Marching Forth!

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...

I enjoyed hearing a speech delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas of the United States Supreme Court at a University of Texas at Austin event.  During his decades on the bench. Justice Thomas has been known as a man of few words during oral arguments, yet when he speaks I have found he has many good things to say as a God-fearing man and American.  His quality of character, faithfulness in labour and devotion to God make him a man I deeply respect and admire.  Those who speak disparaging of him may do so because he is principled and godly like Daniel of old who would not be swayed by commands of a king, the fickle favour of princes or criticism from holding fast to those self-evident truths, that men have been created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. In his speech, Justice Thomas urged regular people of the United States to be courageous to uphold the Constitution as the 56 signers, who with " firm reliance on the protection of divine...

" It is good for me that I have been afflicted, t hat I may learn Your statutes. " Psalm 119:71 I don't think anyone sees affliction as intrinsically good, yet the psalmist affirmed through experience that God was able to use affliction for his good.  If a tree could speak, it might cry out in pain to have branches cut and trimmed by a skilled arborist, but as a result of pruning the tree will be healthier and produce more fruit.  Years ago our family had a lemon tree in the back yard with one large but light lemon on it--and it hung there for months.  I didn't want to trim the neglected tree for the sake of the "fruit" that never seemed to ripen, and when I finally harvested it was dry, woody and inedible.  I trimmed the tree following an online tutorial, and the tree for one year did not produce a single lemon.  The next year, however, we harvested over 80 juicy lemons! When the lemon tree was neglected and left alone, it grew many leaves and branches. ...

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His disciples not to give what was holy to the dogs or cast their pearls before swine.  It would be abominable to offer food God provided to sustain the priests and Levites to scavenging dogs, and it makes no sense to toss valuable pearls at animals that will disregard them and trample them underfoot.  God has given us great wisdom in His word that is food for our souls we ought to treasure, and when people refuse to regard God or hear His word there is little point to continue speaking to them on the subject.  They will often pivot to biting the hand that reaches out to feed them. Since Jesus told His disciples not to give what is holy to the dogs, we can know He walks in His own wisdom.  We can see this illustrated in the life of king Saul who disregarded God's word and disobeyed the word of the LORD spoken through Samuel, and when given opportunity to repent and humble himself Saul refused to do so.  He cared only for ...

" Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  12  Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,  13  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed ." Hebrews 12:11-13 The writer of Hebrews exhorted Christians not to be faint or become weary of God's chastening for sin, for it was not a rejection of them but their wickedness.  His divine correction affirmed they were God's beloved children, and this ought to be a cause us to rejoice greatly.  Jesus endured great hostility from sinners against Himself, and with Christ in us Christians can endure hostility from sinners as well as God's chastening by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Being chastened and disciplined is painful, yet by faith in God it will work to yield pleasant fruit in our lives:...

During discussion groups at church camp, one of the questions I wanted to ponder more deeply is how our goals are often different to God’s intended destinations.   As people living in this world, our goals relate to here and now—to what will be passing away.   We seek God’s guidance in decisions we make, not realising every trial and circumstance of life we wish could change can be used by God to change us.   We set our sights on making money, having a successful career or what we will do after retirement when God is working spiritually to make us wiser, reliant upon Him and quicker to obey His word every day. For Christians, we know our home is in heaven.   Ultimately God will call us home to be with Jesus forever, and we will enjoy the presence of the LORD glorified free from sin, sorrow, pain and death.   One thing about goals we often make is they are quantifiable.   We work towards buying a house, earning a raise, or winning the competition.   S...

When it comes to Christians being baptised, I have seen varying levels of emphasis.  The common extremes are problematic, that it is necessary for salvation or because it is not required for salvation it is unnecessary!  The Gospel is clear the salvation of sinners is by grace through faith in Jesus alone, and baptism is necessary for obedience.  Jesus commanded His disciples to proclaim His death by receiving communion together and also said in  Matthew 28:19-20 :  " Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20   teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen ."  Both receiving communion and being baptised in water are symbolic of what Jesus has accomplished for us, outward acts pointing to Christ's inner works. John the Baptist came baptising in water, and his baptism was...