Marching Forth!

I have never been alive during a global pandemic before, and the impact on church gatherings has been felt.  When businesses and churches were locked down in Sydney for months last year it prompted us to begin live-streaming Sunday sermons.  As restrictions eased I entered discussions if we should continue live-streaming or if it encouraged people who were permitted to worship with a body of believers (with restrictions) to stay isolated in the comfort of their homes.  In the end it was decided any means of sharing the word of God and the Gospel was more profitable than seeking to exert control over the decisions of others.  Each one of us will give an account of himself before God, and to leave matters in His hands is best. My experience largely lines up with people from other church fellowships I have spoken to, that there are people who regularly attended church before the pandemic who have not made it back.  We have also seen new people visit and attend our ...

The historical record of David triumphing over Goliath the giant with a sling and stone is well known.  Goliath wasn't the only son of a giant in Gath, for the Bible tells us of four others.  I expect you would have trouble if asked to name them, since they only appear in 2 Samuel 21 and 1 Chronicles 20.  This would be a trick question as well, because one of them is unnamed.  His distinguishing mark (besides being a giant!) was he had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. The children of Israel rejoiced when David slew Goliath and his blasphemous boasting against the living God and His people was silenced forever.  But even after this notable victory conflicts with the Philistines--and giants of Gath--continued after David was unfit to go to battle.   2 Samuel 21:15-17 says, " When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint.  16...

God created mankind with many needs and many of these we recognise:  we know we need oxygen to breathe, food to eat, water to drink, to sleep, work and shelter.  We learn by experience we have a limited space of time between feeling like we need to use the toilet to really needing to go.  Over time we discover our list of needs grows to needing to avoid foods that make us sick and medication we are allergic to.  Being born again by faith in Jesus opens our eyes to a whole new world of needs, that of forgiveness, redemption, acceptance and love we never realised before. Even as there are things we know we need, we have a need all Christians need to realise:  to experience and endure trials.  Many people and even believers are confused with how a God who is supposedly good allows us to go through painful circumstances which obviously seem bad.  The world is full of things which are not God's will due to sin, like death and destruction, yet from the examp...

I have been reading through Exodus during my evening Bible reading.  Every day there is the opportunity to learn more about God and His grace towards all people throughout the scripture.  No matter how many times we go to the well of scripture, it is always abundant with refreshment for a weary soul. Something that clicked for me last night was how the half-shekel of silver tax exacted from the people was actually used for the construction of the tabernacle.  God gave Bezaleel wisdom to oversee the fabrication of the articles and structure used in the tabernacle.  The silver given was melted down to make the sockets of the sanctuary and hooks for pillars to hold the curtains ( Exodus 38:27-28 ).  Brass offered by the people was melted to make sockets for the door, the brasen altar, sockets of the court and pins ( Exodus 38:29-31 ).  It is a great feeling to look upon a job well done knowing you personally contributed, and the offerings of the people were co...

Have you ever heard something and repeated it without personal investigation?  It is likely we have all been guilty of parroting something we heard, and this goes for biblical truth.  These days it seems memes, books, blogs, articles and pastors all share the same space with equal relevance.  It is also possible we might place a higher degree of confidence in something we have heard a preacher say and assume what we have heard is the whole truth.  Those who teach and read the Bible have a responsibility to allow the Bible to speak for itself and seek opportunities for scripture itself to correct the erroneous claims we have heard. One of the things I have heard people claim is David celebrated the arrival of the ark of the covenant in Jerusalem by stripping down and danced naked.  If you have never heard this one, good.  But if you have, allow passages of scripture to clear up any confusion.  " I will be more undignified than this ," people sing as the...

As the scriptures predicted, we truly live in perilous times.  Some people wonder if we are in the "last days," and it is clear we are in them based upon  Hebrews 1:1-2  which says, " God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,  2  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds... "  The revelation of God through Jesus Christ was the beginning of the last days which have continued until now.  The rapture of the church, the great tribulation, the judgment of the world, Christ's millennial reign, final judgment and the establishment of the new heavens and earth has yet to occur.  Let there be no doubt Jesus is alive and will return for His church and will judge the nations He will rule with a rod of iron. Paul wrote this to 2 Timothy 3:1-5 :  " But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:...

