The Pure Source

James 3:11-12 puts forth rhetorical questions:  "Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh."  God is holy, pure, and righteous, yet that does not mean all those who believe in Him will always reflect His perfect attributes.  Springs of water gush pure from their subterranean sources and grow increasingly muddy and fouled as they flow.  The point James was making is a spring is either salty or fresh, not both.  A fig tree cannot bear olives because by nature it is a fig tree.

In a similar way, the outward behaviour and speech of a person indicates their inner nature.  A person whose speech is salted with cursing ought not imagine themselves to be pure in heart.  From a biblical perspective, none are pure or perfect before God because of sin.  We are all corrupted and are also corruptors.  The selfish nature and tendencies of men are as base and depraved as they have ever been.  But even as a caterpillar through metamorphosis transforms into a moth or butterfly capable of flight, so God is able to transform men - not through the outer keeping of a Law, but through an inner change by being born again through faith in Christ.  For all those who have been born again, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit for our thoughts, words, and deeds to display in greater degree the purity and goodness of God who now lives in us.

During my recent trip to Tasmania, I had many silent walks along beautiful paths and streams.  There were plenty of opportunities to consider explanations given by our guides and zoologists.  "Evolution" was often credited for the unique "adaptations" seen among many native Australian animals.  What I find very interesting is Darwinian Evolution is not held in high regard by many of the great scientific minds of today.  His musings and theories seemed bizarre to people in his day and in many cases have been disproved without question.  But in the case of evolution, people have been fine to throw out the details and keep the basic structure, the concept that slowly over time natural processes led to slight, successive changes which explains the diversity of animal life we see today - without the need for a Creator.  Darwin's theory has led to countless other theories, and new discoveries prove without a doubt it is not a foundation worthy to build upon.

That is one thing I love about God:  He does not change.  He is an everlasting, worthy foundation who is more solid than the planet underfoot.  His truth endures for all time and before Him every knee will bow.  Water can be filthy and polluted, but God is always absolutely pure and righteous.  Men have their reasons to deny the truth, yet God has revealed Himself for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear.  The unchanging I AM is my God - yes, I worship a God - THE God, the Creator of heaven and earth.  He is the pure, inexhaustible source of true wisdom.  I love Him because He first loved me.  May His love be revealed through me for His glory with increasingly purity.

Holiday in Tasmania

As my lack of recent posting may suggest, I have been away from my desk for a week.  My family and I enjoyed a holiday in Tasmania.  We were blessed with uncharacteristically warm and dry weather during our stay.  As I walked through the beautiful country, I found it impossible to fathom how a person could give glory to dead men who cut a path through a living forest, yet not glorify the God who created the forest and all the animals therein!  Hope you enjoy a sampling of photos!

The oldest bridge in Australia is still in use in Richmond.

The old church at Port Arthur

Scenic view at Donaghys lookout

Dove lake with Cradle Mountain

 

Binalong Bay

The memorial carvings at Legerwood

Montezuma Falls

St. Clair lake

 You know I had to include one of these little devils from Nature World...

Merciful and Mighty

During a night of prayer and praise we enjoyed recently at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we sang the famous hymn "Holy Holy Holy" by Heber and Dykes.  A line in the song stood out to me powerfully in a fresh way, affirming God is merciful and mighty.  These characteristics are in no way contradictory, but from a worldly perspective the two rarely coincide.  To be merciful is not viewed as mighty, and the mighty do not need to be merciful.  Yet the mercy and might of the Almighty God is praiseworthy, and I relish this constant reality of God's eternal nature.

Psalm 103:8 says, "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy."  God does not only show mercy, but He is merciful.  To be merciful is to be compassionate and kind, especially when there is ample justification to be otherwise.  The Webster's 1828 edition Dictionary defines "merciful" as, "having or exercising mercy; compassionate; tender; disposed to pity offenders and to forgive their offenses; unwilling to punish for injuries; applied appropriately to the Supreme being."  Though God is absolutely just, the psalmist affirmed concerning God in Psalm 103:9-11, "He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him."  God's mercy should not be incorrectly interpreted as weakness or indifference.  He is full of mercy, but He is also mighty.

