Marching Forth!

Little children put pretty much everything that comes to hand into their mouths, and as we mature as children of God we ought to learn to discern what is spiritually healthy and good for us and what is not.  Anyone can be infected with pinworms in their intestines, but it is young children who are most susceptible because they often put contaminated food or fingers in their mouth.  Age alone does not equal spiritual maturity, for  Hebrews 5:12-14 says:  " For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  13  For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  14  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil ." Over time children in the ancient world were weaned ...

" Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful ." Revelation 21:5 Since we live under the constraints of time on earth, new things can only be temporarily so.  Once we receive or use a thing, it is no longer new.  The moment a "new" car is driven off the lot, it becomes "pre-owned" and typically loses thousands of dollars of value.  The smell of a new car dissipates over time, and what is new always grows old.  A new thing may become old to us before very long when it does not meet our expectations.  A new job can quickly become monotonous and dull.  A new haircut or hair colour may never look as good as it did on the first day. Jesus says to us in Revelation 21:5 that He makes all things new.  Hebrews 10:20 tells us Jesus Christ has made a new and living way for us to approach God in relationship by what He accomplished through His atoning death on ...

" So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him."  7 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 ."\ 1 Samuel 16:6-7 When the prophet Samuel saw the eldest son of Jesse, based on his height and regal bearing he assumed Eliab was God's choice to be king over Israel.  God corrected Samuel's error of judgment, for the LORD God does not see as man does.  People can labour to carefully craft an attractive image to impress others that is not indicative of the corruption, deceit and pride tucked away in their own hearts.  Thankfully God sees the character and knows the thoughts of a person, and in His wisdom refuses those who walk in pride--even people who make the impression of being worthy of royalty. The...

" And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  10  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith ." Galatians 6:9-10 Doing good to others is a mark of spiritual rebirth in those who are born again by faith in Jesus.  Our salvation or forgiveness is not earned by doing good works, but doing good to all as we have opportunity is a result of God's work in us.  Weariness can occur whether we are sowing or reaping, and Paul reminded the believers in the Galatian church doing good is always in season. Paul directed the church to do good especially to those of the "household of faith" in Jesus.  This was not to discriminate but to be discerning.  They were to do good especially to their brethren, not exclusively.  As the LORD extended the Gospel of grace to all, so believers were to do good to all.  I suspect Paul emphasised doin...

" As iron sharpens iron, s o a man sharpens the countenance of his friend ." Proverbs 27:17 There were many kinds of iron implements that benefited from sharpening in Solomon's day.  When it comes to knives, swords and weapons of war, one thing is common between them all:  no cutting weapon or tool is sharpened in the sheath.  The cutting blade needed to be drawn and exposed before it could effectively be drawn against another to remove burs and hone the edge.  This is true concerning Christian fellowship and friendship.  There must be a willingness to expose our thoughts, concerns, delights and feelings in person with one another for the sharpening Solomon talked about to occur. Having two swords or knives in close proximity to one another does not prevent them from rusting.  It is from the friction of the blades dragging upon the other that provides a sharper cutting edge on both of them.  One thing I love about this analogy is the iron that is shar...

Placing your faith in the wrong things can lead to devastating consequences.  All the time we hear about trusted people who were exposed as frauds, like an investor that secretly ran a Ponzi scheme and stole the money or the friendly neighbour later exposed as a molester.  It recently was huge news when a small group of people died aboard a submersible they believed would safely allow them to tour the wreck of the Titanic in the crushing depths.  Some place faith in themselves they ought to be reserved only for the almighty God.  Misplaced faith is a dangerous thing, and the disastrous evidence of this is all around. I have witnessed this misplaced faith in people who look to a priest or minister for hope and assurance of salvation rather than Christ and His word.  People can give credence to feelings or experiences to confirm what is true and real instead of what God has plainly spoken in the scripture.  Today I read a quote from a Christian organisation t...

" Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him ." John 9:1-3 As I was preparing the sermon for this week, I was drawn to consider this among many other passages of scripture.  Having been raised observing the Law of Moses, the disciples were well-versed on passages that warned of the consequences of sin--that God would bring disease and illness upon them for departing from obedience to His word.  It seemed obvious to the disciples, therefore, this man or his parents must have sinned in some fashion to deserve this permanent condition.  The answer of Jesus must have been surprising to them, and it is very good news for us as well. The disciples had fallen into a common trap that they could by simple observation know the ro...

