Marching Forth!

Last night I read and took to heart the exhortation found in Jeremiah 4:3 :  " For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns ."  I started thinking about the many references in scripture to thorns.  Thorns are a consequence of Adam's transgression ( Gen. 3:18 ).  Thorns cling to clothing, fur, pierce skin, and cause pain.  Instead of providing food, thorny weeds only make more of the same.  When Jesus went to the cross bearing upon Himself the sins of the world, a crown of thorns was pressed into his scalp.  Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.  The results of sin, infamously destructive and deadly, are symbolised in the crown of thorns Jesus wore. Jesus told a story often called "The Parable of the Sower."  Matthew 13:3-9 reads, " Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he ...

Sports fans all over the world are focused on London as the 2012 Olympics have commenced.  With four years between chances to compete for mere moments to secure a gold medal, the unspeakable elation and disappointment of these athletes is also on display.  Some have waited four years for redemption after a poor performance in the previous Games, and others have waited their whole lives just to have a chance at Olympic glory.  The best athletes in the world train incredibly hard, sacrificing all else to perform at their best to win.  There are those who win, and those who do not.  I don't view anyone who makes it to the Olympics as a loser. Flipping on the TV this morning in Sydney, the big news of the day was the expected victory that didn't happen.  The buildup to the 4 X 100 men's freestyle relay has been enormous, and there was an expectation of our swimmers to win gold.  Some speculated that the world record might fall based upon their times in t...

We don't need to look to hard to find object lessons of scriptural truth all around us.  I found one right in my yard!  From the time we moved into our house about a year and a half ago, the tree in our front yard looked a bit sad.  It was absolutely infested with ants and it wasn't long before bark beetles set upon the gnarled trunk.  After a valiant battle against erosion and pests, I have concluded it has finally died. My initial hope was that it was a deciduous tree that is dormant during the winter, but when I examined the branches carefully they all appeared to be dry and dead.  Sulfur-crested Cockatoos over the course of several afternoons chewed off most of the tips of the branches when the tree was still alive, and that didn't help matters.  But the other day a small bush caught my eye across the street!  Could it be?  Yes!  It wasn't a bush but a healthy sapling seeded by this dead tree! When I saw this I considered how that t...

Even though I reside in Australia, the news of the shooting in Aurora, Colorado has recently been much on my mind.  I am heartbroken by that senseless violence and tragic loss of life.  When I viewed cnn.com today, I saw a post titled, " Where was God in Aurora ?"  As we face the difficulties in life, people tend to either run to God or run from Him.  Instead of evil in the world being proof of God's non-existence or unworthiness to be worshiped, I believe the exact opposite.  Evil in the world proves God exists because it stands in stark contrast to His righteousness.  You cannot have darkness without light.  God's love and holiness shows how worthy He is of worship.  The question posed on CNN's website is most commonly asked after a great tragedy, not after perceived blessings.  It is safe to reason the motivation to even suggest God was "missing in action" when people most needed Him is one of doubt, not of faith.  It is folly for a m...

For about 11 years of my adult life I worked as a mechanical insulator out of the Local 5 Union among several shops in the San Diego zone.  Most of that time I performed commercial work which involved materials like fiberglass pipe covering, duct wrap, tape, and rubber.  For all of these jobs a knife is necessary.  In my shoulder box I still have many different knives for specific applications.  The knives I used most often were serrated knives.  Early in my apprenticeship I learned to use a double-cut flat bastard file to grind teeth into high-carbon "Old Hickory" 6 and 8-inch knives. When I first began sharpening knives, I was taught by a journeyman how to use a stone or file to smoothly hone the blade of a knife.  But I found that it wasn't long before I would have to sharpen the knife again.  Fiberglass quickly dulls a sharp blade.  It was my brother (an apprentice at the same time as me) who showed me how to put teeth into a knife using a f...

" Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place ." 2 Corinthians 2:14 The Christian life is a triumphant life, but not the kind of triumph people might expect.  God has given us ultimate victory over sin and death.  There is still a spiritual battle to be fought in the flesh as we remain on earth.  We do not live out our days away from conflict, delighting ourselves with the spoils of the battlefield.  Christians do not receive a golden trophy like an athlete and granted perpetual victory, as if a decision we first made years ago to follow Christ has paved a smooth, easy, downhill path we meander without threat.  Our decision to follow Jesus should be confirmed daily, the joy of the LORD remaining our strength as we trust and obey Him. When you think of "triumph" or "victory," what comes to mind?  Do you think of a championship celebration, with teammates passing ...

" Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents ." Luke 15:10 All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  I have sinned and am therefore a sinner, even as a man who murders is and will always be a murderer.  Even if a man spends 30 years or longer in prison for the crime of murder, after his release the grim fact remains:  he is a murderer.  Time served alone or the paying of fines cannot expunge our permanent record. I have been forgiven and cleansed from my sins through the power of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.  All born-again Christians have received the blessing of all past and future sins atoned for by the blood of the Lamb.  We have been clothed in Christ's robe of righteousness.  When God looks upon us, He sees righteousness without flaw, choosing not to remember a single sin we have committed.  But because I still live on earth in a body of human flesh, I still sin....