Marching Forth!

Being a prophet doesn't make someone perfect.  God corrected the prophet Samuel's assumptions concerning Eliab, the oldest son of Jesse who had a "royal bearing."  He looked at Eliab and thought, "This must be the LORD's anointed!"   1 Samuel 16:7 says, " But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart ."  Physical height was no qualification to be king when the heart of a man disqualifies him.  It is good for us to realise that we, like Samuel, can be led astray by first impressions and what can be seen. What is true for individuals rings true for the Body of Christ, the church.  As long as I have been a part of the church there have always been people who come and go.  It is interesting to hear their perspective and how it impacts their decision to...

It is wise for us to work towards obtainable goals.  A goal can be a motivation as well as a guide to focus our efforts and remember why our labours will be worth it in the end.  Whether your goal is to fit into last year's pants again or to make the perfect pavlova, there can be great satisfaction in accomplishing what we set out to do.  It is also wise to consider our motivations in setting goals:  one could want to slim down for health reasons and another out of vanity and pride. This need to examine our motives can ring true with goals like planting a church or increasing church membership.  People can be enthusiastic to obtain their ends like a dog that chokes himself on the lead his master uses to restrain him.  I have walked dogs that pulled so violently on the lead during a walk it almost resulted in their own strangulation!  Outside the confines of the yard some dogs are so excited to walk and explore they frankly lose their minds.  Why?...

" Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,  12  all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.  13  Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days ." 1 Samuel 31:10-13 After the death of King Saul and his sons, the Philistines hung their desecrated bodies on the walls of Beth Shan as trophies of their victory.  When the men of Jabesh Gilead heard of the death of their king, all the valiant men arose and traveled all night to retrieve the bodies and give them a proper burial.  Early in the reign of Saul the people of Jabesh Gilead were delivered from Nahash the Ammonite when Saul mustered all Israel to battle at the report of their trouble.  He had saved them from the reproach of having to gouge out their right eyes, and th...

There is no reasonable justification to compare God to a cruel, ruthless murderer.  The good reputation of men and women are often smeared by their enemies, and it seems the almighty God is no exception.  Those who believe God created the heavens and the earth in His wisdom celebrate the brilliance of God for fine-tuning the earth and celestial bodies to sustain life on this planet.  No one complains about the natural law of gravity that is perfectly suited for our survival, but plenty of people oppose the spiritual law that sin ultimately brings death.  God is gracious to reveal this reality  before the penalty is imposed, and when it comes to fruition He has been much maligned. God has done everything to take the sting out of death for people created in His own image by experiencing death Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.  The God who is the same yesterday, today and forever desires none would perish and that all would come to repentance.  This...

When I played baseball as a kid, I enjoyed batting practice.  That was the most fun part of training that never lasted as long as I wanted.  Sometimes we went to batting cages where the ball was spit out from a machine at a preset speed.  While batting in the cages was good to improve hand-eye coordination, balance and bat control, there were several drawbacks.  It wasn't long before a batter began to suffer fatigue and potentially develop bad habits (as well as blisters!).  The worst drawback is the repetition of the same pitch, pace and location caused batters to anticipate it.  Unlike a machine, a pitcher who knows you are looking fastball will throw a curveball or changeup, some off-speed pitch to throw off the timing of the batter.  Unless the batter is able to quickly recognise the pitch and adjust accordingly, he is an easy out. I believe the Bible is full of "curveballs," unexpected spiritual truths and applications the natural or carnal man wi...

There is a memorable scene in Disney's Finding Nemo when the strapping great white Bruce compelled Marlin a clownfish and his companion Dory (of course a dory!) to accompany him as "friends" to a support group with fellow sharks.  Patterned from a cliche "AA" style gathering, the meeting was called to order by Bruce who lead them in the recitation of their motto in unison:  "Fish are friends, not food."  During the meeting Dory was bopped in the nose and a faint trail of blood wafted up to friendly Bruce's nostril.  Suddenly his pupils dilated as instinct to feed kicked in.  "Just a bite!" Bruce shouted as his shark friends attempted in vain to restrain him and made excuses for his ravenous behaviour. This is a fitting demonstration of how good intentions, willpower, knowledge and even a support group are inadequate in themselves to keep sinners from sin.  Bruce was triggered to attack by a drop of blood in the water because he was a sha...

