Marching Forth!

When I bought milk during a recent shop, my mind drifted back to an interview I heard on ABC radio years ago.  For a long time the cost of 3 litres of milk was $3, and the host was interviewing listeners if they were in favour of increasing the cost $.50 to support Australian dairy farmers who were doing it tough.  The majority of those calling in were surprisingly supportive of the idea as $.50 was not asking much.  Shortly thereafter, the cost of milk was increased $.50--along with all other dairy items. This was something that was not discussed in the ABC interview.  Their pitch to consumers was to increase the cost of milk to help dairy farmers, but the host did not mention that this possibly could or would impact everything milk was used to make.  Since I buy groceries on a weekly basis, I immediately noticed a corresponding increase in other products like cheese, cream, yogurt, sour cream, milk chocolate and ice cream.  A proposed fifty-cent in...

As I was departing from a carpark today, the car in front of me stopped and very slowly inched forward.  At first I thought it was caution before turning right, as there were cars lined up on both sides of the street that obscured a clear view.  Then I suspected it was out of care for the paint on the bumper because the dip was extreme.  When my turn came to make a right--careful though I was--I felt the front bumper graze the bitumen and scraped off some paint.  Likely the fellow before me had already learned the lesson I did by experience. I have found learning by personal experience to be the natural order of things.  Though I saw the other driver taking great care in turning right, I did not know precisely why he was so slow in doing so.  Even when I suspected I knew the reason, we were driving different models of vehicles, and his car had lower profile tyres.  Drivers of utes of four-wheel drives would not need to slow down at all to safely navig...

The more God's people consider the awesome attributes of our God, it blows our minds away.  Though God has created us in His own image and given us minds able to understand, reason and remember, God is not like us.  He knows all things, and because He is outside time sees what is past, present and future all at once.  Though He cannot forget, God chooses what He will and will not remember.   Jeremiah 31:34 speaks of the new covenant God would bring and how He will forgive repentant sinners:  " No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD ,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD . For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more ."  Blessed is the one whose sin is forgiven and God remembers it no more! God does not need reminders like we do (because we forget), but God takes specific action to remember and do all He has said....

Today on a morning walk I saw a German Shepherd at high alert from across the street, staring off into the distance with ears perked up.  He growled as he pulled on the lead that was stretched taut, firmly grasped by his owner.  There was no audible communication from the master who was being dragged along.  The dog's effort to pull on the lead left him breathless and muffled his barking.  It was as if the owner did not exist, so strong was the dog's impulse to follow his natural instincts. As I looked both ways before crossing the street I saw the reason for the German Shepherd's agitation.  In complete contrast, an owner stood on the corner opposite the other pair and his dog--which looked to be part Husky--lay on the ground with his head elevated as he stoically stared straight ahead.  The lead hung limp between owner and dog which was very attentive to every movement and commands of his owner who stood beside him.  There was no growling, barking or...

During my university days long ago, my co-workers and I had a dress-up for fun.  I worked in shipping a receiving and fashioned a hat out of a large manilla folder that resembled a bishop's hat.  "Do you know why those hats are shaped like that?" a co-worker asked.  She offered, "Those hats were made in the shape of Dagon modelled after a fish, and by wearing that hat you are worshipping Dagon."  I was incredulous and at this suggestion, for I could not see how wearing a hat in any way paid homage to a heathen idol.  Once I was made aware she found the hat offensive, I did not goad her by wearing it. When I grew up in the church, no one I knew ever took issue calling the holiday "Easter" that is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  As a kid there was simply no other name in Christians circles I ever heard the holiday called.  It was probably in my twenties when I noticed a shift in our church and the name "Easter"...

When we moved into our current house, there was a sandy strip beside the driveway that evidently had become the communal litterbox for the neighbourhood cats.  Come to think of it, the first week we were living in the house (which had been vacant for some time) one of our neighbour's cats deposited an unpleasant surprise right in the middle of the pavers leading to the front door--as if to say, "You might be moving in, but this is my territory."  Living in this house has provided a crash-course of learning firsthand the tenacity of cats to mark their spot in vile, smelly ways. Shortly after the BBQ and smoker were set up on the back porch, I began to notice dirty puddles and spray marks on the covers.  At first I thought little of it, that condensation had dripped from dusty covers.  After I cleaned the mess from the BBQ covers and tiles, I was surprised that in a night or two there were even more marks--and that cats were the culprits!  It was then I declared w...

