Marching Forth!

When I played piano as a youth, one of my favorite Christmas songs to play was "The Little Drummer Boy."  The last time I sang this song, my emotions were profoundly moved to a point I could hardly sing.  Perhaps for all those years the truth of the message was hidden among the multitude of "pa rum pum pum pums!"  It is a classic carol but also a timeless truth.  As ridiculous as it seems that a boy would be encouraged to play on his drum as a gift for baby Jesus, how much more ridiculous is it that the praises of our lips would be received by Him!  Are the words of my lips as pure as the love of the Little Drummer Boy, who gave all he had to give?  Here is the message of the carol written by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, and Harry Simeone  below: Come they told me A new born King to see, Our finest gifts we bring To lay before the King  So to honor Him When we come. Little Baby I am a poor boy too I have no gift to bring That's f...

I have been mulling over a portion I read yesterday during my devotional time.  Judges 8:10-11 reads, " Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure ."  To set the scene, God gave Gideon and his 300 men a miraculous victory over the Midianite army where 120,000 died.  The remaining 15,000 men and kings Zebah and Zalmunna fled with Gideon and the 300 in hot pursuit.  Though Gideon and the 300 were weary, they killed all who remained of the Midianite army and took captive their kings. The part of the scripture which leapt off the page was the final statement:  Gideon " ...smote the host:  for the host was secure. "  These 15,000 felt...

With less than 48 hours remaining in Australia this trip, I am amazed to think about all that has happened in that time.  My schedule has been fairly rigorous of late, and yesterday is a great example.  I visited a property and picked up a rental application in the morning, had lunch with some mates, went for caroling practice, then headed off to the Beecroft Nursing home to sing to folks, played gridiron at the park with guys from church, then went to the church building for a dinner gathering!  It was 11pm before I hitched a ride with Ian back to the Tookes and let's just say, Sunday morning came EARLY!  If you are keen to hear the message I preached today called "Dry Bone to New Life", follow this link !  (Right click and save to desktop - then play!) Yesterday I was so happy to be able to sing carols with people from Calvary Epping and CC Sydney to the residents at the nursing home, a place I have jogged past for the last two months praying for an opportu...

A big problem with leadership in the church today are the perceptions of it either by leaders or congregants.  Since the formation of the church men have been drawn to follow men.  This is nothing new.  The children of Israel wanted a king so they could be like the other nations.  I have heard it said that a pastor cannot lead a man further than he has traveled himself in spiritual maturity.  I agree to a point.  A pastor's role is to lead a man to follow Christ, take heed to all the flock of God, and equip the saints for the work of the ministry.  IF you follow the pastor, you willingly limit yourself to your leader.  God has placed pastors within the Body of Christ that they might point to Christ the Messiah as John the Baptist did.  As a pastor, my role is to lead by example in following Christ, not by making myself the standard, but serving as a fellow-laborer still growing in maturity.  Even Paul said in Philippians 3:12 :  " N...