Marching Forth!

As someone who grew up in a country that touted freedom of speech, it was common for people to try to silence those they did not agree with.  I remember in university I took a class which involved editing a periodical publication, and I was surprised when we decided (by a majority vote) to censor a particular word because it could be viewed by some as offensive.  As a Christian I often was required to read content that conflicted with my views and convictions, yet I held the line people had the freedom to write their own stories and poems in a university publication without censorship because someone might be offended.  The discussion in our class was respectful and the outcome was accepted without complaint--unlike common demonstrations at universities today where people who disagree silence others by shouting them down, vandalising property or resorting to intimidation and physical violence. There are countries that are very involved in the censorship of ideas on the i...

" Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil ." Jeremiah 13:23 Through the prophet Jeremiah, God revealed the true condition of His people:  as those who followed the dictates of their own hearts, they were unable to do good.  Their sinful habits were so ingrained in them, such an intrinsic part of their nature, they were incapable of change.  While the world often assumes man is basically good and will make the best choices if given opportunity, the Bible reveals man's natural inclination, preference and custom is to gravitate toward sin and settle down there like a hog in the mire. As I considered this verse, I was reminded of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.  In film adaptations, the grumpy and stingy Ebeneezer Scrooge was particularly surly during Christmas, for he viewed the celebrations, feasts, gifts and extra expense as "humbug."  The night before Christmas, Scroo...

In the first chapter of the Bible in Genesis, we read of God creating the heavens, earth, plants and living creatures.  God created all living things to reproduce after their own kind, and we observe this happening to this day.  Over and over it is repeated that grass and fruit trees produced seeds that yielded according to their kind; birds, fish and living creatures brought forth after their own kind.   Genesis 1:26-27 reads, " Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."  27  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them ." Mankind is distinct from all other living creatures because we have been created in the image of God who put eternity in our hearts ( Ecc. 3:11 ), breathed into Adam the b...

" Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life ." John 8:12 How blessed we are that God has given His only begotten Son Jesus to be the Saviour of the world!  One thing I love about the Bible is how Jesus is the central figure in it from beginning to end.  The first verse of Genesis tells us, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  The Gospel of John starts this way in  John 1:1-3 :  " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was in the beginning with God.  3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made ."  The celebration of Christmas reminds Christians how God did not remain distant from the world or mankind He created, but God put on human flesh in the person of Jesus so we might know Him and so He could save us from our sins. The apostle John...

In speaking, my Grandpa was able to make a point without requiring many words.  Once in my late twenties, a cousin and I accompanied him for a visit to his cabin in the woods of northern California.  Were were eating pizza after fishing and I left a portion of the crust uneaten on my plate that was especially hard and dry.  He looked at the scrap of crust and asked with dead seriousness, "What, are you rich?"  He was of an era and mindset that good manners demands one eats everything on the plate, and to leave any bits behind was a claim to wealth, entitlement and superiority.  I felt justified to leave the crust because it was tough to swallow, but to escape the ire of a man I respected I powered it down. Just today I came across an article which says how much money Australians need to have to consider themselves rich.  The article asserts, "... the average Australian must be earning a jawdropping $389,118 per year to feel rich ."  That's a pretty sp...

I love the intricate amount of detail God provides in His word.  I don't know how many fellows named "Anah" there have been since creation, but we are given an interesting tidbit in Genesis 36:24 about Anah the son of Zibeon:  " The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon ." (NIV)  People who read this would say, "Oh, that Anah."  Discovering hot springs while grazing Zibeon's donkeys would narrow down things a bit. The Bible speaks about real people who were recognisable and distinguished from others.  It is not a collection of fanciful tales but an accurate record of people, and sometimes we are told about their appearance.  When confronted with a message of rebuke from an unknown man, 2 Kings 1:7-8 tells us king Ahaziah was able to easily identify Elijah:  " Then he said to them, "What kind of man was it who came up to meet ...

It was decades ago when I was made aware of online coupon codes people could use for discounts or free shipping for online orders.  I have noticed the amount of sites that share these codes have increased dramatically but the value and usefulness of the coupon codes have declined.  Some sites will boast having a code that was "used 25 times today," yet the fact it supposedly worked for others is no guarantee I can redeem it and receive the discount.  More often than not, I find these days the online coupon code option is a mirage of savings that rarely pays dividends. Yesterday we read  Isaiah 55:6-7 at Bible study:  " Seek the LORD while He may be found, c all upon Him while He is near.  7 Let the wicked forsake his way, a nd the unrighteous man his thoughts;  l et him return to the LORD ,  a nd He will have mercy on him;  a nd to our God,  f or He will abundantly pardon ."  Note the absolute confidence the prophet has for all...