" For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,  19  for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God ." Hebrews 7:18-19 The Law God gave Israel was good, a divine revelation of God and the standard of righteousness required to draw near to Him.  The writer of Hebrews, however, pointed out the demonstrated weakness and unprofitableness of it to perfect those who were under it.  It had no power to make a man sinless, for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.  It is like a doctor who skillfully diagnoses a fatal disease but is powerless to provide a cure.  The Law was of no profit to save a man or render him rightoues, for it could only condemn. The weakness of the Law was also displayed in the fallibility of human administration.  One does not need to delve far into the priesthood to see those who anointe...

Have you ever sent an email or text to someone and never received a reply?  Sometimes a message may go to spam or we never see it, and other times the message is read and not responded to.  Not all messages require a response, but many times they do.  There are times in scripture when people cried out to God and felt forgotten by Him because they did not see an immediate response.  Without question God sees and knows all and has His good reasons for what we see as delays.  The reality is God has sent us many messages through His word communicated by the Holy Spirit we have yet to respond to.  The "ball is in our court" so to speak, and responding to God's messages is our responsibility regardless if He seems to be silent. I was reminded yesterday how Mary and Martha sent a messenger to Jesus to tell Him their brother Lazarus was sick.  The implication is they believed Jesus cared and had the ability to heal him, as He had demonstrated this power over s...

Forgetting is possible for all who can remember, and God is the only exception to this rule.  People are pretty good about remembering important things, yet it is ironic we can forget who is most important:  God!  Jeremiah 2:32 says, " Can a virgin forget her ornaments, o r a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number ."  It would be unheard of for a bride to forget to wear the dress she prepared to wear on her wedding day.  An aspiring employee would not forget to change out of his pajamas before a crucial interview.   God's people forgot about Him and the injustice of this error is frankly unbelievable. God said of Zion and her people in Isaiah 49:15 , " Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you ."  It is possible for a loving mother to forget her child for a moment or lack compassion at times, but God will not ...

Life is overwhelming, and God uses this for our advantage.  When we are relaxing on the lounge or reading a book with a hot drink we are not conscious of our need to breathe because it occurs without thinking.  When we are being pulled underwater by a rip and our mouth fills with sea water, all our wandering thoughts and dreams instantly evaporate in frantic desperation for one quick gulp of oxygen to remain conscious.  The life we receive by faith in Christ is abundant and our eyes are open and our hearts attuned to far more than previously.  Selfishness is swallowed by selflessness, and our labours and concerns for others can spread ourselves thin. David sang in  Psalm 61:1-4 :  " Hear my cry, O God;  a ttend to my prayer.  2  From the end of the earth I will cry to You, w hen my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3  For You have been a shelter for me, a  strong tower from the enemy.  4  I...

" Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,  18  that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.  19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,  20  where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek ." Hebrews 6:17-20 The hope of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is assured based upon the double-strong promise of God, and those who abide in Him have strong consolation which cannot be moved.  The illustration of an anchor is fitting, for it does not stop the ship from rocking on the waves.  I once worked on the U.S.S. Nimitz as a contractor and the two anchors of that immense vessel weigh 3...

" And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,  12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises ." Hebrews 6:11-12 Abraham and many others in scripture are examples of those who by faith and patience inherited the sure promises of God.  God promised He would make of Abraham a great nation, yet he and his wife continued to be childless for decades.  They did what they could, but their efforts were without success.  The promise was real yet God's timing was long, and thus patient endurance with faith was the means of seeing God's word amazingly, miraculously fulfilled.  Through Abraham and his seed all nations of the earth have been blessed. God has not given the blessing of children to all, yet all of God's immutable promises are good blessings and glorious.  Jesus gives rest for weary souls, forgiveness to those who repent, joy and perfec...

The desire to reach the masses with the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ has a downside:  the neglect of pastoral ministry to the individual.  The ability to broadcast the word of God through periodicals, books, airwaves, television and internet has resulted in a deluge of information on demand.  Knowledge alone, however, is no substitute for the personal need for all believers to be shepherded by Jesus and one another.  This interpersonal connection one with another is a critical necessity which allows the body of Christ to function in a healthy and fruitful manner. In The Minister as Shepherd by Charles Jefferson, this point is well-illustrated by medical practice in his day: " The modern physician is nothing if not individualistic.  Physicians never deal with men in crowds.  'One patient at a time'--that is the rule in all hospitals throughout the world.  Each patient has his own chart at the head of his bed.  The temperature of his body, the b...