The child of God can rest in the knowledge God is good and has complete oversight of our lives.  We experience perfect peace when we realise everything we experience--good or bad--is with His knowledge and consent.  God is faithful to accomplish His redemptive purposes for all things in the life of a believer. What Joseph's brothers meant for evil by selling him as a slave, at the same time God intended the situation for good and saved many people alive. I have witnessed many Christians who feel hopelessly "under attack" by Satan because circumstances of their lives are difficult.  I wonder:  how might these same circumstances be viewed if we knew they were God's doing?  The Bible tells us plainly Job faced attacks from Satan himself, yet Job never credited Satan for doing anything.  Part of Job's wondering and struggle was because he was convinced God was behind the good and evil he experienced.  In profound grief of grave personal loss  Job 1:2...

Continual prayer to God is God's will for the life of a follower of Jesus, that we would boldly venture into His throne room of grace in times of need.  Like the scent and wisp of smoke rises continually from incense, so our prayers are to be lifted to the LORD believing He will hear and answer.  One thing I love about God is He knows all and can do everything, and thus we do not need to know anything about what He should do.  Knowing and trusting Him is the main thing, and when we pray God moves according to His will. One of the things we must be on guard of is leaving the way and timing of His actions in His plans.  If we trust Him to pray, we ought to also entrust what follows to Him.  He knew about needs which would arise before we became desperately aware of a need to seek God in prayer, and what is an emergency for us is already resolved according to His redemptive design and power.  King Jehoshaphat on the cusp of battle prayed to God, rehearsing all...

Have you ever wanted someone else to change?  Whilst our motivation can be anything but pure, there can be very good reasons to desire to shift the perspectives of others, for them to cease destructive behaviours, to recognise and acknowledge their faults or take responsibility for their decisions.  I have learned a truth which prevents me from worry, fears, schemes and manipulation:  I cannot change the heart or mind of anyone else.  Many times we would be content with areas of reformation when God aims at nothing less than supernatural transformation.  My rest, hope and confidence is not in a person changing but in God's goodness and power to accomplish His will in His time. I imagine there are times our desire to see someone else change directly correlates with our stubbornness to resist changing ourselves.  And here is the rub:  even should we agree to and want to change, we find ourselves incapable of the willpower, discipline or strength to do so...

" And Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the LORD was with him ." 1 Chronicles 9:20 Isn't this a wonderful testimony of God's grace and faithfulness, that He is with His people who trust Him?  Those who trust and look to Him in faith God rewards with His presence and perfect peace.  Through faith in Jesus Christ we too have this benefit, having been born again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  It is awesome to consider we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in Christians because we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus through the Gospel. Phinehas was a man who was zealous for the glory of God and executed judgment according to God's command.  To him God offered a covenant of peace in  Numbers 25:12-13 :  " Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace;  13  and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for ...

It has been a running joke among Sunday School teachers as long as I can remember, that the correct answer to almost any question asked is "Jesus!"  Knowing the correct answer, however, does not mean we know why it is the correct answer or how to appropriate God's wisdom into our daily decisions.  Believers ought not to be satisfied with the ability to provide a correct answer to a question, as if this means we have nothing more to learn.  Knowing is a start, but walking in light of God's truth is paramount. A common answer given concerning how believers can foster a closer relationship with God is to read the Bible.  Those who have learned to read likely read many things every day, but the way we read each source of information is different.  As a kid I skipped the front page of the newspaper entirely to find the sports page or comic strips; I scanned textbooks to find the answer to questions for homework.  I have read the ingredients of a packet to ensu...

It is possible to hear the truth so often it can sound like an empty cliché.  A song taken from scripture called "The Steadfast Love Of The Lord" goes, " The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end.  They are new every morning, new every morning.  Great is thy faithfulness (oh Lord), great is thy faithfulness ."  One might imagine these words were spoken by a person who reveled in the blessings of God away from all trouble, one who celebrated countless blessings of health and wealth, without an enemy or care.  To the contrary:  these words are taken from the Lamentations of Jeremiah who, as he put it, was a " man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath ." The wisdom and faith demonstrated by this revelation of God's mercies was forged in the worst human suffering.  If you have doubts, read the first three chapters of the book of Lamentations .  You will read of the sufferings of a person who did not blame...

