Marching Forth!

" Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; s o he who waits on his master will be honoured ." Proverbs 27:18 We understand the concept of one who plants, waters, and tends a tree having the privilege of eating the fruit it produces.  Harvesting and eating figs is likely the main reason a fig tree was planted in the first place!  The owner of the land fertilises and prunes his trees in the right season so he will benefit the most from fruitfulness.  In an odd way, serving a fig tree leads to being served delicious figs. The second stanza of this proverb is intriguing, for I would have assumed the master would be the one having an expectation of benefit from his servant.  Solomon turns it the other way round, that a faithful servant who waits on his master can expect to be honoured.  We catch a glimpse of this with Mordecai the Jew who was promoted by king Ahasuerus after he foiled a murder plot by eunuchs.  Mordecai was clothed in the king's clothes, w...

In the Judges passage we read today at church, the elders of the tribes of Israel placed a curse upon any of the tribes of Israel who gave their daughters to the remaining men of Benjamin.  Though God put a curse upon those who failed to keep His law, the Israelites made great effort to avoid the curse they had spoken.  This made me consider the impact of curses on Christians today, and I have observed a fair amount of  concern and what seems to be misguided fear on the subject. It is not uncommon for me to speak with Christians who wonder if they are the unwitting victims of a curse.  A mix of feelings, circumstances and teachings on the subject convince people there is something they must do to rid themselves of a curse to receive blessing from God.  This is not scriptural or possible, for it is Jesus Christ alone who frees us from the curse of sin and death.  God promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 , “... I will bless them that bless you and curse those...

When I first came to Australia, one movie widely recommended for me to watch and be thrown into the deep end of Australian culture and humour was The Castle .  It was hailed as a fine representation of the relatable Aussie battler who was willing to take a stand for his principles and a house that had become his happy home beyond price.  Rather than submitting to a compulsory acquisition of his property to extend the airport, Darryl Kerrigan was able to prevail in pleading his case in the high court--with the expert aid of an unexpected ally. An interesting aspect of the film was the misplaced faith Darryl had in a local lawyer named Dennis Denuto who struggled to make copies in his office!  Dennis was more knowledgeable in matters of Australian law and the Constitution than Darryl, but his incompetence and ignorance was laid bare by his abject failure in court.  Darryl's case would never had been heard by the High Court without the aid of a retired Queen's Counsel a...

The last two days I read chapters of Proverbs that mentioned "landmarks" which had been established previously, and how it was wise not to remove them.   Proverbs 22:28 bluntly says, " Do not remove the ancient landmark w hich your fathers have set ."  There are people who may be almost offended at this prohibition because they have little respect for their fathers.  There are some who are inclined to question and challenge or dismiss the position of ancient landmarks because they seem outdated and irrelevant to modern life.  Even when we do not understand why a fence or boundary stands where it does, the existence of it ought to convey the simple truth to rational minds there was a reason behind such labour. To the children of Israel, the ancient landmarks were established by the God of Israel who gave to each tribe and family an inheritance of land by lot.  Thus the primary reason to leave the ancient landmark in the original location was to honour ...

" There is no wisdom or understanding o r counsel against the LORD ." Proverbs 21:30 What confidence and comfort God's people can have in His sovereign rule over all!  Paul was convinced he and all believers who love God can know He makes all things work together for good.  Thus situations that we would say are bad or are intended by others for evil will not undermine or prevent God's good purposes from ultimately being accomplished.  Sometimes, like Joseph in Egypt, God can provide insight into His redemptive operation in our circumstances and ourselves.  He explained to his brethren in  Genesis 50:20 :  " 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 ."  It was evil when Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave and fabricated evidence to deceive his father into believing he was dead, yet God meant it for good--that in time nations, Joseph, his father and e...

