Marching Forth!

The Bible says God chastens those whom He loves ( Hebrews 12:6 ).  At times in the history of Israel God empowered nations as His implement to move His people to repentance.  The Syrians were a people God utilised for this purpose.  What often happened is those who defeated Israel oppressed them, and were lifted up with pride against the God who had given them victory.  When they saw the Israelites were powerless to defend themselves, they were cruel.  Their brutality was observed by God, and He would later punish them for it. Amos 1:3 reads, " Thus says the LORD : "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment,  b ecause they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron ."  Threshing is the act of separating the husk from the kernel, removing the worthless chaff to expose the edible grain.  Depending on the kind of grain to be threshed, different tools and methods were used.  The aim of thr...

The Bible says in 1 John 5:19 the whole world is under the sway of the wicked one, the devil who is the "father of lies."  These lies can pass unnoticed, couched in deceptive language.  What used to be properly called "adultery" is now an "affair," a "baby" in utero is called a "fetus," and in short matter of time terms can subtly change from things like "gay marriage" to being dubbed "marriage equality."  To those whose eyes and ears God has opened by His grace, these shifting terms are as subtle as a charging elephant.  Just this morning I heard on ABC radio an interview with a woman representing an agency which supposedly provides government approved "safe abortions" in Australia.  I assume this claim of "safe" abortions concerns only the mother (and this has been highly contested), but what a lie any abortion is safe for the child who is aborted! Depending in what state or territory a pe...

Whilst there are people who will go to the doctor for minor ailments, it often takes serious illness or obvious trauma injuries for most people to go.  Speaking for myself, I am not quick to seek a medical opinion for my routine pains.  Going to the doctor means setting aside time, spending money, and with our private health care provider appointments beget appointments.  But when the pain is bad enough, like when I tore the ACL in my right knee, even I will make an appointment myself and see the doctor. This dynamic is similar to how many of God's people relate to Him.  If we will be honest, it is in times of pain and trouble seeking God goes up exponentially in priority.  I was reminded of this when I read  Hosea 5:15  when God said concerning His people, " I will return again to My place t ill they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face;  i n their affliction they will earnestly seek Me ."  For their sins God chastene...

Jesus did many miracles during His pilgrimage on earth.  He also kept the Law without fail, a truly monumental and impossible task for an ordinary man.  He urged His disciples to believe He was the way, the truth, and the life.  He said in  John 14:11-12 , " Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father ."  One thing which marked the life of Jesus is He always did what pleased the Father.  While shunning man's traditions, He remained blameless and righteous. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul confronted them for their return back to Law after being born again through faith in Jesus.  In chapter 3 Paul proved that righteousness is by faith apart from the Law.  The grave error of the Galatians was thinking once they...