 3  then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; 4 then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; 5 then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul." 6 Blessed be the LORD , Who has not given us as prey to their teeth ." Psalm 124:1-6 Repetition is a feature of Jewish poetry which is a useful literary device to make strong emphasis.   Psalm 124 caused people to remember and acknowledge the help and deliverance by God in the past.  Passages like this have reminded people in all seasons of life to proclaim the goodness and salvation of God.  In times of peace and prosperity even God's people can forget about Him, so it is profitable to rehearse the many times God has been faithful to protect, provide, ...

After God brought His people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, He miraculously provided them water to drink to quench their thirst.  Though God made a covenant with His people, it was not long before they murmured against Moses and Aaron, men chosen by God according to His divine purposes.  They grumbled and complained in their discontent.  They even expressed their preference to have died in Egypt, for at least there they had meat and bread to eat to the full.  In their bitterness they forgot how they cried out to God for deliverance because of the harsh bondage they suffered.  God would prove faithful to supply food for even grumbling, complaining people. Exodus 16:6-8 says, " Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, "At evening you shall know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt. 7 And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD ; for He hears your complaints against the LORD . But what are we, that you...

" Rejoice always, 17  pray without ceasing, 18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you ." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 The will of God is for us to always rejoice, pray, and in everything give thanks.  Doing so is indicative of people who are at rest in the almighty God they trust with their whole hearts.  Instead of being blinded by fears and worries, followers of Jesus are enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to do God's will with gladness. I read Exodus 14 today and was intrigued with the back-and-forth between the Hebrews and Moses after Pharaoh sent them away.  Shortly after demanding the children of Israel leave Egypt, Pharaoh and his people regretted sending away their slave labour and mustered all their chariots to pursue them.  When the Hebrews saw the advancing enemies out of fear for their lives they lashed out at Moses.  Their terror distorted their grasp on reality and clouded their view...

When I checked the news this morning the top story was top-ranked tennis star Novak Djokovic was  disqualified  from the U.S. Open after accidentally hitting an umpire with an errant ball.  He hit a ball in frustration intentionally but could not have imagined the ball would have collected a line judge in the throat and she dropped to the ground.  Apparently this is not the first time this has happened to a professional player, when striking an official accidentally led to an ejection and disqualification from a tournament. Quoting news.com.au, " The US Tennis Association released a statement saying Djokovic would be fined all prize money and lose all ranking points earned during the major.  'In accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, following his actions of intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences, the US Open tournament referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2...

God created the earth to have days, seasons, and years.  Not every day is the same, and one season may be preferred over another.  The memories of times past should never be permitted to overshadow the start of a new day, a new season which holds great promise for all those who hope in God.  Instead of lamenting what we can no longer do as the flower of youth fades, we can glory in the strength of God who sustains us and will present us without fault before the throne of God with exceeding joy. I have heard many people speak disparagingly of the year 2020, yet it is a year comprised of days God has made.  It is true in Australia we have seen fires, floods, a pandemic, and a recession.  These trying circumstances do nothing to take the shine from our great God and the wondrous plans He has for all who love and trust Him.  If they do in our eyes it is evidence things other than God have clouded our vision and purpose.  In our gracious God there is alw...

An attraction that never interested me at Disneyland was "Autotopia," a miniature car connected to a rail that guided the car along the course.  There was a steering wheel in the car but it did not allow the driver to make meaningful decisions.  Go-carts were a much more exciting prospect for me because of increased speed and the opportunity to be in control, take turns as fast as possible, and the fun challenge of passing other riders.  For other people, even go-carts are a yawn when you could go off-road.  Why be confined to a small oval track when there is a world to explore? When the cliche is used "off the rails" it can mean a person, business, or group is like a train that has jumped the track that is no longer safe or able to reach the desired destination.  A train needs a track for the conductor to guide it to the next station.  The ironic thing is when it comes to life there are no rails that force us on the right path.  Very rarely are our...

" Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" 14  And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you .' " Exodus 3:13-14 I have read this passage many times in the past, but when I read this recently it impacted me like never before.  When God identified Himself to Moses by name, it reveals He is sovereign, supreme, and eternal.  A man is identified by a personal first name, family surname, and place of birth to distinguish him from others.  A picture, date of birth, fingerprints, dental x-rays, and unique tattoos or birthmarks help to uncover the true identity of a person. God is the eternal Creator of the world and cannot be tied down to a geographic area on earth.  Nothing in the un...