Marching Forth!

As long as the Friday night Bible studies at church have been going, I typically bake a dessert to share and enjoy.  One of the most memorable (and funny!) moments involved a picky eater years back.  It was obvious she was not impressed with the appearance of the dish, looking at it like a person who noticed they stepped in vomit in a carpark.  Undeterred by her misgivings, I urged her to give it a try.  Hesitantly she placed the smallest morsel in her mouth and froze.  With pursed lips without chewing once, her body instinctively recoiled within from the foreign specimen.  Our eyes locked as she slowly reached for a serviette (napkin in OZ) and right in front of me spat the food (she didn't want in the first place) into it.  It was the funniest, weirdest moment ever in my history of baking. This amusing situation was brought to mind by a passage I read today of God speaking to the prophet in  Ezekiel 2:7-8 :  " You shall speak My words to t...

The other day I contemplated refinishing a painted bookshelf.  As I took a closer look and saw the brush marks from previous applications of paint, I realised I was looking at a big job.  It would take a lot of time to strip the paint, sand all those little corners, prime and repaint.  It came down to a simple question:  did I love the furniture enough to restore it when I could easily replace it with something better?  The honest answer was no. When it comes to restoration of people, did you know God has already answered in the affirmative?  He has done all the work required to restore lost souls to fellowship with Himself, redeeming lives from death by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  By the power of the Gospel we are not doomed to destruction (like many pieces of old furniture I have dismantled over the years) as God has extended His gracious offer of reconciliation to all sinners.  Restoration ought not be reserved only from unregenerate to sav...

" When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD ;  a nd my prayer went up to You,  i nto Your holy temple ." Jonah 2:7 These are words of the prophet Jonah after he was swallowed by the great fish God prepared for him.  We do not read of him seeking the LORD in prayer when he fled from the presence of God or even on the tempest-tossed ship.  It was as his life ebbed away in pitch-black darkness he remembered the LORD and prayed.  When his soul fainted Jonah finally relented and begged God to save him.  God was ready and waiting to do so, for the LORD spoke to the fish that expelled him on dry land. God brought Jonah to a place of crying out for mercy, a place Jonah was unwilling and unable to find on his own.  What God did for His prophet He also did for the children of Israel through war.   Lamentations 5:20-22 expresses well the feelings of hopelessness Jeremiah felt after the atrocities he witness and experienced during the sie...

Recently news broke that a major telecommunications company had been hacked and millions of account details had been stolen.  The company has primarily come under fire, not only for alleged "human error" that allowed the breach to occur, but for not promptly notifying their customers the theft had occurred.  News agencies reported millions of phone numbers and details up for sale on the dark web before the company alerted affected former and current customers. When these sorts of things happen that have the potential for bad press, whether in companies or personally, one common response is to keep quiet for damage control.  Instead of voluntarily telling the truth to protect the interests of others, it withholds details to protect itself.  This approach aims to maintain the the outward appearance of professionalism while an internal investigation is underway.  This provides means to pin the blame on a person or group to avoid soiling the brand as a whole.  ...

I recently viewed a segment where a professional athlete led a video crew on a tour through his house.  He showed them his epic game room, salt-water aquariums and finally showed off a closet filled with shoes.  In a room spacious as a lounge room, shelves of pristine shoes lined the walls in individual pairs under coloured lights.  These shoes were collectible and very expensive, some of his first major purchases as a pro after he began making millions of dollars annually.  He explained when he looked at the shoes it was a reminder of his accomplishments and tangible evidence his hard work paid off.  His collection of shoes existed more than just for comfortable walking or fashion, for each pair had been carefully selected and gathered to pay homage to him. One might look at the man's closet and assume shoes are that man's idol because of the sheer amount of expensive shoes in the collection or the customised space he created to accommodate them.  While th...

After years of warfare and a siege, the city of Jerusalem was finally broken up during the reign of king Zedekiah.  Instead of surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar and serving him as directed by God, he tried to flee by night by way of the plain.   Jeremiah 52:8-11 details what followed, and it is not at all pleasant:  " But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him.  9 So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him.  10  Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. And he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah.  11  He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death ."  Zedekiah's army was scattered and could not save him, and ...

Today in New South Wales has been deemed a public holiday to mourn the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the longest serving monarch in British history.  During a recent drive I heard an ABC radio presenter ask a British guest and royal expert if there was a special place in heaven for those who reigned as kings and queens on earth.  After a brief explanation from a general Christian worldview, the guest replied there was not a special place for royals in heaven.  He hinted the only recognised king in heaven is the LORD Jesus Christ, the KING OF KINGS, whom Queen Elizabeth worshipped as His loyal subject.  Those who are faithful in service and honour God in their duties as Queen Elizabeth did embrace virtues intrinsic to Jesus Christ Himself. As I viewed clips of the royals singing hymns and the national anthem "God Save the King," it struck me members of the British royal family sing these songs to God and these words are not a petition to themselves.  In the simple ...