Marching Forth!

" My son, keep your father's command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. 21 Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck. 22 When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you ." Proverbs 6:20-22   We've been studying through Proverbs on Friday nights at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  It's been a terrific time of in depth exploration and discussion.  The preceding verses have been on my mind and heart of late.  Adherence to the Law was focused on external conformity under the Old Covenant.  People could fulfill the demands of the letter of the Law without inner transformation.  The Pharisees were outwardly holy men, but were filthy within.  They kept the Sabbath according to the Law and the oral traditions, but they nursed envy and murderous intentions in their hearts.  After Christ established the New Covenant of His blood, we are no longer govern...

Mephibosheth is a compelling figure in scripture.  He was the son of a prince, crippled from a young age when his nurse dropped him upon hearing the news of the deaths of his grandfather King Saul and his own father, Jonathan.  From the moment of the fall, his life and future was uncertain at best.  When David became king in Judah and later over all Israel, Mephibosheth's life seemed to be in jeopardy.  Whenever a new king reigned apart from the line of the prior king, all the descendants of the previous king were executed to eliminate divided loyalty.  Into adulthood, lame Mephibosheth dwelt in Lodebar on the other side of the Jordan river.  He lived far from the lands given as an inheritance to his fathers, isolated, alone - and still lame in his feet, a haunting reminder of his fall from grace. But if Mephibosheth feared for his life, it would prove unwarranted.  David had made a covenant with Jonathan, Mephibosheth's father, that they would show ...

For the past week my family and I have been in the throes of moving.  We are most thankful for the help we have received from church family as we packed, hired a truck, loaded and unloaded our belongings at the new residence.  We were also able to do most of the cleaning of the old house in a single day, thanks to many people pitching in.  Now that the internet is up and running along with changing our phone and electricity providers, and most of the change of address notifications done, things are almost beginning to seem normal.  But not really.  Despite all the work done, there is much more to do! After a trip to Bunnings today for the necessities - more roach spray and to cut new keys for a new deadbolt I installed - I went by the old house to better clean the oven, range hood, dishwasher, exhaust fans, and shower doors.  When Laura went on the final walkthrough with the agent, he was ridiculously thorough - as I expected.  The list of demands se...

During my time at the Calvary Chapel Bible Institute in Rotorua, New Zealand, a point often discussed was the need for our minds to be changed.  In our sinful, natural condition our minds are completely opposed and actually hostile to God.  The first part of Proverbs 23:7 says, " For as he thinks in his heart, so is he ."  Jesus taught that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  Consider a man who smashes his finger with a hammer and curses in pain.  Is the hammer to blame for the cursing?  One man will curse in his pain, and another will praise God despite suffering.  Pain was the mechanism to bring to the surface what already festered in the heart of the man.  As a man thinks, so he is.  Thoughts precede action, and even our automatic reactions are good indicators of what hides within. The sinful nature of a man works to corrupt his mind.  Even those who have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit must contend...