Marching Forth!

With Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd, we will always be looked after continuously with love and care.  Unlike a hireling who would flee at the hint of danger or who avoided the hard, dirty work of providing for the needs of a flock,  Jesus laid down His life for all who would become the sheep of His pasture by faith in Him.  God had strong criticisms for pastors or shepherds of his flock in Israel who sought personal profit rather than the good of God's people entrusted to them--strong words Christians ought to lay to heart today. In Ezekiel 34 , God chastised priests and rulers in Israel who were feeding off the flock rather than feeding the flock.  Those who were meant to serve God's people felt entitled to be served by others and failed to do all the things good shepherds do for sheep.  Shepherding does not mean leaders ought to be controlling, intrusive or demanding of others, for we ought to follow the example of Jesus who loves, gives, serves, forgives a...

 I was blessed to read a sermon by C.H. Spurgeon which exhorted believers to rely upon the Holy Spirit to do the impossible, to perfectly accomplish what we could never do by our own efforts.  May you be encouraged in knowing God and experiencing the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus.  Here is an excerpt in the conclusion of the sermon preached long ago but remains as relevant as ever: " The power of the Holy Spirit is your bulwark, and all his omnipotence defends you.  Can your enemies overcome omnipotence? then they can conquer you.  Can they wrestle with Deity, and hurl him to the ground? then they might conquer you.  For the power of the Spirit is our power; the power of the Spirit is our might. Once again, Christians, if this is the power of the Spirit, why should you doubt anything?  There is your son.  There is that wife of yours, for whom you have supplicated so frequently; do not doubt the Spirit's power.  "Though he tarry, wait for him....

" If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now--if I have found favor in Your sight--and do not let me see my wretchedness! " Numbers 11:15 Based on the words of Moses, his wretchedness was a truly awful thing.  He begged for God to kill him rather than to be confronted with his own inadequacies, failures, folly--not to mention his own unbelief.  It does not appear Moses was at all inclined toward self-harm or truly desired death, but he was totally disgusted by his own wickedness and depravity.  This is why many respect Moses, for by faith in God he was a righteous man, a friend of God, meek and humble.  Statements like this make him relatable to those who also realise the ugliness of their own wretchedness, our eyes having been opened by God to see the sobering truth about our own sin. Today as I drove on my way to do errands suddenly a series of bad experiences from my past flooded through my mind one after another.  One was a cringeworthy thing I...

After making a purchase, I always request a copy of an invoice for budgeting purposes.  The paper or digital receipt is a useful record as a proof of purchase, details whether I used card or cash, and itemises the GST included in the transaction.  My wife has trained me very well at this stage to obtain a record of money spent so she can input the data into a spreadsheet. I read an article today about a person who was described as being known to "keep receipts."  The context was not in the sense of purchasing, but it was a reference to her habit of filing away past slights or offences with intent to produce them years later--keeping a record of wrongs.  When we experience hurt or perceived injustice, we can have a very long memory of what we suffered and hold onto it so we can throw it in the offender's face when an opportunity presents itself, when others are vulnerable.  I am reminded of many films and books where one person spoke out of pride or arrogance, an...

Asking questions can be a good thing, but it is good to consider motivation why questions are asked.  "There's no such thing as a dumb question," I have heard people say, but questions can be asked with wicked intent.  We see an example of this when Eve talked with Satan in the Garden of Eden.  The crafty serpent asked in  Genesis 3:1 ,  "... Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden '?"  Satan knew very well what God said; he was not ignorant of what had God clearly spoken to Adam.  His question paved the way for an opportunity for him to criticise and contradict God and lure Eve into sin.  Satan's tactics and aims reveal a proud heart can ask questions with intent to find fault with or to criticise God rather than submit to His wisdom. Satan answered God with questions in Job 1:8-12 :  " Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless...