Have you ever had things go wrong?  It is likely there have been occasions today unexpected things happened you wish could have been avoided.  For instance, today I investigated why the printer was producing folded pages.  I could see paper dust residue inside the printer, so I figured it would be better to vacuum it out rather than make the dust airborne in the house with compressed air.  What I did not notice was a sizeable foam insert only after it was immediately sucked into the vacuum!  I was grateful I had just changed the bag so the part was easy to remove and replace into the printer--after sopping up ink it had absorbed that was all over my hands.  You know, things like that. :) My mind flitted back to years ago when I had organised a pour of concrete at my house.  I put in the hard yards with my dad setting forms, laying down steel mesh, paid for the concrete and managed labour.  And then the night before the pour I came down with the f...

Lately I've been considering the world that existed before the flood, even when Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden.  I have found it difficult to imagine a world different from what we experience today, an existence completely without the curse of sin that brought death and multiplied sorrow exponentially.  Life outside of Eden must have been a difficult adjustment for Adam and Eve, and it must have been difficult for Noah and his household as well to exit the ark into a world that hardly resembled what they previously knew.  Their relationship to animals changed as well, for the LORD put the fear of man upon living creatures. One thing that is easier to comprehend (also ironic because it is unfathomable) is the ease of transition it will be for people who depart this world in physical death and will be received into eternal glory by God in heaven.  As our lives on earth will someday end, so the heavens and earth we see and experience now will also be brought t...

" Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God ." 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul exhorted people of the church in Corinth to be sensitive to the perspectives of others in their eating and drinking.  For people whose background was steeped in idolatry, some were careful not to eat meat offered to idols because it was a return to their heathen ways.  It was lawful to eat the meat found in the local shops, but it was not edifying to some.  Thus Paul implored believers, whether they chose to eat or drink or abstain, they were to do all to the glory of God.  They could eat and glorify God for His provision, or they could choose not to eat and glorify God through showing love to their sensitive brother. This exhortation to do all to the glory of God is not limited to eating or drinking.  It can be extended to the reasons why we wear particular clothes, being sensitive to acceptable styles of dress in a culture or to show modesty....

" Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?  20  But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. " Genesis 50:19-20 With eyes of faith in the God of his fathers, Joseph perceived God's redemptive power and purposes in evil he endured.  His brothers had done terrible evil to him, yet at the same time God meant it for good.  It can be difficult--impossible even--to see good in the bad we have suffered.  Our sense of pain, betrayal and loss can prevent us from looking to God who is always gracious and good. It is one thing for us to exercise faith Paul's confidence God is able and will work all things together for good who love God in  Romans 8:28 :  " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose ."  By placing faith in the God Paul knew, he ha...

" Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  10  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death ." 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Paul previously wrote a letter that identified and rebuked sin the Corinthian church, and it resulted in godly sorrow that lead them to repent of their sin, an eagerness to clear themselves of all wrongdoing, longing for reconciliation before God and man, and swift readiness to do justly.  From Paul's words it follows there is a sorrow that falls short of repentance, a worldly sorrow that produces death.  We see this sort of worldly sorrow in Judas after he betrayed Jesus. During the Passover feast in Jerusalem, Judas secretly met with priests and covenanted to deliver Jesus into their hand at a convenient time and was paid 30 pieces of silver....

The words of Jesus contain great wisdom from God Himself and insight.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His disciples in  Matthew 5:33-37 :   " Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  34   But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;  35   nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  36   Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  37   But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one ."  After receiving the Law of Moses that commanded Hebrews to keep their oaths, what developed was people felt obligated to speak truthfully only when they swore an oath.  Some made their honesty contingent on the perceived worthiness of what they swore u...

It is good for the child of God to realise we never are at the mercy of our enemies but our awesome heavenly Father.  An overwhelming trial or situation never puts us beyond God's help and perfect peace.  When the ground shakes under our feet or we start to lose our balance, we instinctively grasp at a handrail or something we know to be solid and can bear weight to stay upright.  Trials test us to see if we will run to and reach for the Rock of our salvation in our desperate state or give place to despair in unbelief. Many times in the history of the nation of Israel their enemies had the upper hand.  Due to sin, idolatry or for God's good purposes not explained to us, Israel was oppressed and the people lived in fear.  The book of Judges has a repetitive theme of people doing what was right in their own eyes, forsaking God and His statutes, and then falling into the hands of their enemies to chasten them back to the LORD.  When they cried out to God in du...

