Marching Forth!

" The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?  17  For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread ." 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 Jesus Christ is the Head of the body, the church which is comprised of all nations, tongues and tribes of all the earth who trust in Him.  By the offering of Jesus on the cross for sinners He perfected forever those who are sanctified, set apart as people holy unto the LORD.  The worship of believers and receiving of communion together was an act of unified worship that illustrated the spiritual reality Jesus makes possible by the Gospel. As I considered the broken bread and cup partaken of during a communion service, it struck me that it was the same for everyone in attendance.  It was not only for the pastor but all parishioners; the rich do no receive a double portion, nor do believing...

When I went to university, the questions people asked and beliefs they espoused revealed a worldview completely different than mine.  In one sense I felt unprepared for the questions because at the core they denied fundamental beliefs my outlook was based upon.  Answering the question directly--instead of answering the questioner--put me in the position to always answer incorrectly and face the wrath or ostricisation of people I hardly knew and thus would likely never stick around for me to have the opportunity to explain why .  The result was a "for" or "against" mentality where deviation from secular, humanistic values was unacceptable and thus freedom of expression was stunted. During my time in public and tertiary education I encountered many respectable teachers and professors who were open to a vast array of liberal and conservative perspectives.  But as time went on the pursuit of objective truth (if it existed at all) lagged far behind the pursuit of self-ex...

By His grace God has made Himself known to the world.  The living God spoke with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses to whom He gave His law.  Moses emphasised how accessible and understandable God's law was in  Deuteronomy 30:11-14,  " For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.  12  It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  13  Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  14  But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it ." God and knowledge of His laws was not in a far off, inaccessible location found by the wisest or most pious among them.  They did not need to develop technology to launch into space to find answers to life's questions, nor did they need to invent ...

Over the years I have seen many short videos of animal rescues that demonstrate the care and compassion of volunteers as well as the amazing turnaround in once neglected animals.  Listless dogs with mange that had been abandoned, abused or cooped up for years slowly start wagging their tails again, enjoying human contact they once shied away from.  After building trust, aggressive snarling is replaced by a show of affection and submission, rolling over for belly rubs.  Rather than culling these domesticated animals, it is heartwarming to see people give their time, money and effort to revive and re-home them. Pet owners can be guilty of neglect and not provide food, care and attention their animals need for good health and a happy life.  The animal is an innocent victim in this situation, for it could not help being sold,  having fleas, or being chained to a post.  A dog cannot build a shelter to be protected from the hot sun or find warmth on a cold night....