It is possible to know scripture by heart that has yet to impact our hearts.  While people are always on the lookout for something new, it is the same old passages of Scripture that provide fresh, relevant guidance to walk in newness of life made possible by the Gospel.  For the spiritually hungry child of God, this never grows old. Today I considered the passage when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.  Though Jesus was LORD of all, He voluntarily assumed a position typically filled by a slave and washed feet.  John 13:12-15 says, " So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  13   You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  14   If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  15   For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you ."  Jesus pro...

 " The foolishness of a man twists his way, a nd his heart frets against the LORD ." Proverbs 19:3 The picture of the foolish heart of man fretting against the LORD is an apt one.  I have several shirts that show evidence of fretting from scraping across rough surfaces, and it is unsightly when fibers of fabric pull unevenly.  Webster describes the word "fret" as meaning, " corroding, wearing away; agitating; vexing; making rough on the surface. "  Should a fabric continue to rub upon a stone or block surface, the threads will wear away completely and create a hole.  God is the immoveable, eternal God who is resolute and unchanging.  Man's folly prompts him to dash against the righteous God like a bug impulsively flies repeatedly into a light and stuns itself.  It is the bug that comes off worse for wear. God is not worn down by the folly, crookedness or perversion of man He has created.  It is man who wears down under the weight of God's j...

Human beings have an insatiable appetite for knowledge, to learn facts about what has happened.  Hearing "facts" sounds dull and boring, yet learning about something of personal interest is fun and exciting.  Many times we have watched a movie, show on TV or skipped to the end of a book that wasn't very interesting or well made because we were still interested to know how it ended.  Our curiosity satisfied, we could then move on to making judgments about what would have made the movie better or the book more engaging. We can take a similar approach when it comes to God and His word.  Our interest in reading God's word may be to glean the truth so we can discern between right and wrong.  We may open the Bible to remind ourselves of what happened in a historical narrative, to remind ourselves of the name of a person or city, or for verses of encouragement.  Some write down and memorise meaningful passages of Scripture as a spiritual discipline.  It may s...

King Solomon asked in  Proverbs 20:9 , " Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin' ?"  The answer is no one!  We are all unclean due to sin, and we cannot address our spiritual malady.  A person tasked to wash windows with oil-soaked rags could not eliminate streaks or smears, and no amount of elbow grease could remove the greasy film.  When the light shines through, the filth is clearly seen!  One would have a better chance of cleaning a oily window that purifying our hearts from sin, for we are spiritually dead and powerless to revive or redeem ourselves.  In our natural condition, we are not inclined to humble ourselves before God or man at all. The Bible teaches us there is one who can forgive sins, and that is the righteous God revealed in Jesus Christ who remained without sin.  Jesus demonstrated His power to forgive sins and that He was God made flesh when He healed a paralytic who suddenly, at Christ's command bef...

When I was a kid in San Diego, it was a special treat to go to a professional baseball game and watch the Padres in action.  There were many years our local team was the "cellar dweller" (last place!) and did not field a competitive team.  It was rare for the Padres to keep young talent because good players were expensive, and the ownership was not nearly as financially invested in building a championship team as today.  Sometimes the most exciting thing that happened during a baseball game was when a fan jumped the barrier and ran around on the field until they were corralled by security.  It happened with such frequency that we developed a term for such trespassers:  crowd pleasers.  There were likely many times the roar of the few thousands in attendance was the loudest as unfit men ran onto the field and deftly dodged equally unfit and uncoordinated security guards. Over the years, strict penalties were enforced to deter fans from running onto the field...

" Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour." Acts 3:1 When I consider Peter and John going together to the temple at the hour of prayer, I recall seeing many people praying at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.  Men and women may go up together to pray, but everyone prays by themselves to God.  Currently there are separate areas before the Temple Mount for men and women to pray.  On a layover after a trip to Israel, several orthodox men donned prayer shawls and bound tefillin to pray, each with a prayer book in hand.  The manner of their prayer was different to Christian prayer meetings I have attended, for they each prayed alone to God. After being born again by faith in Jesus, Peter and John (and countless Jewish disciples) continued in Jewish traditions, like going up together to the temple at the hour of prayer.  With Jesus as their mediator and filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter and John believed G...

