Marching Forth!

" Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel ." Exodus 17:6 As I read this passage I was struck by the reality of God's presence, that He would stand before Moses on the rock in Horeb.  His presence had led them out of Egypt in a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day, yet the thirsty people wondered if God had brought them out of Egypt to slay them.  They were so incensed against Moses he imagined they wanted to stone him to death.  Moses came before the LORD and prayed about what to do. When Moses obeyed God's command and struck the rock upon which God stood, water flowed abundantly from the rock.  All the people, their flocks and herds were supplied with water from God who was their Rock.  Like many of the miracles God did that are recorded in the Old and New Testament, it served multiple purpo...

Today I read a troubling article of vulnerable people being deceived by a scam artist posing as a fortune teller in Sydney.  Two of the people interviewed were told they had an evil spirit on them and their children and would die unless they paid money for extensive prayer.  They ended up being conned out of tens of thousands of dollars out of fear for the well-being of their children and family.  Fear is a pervasive, consuming force in the lives of countless people today overcome only by faith in Christ. One might think the opposite of fear is courage or bravery, but Jesus revealed it is faith in God.  People might be viewed as courageous because of what they have done or do, yet fear could be mixed with what prompted them to do what they did.  After the disciples panicked in fear during a storm on the Sea of Galilee  Mark 4:40 reads, " But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith ?"  Faith in Jesus was the antido...

The Sunday sermon at Calvary Chapel Sydney concluded with  Psalm 103:1-5 :  " Bless the LORD , O my soul;  a nd all that is within me, bless His holy name!  2 Bless the LORD , O my soul, a nd forget not all His benefits:  3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,  4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,  5  Who satisfies your mouth with good things, s o that your youth is renewed like the eagle's ."  God was faithful to His promise to be with His people, keep them and provide for all their needs.  To this glorious expression of praise believers can say amen, for He is worthy of our praise and adoration. Through what Jesus has accomplished for those who trust in Him, we are most blessed and ought to bless His holy name.  In the Gospels we read of Jesus forgiving sins, healing the diseased, and paying the price of eternal redemption through His blo...

" And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD , offer it of your own free will ." Leviticus 22:29 Under the Law of Moses when people wanted to give thanks to God, it meant more than mere words.  People sacrificed a clean animal of thanksgiving to the LORD, a peace offering they and others were partakers of.  It was a sacrifice freely offered, not with an expectation to receive, but out of thanksgiving for all God had already said, had given and performed.  A sacrifice of thanksgiving could be costly monetarily but it was a joy to give to God in light of God's generosity and goodness to supply the gift and all else in the first place. Freedom in giving thanks to God springs from faith in God and His worthiness.  It is fitting a day such as Thanksgiving in the United States has been established in a nation under God.  It is even more appropriate every day be filled with thanksgiving to God for every person redeemed by grace through faith, given et...

After the LORD led David and his men to recover their families and goods from an Amalekite raiding party, David established a statue in Israel that the spoil would be split evenly between those who fought on the field of battle and those who remained behind with the stuff.  Those who went were not to be rewarded more than those who served by staying.  Both played vital roles to the same victorious end, whether they pursued the enemy or protected their position. God told Abraham to leave his family and country and go to the land God would show him.  He demonstrated faith in God through his obedience to God's command.  It can also be a demonstration of faith to stay and settle when you would rather be elsewhere.  The Jews were taken into captivity in Babylon and God told them it would be for 70 years.  The temptation was to hope the time would be shortened so they could return to the land of their inheritance in Israel, to resist putting down roots in Babylon...

When I was in year 2 at a private school we learned to write in cursive and the multiplication table up to 12.  The following year I began attending a local public school where students in year 3 were taught these for the first time!  I remember the teacher being skeptical when I told her I already learned to write in cursive and she had me come up to the board to demonstrate my skill or experience public humiliation.  I ended up being her "assistant" for that portion of the class in the following months. The style of schooling I was exposed to in both a private and public setting was to learn the basics and then move onto something new.  Students are taught to add and subtract, then multiply and divide, and then incorporate what they have already learned into problems with fractions and decimals.  There comes a time when you have taken your last formal maths course and graduate from school, likely pleased that season of life is now complete.  This concept ...

