Marching Forth!

One thing I was always fascinated and impressed with as a kid was my dad's signature.  It was a scrawl of barely recognisable letters he could reproduce again and again without fail, his own mark.  Surely no forger would attempt that signature!  I enjoyed flipping through a book that contained carbon copies of cheques where page after page of the signature was written.  Occasionally I asked him to sign a blank piece of paper just to see him write it again in person.  Inspired by his signature I tried to develop a signature of my own, yet none could possibly eclipse the immaculate style and flourish of his pen. Something I have grown to treasure even more than my dad's writing is God's word the Bible, spoken by God and penned for us so we might know Him and walk in His ways.  I felt quite proud to know the illegible words my dad's signature represented, but it is humbling to know God has chosen to speak forth His wisdom so it might be heard and heeded....

" Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  29  Jesus answered and said to them, " This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent ." John 6:28-29 Belief in Jesus as the promised Messiah is not only the start of a relationship with God but the only way we grow as we exercise faith in submission to Him.  When the Jews asked Jesus about doing the works of God, likely thought about what they needed to do.  Jesus pointed to the work He desired to do inside them, that they would believe Jesus was the Christ and follow Him obediently.  It is much easier to attempt work for God rather than allow Him to work and continue working unhindered in us. Jesus said in  Matthew 11:28-30 , " Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29   Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30   For My yoke...

God who created all things is able to do everything, and this includes using a common household appliance to reveal unbelief in a heart and mind.  Allow me to explain. :) A couple weeks back our condensing dryer stopped working.  I have a systematic approach to such events:  I dig up the manual, look up the error code and see if there is anything I can do about it.  In this case our Electrolux dryer flashed the letters "EHO" which meant there was an electrical fault in the circuit board.  Since the machine is under warranty for another 6 months it was not a repair I was willing to tackle.  And besides, I have never bothered to invest in a soldering gun.  The manual was hardly informative, and from what I gleaned online the only way to reset the machine was to turn it off for a few minutes and turn it on again.  It was the same problem over and over. When my wife handed me the extended warranty paperwork for the machine, it was evident to me she wa...

The Bible contains a vast wealth of revelation and information and it is intended for us regular people to be received by faith, comprehended and obeyed.  While the tenets of the Christian faith can be  easily understood by a child, the most learned scholars can never plumb the depths fully.  Biblical doctrine is complex, but it doesn't need to be complicated.  This is where we can muddy the waters despite our best efforts and confuse rather than clarify.  Water baptism is one topic many people do not understand. Occasionally there are people who express an interest to be baptised, and I find it important to ask them why.  Among those of the Christian faith there is diversity in practice and teaching concerning the significance of baptism for believers.  There are also many traditions and assumptions people have that are not always based on scripture.  While there is nothing wrong in itself with tradition, the Bible (that teaches us about baptism ...

God created human beings with limitations.  We can only carry or juggle a limited amount of items, and our bodies can only grow so tall.  The dimensions of our bodies are different yet all measurable by height, weight and volume.  There is only so much information we can retain in our minds from a conversation or movie.  Whatever can be stretched can also be broken or ruptured, and even the most fit professional athletes and labourers are no exception. I have learned when I am easily provoked by a small thing it can be due to carrying a heavy mental load.  Unresolved conflict within me, awareness of troubles others are experiencing, bad news or unexpected obstacles--really any and every little thing--can give rise to overwhelming feelings that stir aggression, frustration and depression.  Peter exhorted believers to be submissive to God and one another, being clothed with humility because " God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble ."  He sa...

I was impacted by a passage of scripture yesterday by its profound insight and relevance today.  Because God's word is true it is always relevant, but some assume the Bible must be outdated since it is ancient.  There have been many advances in technology, medicine and industry, and the evidence of scripture declares mankind to be the same:  prone to enslavement by lusts of the eyes, lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. God utilised an object lesson with the children of Israel of two harlot sisters named Oholah and Oholibah (Samaria and Jerusalem).  The people of Samaria and the northern kingdom committed spiritual adultery through idolatry, and the people of Jerusalem followed suit.  In following her sister's lead, Oholibah was corrupted even further in her lust.  Jerusalem should have been faithful to the LORD God who was "married" to her and dwelt with her, but she was unrestrained in her desires.  This sort of thing plays out every day in our ...

