Marching Forth!

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His disciples they were the salt of the earth.  He alluded to the purpose of salt for seasoning food to improve flavour, for flavourless salt is good for nothing.  Clearly tasteless salt lacked the chemical properties of real salt, as genuine sodium chloride always retains its savour.  Salt was relied upon to preserve meat and flavour foods, and "salt" that lacked flavour was proved to be a worthless substitute. Jesus continued in the same vein in verses that followed in  Matthew 5:14-16 :  " You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  15   Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  16   Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven ."  A city built on a hill would be visible because the man-made structure stood out from s...

Toilet training is a rite of passage for parents of young children.  It can be challenging to train little ones to learn to stop playing and use the toilet in the bathroom.  Training children to wake up and go to the toilet at night takes things to another level!  I remember we had friends over who had a toddler still in nappies who we all observed crouching under a table and was strangely still while kids happily ran around.  Within moments he was back to playing with friends--which soon came to an end when he was picked up by a parent because he needed a nappy change. This week while preparing for a Bible study, this memory came flooding back with conviction and spiritual insight.  We studied and discussed Psalm 102 which has this description in my Bible:  " A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD ."  At times we have all been afflicted, felt overwhelmed and poured out our complaints, but I was c...

Without faith it is impossible to please God, and those who have placed their faith in Jesus will often be challenged to trust God more than we ever imagined.  All who are born again Christians have trusted in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation, yet our tendency is to continue to rely on our own understanding, to operate within the realm of what seems possible.  One amazing aspect of our God is He is the God of the impossible, for when there is no human solution He can easily accomplish what we never thought to ask or entered our minds. In the book True Discipleship by William MacDonald, there is a great excerpt credited to C.H. Mackintosh that bears repeating: "Faith brings God into the scene, and therefore it knows absolutely nothing of difficulties--yea, it laughs at impossibilities.  In the judgment of faith, God is the grand answer to every question--the grand solution of every difficulty.  It refers all to Him; and hence it matters not in the least to faith w...

Recently I was given a great reminder of the importance of our reference point.  I have been working on a small retaining wall lately, and it has been challenging puzzle to solve.  I have spent days and nights trying to come up with the ideal layout, materials and drainage to retain soil as well as keep water from flowing into the garage.  Our soil tends to drain quite well, but when we have a massive downpour the surface water needs a place to go quickly--or else it will rush right into the garage. I decided to go with concrete sleepers rather than a block wall, and it was no small undertaking to find a local supplier with the material I was looking for.  After many trips picking up gravel and concrete, I dug the post holes and encountered some unexpected complications.  The area I was digging into had drainage pipes running through it I needed to be careful to avoid.  I was not able to place posts hard against the footing of the garage because the foundat...

During the 90's in San Diego, there was an investigative journalist on KUSI named Michael Turko who responded to consumer complaints.  His segment called " The Turko Files " was a big hit, and he was known for shouting, "It ain't right!" as he made waves to set things right.  He was a consumer advocate who brought shady business dealings to light.  Even if those who complained did not receive just compensation, Turko used his platform to expose fraudulent practices and push for justice. Despite laws, written policies, training of employees and aims to provide quality goods and services, mistakes will be made and customers can be short-changed or cheated.  When it comes to business, government, relationships and life in general, there are no shortage of things which could lead us to rightly say, "That's wrong!"  Many times there is nothing we can do to change the past or things that seem unfair to us today--like restrictions or bans on items, ex...

It is a blessing Christians can reflect well upon God after we are born again by faith in Jesus.  Many times I have heard people testify it was the profound, positive change in a friend or spouse who gave his or her life to Jesus that was instrumental in them coming to follow and trust in Jesus themselves.  In my own family, the words of  1 Peter 3:1-2 were fulfilled in time after my mum was born again and transformed from within by the Holy Spirit:  " Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,  2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear ."  My dad was not saved by faith in Jesus after being relentlessly Bible-bashed, but the love of Jesus expressed through his wife was instrumental in winning him over. People will know we are Christians by our love for one another, yet our conduct, attitudes and words can at times be far fro...

After I landed a high-school job at McDonald's decades ago, I learned things behind the clamshell grill I never learned as a customer.  I was surprised to discover customers could add mayo, lettuce, tomato and the larger onions--or request extra of any topping except cheese--for no additional cost.  It blew my mind to consider every time I previously went to McDonald's I could have ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato and extra pickles for the same price.  Ordering this way also meant your burger was freshly cooked to order and had not been sitting for an hour under a heat lamp.  My newfound knowledge made a basic burger much better for half the price because of my employee discount. I remember when a workmate clued me in that In-N-Out Burger in California had a secret menu.  He suggested I should try a Double-Double "Animal Style."  I thought he was playing a prank on me.  I scanned the menu and did not see an Animal Style option, so I refus...

Recently I was encouraged by a church gathering and the edifying fellowship we shared together.  One of the recurring exhortations was for those who are not regularly reading the Bible to make it a priority moving forward.  While I believe this is of critical importance in the life of a Christian who walks in victory, quantity does not equate with good quality.  We can read pages and chapters of Scripture that wash over us, and we may not have a memorable verse, phrase or word we carry into the day by aligning our outlook and lifestyle with it.  We can be in such a rush we do not remember a thing!  When we are already reading the Bible, reading the Bible "more" is not necessarily feasible--and will be of nominal help unless we believe God and put what He has said into practice. While we might not be physically able to kneel before an open Bible, sit with the Scriptures open or hear it read to us, we can live in consideration of what God has spoken to us continua...

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul explained one purpose of the Law of Moses in  Romans 3:19-20 :  " Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  20  Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin ."  While all sin is contrary to God and His righteous ways, it is completely natural for all those born into it.  The Law gave commands and prohibitions that guided the conduct of people, yet laws written on tablets of stone could not govern or transform hearts.  Thankfully God who knows the heart has given Christians the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin the Law never explicity mentioned. During my recent study in the book of Jeremiah, it occurred to me how self-pity is a sin I have not always recognised in myself or others.  Self is at the centre of countless si...

I read a passage in Jonah this morning that illustrates the tendency of people to rely on his own strength to save themselves.  After Jonah attempted in vain to flee by ship from God who commanded him to go to Nineveh and preach against the city, the LORD whipped up a tremendous storm.  The mariners feared for their lives and threw their cargo overboard to save themselves as they each cried out to their gods.  The captain roused sleeping Jonah (ironically sleeping and silent when only his God hears and answers prayer), and it was determined by lot he was responsible for the tempest.  He admitted he had brought disaster upon them by disobedience to God.  The terrified men asked what they needed to do to restore calm. Jonah 1:12-13 says, " And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me."  13  Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but t...

Years ago when I worked as a foreman, some of my colleagues were bemoaning the chronic bad behaviour of our employees.  Workers were showing up late, taking long breaks and production had fallen off.  No matter how much they complained, begged or threatened their workers, their efforts to "right the ship" had little to no effect.  Perhaps the workers would immediately make a show of work, but the second their foreman left the room everyone reverted back to their careless, meandering ways.  Our workers had been conditioned to do as they wanted because there were no consequences besides complaining. As a relatively new foreman at that company, after observation and consideration I asked:  "Do we have a disciplinary policy?"  They affirmed the corporation had a policy in place.  Then I questioned, "Why aren't we putting it into practice?"  Somehow the implementation of the formal disciplinary policy of our company had been neglected, and it took time...

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...