Marching Forth!

As someone who grew up in a country that touted freedom of speech, it was common for people to try to silence those they did not agree with.  I remember in university I took a class which involved editing a periodical publication, and I was surprised when we decided (by a majority vote) to censor a particular word because it could be viewed by some as offensive.  As a Christian I often was required to read content that conflicted with my views and convictions, yet I held the line people had the freedom to write their own stories and poems in a university publication without censorship because someone might be offended.  The discussion in our class was respectful and the outcome was accepted without complaint--unlike common demonstrations at universities today where people who disagree silence others by shouting them down, vandalising property or resorting to intimidation and physical violence. There are countries that are very involved in the censorship of ideas on the i...

" Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil ." Jeremiah 13:23 Through the prophet Jeremiah, God revealed the true condition of His people:  as those who followed the dictates of their own hearts, they were unable to do good.  Their sinful habits were so ingrained in them, such an intrinsic part of their nature, they were incapable of change.  While the world often assumes man is basically good and will make the best choices if given opportunity, the Bible reveals man's natural inclination, preference and custom is to gravitate toward sin and settle down there like a hog in the mire. As I considered this verse, I was reminded of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.  In film adaptations, the grumpy and stingy Ebeneezer Scrooge was particularly surly during Christmas, for he viewed the celebrations, feasts, gifts and extra expense as "humbug."  The night before Christmas, Scroo...

In the first chapter of the Bible in Genesis, we read of God creating the heavens, earth, plants and living creatures.  God created all living things to reproduce after their own kind, and we observe this happening to this day.  Over and over it is repeated that grass and fruit trees produced seeds that yielded according to their kind; birds, fish and living creatures brought forth after their own kind.   Genesis 1:26-27 reads, " Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."  27  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them ." Mankind is distinct from all other living creatures because we have been created in the image of God who put eternity in our hearts ( Ecc. 3:11 ), breathed into Adam the b...

" Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life ." John 8:12 How blessed we are that God has given His only begotten Son Jesus to be the Saviour of the world!  One thing I love about the Bible is how Jesus is the central figure in it from beginning to end.  The first verse of Genesis tells us, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  The Gospel of John starts this way in  John 1:1-3 :  " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God.  3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made ."  The celebration of Christmas reminds Christians how God did not remain distant from the world or mankind He created, but God put on human flesh in the person of Jesus so we might know Him and so He could save us from our sins. The apostle John...

In speaking, my Grandpa was able to make a point without requiring many words.  Once in my late twenties, a cousin and I accompanied him for a visit to his cabin in the woods of northern California.  Were were eating pizza after fishing and I left a portion of the crust uneaten on my plate that was especially hard and dry.  He looked at the scrap of crust and asked with dead seriousness, "What, are you rich?"  He was of an era and mindset that good manners demands one eats everything on the plate, and to leave any bits behind was a claim to wealth, entitlement and superiority.  I felt justified to leave the crust because it was tough to swallow, but to escape the ire of a man I respected I powered it down. Just today I came across an article which says how much money Australians need to have to consider themselves rich.  The article asserts, "... the average Australian must be earning a jawdropping $389,118 per year to feel rich ."  That's a pretty sp...

I love the intricate amount of detail God provides in His word.  I don't know how many fellows named "Anah" there have been since creation, but we are given an interesting tidbit in Genesis 36:24 about Anah the son of Zibeon:  " The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon ." (NIV)  People who read this would say, "Oh, that Anah."  Discovering hot springs while grazing Zibeon's donkeys would narrow down things a bit. The Bible speaks about real people who were recognisable and distinguished from others.  It is not a collection of fanciful tales but an accurate record of people, and sometimes we are told about their appearance.  When confronted with a message of rebuke from an unknown man, 2 Kings 1:7-8 tells us king Ahaziah was able to easily identify Elijah:  " Then he said to them, "What kind of man was it who came up to meet ...

It was decades ago when I was made aware of online coupon codes people could use for discounts or free shipping for online orders.  I have noticed the amount of sites that share these codes have increased dramatically but the value and usefulness of the coupon codes have declined.  Some sites will boast having a code that was "used 25 times today," yet the fact it supposedly worked for others is no guarantee I can redeem it and receive the discount.  More often than not, I find these days the online coupon code option is a mirage of savings that rarely pays dividends. Yesterday we read  Isaiah 55:6-7 at Bible study:  " Seek the LORD while He may be found, c all upon Him while He is near.  7 Let the wicked forsake his way, a nd the unrighteous man his thoughts;  l et him return to the LORD ,  a nd He will have mercy on him;  a nd to our God,  f or He will abundantly pardon ."  Note the absolute confidence the prophet has for all...

