Marching Forth!

When we consider purchasing a product, we want to know if it really works--if it can deliver on the promises made.  If I buy a cleaning product for tiles, the BBQ or an oven, I want it to do the job well.  There are many products advertised that are a waste of money, and sometimes we learn this the hard way.  So we watch demonstrations, read online reviews and talk to people with experience to know what brands or products will suit our needs.  We want to be convinced of all the benefits of a product  before we pay money so we can avoid regrets. I am always a bit leery when people pitch Christianity to others like knives at a fair on the basis of how coming to Christ has benefitted them.  While there are countless practical and spiritual benefits of knowing God and having a relationship with Him through faith, Jesus Christ is not for sale.  Jesus is not a product we have obtained that we recommend to others because He has made our lives easier or simpl...

Because all sin is equally deadly to the soul guilty of committing it, there is not much of a point of arbitrarily categorising sins like some do with lies.  From a biblical perspective, there is no such thing as a "little" or "white" lie.  God identifies all lying as abominable in His sight full stop, and to think we can benefit ourselves or practically help others by lying to them is a deception.  To claim we have chosen to lie out of the goodness of our hearts is plain hypocrisy.  There are many sinful things people justify themselves doing and saying, but God's righteous standards do not sway with societal tendencies. While it may not provide great benefit for us to comparatively rank sins against one another--as we are called to do good rather deferring to a lesser sin--there are a handful of occasions where the Scripture does speak of one sin being greater than another.  Since God has provided this knowledge, it would be wise for us to consider why that is...

God reveals in Scripture idols are an unnecessary burden.  For all who are in Christ, if you find yourself burdened by anything it may be you have made an idol of something!  This fact struck me yesterday as I read Isaiah 46 and how the idols of Babylon were dead weight that needed to be hauled around.  Though they were spiritually powerless and nothing, unable to hear the cries of worshippers or save them, they wearied those who struggled to carry them.   Isaiah 46:1-2 says, " Bel bows down, Nebo stoops;  t heir idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded,  a  burden to the weary beast.  2 They stoop, they bow down together; t hey could not deliver the burden,  b ut have themselves gone into captivity ."  It is ironic beasts that grew weary pulling heavy idols had more strength than the gods of Babylon which were useless and hopeless. Later in the chapter God showed the futility of idolatr...

It's funny the things we can take for granted.  We can tend to group people together and imagine they are similar--when they are completely different.  I remember when it hit home I wrongly had the assumption all medical doctors must be averse to practices that are known to be unhealthy, and it was eye-opening to realise doctors are still regular people who do what they want.  Anyone who has hired a contractor knows all licensed plumbers, electritians, concreters and tilers are not the same.  Years back I hired a plumbing outfit to install a drain for a coffee machine, and after trips to the supplier and many hours of labour the drain was not properly installed or functioning.  Later that night another plumber from the same company came, installed the drain--and removed and installed a water heater--in a fraction of the time. This illustration can be extended to include nearly everything:  dogs of the same breed, trees of the same kind, and fruit of a sin...

Today I was led to consider the reputation Daniel garnered after years serving king Nebuchadnezzar.  The excellent and virtuous qualities observed in Daniel's character was not due to his natural goodness but the greatness of his God he trusted and worshipped.  Knowledge of God, His word and belief in Him guided Daniel to excel both as a student and a ruler throughout his entire career.  Like Joseph who was raised to be second to Pharoah in Egypt, he was successful at everything he did because God was with him. After Belshazzar (Nebuchadnezzar's son) assumed the throne, during a feast he had a shocking and sobering experience when the fingers of a man appeared and inscribed words on the plaster wall:  " MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN ."  The king commanded his astrologers and diviners to interpret the message on the wall, but they were unable to do so.  When the queen mother heard of the uproar, she said in  Daniel 5:11-12 :  " There is a man in you...

