Marching Forth!

When I read the works of C.S. Lewis, I am always blessed and encouraged by his God-honouring intelligence which far exceeds my own.  His literary skill and creative approach to answering meaningful questions puts me in the place of a little child having to run to keep up with his father's long stride and still lagging behind.  I recently started re-reading The Problem of Pain , a book Lewis wrote in 1940.  It is the sort of book which strikes the reader differently in each reading because of the depth of content and how much the reader or his circumstances have changed.  Instead of following a familiar pattern of discussion, C.S. Lewis blazed a trail academics, theologians, and us ordinary folk do well to follow. Having laid the foundation for the existence of God, C.S. Lewis began to explore how people have a belief that if God is all powerful and loving, He should ensure our constant happiness.  A false contradiction and even the denial of God's existe...

God's Word is like a fire, like a hammer that breaks the rocks in pieces.  It vapourises the chaff of personal opinion and shatters assumptions about God and what we must do to please Him.  It is a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our path, guiding us to avoid pitfalls and obstacles common in life.  In reading the Bible we are warned and in heeding the scriptures there is great reward.  We are most blessed to have the Bible preserved and provided for us personally. I was impacted as Paul hammered home the nature of the Gospel to believing Timothy in  2 Timothy 1:6-10 :  " Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has...

" Though the LORD is on high, y et He regards the lowly;  b ut the proud He knows from afar ." Psalm 138:6 God is exalted and on high, greater than all others.  The affluent, famous, and powerful among men fraternise with others like them, but the Creator of all things condescends to hear the lowly.  No amount of riches can compensate for or afford His blessings, but Jesus gladly acknowledged the widow who freely gave two copper coins which amounted to a penny because she gave all ( Mark 12:41 ).  The Most High draws near to the humble soul He regards, but keeps the proud at a distance. It is entirely possible to have great wealth with humility as Jesus Himself showed:  all things are created by Him and for Him, yet He gave all to put on human flesh with humility.  Since He has all authority in heaven and earth Jesus could have come as a king in glory attended by the host of heaven shouting His praise.  Jesus was instead born of a virgin, w...

" Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses ." 1 Timothy 6:12 Paul strongly urged Timothy not to be swept up by fables, the pursuit of riches, or the works of the flesh, but to fight the good fight of faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul realised a door opened by Jesus did not mean there would be no adversaries or conflict.  All who walk through doors Jesus opens will face opposition, starting with themselves.  Answering the call of Jesus will always require a personal cost of dying to self, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus. Being "called" by God does not mean the path of following Jesus will be easy:  there are many people Jesus called out to who refused to follow or heed Him at all!  Timothy had been called to eternal life through faith in Jesus, called as a pastor, and gifted by the Holy Spirit.  But calling was no guarant...

I don't know about you, but in school I never preferred a pop-quiz.  I always appreciated the opportunity to review and brush up on information to perform at my best.  Being unexpectedly put on the spot with the possibility of failure was never a enjoyable feeling.  The one major upside of a pop-quiz is all the students were in the same position, and if all did poorly it indicated ignorance of the students and the need of additional lessons. Life is full of pop-quiz moments God allows for His good purposes, and when we realise we have failed it compels us to labour to be better prepared in the future.  Though God knows everything He also tests us so the condition of our hearts will be revealed to all.  These tests are not undertaken in a classroom with pencil and paper at a desk but in our responses to God in words, deeds, and attitudes.  Moses told the children of Israel in  Deuteronomy 8:2 , " And you shall remember that the LORD your God led y...

Every time we speak, text, or write, God's people have the opportunity to edify one another in the faith of Jesus Christ who is our Hope.  I started reading 1 Timothy this morning and was reminded of Paul's exhortations to Timothy to faithfully teach the doctrines of Jesus Christ our LORD, "... nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith ." ( 1 Timothy 1:4 )  As long as people have been around there has never been a shortage of political intrigue, controversies, and conspiracies which cause disputes, often preying upon fear and ignorance.  Fueled by doubt and speculation, the fear and praise of God can be overshadowed with endless disputes which profit nothing. The praise, worship, and glory of God however is timeless in beauty, truth, and relevance.  The youngest son of Jesse named David who God brought from the sheepfold to be a ruler over all the tribes of Israel had plenty to occupy hi...

When my wife and I bought our first house, apparently the previous tenant owed money to creditors.  Our neighbour divulged it was not uncommon for her to have a "new car every week" only to have it towed away from the driveway.  Then something unsettling happened:  a creditor showed up on two occasions when I wasn't home with the intent to repossess the furniture the previous tenant had bought on credit.  My wife explained how the house had been sold and we had no contact with the previous tenant, but he was undeterred.  He did not believe she was telling the truth and wanted to enter the house to find the lounge and bedroom set he imagined was hidden inside.  Having refused his demand to come in, my wife told him if he wanted access to the premises he would need to contact the police. In preparing for this week's sermon I was reminded of this incident from the past and realised for a lot of Christians who have been born again and forgiven through faith ...