Marching Forth!

I was young when I watched "Star Wars" for the first time, and my favourite character was the villain Darth Vader.  Dressed in black with his distinct helmet, flowing cape, mechanical breathing, and red light saber, he captured my imagination.  His powers and persona were far greater than any clean-cut uniformed imperial officer or the expendable Stormtroopers.  As the saga of films continued, each installment revealed additional powers and abilities never seen before.  Darth Vader's supernatural abilities in "Empire Strikes Back" were tempered by his seemingly incompetent Admirals whom he dispatched with force-chokes.  He famously said as Admiral Ozzel breathed his last, "Y ou have failed me for the last time ."  Definitely not the kind of monster anyone wants as their superior! What prompted me to consider Vader's warnings of his men "failing" him was a verse I read this morning in the book of Joshua .  This verse shows the grace and...

When praying about revival this morning, an Old Testament passage popped into my mind.  It concerned the Egyptian servant David and his men found near death in a field whilst pursuing the band who plundered and burned Ziklag.  The men mourned the loss of their wives and children taken captive by the Amalekite raiders.  After David inquired of God, He bid them to pursue and overtake their enemy and they would recover all. As David and his 400 men pursued the troop, we read in  1 Samuel 30:11-12 , " Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. 12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights ."  The KJV describes the effect of eating and drinking in this way:  ".. .and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to h...

" 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. 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom ." James 3:11-13 God's wisdom is in utter contrast to the wisdom of the world.  We are naturally devoid of God's wisdom, and having been born again through faith in Christ we can walk in God's wisdom.  The truth is our attitudes and choices do not always line up with the wisdom revealed in Jesus Christ.  Just like a fig tree bears figs and a fresh spring provides fresh water, the wisdom of God is marked by meekness.  There ought to be agreement between our words and deeds according to God's standard of righteousness. A fellow believer pointed out this connection to me this morning, that good conduct reveals our works are " done ...

" Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honour and some for dishonour. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honour, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work ." 2 Timothy 2:19-21 It's safe to say since immigrating to Australia I drink a lot more tea and coffee than I did previously.  It may be my imagination, but it seems the amount of mugs we store in the cupboard has proportionately grown as well!  Laura and I enjoy and have grown accustomed to welcome visitors into our home with the familiar question:  "Tea or coffee?"  Not everyone drinks tea or coffee of course, but it is a hospitable and often appreciated offer. When...

One of the biggest challenges we face in following Jesus is shifting our focus off self and to God.  We are naturally the central figure in every situation because we view life from our own eyes.  If we are having a "good" day we are happy; if our expectations have been dashed we feel down.  This propensity to colour reality according to our own feelings or circumstances is done without a thought.  As we follow Christ we don't often recognise it, but life is pretty much all about me.  Let me explain what I mean. If I find myself in a trial, I might imagine God "must be trying to teach me something."  Therefore it falls to me to learn the lesson quickly so the painful ordeal can be brought to an end, and this assumes I am capable of teaching myself by concerted effort.  This personal struggle often results in frustration and disillusionment because we think ourselves capable of doing God's work ourselves and we find ourselves in the dark.  Our m...

A conversation today reminded me of an eye-opening experience I had as a youth.  In our Jr. High Sunday School class, we were encouraged to read our Bibles every day and bring them to church on Sundays.  Those who did so would be rewarded by a night out to Souplantation - a real treat.  I already aimed to read the Bible every day and so going out for a special meal was a free bonus I wouldn't pass up.  All you can eat for a 13-year-old?  It was a dream come true! I remember there was one regular student who brought her Bible to class as often as me and (due to the general state of carelessness concerning spiritual things among my peers) I was impressed with this display of faithfulness.  Then one day her parents gave me a ride.  Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw in the back of the car:  there was her Bible lying on the seat, ready and waiting for church on Sunday!  I honestly think my eyes widened and my mouth fell open a littl...

" You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops ."  2 Timothy 2:3-6 Last night at Calvary Chapel Sydney our group (Tribe) talked about Paul's exhortation to Timothy.  He used three different examples to instruct and encourage Timothy at the same time. Soldiers on the front lines suffer many privations and cannot enjoy the presence of family or the comforts of home.  A soldier engages in warfare will not be looking for investment properties, buying stocks, or seeking to marry a wife.  He must remain vigilant, for his life and those he fights alongside are always at risk.  A soldier is trained to follow orders, and it is in his best...