Years back when I worked in a trade, I installed a tool box on my truck with a commercial steel lock  for security .  The locks that came standard on the aluminium diamond-plate box could easily be pried open, so adding a hardened hasp and a robust lock was a necessity to deter thieves.  It would have been far easier to use a Sawzall on the lid than to go to work on the lock.  Since I had the key in my possession as the owner, opening the lock and storing my tools was easy. Recently at church the key to an exterior toilet our church maintains was misplaced, and having the key is required to open the door.  The fitted tamper-proof handle means even when the door is unlocked, it is impossible to enter.  Trying to use a hammer, crowbar or Sawzall would only lead to damage and great expense.  Thankfully in our case, there is a relatively simple solution:  contact our strata management company and request a replacement key.  While navigating the a...

David faced many difficult and stressful situations in his life, and some of these were the direct result of decisions he made without seeking the LORD.  When he fled from his house to save his life, he went the the priests at Nob and obtained the sword of Goliath--and then went to Achish, king of Gath!  Gath was the hometown of Goliath, and it wasn't until David was in the city and being brought before the king he realised the serious trouble he was in!  On another occasion David, weary of avoiding king Saul's relentless pursuits to kill him, feigned allegience to king Achish and was given permission to live in Ziklag.  David and his men had left Ziklag to go to battle, yet when they returned they found the town burnt with fire and all their wives and children taken captive.  A band of Amalekites had swept through and plundered the region, and David and his men had lost everything. 1 Samuel 30:4-6 reads, " Then David and the people who were with him lifted up...

A few nights back my wife Laura was alerted to sounds in the attic.  It is not uncommon to hear birds or critters of some kind scamper over roof tiles in the morning, but this was different.  After night fell, sounds of scratching, gnawing and squeaking could be easily heard just beyond the ceiling.  This was a most unpleasant intrusion and discovery for me.  Spring is mating season for rats and mice that forage for food and seek out nesting areas, and my attic is not a place I want them to be.  So I called an exterminator to inspect the attic and property, begin treatment, and see if there were any concerns or red flags I ought to address.  Everything looked in order, so it appears there isn't an infestation or serious problem. Over the days between hearing the noise of unknown rodent(s) and the pest control guy inspecting the property, I had time to think and pray about the situation.  I realise the way houses and roofing are constructed in Sydney it...

Years ago I worked for a company that had a softball team I played on.  After a big win, we had dinner afterward and reflected on the twists and turns of the game.  One infielder voiced the opinion his defence had been particularly stellar, and as he did so we all looked at one another with amazement:  was this guy serious?  Indeed, his defence had been such a liability it was a factor why the game was close at all!  It turned out he seriously thought his play should have been highlighted on ESPN SportsCenter--so great were his delusions.  He overlooked all the errors he made on the field (as if they had not happened) and viewed his routine plays as requiring the utmost athleticism and skill. While some people may be overly critical of themselves for making errors, my teammate illustrated how self-delusion can blind us from seeing ourselves in truth.  Had my teammate kept his thoughts to himself, he would have remained comfortable in his very positive ...

When it came to baseball, my dad was a fan of "small ball."  He didn't coach players to swing for the fences and slug home runs:  he taught kids to be disciplined at the plate by laying off balls, to swing at strikes, and hit the ball where it was pitched.  Take that outside pitch to the opposite field!  Dad enjoyed a sacrifice bunt that resulted in a batter being thrown out because the runner had been moved from second base to third more than a booming double off the fence.  In his view, making good contact with the baseball ("Down and hard!" he would shout) and hitting line drives was better than fly balls that could be easily caught.  Baseball has changed a lot since I played as a kid, but the principle of learning the fundamentals and doing the small things well is valuable to this day. As a member of a team, each player has a limited amount of control.  The most important thing is to focus on doing your part.  This could be throwing the ball ...

We do not need to exert ourselves to grow weary, for we can become weary simply due to existing!  We can become weary of eating the same foods, habitual activities, due to an illness or repeated failures.  Feelings of weariness can lead to frustration, annoyance, anger or giving up.  Jesus did not begrudge the weary, for He bid those who were weary and heavy laden to come to Him and find rest for their souls in  Matthew 11:28 . While physical weariness is a fact of life, our perspective and priorities can provide fortitude to resist aspects of mental weariness.  Solomon said in  Ecclesiastes 12:12 , " And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh ."  Reading and study can be wearisome to our eyes, bodies and minds, yet we need not be resigned to weariness in doing good when our God provides rest and strength.  In 2 Thessalonians 3:13 Paul urged Christians not to be wea...