Wise Solomon observed in  Ecclesiastes 3:8 there is " ...a time to love, a nd a time to hate;  a  time of war,  a nd a time of peace ."  With spiritual insight we see love and hate, while seemingly opposites, can exist at the same time and even compliment one another.  Due to active love of God within us, a child of God chooses to hate sin and every evil way.  Even in the midst of conflict, the one who trusts God can experience perfect peace by faith in Jesus Christ.  But the point Solomon made is spelled out in  Ecclesiastes 3:1 :  " To everything there is a season,  a  time for every purpose under heaven... ".  God has good purposes and plans He accomplishes in every season of life, and we can have confidence He knows what He is doing. It may seem strange to think in this wonderful world created by God there would be a time for hate and war.  Yet this is not at all odd when we realise and acknowledge we liv...

In Psalm 1 , David says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, does not stand in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful.  He is blessed who delights in the law of the LORD and meditates in it day and night.  Such a one is compared to a tree planted by rivers of water that brings fruit in due season, whose leaf does not wither and whatsoever he does will prosper because of His God.  The idols of the heathen were believed to bring prosperity, good fortune and luck, yet all they could provide was false hope.  The living, almighty God of Israel is the One who gives abundant life and supplies all our needs--in this life and that which is to come. The blessings contained in the Law of Moses primarily concerned life on earth, the "here and now."  David sang in  Psalm 144:9-15 :  " I will sing a new song to You, O God; o n a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,  10  the One who gives salvation to...

" Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14  Let all that you do be done with love ." 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 When we read exhortations to "watch" in the scripture, our minds might go to the role of the watchman who vigilantly kept watch over a city to sound the alarm at the sign of an approaching enemy.  This watchman on duty was primarily serving the common good, like a shepherd who was on guard to protect sheep from wolves and thieves.  In context, this exhortation to "watch" is better viewed as primarily personal.  Rather than keeping watch for the protection of others to warn them of approaching dangers, this call is to first keep watch over ourselves that we are doing what Paul commands ourselves:  stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong and see all that we do be done with love. Examining our own hearts, ensuring we stand in the faith of Jesus Christ and doing all in love ourselves will result in better watchmen of the the flock or...

When communicating with others it is possible to send an unintended message.  I used to think if someone was telling me about their problem it was because they actually wanted suggestions on possible solutions, but I have learned this is rarely the case.  Years of studying and being taught the Bible sent the message it was my responsibility, not only to learn and follow the scripture, but to engage with people with the intent to share the Gospel and lead them to Christ.  Somehow I imagined changing people's minds was now my responsibility, having been endowed with wisdom from above.  Coming to realise changing people's hearts and minds is what only God can do provided welcome relief from self-condemnation after my countless failures. In his book Renovation of the Heart , Dallas Willard said on the subject: " Our beliefs and feelings cannot be changed by choice.  We cannot just choose to have different beliefs and feelings.  But we do have some liberty to ta...

" There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  6  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.  7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all..." 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 In Paul's letter to the Corinthian church, he compared the church to a body where Jesus Christ is the head and all Christians are connected to Him and one another.  Hands and feet are different from each other, but they both have their function to serve the whole body.  God, who created every person unique, by the Holy Spirit gives a variety of spiritual gifts that minister in countless ways to people in the church.  Even as all humans share the same basic physical anatomy but can look very different in appearance, the same spiritual gift can be as unique as believers who receive and exercise it. Paul emphasised the sovereignty of God, the uni...

As Israel's life drew to a close, he asked Joseph to bring his two sons to his bedside so he could bless them.   Joseph intentionally placed the older son Manasseh on the right hand of his father and younger Ephraim on the left.  Joseph was displeased when Israel suddenly crossed his arms and placed his hands opposite of Joseph's preference.  Joseph protested as he reached out and grabbed his father's hand to physically remove his right hand from Ephraim and place it upon Manasseh.  Israel refused to yield to Joseph's demands and blessed both of them, by faith in God revealing the younger would become a greater people than the elder. Joseph was initially humbled and most pleased his sons were blessed by his father Israel, yet he was displeased in the manner the blessing was given.  The dual blessing was the same spoken over both of them, but Joseph was irked the younger would have the greater blessing that ought to be reserved his older son.  It is iro...

It was a most tragic day when king Saul commanded Doeg the Edomite to take up a sword and slay the priests of Nob because the high priest Ahimelech helped David.  When David came and said he was on secret business from the king, there was no reason to question this champion of Israel.  Yet at the command of his king Doeg butchered everyone and every animal in Nob, save Abiathar the son of the high priest who escaped to tell David the awful news.   1 Samuel 22:22-23 reads, " So David said to Abiathar, "I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house.  23  Stay with me; do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe ." The only gleam of light from this horrible situation was there was one priest who escaped the sword and bloodshed.  Abiathar went on to serve as the high priest of the almighty God David feared and f...