Marching Forth!

" Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble ." Matthew 6:34 We would like to justify our preoccupation with upcoming events as a modern necessity, yet Jesus spoke to correct this tendency in His day.  Planning ahead is required for holidays, to book flights or accommodation, but that does not mean we are capable of the mental and physical load worry over the future brings.  Jesus commanded His followers not to worry about tomorrow, and it is helpful for me to consider this in terms of not "stressing" over it. Today I woke on this New Year's day in Australia singing in my heart, "This is the day the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."  This is the start of a new year in our diaries but we need not carry a burden of a whole year, month or even tomorrow.  God has given us today, and we can rejoice in our LORD who makes all things new--including us.  It is ...

" Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;  43  for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God ." John 12:42-43 This observation of John gives us insight into the hearts of the rulers of the Jews who believed in Jesus, that they " loved the praise of men more than the praise of God ."  Men ought to always praise God, yet we see God also gives praise to men who believe in Jesus Christ and confess Him.  Because a distinction is made between the praise of men and the praise of God, our actions demonstrate whether we value the praise of men or God more. When God says "Well done!" to His good and faithful servants, this is praise.  While God is worthy of all praise, by His grace and strength His people can do what is praiseworthy because we are in Him.  Webster defines "praise" as, " Commendation bestowed on a pers...

When I read G.K. Chesterton, I am thankful God created people and philosophers who believe and proclaim His truth with intelligence that dwarfs my own.  I feel I am doing well to merely keep pace with Chesterton's train of thought that in an instant speeds off and leaves me disoriented in dust.  Though times and scenery has changed, I find his observations are often timeless and easily re-skinned to relate for modern society and the church as well.  The wisdom that comes from God is timeless, for the eternal God does not change.  Mankind that forms societies and cultures around the globe, in the naturally lost and unregenerate condition, has not changed either.  Those who are born again by faith in Jesus are being transformed to be more like Him, and thus those who know God and observe men (not to mention having experience as one!) find solid footing in reality. Chesterton wrote an essay in 1905 titled  On Certain Modern Writers and the Institution of the F...

" Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly.  2 And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction,  a nd He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,  a nd You heard my voice ." Jonah 2:1-2 Jonah was directed by God to preach against Nineveh, but he chose to disobey the word of the LORD and fled to Tarshish by ship.  God sent a mighty tempest which tossed the ship and the sailors cried out to their gods, being in jeopardy.  Eventually Jonah was revealed by lot to be the reason the storm had come upon them, and according to his directive Jonah was cast overboard and the sea was calm.  God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and from the prison of stinking flesh Jonah cried out to God and was heard. This biblical passage has much more going on than what is featured in a book for children:  the prophet needed correction and discipline, the sailors would benefit from a demonstration of God's power and instruct...

Recently I read an opinion piece that prompted consideration.  From the premise to the conclusion I disagreed with every point made.  A strong agnostic tone was maintained throughout concerning Jesus and the testimony of scripture, and thus there was nothing satisfactory for the soul.  In arrogance the pendulum swung between ignorance and irrelevance, and I don't know that a Christian or atheist who would be satisfied with the straw man arguments presented.  For me the article was of value because it showed the complete bankruptcy of an agnostic position concerning the person of Jesus Christ. Reading the article, it seemed the fellow was pleased to through out the Baby Jesus but treasured His bathwater:  the value in Jesus being a Saviour for oppressed souls was not in His divinity but His humanity.  In the writer's mind some compelling things have been attributed to Jesus, but whether Jesus existed or not is of little consequence.  What really matters...

Yesterday I enjoyed the nostalgia of watching a classic Christmas movie I had not seen for a very long time:  Miracle on 34th Street .  It was a delightful and humorous film that explores rationality, imagination and faith--though not faith according to a biblical definition.  In the movie faith was described as belief when common sense ends, yet the Christian faith is one according to knowledge of God that is logical and sensible even as He is.  The Bible reveals genuine faith is according to knowledge of what is, and it is wise to place our trust in all God reveals to be true. It occurred to me throughout the film that Kris Kringle or Santa Claus took middle stage along with a pushback against commercialism.  The one figure that was ignored entirely was Christ, and this does not surprise me in a secular society.  But the fact remains there is no Christmas without Christ.  It may be "Eatmas" or "Drinkmas" or "Partymas" for many people ("mas" bei...

Luke wrote concerning Jesus as a lad in  Luke 2:40 , " And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him ."  At the conclusion of the chapter he also remarked in  Luke 2:52 , " And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men ."  This is a amazing statement.  It is one thing for a person to grow in wisdom and physically from being a child to an adult, but it is incredible Jesus increased in favour with God and men. Because God's grace is infinite, one might wonder how Jesus--the perfect Son of God--could possibly grow in it.  Luke made a connection in both of these verses between wisdom and grace.  Wisdom comes from God alone, and those who walk in wisdom look to God in faith, obedience and submission.  The observations of Luke emphasise the Son of God Jesus becoming flesh and was one of us in a human body.  There were limits of His mental and physical capabiliti...