In Judges 20 , all the other tribes of Israel gathered to go to war against the tribe of Benjamin because of the murder of a Levite's concubine--and they refused to surrender the men responsible for capital punishment.  Though Israel sought the LORD before going up to Gibeah to attack the Benjamites, day after day they suffered huge losses.  The fighters of Israel outnumbered the Benjamites 15 to 1, and they still lost 40,000 men over two days.  Copping huge defeats in battle prompted the Israelites to desperately seek God for help and victory. One might have assumed because Israel sought the LORD and obeyed Him they would have been assured of success, but victory did not immediately come.  They came to realise despite their manpower and righteous cause they had no chance of success without God's guidance and strength.  They would have been content to be only told what to do, yet God was working toward another aim entirely:  to draw all the children of Isra...

" And He said to them, " Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses ." Luke 12:15 There was a man who came to Jesus who had great wealth.  Despite all the goods he possessed, a sense of lack drew him to Jesus.  He inquired what good thing he needed to do to inherit eternal life.  This is a common assumption people make today, that entrance to eternal life in heaven is a divine reward for good deeds done in life.  When eternal salvation is tied to our works or worthiness, immediately we are stripped of all assurance of going to heaven.  We may have done some admirable things in the eyes of ourselves or others, but we have also done many shameful and sinful things in God's sight.  No matter how much "good" we do, only the most conceited could imagine they have done enough.  Even by man's standards, how can anyone be sure? Matthew 19:16-20 says, " Now behold, one came and ...

" The simple believes every word, b ut the prudent considers well his steps ." Proverbs 14:15 Solomon spoke of "the simple" many times in his proverbs, and the use of antithetical parallelism reveals the simple to be the opposite of prudent and wise.  It is a person who lacks discernment, is gullible and easily influenced.  Being simple is more indicative of a lack of godly character than intelligence.  Very learned and intelligent people can be simple from a biblical point of view, lacking firm grounding found only in the fear of God and in heeding His word. A passage I read this morning in the KJV provoked thought concerning the simple in  Proverbs 9:13-18 :  " A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.  14  For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,  15  to call passengers who go right on their ways:  16  Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him ...

Today I watched part of a video which discussed a new trend of people using A.I. chatbots like a personal therapist.  Some had positive feedback that the bot "gets" or understands them and served to validate their thoughts and feelings.  This reminded me of some "Jesus" ads I have seen that simply say, "He gets us."  This is an attractive message to a world of people who are seeking validation and people to agree with their opinions and outlook--a far cry from the way Jesus taught Jewish people under the law:  "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  Much more than validation, we sinners need forgiveness, salvation and transformation! While Jesus invites everyone to come to Him in faith as they are, He does not keep Christians in our natural fleshly, sinful state.  When we are born again by faith in Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God and filled with the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment.  God does far m...

Our local council is currently rolling out a new bin system to collect rubbish than includes a small pail with biodegradable liners to dispose of food scraps in a green bin.  I was amused when I saw the flashing lights on the minivan that delivered the new bins, similar to what you would see on emergency vehicles.  According to many climate activists, we are in the midst of a global emergency--one that has seemed to grow worse and more dire with every passing year regardless of intentional actions we take.  I have lived long enough to go from paper to plastic bags because it was killing the trees to using paper again because it is sustainable .  We ought to do what we can to protect the environment as good stewards of the planet God has provided for us, but ultimately it is His planet we could not save or destroy even if we tried. As I mused upon the flashing emergency lights on the climate action van that seemed a bit excessive and unnecessary, it occurred to me peo...