I've been reading a compilation of A.W. Tozer's sermons titled Going Higher With God in Prayer.   One thing I appreciate about Tozer is he places the stronger emphasis on Jesus Christ and what is true rather than a critique of what the church can get wrong.  He observed on page 78, “ We have gotten into this soft humanism in our time when we weep over rebels and imagine this is the divine order .”  Humanism is indeed a snare, for this godless worldview places undue focus on man and what he can do to benefit himself and others rather than God who rules over all. The God of the Bible is revealed to be infinitely good, merciful, just, sovereign and eternal.  When we place our faith in this God who is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance--and sent His only begotten Son to redeem lost sinners--we gladly submit to His rule.  There are many who proudly act as judge over the almighty God and find fault with Him, making excuses for th...

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him and wanted to know the interpretation of it.  He called the wise men and astrologers of Babylon to him and demanded they tell him his dream and interpretation.  They confidently said they would tell him the interpretation once he had told them the dream.  Nebuchadnezzar would not budge:  if they were able to understand the meaning of the dream by divination, they would as easily be able to reveal what Nebuchadnezzar dreamed in his own bed.  They balked at this command, claiming the king's command was most unorthodox and unreasonable.  The king accused his wise men as wasting his time and then commanded they all be slain--Daniel and his fellow captives from Israel included. Daniel and his friends who feared the living God of Israel prayed, and that night God revealed the king's dream and interpretation to Daniel.  After Daniel praised the LORD for this revelation he notified Arioch, the captain of the ki...

Luke chapter 18 begins with Jesus telling a parable to illustrate how people ought to always pray and not faint.  There was an unjust judge who was approached by a persistent widow who asked him to avenge her of her adversary.  The man had no interest in justice or love of this woman, but he ended up making a judgment on her case in her favour because he wanted to be rid of her.  Jesus said in  Luke 18:7 , " And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them ?"  Just because our prayers are not answered immediately should not deter us for praying for God's glory according to His will.  He IS the just Judge who has chosen us, loves us and has promised to take vengeance upon our enemies in His own good time. In A.W. Tozer's book Going Higher With God in Prayer he made great points about how we ought to be persistent and patient in prayer without losing heart: "I believe that real faith can afford to wai...

It is lovely how God's word speaks to our hearts in different reasons and ways.  We can be ministered to by our reading of narratives that demonstrate God's faithfulness to guide and strengthen His people on an epic adventure, the lyrics of a Psalm or even a repeated phrase.  As I read Ezekiel 47 this morning, a phrase resonated in my heart of God's goodness.  It was like walking a familiar path, seeing something shiny sticking out of the dirt that prompts you to stop and dig around it to see what it is.  When I examined and turned the phrase over in my mind, I realised it was of incredible value. Ezekiel 47:1-6 describes a vision of Ezekiel the prophet:  " Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.  2  He brought me out by way of the n...

As human beings, we can be full of inconsistencies.  We can look to God when situations are overwhelming and out of control, yet we can be undone by an accumulation of minor inconveniences.  We trust God to forgive our sins and provide eternal life for us in heaven, but we can worry over finding a parking spot.  Why not trust God with the little things we are involved with as much as the things which obviously are beyond us? God can use fear, cares and worries to instruct us concerning our persistent lack of faith in God and chronic unbelief.  One example in my own life was during my union apprenticeship.  As I embarked in what I saw as my career path after working other part-time jobs, I prayed God would help me to excel as Daniel did in Babylon University.  My schooling began well but in my second year an experienced foreman made it his aim to stir up trouble for me with the apprenticeship coordinator.  The accusations were so severe the coordinator ...

" The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law ." Deuteronomy 29:29 There are things about God and His ways we cannot know and will remain secret to us no matter how diligent our search, for He is God and we are not.  It is possible to be so curious and desirous to receive new revelations we are distracted from remembering what has already been revealed.  I have found there is infinitely greater wisdom and complexity in the most basic elements of faith and scripture than I initially realised, and thus in the foundations there is precious truth we have yet to unearth. God gave the children of Israel His laws, not to know them but so they would walk accordingly.  The righteous judgments of God, revealed in the Law of Moses, the people were called to learn, obey and teach their children to do the same.  James wrote in James 1:19-22 :  " So then...

I was reminded today that feelings are real but are not always true indicators of reality.  There is the possibility our feelings can present a skewed perspective because they make us the centre of our story rather than the LORD God who created us and His goodness. Jacob's response to unexpected news from his sons is an example of this in  Genesis 42:36 :  " And Jacob their father said to them, "You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me ."  Jacob was overwhelmed when he heard Simeon had been incarcerated in Egypt and the presence of Benjamin (Jacob's youngest son) was required for his release.  He felt personally attacked and overstated the facts he knew to be true, for he put Simeon's imprisonment at the same level of Joseph whom Jacob believed was long dead.  What Jacob didn't realise is that Joseph was alive and he was orchestrating the reunion of their whole family to...

" Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,  2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence ." 1 Timothy 2:1-2 In his famous Gettysburg address during the Civil War, president Abraham Lincoln spoke of government of the people, by the people and for the people--all prefaced with the statement, "under God."  Due to the democratic forms of government that allow people to vote in elections, the fact God presides over the appointment of those in authority can be dismissed or forgotten.  For all citizens it is wise to look beyond a ruler whether they are revered or despised by men and to the God who moves their hearts like the turning of a river ( Proverbs 21:1 ). Paul exhorted Timothy and fellow believers in Christ to offer supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks for all men, for kings and all in authority....

Several months back I was driving and listening to a radio interview on ABC news.  The subject was a familiar one, that dairy farmers have been doing it tough for some time because of the demands placed upon them by retailers for low prices.  Therefore the price of milk was slated to rise $.50 a litre.  While the price of other commodities had been rising over time, for years milk stayed the same price.  The question was put forth, "Do you support paying more for milk to support Australian dairy farmers?"  The people who called and texted said they were fine paying more for milk.  The consensus among the host and callers was it was the least consumers could do. As part of my weekly routine I buy groceries for my household.  Whilst the increase of the price of milk does not impact my ability to buy it, I have noticed something the ABC presenter did not explain.  I have noticed, not only the rise of the cost of milk, but the cost of all dairy produc...

On the first Sunday of every month at Calvary Chapel Sydney we receive communion, and the verses which impacted this week are found in  1 Corinthians 11:26-28 :  " For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.  27  Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup ."  Paul wrote this to a church in Corinth marred by factions, drunkenness and carelessness.  What was supposed to be a time of unity with Christ and one another by proclaiming His death lacked evidence of His love and holy life. The bread symbolises the body of Jesus broken for us and the cup represents the blood of Jesus shed on Calvary to provide atonement for sinners.  Jesus instituted a new covenant in His own blood by grace through faith, and rece...

I recently picked up an out of print book from Christian Books Australia titled Kept for the Master's Use by Frances Ridley Havergal, and this small book is filled with great nuggets of wisdom.  While I have yet to finish reading it, her insights on giving God our moments is simply too good not to share.  It is one thing to ask God to take our lives and retain the moments for ourselves.  There is great value in giving and asking Jesus to keep our moments for His sake.  Here are some excerpts on this subject: "In things spiritual, the greater does not always include the less, but, paradoxically, the less more often includes the greater.  So in this case, time is entrusted to us to be traded with for our Lord.  But we cannot grasp it as a whole.  We instinctively break it up ere we can deal with it for any purpose.  So when a New Year comes round, we commit it with special earnestness to the Lord.  But as we do so, are we not conscious of a f...

One book Charles Spurgeon wrote that I enjoyed is titled, The Bible and the Newspaper .  The basic premise of the book is God can provide object lessons everywhere--even in the articles found in the newspaper.  Jesus used illustrations in His teaching and parables from ordinary life, and thus it is feasible with His guidance we can employ these wisely as well.  Spurgeon wrote, " The things which we have seen and noted we now give our readers, not merely for their entertainment, but that we may encourage in them the habit of looking for emblems and analogies.  It is a mental exercise as profitable as it is pleasant ." ( Spurgeon, C. H. The Bible and the Newspaper . Pilgrim Publications, 1973.  Page v. )  Being grounded on the unchanging truth of God's word with open eyes and ears, I have found this to be the case. The things we see and hear can have a profound impact upon us in a positive or negative sense.  An example of this is shown in the oddly name...

One benefit of personally reading and teaching through the Bible verse by verse is gaining broad exposure to God's word and wisdom.  It is a good practice to observe points of emphasis and repetition in scripture that we might heed them.  It is true that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, yet it is possible in teaching and ordinary conversation we major on the minors and thus miss the mark.  Years ago I remember a man who was obsessed to discern the validity of a popular Christian book.  His troubled mental state would have been far more greatly helped to stop debating or fretting over that popular book and rely upon God's word that remains true and relevant forever. A primary aim I have in teaching is to present an accurate depiction of God's word under His guidance.  The grand, overarching themes of scripture that God created all things, Jesus Christ is God with us,...