Since moving to Australia years ago I have kept an eye on local baseball and football teams I supported from a young age.  The San Diego Padres have advanced in the playoffs through formidable opposition, some comparing their improbable victories to David over Goliath.  It is a common analogy employed when a big underdog beats a heavily-favoured opponent in sports, but it isn't a biblically accurate one.   David was not an underdog:  he had no business being on the same battlefield.  The Padres and the teams they faced are all professional teams with players who honed their skills over a lifetime--and are paid handsomely for it.  Goliath was the giant champion of Gath and David was a teenage shepherd.  From a human vantage point, a true David and Goliath would be the Superbowl champion football team in a game of gridiron facing a team comprised of cheerleaders without any opportunity to prepare.  One combatant had state-of-the-art weaponry an...

In a famous scene in the movie Apocolypse Now  before slowly walking out of shot Colonel Kilgore remarked, " Someday this war's gonna end ."  For people engaged in that horrific conflict it seemed like it would never end:  the shells kept falling, bullets were flying and the napalm burning.  There is a time of war and a time of peace.  A war or battle may be fierce and long, but all will be brought to an end.  It is a grave tragedy that when one war ends other conflicts can arise.  Even in the midst of the battle and peril we can know someday the war will end, and even if this occurs because we have met our end we have a sure hope in heaven of peace in the presence of the glorious God. Today I read this encouraging passage in  Ezekiel 21:25-27 :  " Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end,  26  thus says the Lord GOD : "Remove the turban, and take off the crown;  n othing sha...

In candid videos that catch amusing or amazing moments it is common to hear the one handling the camera say something like, "I got that on video!"  We've all seen some crazy and bizarre things during our lives, and it is a rare thing to have a camera at the ready and capture the footage well.  Perhaps I'm dating myself a bit, for it seems these days everyone has their phones whipped out and already recording and the thought never crossed my mind.  I also have been guilty of going for the camera to memorialise a hilarious event rather than immediately helping a good friend.  As he pushed the boat from the dock he dunked himself into the freezing water of Lake Cuyamaca and it was the funniest thing.  The intense look on his face peering over the stern of the rowboat on that brisk morning I will never forget--even though I didn't get it on film. The loving thing to do would have been to do unto others as Jesus has done for me:  to not think about myself or "ge...

David spoke of God giving him skill for war, ability to leap over a wall and defeat his enemies.  The battles he fought were physical as well as an inner war that raged against fear, worry and despair.  While most will never experience warfare in muddy trenches or run across a beach with bullets flying, we each face real conflict where triumph can only be experienced by faith in Jesus Christ. Paul provides insight concerning one of the primary locations where spiritual battles take place, and it might surprise you:  it takes place within our own hearts and minds.  Paul recognised we live in a body of flesh yet we are not to fight according to the flesh.  There are established strongholds and fortifications of lies, attitudes and habits in our own minds and hearts revealed with the word of God.  To the church Paul wrote in  2 Corinthians 10:3-6 , " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  4 For the weapons of ou...

" 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, t hat he understands and knows Me,  t hat I am the LORD , exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD ." Jeremiah 9:23-24 Throughout the Bible we observe people who knew and understood God because He revealed Himself to them.  Before the Law was written on tablets of stone Abraham asked the LORD knowingly, "Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"  Based on the righteous character of God Abraham knew God would not destroy the righteous with the wicked.  Instead of glorying in what is temporal and fading away--by what we know, can do, or have acquired--God says we ought to glory that we understand and know God who is the LORD of all.   Knowing God is the LORD means He ...

I attended a memorial service years ago that impacted me.  The thing I remember the most is the point emphatically driven home by the impassioned speaker was death was not God's will.  He bristled at the suggestion the sudden passing of his family member could be the will of God.  The point he made is supported in scriptures like 2 Peter 3:9 which reads, " The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. "  God's will is for people to repent of sin and receive salvation, and though our bodies will go the way of the earth the souls of God's redeemed will be clothed with eternal life in glory. The fact people physically die shows God allows things to transpire on earth that are not His will.  Mankind has chosen to rebel against God in sin and this has brought innumerable horrors into the world God created good.  Even God's peopl...

I've been reading the book of Ezekiel each evening and I am always impressed by the intricate object lessons God provided His people through Ezekiel's obedience.  The prophet Ezekiel had an inquisitive audience who wondered over the strange things he did, like making a model of Jerusalem on a tile and laying siege to it, lying on his left side for 390 days and on his right side for 40 days, ate his food by weight (20 shekels a day) and drank water by measure (about 600 millilitres), and even baked bread with cow dung.  God made Ezekiel a sign to the rebellious house of Israel, to people who largely ignored God's warning of coming judgment. It requires faith in God to obey Him, especially when it seems nothing positive comes from our efforts.  It would have been easy for Ezekiel to be discouraged if he looked to his hearers for justification to continue.  Some have said, "If only one person hears the message, it's worth it."  Every person is precious in the ey...