In the book of 1 Chronicles , Achan is referred to in a genealogy as " the troubler of Israel " because he took of the accursed things and led to Israel's defeat at Ai ( 2:7 ).  Before they took the city, Joshua strictly warned the people not to take of the spoil for themselves because it was the LORD's.  After God caused the walls of Jericho to fall the the city was taken, Achan coveted gold, silver and clothing he found, stashed it in his tent and brought a curse upon the nation.  Soon thereafter 36 men perished in a battle as a consequence of his decision, and the nation was indeed troubled until the truth came to light.  Having been identified by God Achan confessed his sin, the stolen goods were recovered and he was executed for his rebellion and disobedience before God. This situation is reminiscent of how the sin of Adam brought sin and death to the world which has been troubled ever since.  Jesus came to provide atonement for sin and destroy the curse wh...

" Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in the word and doctrine ." 1 Timothy 5:17 Passages such as this one are not to be used by those in church leadership for self-serving purposes, but hold forth the practical value of godly leadership the Body of Christ benefits from.  Paul went on to say this "double honour" can involve financial support.  Though he worked as a tent maker to support himself during his missionary journeys so the Gospel would be without charge, it was fitting for him to be supported with practical provision in exchange for spiritual truth which is beyond price. In our western mindset, we need context about what it means to "rule well."  In the modern-day west, people place great value on personal freedoms as individuals and have no desire to be "ruled" by anyone.  Perhaps verses like this provoke wariness in people whom have experienced or seen abuses justified by those...

Today I was considering the parable Jesus told of the son who returned to his father, the greedy son who demanded his inheritance only to waste it on prodigal living.  Once the man had money in hand, he went far from his father to a distant land and wasted all by his "riotous" or dissolute lifestyle in pursuit of all pleasures of the flesh.   Luke 15:14 says, " But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want ." The party was over and all his money was spent, but this was not enough to cause him to return to his father who loved and provided everything for him.  He left off the partying and pursuit of pleasure for his survival, but perhaps he held out hope he could earn money and continue in a life of sin.  The man chose to join himself to a citizen of that country hoping to enrich himself.  He was not working to earn money for a return trip home, for as the parable related abject poverty and uncleanness did ...

" Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour.  9  For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building ." 1 Corinthians 3:8-9 In a Bible study last night we briefly discussed the implications of being God's fellow workers, His field and building.  Those who plant and water are one, and it is the LORD who receives the increase.  The efforts we expend for the glory of our Saviour are fruitful only by His grace, and Jesus Christ deserves the credit even as the vine supplies nutrients and strength to the branches. If a farmer is motivated to clear, plow, sow, water and reap the field he owns for a bountiful crop, God is far more active in working to see the peaceable fruit of righteousness produced in us by His grace.  A farmer works the field with a long-term plan in mind:  rotating crops, building and mending fences, ensuring there is a good water supply and is at...

After King Hezekiah miraculously recovered from a grave illness, he entertained messengers from the distant land of Babylon by showing them all the treasures of his house.   2 Kings 20:16-19 says, " Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD :  17  'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD .  18  'And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' "  19  So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" For he said, "Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days ?" I have always thought the response of King Hezekiah was very strange, seeing the future events which Isaiah prophesied according to the word of the LORD did  not seem ...

God has revealed Himself to the world in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever ( Hebrews 13:8 )  There is no person in the history of this world other than God who can legitimately make that claim, and if the Bible is true it reveals the true identity of Jesus without doubt.   John 1:11-13 says of Jesus, " He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  12  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  13  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God ."  Through faith in Jesus all people can know God through this new and living way. Throughout history there have been many people who have refused to place their faith in the God who created the sun that shines, plants, animals and people.  Some have claimed the multitudes of gods and beliefs makes it unlikely or impossible to know w...

I am finding a recent study of the book of Hebrews most compelling, relevant and practical.  Perhaps from a worldly vantage point it seems incredible an ancient volume could speak so powerfully today, yet this is the miracle God does daily as we open His word and seek Him.  No one deserves an audience with the Almighty but by God's grace Jesus Christ invites those redeemed by His shed blood into the throne room to find mercy and grace to help in time of need ( Hebrews 4:16 ). It struck me today disciples of Jesus at the time did not understand what He was saying, misunderstood Him and other times flatly contradicted Him!  Jesus once asked, "Do you understand what I am saying?"  The apostles assured Him they did, but the Bible reveals they did not!  Those who claimed to understand Him thought Jesus was talking about bread when He was talking about doctrine ( Matthew 16:7 ) and imagined defilement came from outside rather than from within a person ( Mark 7:18-23 )...