John 3:16 is a famous verse because it showcases the love of God for all people by sending His only begotten Son Jesus as Saviour.  " For God so loved the world... " it begins, showing the far-reaching range of the atonement provided:  all sinners included without exception.  It was not because God loved His Son, the Jews or those who kept His commandments, but because He loved every person in the world He gave His only Son.  Those who receive the gift of salvation by grace through faith are the beneficiaries of this incredible love. From the beginning God's love has been on display, and this is especially seen in His dealings with the children of Israel.  Recently I read a passage I love very much, for it is a wondrous reminder of God's love is all of grace and not due to our worthiness.  Moses wrote in  Deuteronomy 7:7-8 , " The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were th...

" So the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made ." Exodus 32:35 While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the commandments of God written on tablets of stone, the people left behind in the camp quickly corrupted themselves.  They came to Aaron and demanded he make gods to go before them because they did not know what had happened to Moses.  Likely feeling pressure to placate the people, Aaron set about collecting gold from the people and molded a graven image.  Like doting parents who are led about by the whims of their children or a carer who shoves a dummy in the mouth of a fussy baby, Aaron gave them what they wanted and committed a great sin.  He facilitated the worship of idol and gave a golden image the credit for delivering them from slavery in Egypt. It should be noted the children of Israel had been steeped in religious idolatry in Egypt.  As a infant grows accustomed to having a dummy in their mouth for comfor...

The first miracle recorded by Jesus was when he attended a wedding in Cana of Galilee.  It could be an entire year of preparation went into planning a wedding, an occasion that could last a week or more.  At this wedding the unthinkable happened:  they ran out of wine.  Mary told Jesus about the predicament, as He asked her what her concern had to do with Him.  But as always, Jesus knew exactly what He would do. There were six large waterpots used to hold water for Jewish purification rites before and after meals.   John 2:7-10 reads, " Jesus said to them, " Fill the waterpots with water ." And they filled them up to the brim.  8  And He said to them, " Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast ." And they took it.  9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegro...

" The sun and moon will grow dark, a nd the stars will diminish their brightness.  16  The LORD also will roar from Zion, a nd utter His voice from Jerusalem;  t he heavens and earth will shake;  b ut the LORD will be a shelter for His people,  a nd the strength of the children of Israel ." Joel 3:15-16 The prophet wrote of the day of the LORD, a future judgment of the nations by the almighty God of Israel.  When I read this description there are striking similarities to when Jesus died on the cross.  For three hours darkness shrouded the globe and the sun and moon did not shine.  Before He lay down His life Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished!" and there was an earthquake.  The Lion of the tribe of Judah roared from Calvary to signal His ultimate, everlasting victory.  For followers of Jesus Christ at the time it was a troubling, tragic turn, for the One they believed was the promised Messiah was slain. What they did ...

When my sons were younger they enjoyed watching Sponge Bob, and I have seen my fair share of episodes over the years as well.  Recurring characters Mr. Krabs, the owner of a successful diner, has a rival named Plankton who manged a floundering establishment called "The Chum Bucket."  Mr. Krabs knows the success of the Krusty Krab is due to their hugely popular menu item, the Krabby Patty.  Plankton's evil, always-foiled plan is to infiltrate the Krusty Krab to steal the Krabby Patty formula so he can be a successful restaurateur himself.  This sort of scheme is not limited to silly cartoons but occurs in business, sport, the military and wherever hidden information exists that could be potentially used to damage rivals or benefit self.  This happened in the early church, and it still occurs to this day. After Jesus Christ appeared to Paul and revealed the Gospel to him, Paul boldly preached this message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus to the Gentile...

At a cafe years ago I observed something that was akin to reverse culture shock.  I am originally from California, and while living in Australia shared coffee with a ministry team also from the Golden State.  One fellow's interest was drawn to a particular item he wondered might be too rich--especially since he had not been going to the gym as usual.  After hearing him audibly vacillate between two opinions I encouraged him to order the item as a special treat, for he would possibly never have the opportunity to order it again.  He did so only to pawn it off on everyone else--not because it did not suit his sweet tooth--but because he could not stop talking about how many calories he was putting into his body. After every reluctant bite he would say something like, "Now I need to go on a jog!" or "That will be another 15 minutes in the gym" and "Don't tell my wife."  As one who enjoys baking and eating desserts of all kinds, this behaviour was most...