When unexpected or unwanted things happen, it is common for people to wonder or ask God why .  This is never a bad thing to do, to bring our requests to God because we trust and fear Him.  At the same time, we may never agree with God's reasoning, for His ways and thoughts are above ours--nor is He ever under obligation to justify or explain Himself to us.  He alone is the living God who does all things well, and He is powerful to redeem even what man intends for evil for everlasting good. What may be more advantageous for us in our pains and struggles than asking God for His reasoning is to answer why we feel compelled to ask God why.  When Hannah struggled because of cutting provocations of a rival wife,  1 Samuel 1:8 says:  " Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons ?"  Hannah did not reply, but it would have been a good question to cons...

There were a few classes in high school that went a bit over my head, namely Chemistry and Physics.  While I understood the content and performed well in life sciences, these courses laid my weak grasp of maths bare.  Because I found the mathematic concepts difficult to grasp, looking back I can see that I reached the point of wanting to be told what the correct answer was rather than wrestle to learn how to arrive at the correct answer.  Passing the class was a higher priority to me than learning information I would likely never need.  I suspect we can do the same when it comes to our relationship with Christ--preferring to be told what the correct answer is, placing ourselves under a yoke administered by those in "the know" instead of wrestling with God concerning how to please Him in our relationship. Recently the topic of tithing came up in conversation, and I have observed the subject of giving often produces strong responses:  some want to be told how much...

In the book of Proverbs , Solomon personifies Wisdom as a woman calling aloud to all who will listen.  In the opening chapter of the book, Wisdom rebukes and warns the simple and foolish people who ignore her words.  God calls out to people who are heading to destruction and stretches out His hand to draw people to safety and the path of life, but many are intent in going their own way which leads to ruin.  Those who despise knowledge and the fear of God, those who refuse the counsel of God and His rebuke, will find themselves needing help and never finding it.  In our natural, sinful state, this is an apt description of all people. Wisdom speaks of the consequences of ignoring her in  Proverbs 1:30-33 :  " They would have none of my counsel a nd despised my every rebuke.  31  Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, a nd be filled to the full with their own fancies.  32  For the turning away of the simple will slay them, ...

Our words can be employed to fashion a cover for ourselves to hide behind and even be a vain attempt to cloak our sin.  I remember years ago I had a friend who did not like to view his daily dependance on cigarettes as an "addiction" (thus justified because he did not buy them) but a habit because it sounded better.  If you had suggested in years past I had a problem with fear, I would have denied it.  I believed verses that say "Fear not!" had little application for me personally.  But when I connected fear with feelings of dread, suddenly I realised my problem with sinful fear due to unbelief in God was a serious problem.  People who readily admit they have told lies in the past can struggle to say the simple truth concerning themselves:  "I am a liar." The Bible provides a multifaceted view of sin so we can better identify it in our lives, repent of it and choose to do what is right and pleasing to God in the future.  The way we define a word can b...

" For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.  31  Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ ." Acts 28:30-31 Before coming to Jesus Christ, Saul was bold to persecute Christians.  It was like a full-time occupation for Saul to obtain authority from the Jewish rulers to travel far and wide to find, arrest and prosecute believers--and even consented to their death.  Rage against Christ and His people fuelled Saul to pursue Christians until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, and from then on his life radically changed.  He went from Saul the Pharisee to Paul the apostle, a man chosen and sent by Jesus to be his witness to the Gentiles for the Gospel. After coming to Christ in faith, Paul was bold to proclaim Him as it says in Acts 9:29-30 :  " And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they a...

" You will show me the path of life; i n Your presence is fullness of joy;  a t Your right hand are pleasures forevermore ." Psalm 16:11 Jesus Christ revealed Himself to be the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples they knew where He was going, and they also knew the way because He is the Way.  Though under the Mosaic covenant, the psalmist David had a sure expectation of eternal life in the presence of God where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forever. John 15:9-11 taught His disciples fullness of joy was not only enjoyed in the eternal state but presently in light of His love:  " As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  10   If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.  11   These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full . "  Having fullne...