Marching Forth!

Today we sang in church, " You make all things work together for my good ."  This is entirely biblical, yet it does not mean we always actually believe this is true.  If we believed this was true without fail, we would receive every trial and trouble in life as a gift from our good and gracious God.  There would be no angry venting over what frustrates us, bitterness over what grieves us, or complaining.  Fear, worries and anxiety over unknowns because of our God we know and knows us.  Like Paul's exhortation to the Philippians, believing God makes all things work together for good enables us to rejoice in the LORD always, even when we experience sorrow and pain. In the moment we cannot change the feelings or emotions that flood through our bodies or the thoughts that pepper our minds, but the born again Christian can build our entire lives upon the reality of God and His word.  God has revealed His goodness, power and sovereignty over all in His word, and ...

A new baby being born is a significant event because a new person has come into the world.  This addition will have a huge impact on parents and family members for a lifetime.  The existence of one person has the power to make a difference in the lives of others long after their lives on earth are over.  Just yesterday I opened a book compiled of journals written in 1738 by John Wesley and I was positively affected by what I read.  Even when a child is conceived and sadly miscarried shortly thereafter, the parents will always remember what happened. The teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus concerning the need of sinners to be born again to enter the kingdom of God is necessary and profound.  Being born again by faith in Jesus is a more incredible spiritual change as it is a physical change from a baby in utero to being a walking, talking adult.  Being born again is not gradual or progressive but in an instant going from being dead in sins to being raised to new l...

" They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them ." Ode of Remembrance Yesterday I rose early and went with many others throughout Australia, New Zealand and across the globe to an ANZAC dawn service.  There may have been well over a thousand people who lined the streets in front of the cenotaph, standing in the dark chill of the morning for the sober occasion.  25 April is the anniversary of the first military action of Australians and New Zealanders in the first World War on the shores of Gallipoli.  It is also a time to remember those who have served and died in war for our nation.  It is a longstanding tradition to gather at dawn to remember them, lest we forget. One thing that is always well done at the ANZAC dawn services I have attended is an explanation of what ANZAC Day stands for and why we gather.  The structure to the service...

" Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  32  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you ." Ephesians 4:31-32 Some are under the impression Christianity is little more than a list of "do's and don'ts" Christians themselves do not always live up to.  This view can be formed due to the personal experience of feeling condemned by professing Christians, the pricking of a  person's own conscience and the changes we observe in people due to personal convictions after receiving Christ.  This really does not begin to tell the story of what Jesus does in transforming a person from within.  It isn't a matter of doing but of being , and verses like this one in the book of Ephesians emphasise this continually. It would be a mistake to reduce Christianity to following a checklist, as the Law of Moses proved without a doubt man is incapable to ke...

I have noticed when I bring up the subject of personal discomfort or pain due to injury, illness or condition, people are very quick to offer suggestions of what I can (or should!) do.  Their input is vast and varied according to their own experience.  Remedies, treatments, exercises, physical therapists, specialists and diets only begin to summarise the array of options presented to reduce present pain and promote healing.   If we or others are in pain, our first response is to do whatever we can to reduce or eliminate it. While I believe the Bible teaches it is God's will to heal every illness (since Jesus healed all those who came to Him, thus revealing His power over all sin, sickness and spirit), we must leave the timing of our healing to Him.  God allows things that are not His will to occur on earth (like death) and by His grace He redeems pain or the ending of it.  Some are miraculously healed in a moment, and others will not experience freedom from...

A key theme in John 4 when Jesus met with the Samaritan woman and was met by the nobleman is sowing and reaping.  Whether Jesus conversed with an outcast woman or a nobleman, His truth convinced His hearers and bore spiritual fruit through faith.  After Jesus claimed to be the source of Living Water that gives everlasting life, He confirmed His statement with a word of knowledge concerning the woman being married 5 times and was living with a man she was not married to.  When she said she heard the Messiah was coming, Jesus told her:  "I that speak to you am He."  She immediately left her waterpot and went to the men of Samaria to bid them come and see:  "Is not this the Christ?" After the woman of Samaria went to tell the townsfolk of her discovery, Jesus addressed His disciples.  While they were thinking about food to eat, Jesus told them His food was to do the will of God to gather a harvest--not of grain but of souls.  He said in  John 4:...

On every piece of United States currency is written, " In God We Trust ."  Jesus said no man can serve two masters:  we cannot serve God and wealth.  Until we recognise God and all that comes from His gracious hand as the true riches, then we will struggle to surrender the use of our finances to Him.  This is one reason why regular financial giving unto the LORD is a valuable spiritual discipline.  It affirms God's provision, prompts obedience to the LORD to give, and fills us with gratitude to be able to support His work in a practical way. The use of our money is a touchy subject for many because it is ours.  We have worked to earn it, are careful to manage, save it and spend it according to our needs and desires.  A sense of entitlement often is connected with what is ours, and money is no exception.  Exchanging money for food, goods and services is common, and if there is not a set price our aim is usually to negotiate for the best deal--meani...