Marching Forth!

Receiving Jesus by faith is the best thing anyone could ever do, for it gives God glory and Christ the reward due His suffering.  Being born again is also for our good forever, and it is for the good of the church and world people would be sanctified to be more like Him.   John 1:11-13 says, " He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  12  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  13  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God ."  Those who will receive or "own" Jesus Christ as Saviour and Son of God He makes His own by redeeming them with His own blood. The fact Christians have received Christ and have been adopted into the family of God is not a cause for proud arrogance but humility.  When the disciples disputed concerning which of them would be the greatest,  Luke 9:46-48 reads:  " And Jesus...

Jesus had a man run up to Him and ask, " Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life ?"  Jesus responded with a question in  Mark 10:18 :  " So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God ."  Jesus did not deny He was good, but if He truly was good (as the man suggested but did not yet believe) He was indeed God.  It is no surprise the Jewish man thought he needed to do something to inherit eternal life, for he had been raised keeping the Law of Moses that gave no certainty of eternal life whatsoever.  Surely something needed to be done, for though he was a son of Abraham the enthusiastic man had no assurance of salvation.  This sounds a bit like the testimony of C.H. Spurgeon who was raised to read the Bible and taught of God, yet needed to wrestle awhile until he submitted his will to God by faith in Christ Jesus.  Spurgeon wrote: " I can remember the time when my sins first stared me in the face....

" For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us ."   2 Corinthians 1:20 People are not strangers to caveats and limited-time offers, how in marketing the bold print gives but the fine print takes away.  The little asterisk next to an incredible deal often leads to the realisation the advertised deal wasn't as great as initially thought.  I have also had the experience of buying what I believed was an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) product only to find it was a very cheaply made knock-off.  Several times I returned products to sellers that assured me a full refund of money but never paid.  Prompt communication fooled me into thinking a company had good customer service until they failed to follow through--and all communication on their end went silent. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul reminded believers they were assured God was faithful to keep His promises in  2 Corinthians 1:18-23 :  "...

Many people assume they have more time on earth than they do, for death often comes unexpectedly.  There were likely many young ANZACs who grew up assuming they would live to old age and see their children's children who perished on the Gallipoli peninsula 110 years ago.  In war, winning battles is never assured:  having fighters wounded and losing their lives is almost guaranteed.  It takes great courage to bravely fight in what seems to be a "losing battle," and ANZAC Day is a reminder of the sacrifice made by willing Diggers who embraced their duty at the cost of their lives. While Christians are not guaranteed a long life on earth, we are given assurances of eternal life by faith in Christ.  The psalmist struck a contrast between those who assume their lives will continue perpetually and those who place their faith in God in  Psalm 49:14-15 :  " Like sheep they are laid in the grave; d eath shall feed on them;  t he upright shall have domini...

The words we use are very important--especially when we aim to hold forth biblical truth of God's word.  Assured of its authenticity and accuracy, we ought to handle the Scripture with respect and humility.  It is beneficial to carefully consider scripture like a person who uses a fine-toothed comb, ensuring a scalp is free of lice.  The word of God is purer than a sanitised, stainless-steel comb because His words cannot be defiled or corrupted.  When God's word passes through our lives it reveals all manner of impurities and sins God desires to purify us from. As we learn to rightly divide God's word in study and have fellowship with other Christians, it is important to avoid splitting hairs.  Frankly, I don't have personal experience with hair that can grow long enough to take damage or have split ends as I keep it short.  I was fascinated to observe hair can indeed split, and from what I have read there is a myriad of factors that result in having split ...

God spoke a timeless truth to prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 , that God does not see as man sees.  Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.  The most discerning people cannot know exactly the motivations and feelings in the hearts of others, and we cannot even plumb the depths of our own hearts.  After being born again there are aspects of my flesh and tendencies of my character which the Bible has illuminated and the Holy Spirit has convicted me as sinful, and praise the LORD He is able to purify and transform us from within.  In my life God has purposed to refine and transform parts of my life I never had a problem with, and as we embrace our sanctification this is a continual process God's people can rejoice to submit to. I was recently both convicted and blessed by how different the observations of Jesus are from my natural perspective when I read  Matthew 9:35-38 :  " Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teachi...

" Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  11  The LORD of hosts is with us; t he God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah " Psalm 46:10-11 Through the psalmist the LORD addresses the reader of His word with a command, to be still and know that He is God who will be exalted!  As much as we like to multitask, our capacity to focus on several things at once reduces our ability to pay full attention.  Being still also does not guarantee our focus on the LORD, for we are easily distracted and ideas flood into our brains without invitation.  When Jesus spoke to the raging waves of Galilee saying, "Peace, be still!" it is almost a taller order to still us because we have our own will we must submit before the LORD in faith and obedience.  God is able to still us, but He desires our willing cooperation. Since God will be exalted among the nations and earth, how fitting it is for His people to exalt Hi...