When Jesus invited people who were weary and heavy laden to take His yoke upon them and learn humility from Him in Matthew 11:28-30 , it is ironic because it was a call to labour.  The realisation people are weary and burdened does not lead us to suggest placing a yoke on their shoulders as a solution.  We tell them to take a break, to cease from labour!  The point is, Jesus is easily able to carry all loads that burden and crush us, and by submissive labour by the side of Jesus we will find rest for our souls.  His yoke is easy and His burden light because Jesus is mighty, strong and our Saviour.  In drawing near to Jesus by faith and labouring alongside with Him, Christians find joyful rest. As someone who worked in a building trade for more than a decade, one of the things drummed into workers was the need to learn to work and talk at the same time.  Some people never learn this lesson:  when they begin talking, their hands stop working.  Work...

It was widely reported a bishop addressed President Trump directly during a prayer service and made a request for mercy for groups of people she implied would be threatened or suffer due to his policies.  She was reported as saying, " In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and [transgender] children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives ."  It was ironic to invoke the name of God while speaking to Trump as if he was a god, insinuating he has the power in himself or through enacting political policy the means of removing fear in the hearts of people.  I am convinced this is not a presidential problem but a personal one for all who experience such fears. It is a sad fact of our fallen world that people fear for their lives, and in some situations these concerns are absolutely warranted.  At the same time, no politician is able to provide ass...

As a kid in church, I struggled at times to comprehend what idolatry was because I did not bow down to idols in a shrine or burn incense to images.  Whenever idol worship was mentioned by our pastor at church, it was often connected to things I didn't have, like houses or cars.  I faintly recall the prime description of an idolator being a man who on a weekly basis was constantly washing, polishing and buffing his shiny car on the driveway.  This did not make sense to me because waxing cars was foreign to my life.  I did not own a car, and washing a car of dirt and grime seemed to be good stewardship of a gift from God.  I never connected the dots that the brand of car or its pristine condition could be an outlet of pride that delighted in promoting an image of self which is idolatry. Reflecting on my youth, even the definition provided for idolatry was not a definite thing, for it was deemed anything we put in God's rightful place.  If God had yet to be gi...

People have a propensity to be observant of others, to note similarities and differences.  Another tendency we have is to want to change others, to have them conform to our perspective and convictions.  At one level we realise we are incapable of changing other people, but it doesn't stop us from trying.  We suggest, hint, manipulate and beg in our attempts to mould others into the form that suits us better.  And when this doesn't work, we can withdraw or even be more stern and direct in our methods.  These are generalisations of course, but I'm sure if you can read these words with understanding you've been on one side or the other of this experience--perhaps even both! Yesterday at church we had an encouraging discussion how God was at work in our hearts and lives, and the subject of wanting to see others saved came up.  Since a sinner's response to the Gospel has eternal implications, it follows we who have received Christ would absolutely want and love ...

When Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment to love one another as He loved them, it would have been a mistake to love others on the condition of others being a fellow Jew or genuine Christian.  This is the sort of thing we tend to do as human beings, to use a verse that speaks of our obligation to love one another as justification not to do so--because they do not belong with us!  Jesus demonstrated His love for us while we were yet sinners and enemies of God by dying in our place, and it is His example we as His disciples are obligated to follow. This morning I read a passage in Esther when Haman was glad at the thought of executing Mordecai for slighting him, and how Esau comforted himself with thoughts of killing his brother Jacob for stealing his blessing.  These wicked men harboured hatred in their hearts, and the Bible teaches murder is evidence of hatred.   1 John 3:15 puts it in strong terms:  " Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and yo...

Today our family spent a good portion of the day moving in the rain, and preparation for this involved buying a tarp and a net to spread over it.  Made of elastic material with plastic clips, this net of bungee cords (octopus or occy straps here in OZ) was quite handy to ensure the tarp was kept from flapping in the breeze as we transported furniture and household goods.  God was gracious to us and helped us move everything we needed, and water damage was kept to a minimum. Whenever I use a net I am reminded of when I was an apprentice and one journeyman always had a net to cover insulation material that resembled a fishing net.  I was not a fan of the net because it seemed totally unnecessary and it was my job to untangle it.  This fellow used wire to secure ladders on the rack on his truck, and when he cut the wires he habitually allowed the twisted bits of metal to fall into the net which turned it into an unusable, gnarled mess.  I spent more time than I car...

