Marching Forth!

In a sermon on Hosea 8 , C.H. Spurgeon made an excellent point he saw no need for him to resort to worldly arguments in an attempt to "prove" to skeptics God wrote the Bible--though he could supply many persuasive reasons from the Scripture to demonstrate this.  He said, " I am a Christian minister, and you are Christians, or profess to be so; and 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. Infidels, poor creatures, do not know their own arguments till we tell them, and then they glean their blunted shafts to shoot them at the shield of truth again ."  Since faith in God and submission to Him is a matter of reason and the will, facts alone will not persuade a stubborn soul.  They will often choose to cling to a blunted arguments than surrender their lives to Jesus Christ as LORD.  Praise the LORD what is impossible for mankind is possible w...

Last night at Bible study we briefly discussed the interaction between Eve and Satan in the Garden of Eden.  As the devil questioned and denied the truth of God's word, they conversed without interruption.  One might think Adam was caught up in work elsewhere in the garden, and Satan decided to seize the opportunity to tempt Eve because her husband was away.   Genesis 3:6 shows this was not the case:  " So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate ."  It seems Adam was standing there with Eve and let her do all the talking--when he should have boldly spoken and affirmed the truth of all God said. Because Adam was unwilling to take a stand in the fear of God and obedience to Him, without a word he went along with Eve and ate from the single tree God forbade him to eat.  Looking back to th...

" Without counsel, plans go awry, b ut in the multitude of counselors they are established ." Proverbs 15:22 King Solomon was a wise man who realised the benefits of good counsel.  He wrote in  Proverbs 24:5-6 , " A wise man is strong, y es, a man of knowledge increases strength;  6 for by wise counsel you will wage your own war, a nd in a multitude of counselors there is safety ."  The Hebrew word for "safety" here is also translated, " help, deliverance, salvation and victory ."  Safety is more than being protected from harm but to be successful in whatever you plan and set your mind to do.  If we consider our own experiences, it is likely we would have been helped by running our ideas or plans past others, waiting to seek expert opinion, before we launched into projects that ended up wasting time and money--or perhaps never came to fruition. Democratic rule relies upon this principle, that the views of the majority will best serve the major...

The prophet Jeremiah made an interesting statement concerning God's judgments against Babylon for their idolatry in  Jeremiah 50:38 :  " A drought is against her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is the land of carved images,  a nd they are insane with their idols ."  The Babylonians were well-known for their prognosticators, astrologers and diviners.  Idolatry led to beliefs and practices which God described as insanity.  Webster defined "insane" as: " unsound in mind or intellect; mad; deranged in mind ."  While their ideas and behaviour were unsound and deranged from a biblical perspective, there was a set of beliefs--an ideology--that guided their actions. The Babylonians used divination and sought omens for guidance as it is written in  Ezekiel 21:21 :  " For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liv...

Years ago I enjoyed fishing for largemouth bass at Loveland Reservoir in Alpine, California.  It was one of the only lakes in San Diego county that was free to fish as long as you held a valid fishing license--but fishing did come at a cost.  From memory it was about a 20 minute hike to access the water, and when your return to your vehicle it was all uphill and tiring!  While the fishing at the reservoir could be excellent, I had a series of many consecutive trips over the span of a year that did not result in a single bite.  Based on my repeated experiences of catching nothing, I felt like I might as well practice casting into a backyard pool.  Fishing and catching are two different things, and I prefer catching.  If there is no catching involved, why go fishing? After Jesus rose from the dead, one night Peter and other disciples decided to go fishing.  The Sea of Galilee was literally at Peter's doorstep, and he had a boat, tackle and experience....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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...

Of late I have been impressed with the ability of God to do exactly what He says He will do.  You can count on it:  when God says "I will" do something, there is no doubt He will do it in His time.  God is powerful enough to fulfil His word in the lives of flawed, weak people as well, like when He told Abraham that Sarah would have a son though they were both past the age of siring and bearing children.  The angel Gabriel said to the virgin Mary in  Luke 1:30-31 :  " Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS ."  Without sleeping with a man, Mary would conceive the Son of God Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Even when what God says is humanly impossible, He will be faithful to do it. Today I recalled when I first sensed God's call to pastoral ministry.  I never aspired or desired...

It is easy to recognise the great lengths Jesus Christ went to fulfill His divine purpose to seek and save sinners.  The Son of God willingly chose to put on human flesh and became like us, born of a woman.  Saddled in a human body with fleshly needs and desires, God experienced what it is like to not "feel" like doing something you should do.  Jesus is distinct from all other people on our planet because He always did the will of the Father gladly.  Consider what limitations God willingly put upon Himself to be contained in the body of a newborn in the womb of Mary before being born, was raised in a family, and was told what to do by imperfect people! God left His glorious habitation in heaven and came to earth in the person of Jesus.  There are some people who can afford to travel around the globe first class, but they would rather have others attend to such business.  They would rather stay where they are than go through the inconvenience and expense of ...

In a conversation recently it was brought up how well-meaning people have the idea they must do something to earn God's favour.  At a fundamental level, mankind assumes it falls to us to save ourselves, and our actions carry the most weight of importance.  Because God has created us with the ability to do many things, we naturally rely on ourselves and our own understanding to solve problems and work out a solution.  We imagine we must start doing something, stop doing something or give something to be blessed by God.  We can be depressed by feelings when we fail, and we can be so impressed with our efforts we think God must feel proud of us too. While there are legitimate, big problems in the world, one of the biggest foes a child of God will face in their Christian life is self.  The devil himself pales in comparison to the negative impact of our constantly present, naturally selfish, proud, worldly thinking, habit forming, and insatiable body of flesh we dwel...

Years ago I recall going to an event put on by a parachurch organisation because our church was provided complimentary tickets.  The high cost of the tickets was a concern.  I had never heard of the group before and wanted to investigate personally before considering it for a viable youth event.  A few of us ended up going, and we were not impressed.  What was hailed as a conference to help youth grow in their faith in Jesus turned out to be an extended infomercial.  Instead of praying with youth who went forward to profess faith in Christ, ministry leaders were directed to another room where we were inundated with advertisements and hype videos about upcoming events.  During the final session, buckets to collect offerings were sent around--twice. Despite the focus on marketing and fundraising efforts, ironically this parachurch organisation was declared bankrupt not long after.  The ministry engine that was running on youthful exuberance, volunteers w...

Reading God's word every day provides important reminders that guide our outlook and perspective.  We can be so dependent or reliant on our physical senses we neglect to consider ways God works and accomplishes His purposes in the world.  Every day we observe interactions which leave us wondering, amazed or confused, yet nothing is a surprise to God who knows and does all. My evening reading has been in the book of Judges  and the parts of the life of Gideon and his sons picture Bibles rarely cover.  Though Gideon feared God and trusted in Him, he erred by setting up an ephod in Ophrah fashioned from spoils of war that led to people being ensnared in idolatry.  Devoid of godly leadership after the death of Gideon, the people of Israel did not remember God who delivered them from their enemies on every side, nor did they show kindness to Gideon's house.  With the support of the men of Shechem, Abimelech the son of Gideon was proclaimed as king--something his...