While pride is championed according to the wisdom of this world, God exposes it as sin that always leads to more sin--and ultimately severe judgment.  Concerning Sodom and the surrounding cities He destroyed, God identified pride as the first sin on the list through the prophet in  Ezekiel 16:48-50 :  " Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: she and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  50  And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit."    One could easily make a case (from a biblical perspective) that pride was a sinful root from which other sins sprang. Pride is insidious, and Webster defined it this way:  "p roperly, lying in wait; hence, watching an opportunity to insnare or entrap; deceitful; sly; treacherous; 2) intended to entrap ."  Pride is a skilled shape-shifter, able to be ...

Scripture shows belief is not a straightforward binary, that you either believe or you do not.  It would be convenient if this were the case, but at the same time any our unbelief would surely doom us!  The truth is, people who believe in God's existence, the truth of God's promises and His power to fulfil them do not always walk by faith in God.  A man who brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples of Jesus exclaimed after they were unable to help him in  Mark 9:24 :  " Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief !"  While all things are possible to him who believes in God, this man recognised nagging doubts and fears within himself he could not shake.  Without God's help, we cannot even believe--for without Him we can do nothing ( John 15:5 ). I read a passage in John 4 today that also illustrates how people can have degrees of belief that fall short of saving faith.  The smallest...

As a kid, I thought there was medicine for every malady.  I didn't realise antibiotics were prescribed for bacterial infections like strep throat and not for viruses like the common cold.  I came to understand taking antibiotics for viral illnesses can lead bacteria to grow resistant against them and be rendered ineffective when needed.  Typical treatments for viruses involve management of symptoms with rest, hydration and pain relief.  In the case of a cold, the nagging cough, runny nose, chills and fever are merely symptoms of a sickness.  These symptoms are not the illness itself, and often it takes the skill of a doctor to identify and treat the root cause of our illness or pain. I remember years ago pointing out an obvious depression and cracked gyprock on a wall.  The response was, "Oh, that was a hole we fixed."  No doubt an attempt was made.  Since I have experience with patching holes in gyprock, however, a closer look revealed cracked gy...

When we observe people making careless, forgetful or foolish choices in the Bible, it means we too could make the same mistakes--likely have already done so.  God's word is able to discern the thoughts and intents of our hearts, clearly identify sin and exposes our fleshly propensity to practice it.  I have learned by experience I can identify with the villains in scripture because all people spiritually share sinfulness in common in its countless forms.  Spiritual maturity enabled Paul to say without exaggeration he was the "chief of sinners," and thus when God's people observe sinfulness in scripture it always hits close to home, having been written for our instruction. Yesterday I read the passage that followed a miraculous victory God provided over the Philistines by Jonathan and his armour bearer who trusted Him.  After King Saul built his first altar to sacrifice unto God, we read in  1 Samuel 14:36-37 , " Now Saul said, "Let us go down after the Phili...

I have been a Los Angeles Chargers supporter from my youth growing up in San Diego through all the ups and downs--and historically there have been many more down seasons than up.  To date they have only been to the Super Bowl once and were completely drubbed by the 49ers on the global stage.  After enduring losing seasons in bunches, I look at early-season losses and injuries as adversity, a crucible which can forge a winning team's identity.  Better to have a heavy dose of reality and the need to work and improve rather than becoming arrogant with pride through easy success.  A team that never gives up and claws back to win games is a side I would rather follow and be a part of than those who give up, stop putting forth effort, and whinge for penalties.  Many teams that start well grow disillusioned and flounder when they begin to fall from the top of the standings and lack character and resiliance to recover.  And if the team turns out to be a cellar dwel...

