Marching Forth!

Though it might be a bit ambitious for a short blog post, I recently had a conversation about a passage of scripture that illustrates the importance of reading and interpreting the Bible in context.  It is vital we do not vainly attempt to make the Bible support our theology but for the Bible to establish, develop and correct our theology.  While there can be several valid observations, interpretations and applications from a single text, we ought to ensure there is consistency throughout the scripture.  When we are slack to do this, it results in confusion, poor interpretations and even bad application. If I had to pick a passage I believe is largely misunderstood and confusing to people, a common one is nestled in the response of Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 24 & 25 --specifically the section that speaks of people "taken" and others left.  The questions posed by the disciples help us to understand what Jesus is talking about in His response:  when Jer...

When Jehu was anointed king by the word of the LORD, he was tasked with avenging the blood of God's servants killed by the murderous house of Ahab.  As Jehu rode furiously towards Jezreel where King Joram was recovering from wounds received in battle, he sent two messengers to meet Jehu with a single message:  "Is it peace?"  At his command each messenger fell into formation behind Jehu who continued to drive towards Jezreel.  Finally, Joram himself had a chariot made ready and he approached with the same question in  2 Kings 9:22-23 :  " Now it happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" So he answered, "What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?"  23  Then Joram turned around and fled, and said to Ahaziah, "Treachery, Ahaziah !"  Before the day was over, both Joram and Ahaziah were executed by the hand of Jehu, God's chosen instrument of vengeance. It is fi...

Often God puts people  in places of leadership or in the spotlight who would rather avoid it.  Dr. Robert E. Speer was one of those people, who for 46 years served as secretary on the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions.  Based on the testimony of his biography, his faithfulness was an inspiration to many who sought to honour him upon his retirement, as the Presbyterian board had an age limit of 70.  As his retirement drew new, he wrote to the editor of a missionary magazine who planned to write an article about him, " In whatever you write, will you not make it just as impersonal as possible?  Let the cause fill the whole picture, and let us water-carriers and wood hewers who have sought to serve it be in our proper place out of sight. " (Wheeler, W. Reginald. A Man Sent from God: A Biography of Robert E. Speer . Fleming H. Revell Co, 1956. page 253) This reticence to public honour is evidence Dr. Speer continued to be small in his own eyes even when others ...

After the murder of his son Elliot, Robert Speer and his wife wrote letters in response to condolences offered by friends and family that are recorded in his biography.  I was especially blessed by a prayer in a letter that was a combination of the Collect for All Saint's Day and from the hearts of Robert and Mrs. Speer.  The prayer is as follows: " O Almighty God, who has knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of Thy Son Christ our Lord; grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which Thou has prepared for those who unfeignedly love Thee; through the same Thy son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen." (Collect for all Saints Day) We seem to give him back to Thee, dear God, who gavest him to us.  Yet as Thou didst not lose him in giving, so we have not lost him by his return.  Not as the world gives, givest Thou, O Lover of Souls!  What Thou g...

Drawing attention to yourself is as popular as ever, especially in our day of social media, influencers and advertising dollars.  A child throwing a tantrum to get his way, protesters shouting slogans and holding signs, content creators, politicians and musicians--really anybody--can seek the spotlight to achieve their ends.  One potential of drawing attention to yourself means your hypocrisy can be exposed on a grand scale.  The preacher who delivers sermons on morality and decries sin loses credibility when he is shown to be guilty of adultery.  The one who claims climate change is the greatest crisis the world faces shows a double-standard by globetrotting aboard a private jet to spread the message. Actions speak truer than words, and a person of integrity will be honest with others.  We say a building has structural integrity when it is built to code in a manner that can withstand normal conditions--not just having a new coat of paint.  Jesus pointed ou...

The C.S. Lewis classic titled The Screwtape Letters  is an insightful and thought-provoking book that features a more experienced demon named Screwtape who provides guidance for his nephew in guiding his "patient"--the person for whom he is responsible to tempt and influence for evil.  When the "patient" becomes a Christian, Screwtape expresses his displeasure and suggests means to distract and prevent him from spiritual growth and fruitfulness.  In this allegory everything is turned around, where "The Enemy" is God and the correspondence reveals pitfalls Christians have stumbled into from the beginning. One of the strengths of this book is the truth of God's word, God's goodness and the devil's tireless habit of lying and deceiving were constant long before Jesus Christ walked in Galilee.  The timeless observations remain relevant concerning Christians in society today and touches on many subtle ways Christians can be distracted or deterred fr...

" But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation ." Galatians 6:14-15 Being a disciple of Jesus begins with personal transformation by the Holy Spirit--not behaviour modification as some people imagine.  Better behaviour is not the end God is looking for in us, though that is something that is often emphasised.  What can result is spiritual pride for the good things you do and the bad things you avoid.  This also leads to our "walk" being up and down depending on our performance rather than being compelled by God's love to walk worthy of Him. Paul wrote the letter of Galatians to Christians who has veered from salvation by grace through faith in Jesus to a return to the Law and legalism--that our good standing with God is secured by effort to keep the law.  O...