Years ago when my family and I lived in Riverstone, there was an old derelict house on the corner of Garfield and Hamilton that had been condemned and fenced off.  I had no idea how old it was, but I would have liked to have explored inside to step back in time.  Exploring the house would not have taken very long, for it could be no more than one or two rooms with a dunny out back.  It could have been built before electricity and plumbing was available!  I expected the "fibro" siding to contain asbestos, and that would be expensive to safely handle and dispose of. As the land in Riverstone grew exponentially more valuable in recent years, clearly the uninhabitable house had become a liability when it was taken away.  I was surprised when I drove by and the house was gone, and all that remained was a bare spot of dirt.  In one day the house had been demolished and the materials carried away.  It was a bit disappointing to lose a bit of history and char...

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught what is commonly called the "Golden Rule" to His disciples in  Matthew 7:11-12 :  " If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  12   Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets ."  God is good and the generous source of all good things.  Jesus pointed out since sinners are able to give good gifts to their children, our heavenly Father is infinitely more inclined and able to give good things to those who make their requests known to Him. Because God gives good gifts to those who ask Him, Jesus said whatever we want others to do to us, we ought to do also to them.  The opposite of this can be true.  If there is something we do not appreciate, we avoid doing the same to them--even if it seems they deserve such treatment.  When I ...

As I was driving the other day, I saw a family walking on the foopath parallel to my car.  I was stopped at a red light, and dad was leading the way.  What I noticed right away was the boy who followed behind his dad, imitating in an exaggerated fashion dad's normal gait with swaying shoulders and swinging arms.  The way he was walking did not look like his dad to me, but he clearly was doing his best to copy him.  His extra long strides, carefully timed to his father's steps, made his head bob up and down as he tried to keep pace with his shorter legs. It is natural for young children who look up to their parents to imitate them, to want to be like them.  This also ought to be true for those who are made children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.  John 1:11-13 says of Jesus, " He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.   12  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His nam...

Today I was doing a bit of painting, and one of the tins of paint had never been stirred or mixed.  When I began stirring, for awhile it didn't seem like much was happening.  But as I continued stirring, the colour began to swirl and become cloudy.  The paint reached a stage where it was nearly the correct colour of white, yet there remained thin, faint grey swirls that still needed to be incorporated.  Finally, the paint was mixed sufficiently and could be put to good use by applying it evenly to a door. My mind drifted back to when I was a child and my dad was painting something around the house.  He gave me a large brush and a bucket of water to "paint" the unfinished cedar fence in our back yard.  No mixing was required, so I could get right to "work."  It was satisfying to see the wood quickly absorb the moisture and instantly change to a darker colour.  Board after board was nicely painted, but it wasn't long before the effect of the water b...

I recently led an Inductive Bible Study course at church aimed to help reading and Bible study to be more fruitful.  A similar course I took many years ago had a profound impact to help me develop the skill of careful observation, more accurate interpretation and personal application of God's word.  Familiarity with the Bible can cause us to skim or gloss over critical information, to fall back on what we already know as if it is all there is to know, and never take definite action in light of one specific thing God has said. When I put together an itinerary for board meetings at church, each director has a slot to report on notable things that have occurred since our last meeting.  Before we launch into "New Business," we read through "Unfinished Business," and these are projects which have yet to be completed.  Once I was a board member of an organisation that always put "Unfinished Business" at the end.  These important tasks and projects were rarel...

Jesus taught His disciples in  Mark 4:23-25 :  " Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  25   For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him ."  This teaching is affirmed in a parable Jesus told of a master who delivered talents to his servants according to their ability, and while he was away two of his servants doubled the amount given while the lazy, wicked servant buried his talent in the ground.  It was given to the servant who had 10 talents, and it is wise management of resources to take away the talent from the lazy servant and give it to the one who had been faithful. In this passage, Jesus taught those who hear Him--and the implication is to heed all He says--will be given more from Him.  Those who do not listen, however, what he has will be taken away from him....

New South Wales has recently introduced legislation to abolish the "good character references" in sentencing for criminal offences.  Previously when someone was found to be guilty of committing a crime by a court, they could supply "good character references" which would be taken into account and likely minimise the punishment doled out by the court.  People could use their prior good social standing or personal connections to reduce their culpability.  Their past good conduct or ability to find others to write positive descriptions of their character in no way lessens the severity of the crime committed and should not remove strong consequences criminal activity deserves.  Our deeds are better indicators of our character than what people say about us. It may be a surprise to some, yet God's word sets a precedent for this positive change.  God said the wicked man who turned from his ways and did good would be pardoned, yet the one who turned from righteousness a...

In Ezekiel 15 , God compared the usefulness of a vine to a tree in doing work and making things.  From the wood of a tree, boards can be milled and structures can be built.  Wood from trees would have been used to make many things:  carts, tools, doors, furniture, crates, ships, musical instruments and much more!  In stark contrast, the building potential of a vine was nil.  Trying to make dowels out of the soft runners would be a pointless waste of time.  In regards to doing work, what the vine was best suited for was to be burned in the fire.  At least it could provide a bit of fuel for a short time until it was reduced to ash. God spoke through the prophet in  Ezekiel 15:6-7:   " Therefore thus says the Lord GOD : 'Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;  7 and I will set My face against them. They will go out from one fir...