Something stuck with me I heard a long time ago:  happiness depends on what happens.  Those who make happiness their aim will often be disappointed, for people and circumstances are always changing.  Happiness can be like a good dream perpetually dangled before us, and the pursuit might be more fun than actually achieving our goals--because they often cannot measure up to our expectations. While preparing for a sermon my mind was drawn to the smiling, eager face of little children awaiting dad or mum blowing bubbles.  They watch intently as the wand is dipped in the solution, and in moments the air is filled with bubbles that dance away on the breeze.  Some prefer lots of tiny bubbles while others, like me, are always trying to make the largest bubble we can and admire it as it sags under its own weight.  Giggling with delight, happy children run with outstretched arms to the bubble.  Only the smallest touch of the bubble causes it to pop and be lost f...

United States Representative Jim Jordan was recently quoted in a news article saying, " One thing I've learned: people who mislead folks on small things mislead them on big things ."  This is an astute observation of what Jesus taught long ago in  Luke 16:10 :  " He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much ."  Jesus taught what some see as a "little thing" is actually a big deal.  A person who will lie over a small matter among friends will also lie before a judge in court.  One who will not respond with humble contrition after being pulled aside by friends for doing wrong demonstrates a heart that can be hardened towards God Himself. Jesus gave this teaching about being faithful in what is least and much following the Parable of the Unjust Steward.  In the parable, a steward who worked for a rich man was discovered to be wasting his master's goods.  He was called be...

In 1985 Australia demonstrated bipartisan opposition for capital punishment for crime and banned it.  One reason why this policy and more strict sentences have been widely panned is they have not been proved to deter crime.  Whether or not a sentence or punishment deters future crime is of little consequence when a legal system exists to uphold existing laws, protect the innocent and hold criminals to account. Under the Law of Moses there were many infractions that required the life of an offender.  This served the purpose of revealing how terrible and awful the offence was before the living God with Whom the children of Israel entered into a covenant with.  While the administering of the sentence may have served as a deterrent to some people, the Law was to be kept in the fear of the LORD.  It is one thing to fall into the hands of men who can kill the body, but it is another altogether to fall into the hands of the living God Who is able to cast a soul into he...

" No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon ." Matthew 6:24 Jesus spoke with all authority as the Son of God.  This is one of many absolute, simple statements we nod our heads in agreement with but in practice resist or reject as untrue.  We think we are able to do what Jesus said no one can do:  that we effectively can serve two masters.  The truth is we can pretend to serve many masters at once, but we cannot serve any of them fully.  I had an experience yesterday that illustrates this well. Yesterday I did something a bit different and threw a small brisket on the BBQ.  It was a low and slow cook and historically I have always used the BBQ hood thermometer as the gauge I refer to.  This time I used a temperature probe to monitor the heat level because this prevented me from needing to go outside and check it.  It ...

Knowing you are loved changes everything.  If we believe someone is acting against our best interest, we are naturally suspicious.  Our defenses go up and we are not likely to receive anything that is said.  When someone comes up to my door and offers me free services or appliances, I am most wary.  Giving away things is not a successful business model, so I wonder what the catch is.  It is easy to wine and dine someone in the hope of receiving profit, but this is not love.  True love has no catch as it acts unselfishly for the benefit of others. The love of God is different than all earthly loves which come to an end.  Love offered that is refused remains unfulfilled, and receiving God's love by faith in Him is most fulfilling.  Anyone can mouth the words "I love you" but Jesus demonstrated His love for us while we were yet sinners.  In contrast to the greatest love a human can muster  Romans 5:8 says, " But God demonstrates His own lo...

When we hear an unexpected knock at our front door, it is natural for our minds to quickly determine the proper course of action.  The first consideration when it comes to opening the door concerns our current personal state and appearance.  The second may be the state of our house.  If we are in the middle of cleaning or things are in disarray, we may choose not to answer or open the door.  There may be a situation, depending on who is at the door, that we would exit the door or close it behind us.  This way we can politely engage with our visitor without the welcome offer of hospitality.  There are those who invite people in and apologise profusely the place is not immaculate, and others that seem to pay the condition no mind whatsoever.  Our homes and our hearts are personal things we all handle differently. Another reason we might not open the door is because we do not recognise the person and do not want to converse with strangers or sales people....

A brother in Christ was fond of reminding me concerning God's work, " God does not need us ."  This is true.  It is a foolish thought to imagine God's work will not or cannot be accomplished without our efforts.  At the same time, God does choose to use us regular people to do His will.  Scripture shows He is quite particular and persistent to bring people to the place of submission and obedience to Him in faith.  Moses comes to mind, who after 40 years of tending his father-in-law's sheep was reluctant to even entertain the notion of returning to Egypt during a conversation with the living God after doing miraculous signs by divine power.  Praying to God became a life Moses lived continually out of sheer need. A.W. Tozer provides some useful and edifying observations on this point in his book  Going Higher With God in Prayer : " It is a transforming experience when we realize that God wants to work through us to accomplish His work and goals, particul...