Haman was an Agagite who was promoted by King Ahasuerus, and the king commanded people bow the knee when Haman passed by.  There was a man named Mordecai who, day after day, refused to bow and pay homage.  The king's servants enquired to see why Mordecai did not bow, and in conversation he divulged he was a Jew.  Haman was enraged and offended that he was not given honour by Mordecai and  Esther 3:6 says, " But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus--the people of Mordecai ."  Haman took advantage of his elevated position before the king with the sinister aim of exterminating all Jews because of a personal offence with one man.  He would not stoop to speak directly to Mordecai, but his pride led him to go to the king to murder every Jew in the realm. Haman was a crafty and deceitful man who, like the dev...

As the book draws to a close  Revelation 22:6-7 says, " Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.  7 " Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book ."  Many people are drawn to read Revelation to catch a glimpse into what the future holds, yet Jesus is not content to satisfy our curiosity.  This revelation of Jesus Christ provided for John on the island of Patmos is for us to hear and keep, to remember what God has said and to put His word into practice.  The study of the Scripture, whether narrative, poetry or prophecy, is a call to heed God. While we can be content to know the truth, God's desire is that we would by faith abide in the Truth.  The apostle John wrote in an epistle in  3 John 1:4:   " I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth ."...

As I browsed the wares of a bookstore recently, I was appalled by the blurb on the back of a (supposed) Christian book that has sold in the neighbourhood of 45 million copies.  The back of the book says it was ".. .written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to you--words of encouragement, comfort, and reassurance of His unending love ."  While obviously popular, I find it a disgrace anyone who "reveres" God's word would write and print a book that purports to speak the words of Jesus in first person--who has cherry-picked themes and passages as a Jesus Christ impersonator.  I've never quite understood the draw to be an Elvis impersonator for fun, but I cannot begin to comprehend writing a book to be like Jesus speaking to spiritually starving souls when they could be actually reading His words in the Bible. Perhaps people are drawn to read a book like this is because they are not experiencing God speak to them as they read His word.  Like students in ...

" For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad ." 2 Corinthians 5:10 Today at Calvary Chapel Sydney I mentioned how the dead will be raised to appear at the Great White Throne judgment to be judged according to their works.  Those who names are written in the Book of Life will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.  Knowledge Christians will be judged by Christ provokes us to consider what this will involve.  The fact Paul wrote this to believers leads me to believe this is a subject people do not know much about, and frankly there isn't a great amount of detail provided.  At times people have been keen to offer their opinions on what this judgment entails, yet the little God has plainly said is infinitely superior to man's ideas. When we speak of final judgment and the eternal state, there is much we do not and cannot know.  Based on wha...

" Let everything that has breath praise the LORD . Praise the LORD !" Psalm 150:6 If we had the capability of observing people approach God through prayer in turn, I wonder what patterns or themes would emerge.  I suspect the main thing would be people asking God for help, blessings or to do something.  This is fitting, for who has more power, authority, influence and ability to help than God?  People who do not believe in God will make requests out of sheer desperation:  what do they have to lose?  When people acquire sums of money, others can feel entitled to a portion of it because of their relationship.  As there are ungrateful brats who expect and demand money from their parents, it is likely God has children that resemble them.  James said Christians sometimes have not because we ask God amiss, seeking His resources to gratify our lusts. There's absolutely nothing wrong with seeking God and making our requests known to Him, for He invites us to...

" Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair ?" Ezekiel 18:25 Through the prophet Ezekiel, God addressed the accusations of His people against Him that He was not fair when they were the ones being unfair.  In other translations "fair" is rendered equal, just and right.  As is always the case, man's sense of justice and righteousness who criticised God was skewed by his own sinfulness, bias and self-serving agenda.  God is perfectly fair, and He is also merciful, gracious, loving and compassionate.  His heart is not inclined to destroy people but to save them.  Yet if rebellious people are hellbent on destroying themselves and refuse His offer of forgiveness and salvation, He will let them have their way.  Everyone receives the opportunity to make the decision if they will submit to what God says is right or stubbornly affirm their own way is right. God l...