There is a local bridge that attracted the attention of a community Facebook group due to an odd reason.  Someone, for some reason, had climbed the supports of the bridge to fly an Australian flag.  Days passed and I was surprised an individual or local council had not had it taken down.  From a liability standpoint, it makes sense to remove the flag to deter additional people from risking their health in scaling the bridge to fly a flag.  When the flag was finally removed, people on the online forum noticed and the majority lamented it was gone.  Overnight, on each side of the bridge Australian flags were attached near the footpath.  After these were taken down, 10 Australian flags took their vacant spot--5 on each side! The bridge was flag-free until around Australia Day when one Australian and Australian Aboriginal flag were displayed by one another on each side of the bridge.  It wasn't too long until the Australian flags were taken down, but the A...

I have seen pictures of religious annual festivals where people traditionally re-enact the crucifixion with people nailed to a cross.  It is one thing to do a stage production where the crucifixion of Jesus is shown, but for me it goes too far to shed real blood in a demonstration when Jesus already shed all His blood to provide atonement once for all sinners when He laid down His life ( Hebrews 10:10 ).  The cutting and piercing of the flesh was a pagan practice in the Old Testament and was forbidden for God's people in the Law of Moses, and the mutilation of the body does nothing to sanctify anyone or honour God by obedience.  The aspect of crucifixion not copied in the festival was the whole point of the brutal Roman method of execution:  the killing of a person. Perhaps some view people with hands nailed to crosses as pious and devout to voluntarily suffer such pains out of devotion to Christ.  I am reminded of Paul's words to believers who put themselves un...

When I was in high school, for 3 years I was part of the cross country team that competed against other schools in a weekly 5K run.  Over 3 decades have passed since I raced, and this morning I decided to run the 5K fun run course our suburb hosts every week.  Let's just say, long gone are the days of running 30-40 miles a week for training that kicked off with an easy 7 or 8 minute warm up before stretching!  I was pleased simply to continue jogging nonstop for first half and averaged 10 minutes a mile throughout.  While I was jogging, puffing and walking, the LORD brought some observations to mind concerning the race of life God has prepared for all of His people to run with joy. I was never close to being the fastest, most technically sound or best runner on my cross country team, and yet there is a massive contrast between my ability and endurance back then compared to now.  The same can be true concerning our walk with Jesus Christ, that we can go from ener...

When I left my house the other day, I noticed something out of the ordinary at a house on our street.  Despite the early hour, the front door adorned with a Hindu banner stood wide open with no one in sight.  A small wooden table was arranged on the porch with two ornamental brass and silver vessels sitting on top.  I am not sure what the significance of the decorations and the open door were, but it seemed to signal a home that was open and welcoming to spirits and good luck.  It certainly requires faith to believe a banner (Toran) can act as a spirit filter like a flyscreen--allowing sunlight and the cool breeze to pass through but prevents flies and mosquitos from coming in as well. I suspect those who go to great lengths to obtain good luck and prosperity are often in a quandary when troubles arise and lack sure spiritual footing:  did a malevolent spirit come into their home?  Is their bed or mirror arranged in the wrong way?  Have they angered sp...

Paul exhorted the believers in Corinth to walk in the way of God's love and to desire spiritual gifts.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit and bearing good spiritual fruit is paramount for a Christian, and the greatest of these is love.  He asked in  1 Corinthians 12:29-31 :  " Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?  30  Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?  31  But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way ."  While God has comprised the church of people who serve in a variety of roles and have spiritual gifts that differ from one another, God's love is what ought to govern us always. Paul told Christians to earnestly desire the best spiritual gifts, and in saying this he is not pitting gifts God gives against one another in a sort of competition.  Even as we learn to choose to use the right tool for the job, the best gift...

It is wonderful to teach the truth of God's word and for people to receive it gladly and run with it.  Years ago I led a course to equip people to share Christ, and it was great to see people put what they had learned into practice and exert more effort in doing outreach I never thought to do.  The people of Nazareth could have been impressed and pleased to hear the gracious words of Jesus as He read from the scroll of Isaiah and addressed them in the synagogue.  "And to think--this is the son of Mary and Joseph who never went to proper school!"  Sadly for them, blinded by unbelief, they were offended by the Messiah who outshone them and sought to kill Him. Another kind of "running with" suggests something is carried beyond what was originally intended.  I have seen this when Christians embrace a particular doctrine to the point they become divisive and sow discord among the brethren.  Verses out of context can be "run with" to support extreme and even...