Marching Forth!

As I was reading last night Romans 14:12 stood out with renewed impact:  " So then each of us shall give account of himself to God ."  We will not be held responsible for the conduct, decisions, or lifestyles of others.  God's standards and my obedience or disobedience will be the only topic of conversation.  I will not be able to justify myself by the actions of anyone else, or claim that others are to blame for stumbling me.  God is perfect and does not change.  Uncomfortably, I will be the prime and sole subject of this accounting.  This accounting for Christians will not be a recollection of sin because God has cleansed us and chosen to remember our sin no more.  It will be an accounting to see if we have been faithful stewards to use for God's glory the talents and gifts He has entrusted to us.  Those under the Law, having refused to enter into the New Covenant through Christ's blood, will be judged according to the Law.  Romans 3:...

The advance of the internet has made a big impact on medicine.  People are more apt to "self-diagnose" on the internet rather than making an appointment to see a professional physician.  When they finally do go to the doctor, they are already convinced they know exactly what condition they are suffering from, various treatment options, and even what kind of medicine would be best from the commercials they have seen on TV!  Faith in the experience, training, and skill of a doctor to diagnose and treat illness can erode to a point that the doctor can be viewed with contempt by internet sleuthing patients - someone who has the access to drugs and treatments people know they need and has the power to withhold them!  It must be a difficult situation to train for years in university to practice medicine only to have your word trumped by Wikipedia. Even before the internet, this is a similar way that people can treat God.  We can look at our lives, decide what is w...

Last night I saw the end of the popular film "The Avengers," featuring many Marvel superheros.  The first time we watched the movie as a family, we turned it off as the credits began.  Laura discovered there was a short scene at the end of the movie which obviously points to a sequel.  In the scene an alien is heard making statements about characteristics of human beings with fuzzy comic book logic:  " They are unruly and therefore cannot be ruled ."  Hmmm.  Sounds like someone needs logic lessons. One thing the extra scene confirmed to me is that humans are never satisfied.  One movie packed with special effects is not enough:  we need more, bigger, and better.  When Tolkien wrote the three books which comprise the Lord of the Rings trilogy, man was not satisfied with books alone.  Three "Lord of the Rings" movies were made, one movie per book.  Extended editions with hours of extras were also produced.  Now The Hobbit has...

Yesterday I was thinking how blessed we are to have God's Word written in a language we can easily understand.  I most commonly read the King James and New King James versions, and my life is enriched by familiarity with both.  While reading recently I came across the passage in Acts when Paul was discussing his Roman citizenship with a Roman captain.  The NKJV rendering of Acts 22:28 is, " The commander answered, "With a large sum I obtained this citizenship." And Paul said, "But I was born a citizen."    When I read it in the KJV however, my eyes and understanding were further opened:  " And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born ."  In the Strong's Concordance, the Greek word " politeia " is transliterated "citizenship" or "freedom" which means " citizenship; concretely a community, commonwealth, freedom ." When the Roman captain ...

Happy Thanksgiving from Sydney, Australia!  Instead of football on TV, we are in the second day of a cricket test between Australia and South Africa.  With my San Diego Chargers taking another season off from competitive, quality play, I will relish this two-ton effort from Clarke and a century from Hussey instead!  For those who are curious, yes, turkey is on the menu for tonight.  But I have to say, there are trappings, traditions, and people long associated with our Thanksgiving celebrations that we will miss. I've celebrated Thanksgiving in Australia and Israel, but it's never the same as celebrating it in the States with family and friends.  The good thing is that no matter where we might live in the world, God is still completely worthy of worship, honour, and praise.  He never changes and remains worthy of all honour.  Thanksgiving is traditionally my "favourite" holiday, but it's not because of the food, companionship of family, or the fun ac...

Climate change is a common topic these days.  Australia has made an effort to "go green," reducing carbon emissions and creating a "carbon price" (a tax, in other words!).  I am no expert when it comes to researching scientific studies conducted to prove our climate is indeed changing permanently or we are in the middle of a long term cycle.  I support conservation and efforts to keep the air, water, and land clean that God has provided us.  I am convinced, however, that God has marvelously created the earth to cool, clean, and maintain itself.  Man didn't make the earth, and his best efforts to preserve it will prove fruitless in the end.  Using less electricity in Australia is not going to keep the polar ice caps from melting. I have been reading through the book of The Revelation lately, the last book in the Bible.  When the just wrath of God is poured out upon the earth and its inhabitants it will make the most apocalyptic movie created seem sil...

Benjamin Franklin is often credited with the maxim, " God helps those who help themselves ."  Whether or not this thinking actually originated with Mr. Franklin, it has been perpetuated even to our day.  This quote is both true and false, depending on your perspective.  The statement infers that God only helps those who "help themselves."  If you believe that God created the world and remains in complete sovereign control over all, then it is clear that God helps people who can't help themselves.  When I was enslaved by my sins, the ability to help myself was beyond me.  It was only by the grace of God my eyes were opened, I came to my senses by the power of the Holy Spirit, and received the Gospel. by faith. This statement is true in the sense that the level of faith and obedience to God I choose to walk in either restricts or frees God to further teach, guide, and empower me for His service.  Because God's promises are often conditional upon my bel...