God is gracious to give everyone a conscience, and the Bible provides evidence of this knowledge of right and wrong with Adam and Eve and their descendants after them.  It is true the Law of Moses brought knowledge of sin, but we also observe people at times knew what ought not to be done before the Law was provided on Mt. Sinai.  Despite having a conscience, people can have blind spots--dark shadows that cause what is sinful to be justified. In my evening reading, I was reminded of the powerful influence of the conscience in Genesis 34 after Dinah was raped by Shechem.   Genesis 34:7 reads, " And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing which ought not to be done ."  The brothers of Dinah were incensed when they heard Shechem forced their sister.  Their consciences were in agreement what Shechem did was...

At times when I teach through a book of the Bible, I also land on the same book in my daily reading of Scripture.  This is the case as I am reading through the book of Jeremiah.  This faithful man of God is an encouragement and inspiration to Christians today, and I find his outlook strikingly similar to the wrestlings of psalmists.  Jeremiah expressed a full range of sorrowful feelings and grief over the spiritual state of God's people, how he was persecuted for doing good, and struggled to process his troubles in light of God's promises.  Because Jeremiah's expectations were dashed, he struggled to see how he was blessed. Jeremiah did not charge God with doing wrong, but he was open with God concerning how he felt.  In Jeremiah 15 he acknowledged God knew him perfectly, how he suffered rebuke for speaking the truth of God's word, and that he delighted in God's word.  He rejoiced in God's word as his delight, and did not sit in the seat of the mockers....

" The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it ?" Jeremiah 17:9 When it comes to matters of the heart, God is the only true expert.  He answered His own question in following verse:  " I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings ." ( Jeremiah 17:10 )  Not only does God know the thoughts, motives and intent of every person, He is willing and able to do what no one could ever do:  to give to every man according to His own ways.  Christians who have come to Christ in faith and repentance of sin continue to be made more aware of our sinfulness as we grow in spiritual maturity.  We never knew how deep our sinfulness, rebellion and folly went without the divine illumination from God, His word and conviction of the Holy Spirit. The people of Sydney, the nation of Australia and the whole world watched in horror and disbelief as Jews were target...

I read a passage of Scripture recently that reminded me of trips I have taken to Cambodia with a medical team to share the love of Jesus.  It is a land filled with images, pagodas, and many households have a spirit house in the yard with offerings.  God distinguished Himself from all other idols, the works of the hands of man.  God said to His people in  Deuteronomy 32:35-38 :  " Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; t heir foot shall slip in due time;  f or the day of their calamity is at hand,  a nd the things to come hasten upon them.'  36  "For the LORD will judge His people a nd have compassion on His servants,  w hen He sees that their power is gone,  a nd there is no one remaining, bond or free.  37  He will say: 'Where are their gods, t he rock in which they sought refuge?  38  Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, a nd drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you,  a nd be...

As one who reads, teaches and loves God's word, I appreciate the precision and impact of words to effectively communicate with others.  For a long time I have made it a regular practice to observe the way people use words and the intended meaning behind them.  During my lifetime I have seen words come and go as they fall out of favour.  I have observed the definitions of words morph and change over time.  While I am all for biblical translations in a modern language people can understand, I am also cognisant simplifying words is like adding water to stew.  At some stage words can be so watered down we can hardly recognise the soupy mixture we are swallowing. God exposed the sins of His people in Zephaniah 3:4 :  " Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; h er priests have polluted the sanctuary,  t hey have done violence to the law ."  The prophets and priests in Jerusalem were guilty of breaking the Law of Moses--doing violence to it by ...

" Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning ." James 1:17 Our lives and all we have is a gift from God, and God is infinitely greater than His gifts.  Our flesh is prone to love the gift more than the giver because we naturally treasure ourselves over all others.  When Jesus gave 10 lepers the gift of cleansing and restoration to family and society because they cried out to Him, only one of them returned to even give thanks.  They were pleased to receive cleansing and go their own way, but a Samaritan among them recognised the greatness of Jesus who cleansed him and glorified God with thanks. During my life I have been blessed to receive many gifts from loving, thoughtful and generous people.  I don't know that anyone has been more blessed than me by God's grace shown through immediate and extended family, friends and the body of Christ, the church.  In ...

God has put in human beings a thirst for knowledge and understanding.  As little children grow they begin to ask questions about everything and love to learn, drinking in everything they see and hear.  When children are at an appropriate age, given their physical and social development, they often undertake formal schooling.  At some point, the marks students receive and doing what is required to pass a class begins to overshadow the joy of learning--especially when the information in a course seems irrelevant, has little immediate benefit, or is difficult to understand. As a student in school, when I struggled to understand maths concepts I would look at examples and try to mimic them; I turned to the back of the book to find the correct answer and work backwards to see how to arrive at that solution.  I approached the teacher and fellow classmates for more information and details to better understand.  I dug into textbooks (in days before the internet) and ask...