When people are guilty of having done wrong, those who have been wronged or are tasked with administering justice often look for signs of contrition in the guilty.  Judges pronouncing sentence upon a convicted felon and children alike look with discerning eye to judge the sincerity of others to see if they recognise their guilt.  We can reject apologies given by people who do not sound sorry at all.  What this can lead to is the development of the hypocritical skill of sounding or appearing "sorry" that is not indicative of our hearts.  As children we learn looking and acting sorry can be the required currency to be exchanged to sweep our transgressions away, and it is a small price to pay.  Others feel guilty for doing wrong but are too proud to admit it.  Rather than humble contrition when confronted, they can become agitated and angry, offended anyone would suggest they are worthy of blame. It is remarkable how different people respond to correction and ...

I read a couple of C.H. Spurgeon sermons today, and as usual, they were a rich spiritual feast.  What I found compelling and challenging was how he strongly called out professing believers who attended his church who did not regularly read the Bible.  Spurgeon had no quarrel with supposed freethinkers or those of a different perspective, but as a preacher of the Book he knew to be God's word said, "... There is never any necessity for Christian ministers to make a point of bringing forward infidel arguments in order to answer them.  It is the greatest folly in the world...Let men of the world learn error of themselves; do not let us be propagators of their falsehoods ." (Spurgeon, Charles Haddon. Spurgeon’s Sermons: V. 1-2 . Baker Books, 2004. page 27) Spurgeon reserved his strongest rebukes in his sermon for professing, churchgoing Christians who were not in the regular practice of reading the Bible when it is God's word written to us.  He took aim at those who wat...

While putting away Christmas decorations, I made a somewhat amusing and ridiculous observation on the box of a Nativity Set.  As far as I am aware, the term "Nativity" is commonly a reference to a very specific historical event:  the birth of Jesus Christ to the virgin Mary in Bethlehem.  The word according to Webster means, " birth, the coming into life or the world. The feast of Christmas is observed in memory of Christs nativity ."  See if you can find the glaring omission in the packaging of the Nativity I placed on a shelf in the shed. The package identified Joseph as 71.1cm tall, Mary as 68.6cm, and baby --not THE Baby or Baby Jesus or Jesus, but "baby" at an adorable 35.6cm long.  How bizarre and ironic it is for the figures to be measured to the millimetre yet for the identity of Jesus (the central Person and purpose of Christmas for Christians who would be the ones placing this Nativity Set in their yard to commemorate Christ's birth) to be o...

One thing I admire about Nehemiah is his willingness to lead from the front, to lead by example in service to the LORD even though he had no personal experience in building a wall or managing a construction site.  God put it in his heart to visit Jerusalem after hearing of the distressed and dilapidated state, and his connections to the king as cupbearer provided means and authority to oversee the construction of the wall by faith in God.  Nehemiah (as the book goes to show) would prove to be a skilled delegator, yet he did not ask others to do what God called him to do.  He entered into the same labours and suffered the same lack of comforts as labourers, loaders and builders endured though he was accustomed to the comforts of life in a palace. Due to the real possibility of enemy attack, as people worked they either carried a weapon in one hand or had a sword girded on their thigh.  This readiness was undoubtedly a deterrent to potential enemies, for the workers di...

" After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest ." Nehemiah 3:20 In the section of Nehemiah that explains who repaired the wall and gates of Jerusalem and the specific areas each person or group worked on, the verse concerning Baruch stands out because it shows how he worked.  The rebuilding of the walls, gates and bars of Jerusalem was a huge group effort, and people took up tasks outside their normal field of expertise to collaborate to accomplish the building project in a relatively short time.  Baruch's earnestness to repair a section of the wall is a good illustration of the focus, diligence and dedication God's people ought to exercise in their service unto Him. Webster defines "earnestly" as " warmly, zealously, importunately, eagerly, with real desire ."  Of all the people who laboured on the wall, Baruch was the only one describ...