There are things in life nothing can really prepare us for:  you must experience them personally to learn more about yourself and grow in maturity.  It is good to undergo Christian premarital counselling, discuss expectations and plan for the future, but there is a massive difference between talking about marriage to being married.  The same could be said for having children.  A couple can go to classes in preparation for the birth of their first child, furnish a nursery, buy a car seat and read books.  But there is nothing like driving home with a new human being in the car with the sober responsibility to protect, provide for and nourish your own baby at every hour day and night. One thing I have learned as a parent is the need to keep making necessary adjustments in every season as my children have grown into adulthood.  Young parents hear about the "terrible twos" and the rocky teenage years, but I do not recall those living up to the negative hype....

Personal application is a step we don't always take in reading the Bible.  We can observe what a Bible passage says, understand what it means, but never make it personal and consider how God's timeless truth ought to impact our present perspective on what we are going through.  Too often the wisdom of the Bible rattles around in our heads without ever reaching our hearts.  We have been apprised of facts that never wielded the transformational power God intends to impact our lives with because we are unbelieving or unwilling to receive God's word ourselves. On Good Friday at Calvary Chapel Sydney, one of the passages we considered is found in  Psalm 34:17-20 :  " The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, a nd delivers them out of all their troubles.  18  The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, a nd saves such as have a contrite spirit.  19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, b ut the LORD delivers him out of them all...

" Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God;  f or I shall yet praise Him,  t he help of my countenance and my God ." Psalm 42:11 There are occasions in the book of Psalms David gave himself a pep talk, rousing himself from a spiritual malaise brought on by a combination of factors.  The circumstances of David's life, how he was feeling and stress from enemies who rose against him contributed to David being downcast.  Everyone can relate to this, for disappointments and hardships are sure to come. The way people are feeling is often expressed in the face, and David's soul--his entire being--was cast down and troubled.  David knew the divine remedy for his depression was to put his hope and trust in God.  This would work to shift his perspective from David's problems to his God, from feelings of hopelessness and failure to his glorious Saviour.  In light of God's goodness, glory and power, ought not David's...

Blessed be the LORD God who has provided the remedy for our sin by atoning for it with the blood of Jesus.  In a sermon preached concerning the sting of sin and how the strength of it is the law (1 Corinthians 15:56-57 ), C.H. Spurgeon did well in building a strong case that every person has a deadly problem with sin we cannot shake by anything we do.  Sin goes deeper than our words and actions but our very thoughts teem with sin we have been steeped in from birth.  Justice can do nothing to help us, because the Law makes no allowance for mercy in judgment.  Spurgeon wrote: " Before thou canst destroy sin thou must in some way satisfy the law.  Sin cannot be removed by thy tears or by thy deeds, for the law is its strength; and until thou has satisfied the vengeance of the law, until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing of its demands, my sting cannot be taken away, for the very strength of sin is in the law."  Now, I must try and explain this doctrine tha...

During a Bible study recently, we briefly discussed the kingdom of God as a group.  There is a large amount of detail scattered throughout the pages of scripture that provide information about God's kingdom.  Some may assume it must include everything that is, similar to how  Psalm 24:1 sums up creation:  " The earth is the LORD'S , and all its fullness,  t he world and those who dwell therein ."  Because God is the sovereign creator and ruler over all things, they view everything as His kingdom.  This is similar to saying, "We're all God's children."  Christians know this is only true to a point:  mankind has been created in God's image, yet the only way to become a child of God is by faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus will say to many on the day of judgment and cast them out:  "Depart from me...I never knew you!"  God knows every child of God who knows Him by faith in Christ. While God does rule over all things, it is important ...

In a world that hypes up how strong, fierce and independent people can be, God leads His people to consider their frailty so He might be their strength.  David prayed humbly according to God's will in  Psalm 39:4-5 , " LORD , make me to know my end, a nd what is the measure of my days,  t hat I may know how frail I am.  5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, a nd my age is as nothing before You;  c ertainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah "  Slaying the Philistine champion did not bolster David's self-confidence but worked to increase God-reliance when enemies came against him.  Esteeming God above others and himself was key to David's successful rule. David asked for God to impress his own mortality upon him, the realisation that his days on earth were relatively short.  It is good we would recognise and acknowledge our weakness so we might seek strength in God; it benefits us to remember our lives on earth will...

In my mind, one of the most cringeworthy words of priestly advice on the silver screen were spoken in the D.C. movie Superman when Henry Cavill entered a church.  As Clark Kent wrestled with the idea of turning himself in to an alien invader to save the earth--knowing both General Zod and mankind were untrustworthy--the priest, identified by his white collar, asked:  " What does your gut tell you ?"  From a biblical perspective, that question is entirely out of left field.  What good is a gut feeling when we can turn to God's word, considering God's truth, goodness and His personal guidance already established? The priest doubled-down on strange advice as the budding superhero and future household-name walked from the room:  " Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith first...the trust part comes later ."  Again, this advice was more whimsical than wise.  Never in the brief conversation was there any inkling to place faith in God, and that faith is t...