At the Friday night Bible study we spoke of the personal relationship David had with God, for he referred to the LORD in Psalm 59 as " my strength ," " my defence and refuge " and " my God of mercy ."  As enemies surrounded him like a pack of feral dogs baying for his blood, David desired they would be scattered and their alliance disbanded so they would " ...know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth " ( Psalm 59:13 ).  It is remarkable that God's strength and mercy demonstrated by scattering David's enemies would be a global testimony, but here we are speaking of these qualities of God's unchanging character thousands of years later, the LORD David called "my Shepherd." David's desire was that all the world would know the God who rules in Israel and is sovereign over all.  When the children of Israel and the Philistines set themselves up on mountains opposite one another and Goliath defied the armies of the...

I came across a good warning against pride coupled with relevant questions for personal examination.  Due to our human condition, all people experience problems with sinful pride, and if we do not believe we have a problem our condition is even more dire.  Even those who acknowledge their tendency towards pride do not realise how naturally entrenched pride is in our perceptions, thinking, speech and actions.  Based on the principle held forth in Romans 2:1,  our disdainful perceptions of others as proud, boastful and arrogant reveals these are our personal practices as well. J. Oswald Sanders wrote this in Spiritual Leadership concerning pride and the danger it poses--especially for Christians in leadership: " The very fact that a man has risen to a position of leadership with it attendant prominence tends to engender a secret self congratulation and pride which, if not checked, will unfit him for further advancement in the service of the kingdom, for "everything th...

Some people are really into saving stuff.  They cannot bear the thought of throwing away items they or someone else could possibly use someday.  I have seen people go into the bin to stuff they believed had value just to store it and collect dust.  It did cost money at one stage, so people hold onto it.  In the trash of others some see dollar signs, and others have dreams of restoring dilapidated furniture or making artwork that never seems to happen because they are in the business of acquiring--not giving things away.  I remember walking into a storeroom and seeing hundreds of dusty old plastic chairs stacked to the ceiling.  No one had sat on those chairs for a very long time, and there was a reason they had been replaced.  Why they had been saved without a practical purpose was the question burning in my mind. Christians are people who are no strangers to saving.  We have been saved from sin, death and hell by faith in Jesus Christ, and we de...

I was impressed by the grace and goodness of God to meet the true needs of His people when they were not seeking Him.  After the prophet Elijah predicted a drought, king Ahab and a devout steward named Obadiah went looking for water and grass to sustain the lives of their horses and mules.  While Obadiah was looking for water, Elijah was guided by God to meet him.   1 Kings 18:7 reads, " Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, "Is that you, my lord Elijah ?"  Apparently king Ahab had tried in vain to find Elijah for many years since Ahab blamed the drought on him. God's ordained meeting of Elijah with Obadiah led to the epic showdown on Mount Carmel between the prophets of Baal and Elijah.  When God answered Elijah's prayer and consumed the waterlogged sacrifice in the sight of the people, they fell before the LORD in worship of the God of Israel.  Shortly thereafter Elijah bowed...

Growing up, bowling was an activity I enjoyed as a special treat, and in university I took bowling as an elective.  Before our local bowling alley turned to electronic scoring, we used a pencil with paper that included "bowling etiquette."  The paper explained it was rude to stand on the wood approach waiting for your ball to return as this prevented bowlers on either side from bowling in turn.  It is also very bad form when one person is about to begin their approach and then quickly bowl next to them--which is sure to draw the ire of serious bowlers.  In "open" bowling it is understood many people are not aware of proper bowling etiquette, but in league play this is unacceptable and frowned upon. In many activities we take seriously--whether sports competitions, hobbies or simply eating at the table--there is good etiquette we observe and encourage others to do as well.  Those who are new or less experienced can benefit greatly from being shown and told about...

During a morning jaunt I saw a colourful poster tacked to a power pole that looked to be advertising a new age or self-help gathering.  The pitch said something about "discovering your true and real self."  I found it ironic when I searched for more details on the subject online the first pages were filled with links to plastic surgeons!  Plastic surgery leans more toward fake and superficial than a revelation of who we truly are.  Our physical appearance, dress and style is not nearly as important as people are within:  individual and unique souls created in the image of God. The Bible is a stark contrast from the humanistic conception that the greatest good is within us and our hearts are to be followed above everything else.  To the contrary, the Bible reveals what we already have strong evidence to support:  there is no one good, no not one ( Proverbs 14:1-3 ).  Rather than guiding us to listen to or follow our hearts, God puts the spiritual b...

" Prepare your outside work, m ake it fit for yourself in the field;  a nd afterward build your house ." Proverbs 24:27 God's word provides wise guidance concerning our priorities.  Sometimes our natural inclination is to prioritise the wrong things or neglect to put "first things first."  When flying in a aeroplane, directions are specifically given in case of an emergency that parents ought to fit their own oxygen mask first before helping their child or others.  This may be due to parents prioritising the health and welfare of their child and their first instinct is to make sure their child is able to breathe.  But if the parent does not put on their own mask first, they may lose consciousness and be unable to render the assistance their child requires for survival.  Put on your own mask first, and then you can help others with fitting their masks. On the subject of making judgments about others (especially negative ones), it is wise for the person who...