It is vital to keep the big picture in mind when we read, interpret and apply Scripture.  Many well-meaning people can be led astray from sound doctrine when they deviate from the immediate context of passages, cherry-pick phrases or view a verse as standing alone when the accurate interpretation is supported by verses around it.  Because the entire Bible is God's word, no verse stands alone as an outlier.  What can seem contradictory at first glance may be complimentary after consideration.  Understanding the immediate context and to whom the book originally was directed can aid us in rightly dividing God's word and living our lives according to His truth. An example of this is seen in the book of Jeremiah .  Through the prophet, God spoke pointed words to His people and foretold of coming judgment He would bring upon them for their sin they refused to acknowledge or repent of.  He asked in  Jeremiah 7:9-10 :  " Will you steal, murder, commit ad...

If you ever feel you were not given the credit you deserve, just imagine how often this happens concerning God!  I am confident He is often not given any credit when He deserves it, and He is blamed when He only is righteous, holy and just. As I read the Bible recently, I came across the passage where Sarah, at Abraham's request, deceived Abimelek king of Gerar that Sarah was his sister--and not his wife.  Abraham believed Sarah's attractive appearance put his life in jeopardy as her husband, that unscrupulous men would kill him to have her.  This ruse actually put Sarah's sexual purity at risk, for Abimelek--believing Sarah was Abraham's sister--had her brought to live with him. The LORD God spoke to Abimelek in a dream and told him he was as good as a dead man, because the woman he had taken was married.  Abimelek had not gone near her, and protested he was completely unaware of her married status.  He insisted he did not have any sinister, adulterous motives....

" One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind ." Romans 14:5 As I continue to learn and understand more concerning God and His word, my grasp of theology has improved.  I have a much better idea why I believe what I do, having been convinced by the word of God, sound teaching, study and seeking the LORD in fellowship with Christians.  At a Bible study recently I heard quite a different perspective from mine, and it has been profitable to prompt people to seek the LORD and read His word to see where they stand.  God holds each of us responsible to know why we believe what we believe, and He patiently allows us time to grow and mature.  We should resist the temptation to tell people what to believe but explain what the Bible says.  This will help their faith to be founded in Scripture rather than in a study leader. There are many essential doctrines Christians ought not budge on, especial...

Recently I was reminded of God's grace towards me many years ago when men from church and I helped someone move house.  There was a lot to move into the big truck before we headed to the new residence.  As we were loading boxes and furniture, the owner pulled us aside and asked us to be very careful with a particular piece of bedroom furniture:  a chest of drawers with a large mirror.  Apparently it had been passed down through generations and he urged us to take every precaution.  "I won't be upset if anything breaks--except for this," he said.  We assured him we would be as careful as possible. Night had long since fallen when we arrived at the new place and quickly began to haul the belongings into the garage.  Due to the late hour (with midnight rapidly approaching) we did not have time to stage every piece of furniture in each room but piled everything into the garage.  The large truck had a hydraulic Tommy Lift that made the removal of items...

In the Law of Moses, God made a clear distinction between the clean and unclean.  He told the Hebrews which animals were clean to eat and ones they were to avoid eating--as they were unclean to them.  God also described many physical conditions or situations where a person was deemed unclean, and then outlined what was required for them to be ceremonially clean.  This perspective often governed the outlook of God's people, even those like King Saul who did not always honour or obey God.  When David's seat was empty during a feast, Saul said to himself, "Something has happened to him; surely he is unclean." ( 1 Sam. 20:26 ) While some uncleanness was dealt with by washing in water and remaining unclean until evening, there were other conditions that left a person perpetually unclean--like leprosy.   Leviticus 13:45-46 says, " Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, 'Unclean! ...

Years ago we enjoyed an annual Easter family tradition of an egg hunt at my grandparent's home.  This epic hunt required a lot of preparation and expense to buy and fill the plastic eggs--not to mention hiding them so well.  The "silver" and prized "golden" egg were always expertly hidden on an acre of property, and there could be a lull of more than 15 minutes when no eggs were found as the search area was whittled down to find that elusive golden egg.  As an adult it was fun observing the children (including my own) look around for hidden treasures, and I discovered some children (not my own) quickly grew impatient and complained when they weren't easily finding eggs.  They snatched eggs that lay in full view on the grass and quickly moved on for more.  When finding eggs meant moving grass or pushing past a prickly pine tree or crawling near a cactus, they begged to be told where the best eggs were.  In our family hunts, this sort of seeker never fou...