God is awesome in all His ways and thoughts which are higher than ours.  As the Creator of heaven and earth and all living things, He has thought of everything and provides abundantly for our needs.  Jesus taught His disciples not to worry about their life, what they would eat or wear, for the LORD can be trusted for all things.  Jesus directed His followers to consider the birds, how they did not build storehouses for food but were supplied with food by God every day.  He told them to think about lovely lilies, how they did not work to be clothed with beautiful colours and king Solomon in his glory could not compare to them.  Jesus concluded in  Matthew 6:30 :  " Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith ?" In God's revelation of Himself to Job, I was struck how God cares for what people never observe or see.  When I worked in a bui...

" Let them shout for joy and be glad, w ho favor my righteous cause;  a nd let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified,  w ho has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant ." Psalm 35:27 David exalted and magnified the LORD who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants.  It occurred to me there can be a disconnect with the meaning of the passage if we limit the words "pleasure" and "prosperity" to their most common, modern-day implications.  These words generally mean one thing to people now, but it is helpful to consider their use in the Bible to better comprehend them. When we speak of "pleasure" today, it has almost exclusively been limited to concern sensual or sexual pleasure.  While this is one way to define it, the word has much more broad scope.  In addition to appealing to the senses, pleasure means to take delight in and to be pleased with, and in relation to God Webster described it as approbation--which is to ...

When people think of a "godly" person, it is natural to think of someone who is blameless and above reproach.  In our primary school days it would be the equivalent of a "goody two-shoes" or a "teacher's pet," a student so eager and intent to please the teacher it grated on other students.  It may be a surprise to people that a godly person is far from perfect but one who freely admits their faults and confesses their sins to God and man.  Godliness is righteous standing by virtue of God's grace by faith in Him, and in light of God's perfection His people notice our sins more than ever. David wrote in  Psalm 32:5-6 , " I acknowledged my sin to You, a nd my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD ,"  a nd You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah  6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You i n a time when You may be found;  s urely in a flood of great waters  t hey shal...

In the Australian show Kath and Kim , on occasions Kim referred to her husband as a "pants man," which is Aussie slang to convey he was promiscuous.  She always said it as a matter of immutable fact, as if there is no possible way Brett could change--that his dalliances were indicative of a character trait so fundamental to his nature the only option was to accept it.  In regards to the show, Kim's husband was unable to change his ways, similar to how a leopard cannot change his spots.  As born again Christians, however, we have all experienced the transformation Jesus brings to our lives.  God fundamentally changes who we are by spiritual regeneration, and He frees us from bondage to sin. There are aspects of our personality and character that are not in themselves sinful, and I believe God is able and desires to change these natural tendencies as well.  One trait I have observed in myself is I tend to be a "destination" person, focused on completing a task wit...

Deciding what clothes to wear can be quick and easy for some people, and for others it resembles an arduous chore.  I suspect if we are looking for comfy clothes to wear around the house or clothes for work it is easier than finding suitable clothes for a fancy formal or party.  Such occasions can overwhelm us and suddenly we exclaim, "I have nothing to wear!" though our closet and chests of drawers are full of clothes, shoes and accessories.  We feel a twinge of horror to go to a luxurious event with a dress code without wearing something new.  Praise the LORD God provides His own righteousness to clothe us when we enter into His presence for eternity, for our best works are filthy rags by comparison. David sang in Psalm 30:11-12 , " You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,  12  to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to Yo...

During a morning walk before dawn I prayed the LORD would speak to me, and He did in a most unexpected way.  Not long after I saw a woman jogging towards me, so I moved to the edge of the footpath to make as much room as possible.  What happened next was in slow motion:  my toe clipped the edge of the slab of concrete (which had heaved from a mature tree) and after a couple of stumbling steps I sprawled onto the footpath in a heap.  I can't remember the last time diving onto concrete, but it was a good reminder to keep stumbles and falls to a minimum. The jogger stopped and asked if I was ok, and I said I was fine as I popped up on my feet, relieved no bones were broken.  Apart from grazes on my hand and leg, I jogged away relatively unscathed.  What struck me is that even though I was able to stand up unassisted, it was kind of the woman to pause and ask if I was ok after seeing me fall.  I imagine me falling looked hilarious, but her instinctive inqu...

One detractor of going to the beach is no matter what we do, we seem to bring much of the beach back home with us!  Even after a thorough rinse and shaking off sand, grains of sand ultimately will show up in the car, between toes, in wetsuits and on the tiles at home.  The fine and clinging nature of sand enables it to stick to skin and embed in fabrics, and thus it is difficult to shake off.  Some don't mind this at all, as it is a small trade-off for the sun, waves and fun of the beach. As I considered the properties of sand at the beach, I remembered what God did for Solomon at his request in  1 Kings 4:29 :  " And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore ."  God gave Solomon divine wisdom, vast understanding and " largeness of heart " compared to sand on the seashore.  Solomon was given wisdom that was carried away by all who came in contact with him, as the Queen of Sheba f...