Over the course of my life I have lost a number of things--and I still scratch my head about some of them.  Years back I lost a pair of sunglasses, and I carefully retraced my steps to various shops where I had run errands that day.  Some of these shops had a "lost and found," but the glasses never turned up.  Once I lost the head cover of my Titleist putter in the parking lot of a golf club, and that was not brought to the pro shop either.  I also lost a new phone in a parking lot while hauling a Christmas tree to my truck.  That also was never returned.  The biggest stumper for me is how I lost a framed keepsake which was a signed bumper sticker from three members of The Specials and the ticket stub from when they played at Soma in San Diego with Buck-O-Nine.  For the life of me I have no idea how I could have lost it or where it ended up. When I reach way back into the archives, I remember losing my wallet on two occasions when I worked in a trade....

The other day I was driving home and I saw an advertisement on an electronic billboard I had never seen before.  Though there were no provocative images displayed, the website name and words employed led me to suspect it was an adult-related site.  Since I have no interest to see ads for adult websites publicly displayed to minors in my neighbourhood and arouse their curiosity, I investigated the standards concerning ads in New South Wales and considered if there was a case to voice my concern.  In the Code of Ethics posted online, I found advertisements deemed misleading and fail to provide the benefits they claim could be reported.  I reached out to Ad Standards and expressed my concerns that the advertisement was not forthright about it potentially directed unwitting people and children to a website with adult content. I was pleased to see my concerns were followed up with a letter from Ad Standards, and I was informed the complaint would not be passed on to the P...

I have yet to meet a genuine born again Christian who believes and is convinced he is able to save himself from hell by himself.  To become a Christian means we have confessed we are sinners in need of a Saviour, and Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah sent to seek and save the lost we have chosen to follow.  Like the Galatians who began well by receiving the Gospel yet tried to justify themselves by the works of the Law, there can be Christians who receive Christ and then live as if they can sanctify themselves and can overcome sins privately on their own by willpower--without fellowship with the Body of Christ, the church.  Since God has regenerated us with the Holy Spirit and made us members of one another, how can we operate or function if we are effectively cut off from the Body? It is important to remember more than good theology is needed to learn to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  If all that was needed after coming to Christ was k...

I was reminded of an illustration in C.H. Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students and enjoyed leafing through a few chapters trying to find what I was looking for.  The Complete and Unabridged version is a brilliant compilation of lectures Spurgeon gave to students at seminary that contain great wisdom, insight, instruction--and even a bit of humour.  Jesus used illustrations and parables in His teaching, and it follows as led by the Holy Spirit we can employ them wisely in our discourses.  One anecdote stood out from the pages I glanced over and reminded me of the importance of including illustrations to shed light on the subjects of our sermons.  Here is an excerpt from the chapter "Uses of Anecdotes and Illustrations:" " What do you remember best in the discourses you heard years ago?  I will venture to say that it is some anecdote that the preacher related.  It may possibly be some pithy sentence; but it is more probable that it is some striking story which...

The Scripture makes plain Jesus had miraculous power to heal in every case.  We read in  Luke 6:17-19:   " And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,  18  as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.  19  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all ."  When God put on human flesh and dwelt among His people as Jesus, this aligned with what the psalmist sang of the LORD God in  Psalm 103:2-5 :  " Bless the LORD , O my soul, a nd forget not all His benefits:  3 who forgives all your iniquities, w ho heals all your diseases,  4 who redeems your life from destruction, w ho crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,  5 who satisfi...

When strangers I have never met come to the door and feign friendliness, I immediately sense these people are not at my door for the sake of visiting me but want something from me.  It is not a good feeling.  As I read the Gospels, I observe this was a regular experience for Jesus when people came to Him with their needs.  Some brought diseased family or friends for Him to heal, and others requested Jesus to accompany them home to heal a sick daughter or to share a meal--so they could try to find fault with Him.  Even as Jesus walked along random people among them hoped only to touch Him!  After Jesus fed 5,000 men and their families one day, they crossed over the lake in pursuit because they were hungry again.  People always wanted something from Jesus. In Luke 18 , Jesus was walking near Jericho and a blind beggar asked about the commotion.  After he was told Jesus of Nazareth was passing by he began to loudly cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mer...