Allow me to set the scene early in Saul's reign:  the children of Israel demanded Samuel give them a king like the other nations, and God chose Saul to be anointed.  This humble man of Benjamin was literally head and shoulders taller than any man in Israel, and the people shouted for joy at his coronation:  " God save the king !"  Though a king had been chosen and crowned in Israel, life went back to normal.  Everyone returned to their houses including Saul, and men whose hearts God touched accompanied him.  What happened next was shocking. 1 Samuel 11:1-4 reads, " Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you."  2  And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel."  3 Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, "Hold ...

When I was a kid there was a strange disconnect from the known risk of smoking and common practices.  For instance, in Southern California at our local diner upon entry a cigarette vending machine was a fixture.  A waitress would ask for our preference of "Smoking or non-smoking?"  We always chose the non-smoking section, but the view of smoke rising from tables and ashtrays was not far away.  It was ironic to me we eat to sustain the health of our bodies, whilst at the same time the clearly visible Surgeon General's Warning stated, " Smoking may be hazardous to your health ."  This warning later took aim at smokers personally:  " Quitting smoking now greatly reduces serious risks to your health ." I saw a sign today in the shops in Australia that reminded me of how much things have changed.  The sign simply said, " Smoking kills ."  It struck me that a sign intended to warn all of the serious health risks of smoking is no guarantee.  Smokers...

I love how man plans his way, and at the same time God directs his steps.  A great passage that illustrates this is when the donkeys owned by Kish went missing.  Kish asked his son Saul to take a servant and find the donkeys which were lost.  They went from city to city looking for the donkeys and as days passed their food was spent.  After a discussion Saul and his servant decided to go to the seer Samuel and ask for guidance.  Their visit was without appointment and were appearing unannounced, but God had already orchestrated the whole affair. 1 Samuel 9:15-17 reads, " Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying,  16  "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me."  17  And when Samuel saw Saul...

One of the benefits of having money in a bank account is to have a percentage added for interest.  It is a basic way to have money "working" for you while at the same time is secure and insured.  While adding to wealth is desirable, multiplying wealth is even more appealing.  Why add when you can multiply and earn faster? During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus mentioned how people tend to worry about their lives, what they will eat, drink or wear.  Because born again Christians have God as our Father in heaven, we ought not to worry like others do about an uncertain future because God will supply all our needs.   Matthew 6:33 said, " But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you ."  All the things we need are found in God who has created us, given us eternal life and all things which pertain to life and godliness.  It is in knowing God and the promises of His word that build and strengthen our ...

" Thus says the LORD : "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,  l et not the mighty man glory in his might,  n or 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 This passage has a two-fold emphasis for me today:  God can be known, and it is possible to glory in many things rather than knowing Him.  Even in the days of Law and the Old Testament, God revealed Himself to all in the earth by the great things He had done.  Though unapproachable in glory, God provided evidence for man to seek and know Him.  He created mankind with the ability to reason and ponder, with curiosity and an unquenchable thirst to learn, explore and discover. The prophet Jeremiah addressed this discourse to the children of Israel who had turned from th...

How important it is for God's people to fear Him and walk in His ways!  In our age of grace under the New Covenant it is possible our familiarity could lead to lack of reverence.  There were occasions in scripture when people acted presumptuously and paid a heavy price for it.  The situations recounted to us in the Bible remind us of God's holiness and man's tendency to forget our unworthiness to approach Him. After the ark of God was brought into battle by Hophni and Phinehas, it was taken by the Philistines and set in the house of their god, Dagon.  Twice the image of Dagon fell prostrate before the ark of God, and a great plague broke out among the people.  For 7 months the ark was moved through the major cities of the Philistines, and death and destruction followed it.  The ark was returned to Israel on an unmanned cart drawn by two cows who made their way straight to Beth Shemesh.  The people rejoiced to see the ark, the cart was chopped up for wo...

A book I read recently related a concept I have heard many times before:  " Your worth is so great that if you had been the only person created upon the earth, God still would have sent His Son to die for you.  You count that much to Him ."  The authors went on to say, " In your relationship with the Son of God, you are assured of worthiness ." (Wright, H. Norman, and Wes Roberts. Before You Say "I Do ". Harvest House Publishers, 2019. page 43.)  I cannot discern the intent of the authors, but to go from saying we have worth (value) to God to saying we have worthiness is a common error which undermines our need for God's grace. To claim one has "worth" is different from claiming "worthiness."  Worth designates the value of something, while "worthy" means " deserving; such as merits; having worth or excellence ."  A fine line we must not cross is the suggestion because God values us we are in the slightest worthy ...