Because God is Almighty He is also merciful.  There is great power demonstrated in restraint and self-control as well as by the righteous execution of justice.  Concerning their enemies, Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 7:21, "Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible." The psalmist Asaph also sang in Psalm 50:1-4: "The Mighty One, God the LORD, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down. ² Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. ³ Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. ⁴ He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people."  To be "mighty" has the connotation of strength, power, vastness and greatness.  God is mighty and nothing He has created has the right even to question Him, even as a clay vessel cannot rightly question the potter who formed it.

God is merciful and mighty, and I love these attributes of God like the countless others revealed through scripture and His wondrous works.  One who loves God cannot accept His mercy without affirming His might.  His might magnifies His mercy towards sinful men.  He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, though ultimately He will.  All who die in their sins without atonement will be judged according to to perfect law, and the wages of sin is death.  His might is seen both in restraint and judgment, and is to be greatly feared.  His mercy should not overshadow His might, and His might will never trample His mercy.  Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty!

Examine Your Beliefs by God's Standard

"Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding."

Proverbs 23:23

My eldest son Zed returned yesterday from a school service trip to Cambodia.  They helped with a building project, ministered to children in slums and orphanages, and provided food to people in need.  They also gained valuable life experiences - like how to bargain in the markets.  A good thing to know before buying in places like the Russian Markets in Phnom Penh is things are rarely what they seem.  Fakes, knock-off products, and carefully repackaged used items sold as new abound.  Tourists, willing to risk a few bucks for a potential bargain, support an industry which survives largely on deceit and fraud.  There are many legitimate sellers, but those able to pass off fake as genuine are encouraged to continue plying their illicit trade with each sale.

Case in point:  Zed and some of his mates came back from Cambodia with some "real" fake coins from the United States.  And they didn't come particularly cheap.  While the boys were pleased with their ability to haggle with the sellers, they paid far more than the coins are actually worth.  Because they are copies of supposed sterling silver coins, a single United States penny is of greater monetary value as legal tender.  But I am grateful for these coins, for with them comes priceless life lessons purchased for cheap.

These coins illustrates the value of familiarity with the genuine in avoiding the fake.  Those boys had never heard the "ping" of a silver coin, did not think of the magnet or bleach test, and did not even know the weight of a genuine coin!  Because the sellers refused to drop below a certain price, the boys assumed they must be at least that valuable.  It is funny to me how greed fueled the whole affair:  fake coins were minted and sold at inflated rates by greedy sellers to greedy people who are only thinking of resale value!  Zed, like his mates, were willing to take the chance that what they were buying was fake in the wistful hope they were indeed genuine.  When it comes to a few coins, the risk is relatively low.  But how great is cost for buying falsehood which poses a spiritual truth!

There are people all over the world who hold their beliefs tightly, having purchased them at great personal cost.  They have invested their hearts, minds, and lives in what they believe.  For every true thing God has said there are countless counterfeits.  Satan and his mob churn out counterfeit religions and beliefs continually, and people queue up for them.  Because they do not know the truth, they buy into all manner of error.  But the things many people deem precious are not legal tender before God.  How guilty before God is a man who passes on the counterfeit as truth!  There are a series of tests even a layman can do to determine if coins are genuine or not, and the same is true concerning the Bible.  One does not need to be an expert to put the Bible to the test.  The archaeological, historical, geographical, and prophetic evidence and fulfillment is clear for all to see.  The consistency between books, the abundance of manuscript evidence, the authorship of eye-witnesses, and the unparalleled wisdom of the Bible is unique.  Because the Bible is the authentic and genuine Word of God, it sets forth the standard by which all belief and practice must be judged.  Textbooks change, "spiritual" books are revised, but the Word of the LORD will endure unchanged forever.  Once you have bought the truth, don't sell it at any price.

Truth can bear examination.  How silly would it be to suspect your coins are fake, but because of shame or embarrassment never have them examined by an expert?  Are you willing to put your personal beliefs under the scrutiny of God's Word?  Is it is worthy risk to invest in coins without knowing what a real Silver Eagle looks like?  Too many people buy into satanic lies, thinking they are a sound future investment, and on the day of judgment their entire collection will be deemed worthless before the God before whom all must answer.  Truth is objective and narrow, even as there is very specific criteria to deem Silver Eagles genuine.  One belief is not as good as another.  So how do you know if your beliefs are legitimate or not?  The Bible (preferably a translation) will reveal this to you.  Ask born-again Christians or a pastor.  In a world filled with darkness and deception, God's Word provides light to direct our lives.  As it is written in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."