A tendency we can have as Christians is to negatively judge the character of others by their mistakes, that because of what people have said or done they could not be men or women of God.  The flip side of this error is to put those we respect or admire on a pedestal as a man or woman of God who can do no wrong even when they are imperfect like the rest of us.  The Bible demonstrates many times how godly people can make foolish and sinful choices, but this does not negate their good standing with God--despite the negative consequences and discipline that follows. 1 Kings 13:1 says, " And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD , and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense ."  This man of God was a prophet through whom God spoke judgment upon the priests who committed abomination in the land and burned incense upon the altar king Jeroboam had made.  The man of God spoke of Josiah by name before his birth, that he would desecrate ...

Recently it came to mind I had yet to check out the beach at Windsor after the area flooded, and this morning I went and surveyed the area with metal detector in hand.  Typically after a flood the upper layers of sand and everything they contained--usually bottle tops and other rubbish--are all washed away.  Today my experience was much the same as I found mostly metal lids from canned food with a lead fishing sinker here or there.  The most interesting thing I found was not made of metal at all, but was a bookmark that contained self-centred messaging that is rife in the world. The phrase, "Be anything you want to be" suggests listening to Audiobooks (or reading eBooks) liberates us from the drudgery of being ourselves and provides an opportunity to live vicariously through the stories we hear.  I have read many books during my life, but I cannot say any of them made me to be anything besides what I already was.  What I can say based on a biblical worldview is...

" Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise ." Proverbs 20:1 I've been reading through the NIV Bible as my evening portion, and given the use of parallelism in Hebrew poetry it is a very pertinent and accessible translation that speaks to the heart.  The KJV and NKJV put "strong drink" where the NIV says "beer."  There are a lot of beer drinkers who do not drink whiskey or other distilled spirits, and such may miss the point because their drink of choice is not expressly mentioned.  The concept is that all beverages that contain alcohol have the potential to lead people astray from God's wise ways. " Wine is a mocker ," Solomon says, and alcohol has a way of blunting kindness and tact.  Drinking to excess can make people seem very funny and clever (at least to themselves) and influences them to say things which ought not to be said.  A person who is gentle and kind in their right mind can be a mocker ...

Jesus told parables that involved servants who were given stewardship of talents (large sums of money) by their master to invest while he was away.  They didn't know exactly when he was going to return, yet belief their master would arrive at any hour motivated them to work so they would be ready.  This provides a parallel for Christians today, for Jesus said many times His return is imminent and sudden.  Many believers have passed away before the long awaited rapture of the church, and only God knows if we will remain until that glorious day. In light of the end of all things being at hand, Peter urged fellow believers to be sober, watch unto prayer, and love one another fervently.  He continued in 1 Peter 4:10-11 :  " As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  11  If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God...

It seems like wherever I have lived in Sydney, it is always a fight to keep lawns, trees and shrubs healthy and free of pests.  Keeping turf free of weeds has been extremely difficult and nigh impossible.  Trees have had infestations of pests like stinkbugs, scale and white ants.  I found roots of languishing tomato plants full of chafer grubs.  I observed a careless council worker in a Bobcat gash bark off a gumtree when digging for a footpath and a flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos descend upon a tree and pluck off the tips of every branch with their beaks.  It is a constant battle to deal with the pests and problems that crop up on a daily basis. One of the worst offenders for me are scale insects that cling like barnacles to the underside of leaves of trees and dig into branches, robbing the plant of nutrition.  It seems pest oil does not prevent scale from forming, and Neem oil--while effective at killing scale--causes stress on the tree that makes le...

The human tendency towards selfishness is as real as the force of gravity on earth, and we naturally have incredible capacity to be self-serving.  While the term "public servant" may fit some politicians, it seems some are more focused on serving their party or promoting their own careers.  We see among God's people this rings true as well, for John observed among Christians those who wanted the pre-eminence, putting self first in ministry, rather than being servants of all as demonstrated by our LORD Jesus Christ ( 3 John 9 ).  King Saul went and fought the Amalekites at God's command, yet he and the people spared the best of the spoils for themselves--all under the guise of doing it for God's sake. This is something we must keep in mind, that the very thing we do for God can become something we start doing for ourselves and our glory.  There is nothing wrong in itself by constructing an ornate, expensive building for the worship of God that in itself is a work o...

" Give unto the LORD , O you mighty ones,  g ive unto the LORD glory and strength.  2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; w orship the LORD in the beauty of holiness ." Psalm 29:1-2 Without doing a thing, God is awesome in glory and beautiful in holiness.  He is pure, perfect, almighty and righteous in all His ways without changing.  There is no created thing in heaven or earth that can compare with His goodness and unfailing faithfulness.  David urged all people to give worship to the LORD for His glory and strength in the beauty of holiness.  His beauty is not merely observed but personally experienced by those who love Him and His appearing. A song by Oasis Worship that leans into worship of God for who He is is titled, "You Are Beautiful Beyond Description."  The song goes : You are beautiful beyond description Too marvellous for words Too wonderful for comprehension Like nothing ever seen or heard Who can grasp Your infinite wisdo...