It is fitting and proper to read the Bible with a seeking, inquisitive heart.  While it is true many of our questions can spring from doubt and unbelief, this does not mean asking questions reveals a lack of faith.  Our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the truth of His word is according to knowledge gained by questioning, wondering and reasoning.  A product of caring and consideration of new concepts and ideas is asking questions, and this simple act acknowledges our lack of understanding and desire to learn and grow. I was recently asked a great question about the meaning of Jesus' words to Jews who were skeptical of His identity and doctrine in  John 8:56 :  " Y our father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad ."  The context of the conversation was Jesus claimed not only to be of God to be God made flesh, much to the confusion of His hearers due to unbelief.  These were people who revered Moses and Abraham, and were ...

Contrary to the false caricature that the almighty God is a ruthless, bloodthirsty tyrant, He is a God distinguished by mercy, compassion and love.  Because God is not comparable to anything He has created or concepts conceived in the minds of men, many have taken upon themselves to present distorted ideas of what God is like.  Unless we receive the testimony of the word of God that portrays Him in truth, we could never know Him. Consider what the prophet concluded in  Micah 7:18-20 :  " Who is a God like You, p ardoning iniquity  a nd passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever,  b ecause He delights in mercy.  19  He will again have compassion on us, a nd will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins  i nto the depths of the sea.  20  You will give truth to Jacob a nd mercy to Abraham,  w hich You have sworn to our fathers  f rom days of old ."...

Since believers in Christ are regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit given beyond measure, some wonder what is the point to pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus brought up the subject in  Luke 11:9-13 :   " So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  10   For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  11   If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  12   Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  13   If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him !"  Sinful men know how to give good gifts to their children, and our Father God gives the Holy Spirit to those who...

The fear of the LORD keeps people from sin as it is written in  Exodus 20:20 :  " And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin ."  One mark of those who genuinely value the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to atone for and redeem lost sinners do not remain in sin but confess and forsake it.  Forgiveness is not license to sin, for those drawn to Jesus by His lovingkindness ought not trample His blood underfoot. While avoidance of sin and intentional doing what pleases God are marks of followers of Jesus Christ, there are other things God takes notice of as well:  He notices people loyal to Him who grieve and mourn over sins committed against Him.  A vision seen by Ezekiel demonstrates this in  Ezekiel 9:4-6 :  " ...the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry...

God's word is rich with instruction that open our understanding to truth we read but never saw before.  Like the Jewish people who had eyes but could not see or ears that could hear because they lacked faith in Jesus Christ, this can also describe genuine believers at countless times in our earthly pilgrimage.  We have read many passages of scripture yet gleaned little, and by God's grace He enables us to receive more as we consider that same passages later on. This happened for me when I read  Romans 8:37-39 recently:  " Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord ."  Paul urged the Romans to recognise all the greatest trials and...

Being estranged from family and loved ones can be most troubling.  It suggests some obstacle lies between the intimate friendship and fellowship God intended we have with one another by His love.  While this separation may be the result of many factors, to cut others off or to be cut off can be a most painful trial.  But praise the LORD, love suffers long.  There is comfort, hope and healing found in Christ even when relationships are damaged beyond repair. It seems the people you are closest to have the potential to inflict the greatest wounds by estrangement.  This is evident in marriages gone sour or when children are estranged from their parents.  The impact of this is more keenly felt when the paternal, maternal or marital bonds are broken--sometimes from one side.  I think of when Ishmael was sent away by Abraham or the parable Jesus told of the Prodigal Son when the son decided to take his share of the inheritance and depart from his father's ho...

 As context is critical to understand what is meant in a conversation, it is of utmost importance in the study of the Bible.  Many times we have walked in at the “wrong time” of a conversation and the sentence we heard did not make sense.  This can ironically occur when we take a verse out of context:  phrases from scripture can become catchphrases that miss the original intended meaning.  It is one thing to assume we know what someone means when we haven’t heard half of what they were saying, but it is another when we do this with God Who speaks plainly in His word. I recently saw a plaque that stated, “Without a vision the people perish” and Proverbs 29:18 was quoted.  I looked up the passage which reads in the KJV (thus I assume this is the translation used as the NKJV puts it differently):  “ Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he .”  When we speak about “vision,” often we refer to something whic...