Marching Forth!

Jesus taught His disciples in  Mark 4:23-25 :  " Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  25   For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him ."  This teaching is affirmed in a parable Jesus told of a master who delivered talents to his servants according to their ability, and while he was away two of his servants doubled the amount given while the lazy, wicked servant buried his talent in the ground.  It was given to the servant who had 10 talents, and it is wise management of resources to take away the talent from the lazy servant and give it to the one who had been faithful. In this passage, Jesus taught those who hear Him--and the implication is to heed all He says--will be given more from Him.  Those who do not listen, however, what he has will be taken away from him....

There are many biblical terms Christians can use that are disconnected from practical experience.  This is reasonable for it is difficult to translate the spiritual meaning into practical applications without dumbing it down to a formula to follow.  As little kids we had the idea the very important part of prayer is to bow our heads, fold hands and close our eyes when these in a spiritual sense are not even requirements to have an audience with the Almighty.  These directives were more practical than spiritual:  bowing our heads was a show of respect, closing our eyes prevented us from being distracted by what we could see, and folding our hands meant we would not be touching others or fidgeting with objects.  From a biblical perspective, the posture of our bodies was never as important as the condition and posture of our hearts in the sight of God. As we continue to read the Bible and grow in understanding, we begin to separate style from substance, identify tr...

I was struck by the first part of God's command to His people in  Exodus 22:29 (LSB) :  " You shall not delay the offering from the fullness of your harvest and the juice of your wine vat.  The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me."   According to the blessing of the LORD upon His people, they were guided to give.  The command for the Hebrews under the Law of Moses to bring tithes and offerings to God is well-known, but this command not to delay bringing it may be less known.  To delay doing what is right can lead us to forget or put off doing it altogether. Another reason God's people were not to delay in bringing the fulness of their harvest and juice of their vats was the priests and Levites were dependent on offerings to provide for the service of the house of God, for drink offerings that were required by Law.  A portion of what was brought to the temple was also provision of food and drink for those serving in the tabernacle or temple...

It is important when reading, interpreting and applying Scripture we realise no verses or books of the Bible are intended to stand alone, to be understood apart from the immediate context or other verses that complement it.  The Bible contains the word of God spoken to a specific audience which can reveal the unchanging character and promises of God that can be applied to the reader.  I have heard it estimated about 30% of the Bible is comprised of prophecies that can have multiple fulfilments.  Those who fear and trust God ought to take Him at His word, and exposure to the whole Bible with a sound hermeneutic is a valuable resource that prevents confusion and error.  Having the Holy Spirit within us is absolutely indispensable for Bible comprehension. Sunday at church we read Psalm 34:18-19 :  " The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, a nd saves such as have a contrite spirit.  19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, b ut the LOR...

New South Wales has recently introduced legislation to abolish the "good character references" in sentencing for criminal offences.  Previously when someone was found to be guilty of committing a crime by a court, they could supply "good character references" which would be taken into account and likely minimise the punishment doled out by the court.  People could use their prior good social standing or personal connections to reduce their culpability.  Their past good conduct or ability to find others to write positive descriptions of their character in no way lessens the severity of the crime committed and should not remove strong consequences criminal activity deserves.  Our deeds are better indicators of our character than what people say about us. It may be a surprise to some, yet God's word sets a precedent for this positive change.  God said the wicked man who turned from his ways and did good would be pardoned, yet the one who turned from righteousness a...

" The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, a nd saves such as have a contrite spirit ." Psalm 34:18 Contrition for sin is an important facet of genuine repentance.  When we were kids, the snide tone or snarky  way people said sorry were reasons to reject an apology as insincere.  We wanted people to at least act like they cared when they were apologising for doing wrong.  Conviction of having done wrong is not just a thought that passes through our minds but includes a recurring stab of regret or unsettled feeling inside of us.  The Bible says David's "heart smote him" after he cut off the corner of Saul's robe.  Though he did not kill him as was suggested by his men, his guilty conscience would not let the act pass unnoticed and without repentance. Contrition is not beating oneself up for doing wrong, for this can be from pride as much as anything.  Webster defined "contrition" as:  " 1)  The act of grinding or rubbing to powd...

In Ezekiel 15 , God compared the usefulness of a vine to a tree in doing work and making things.  From the wood of a tree, boards can be milled and structures can be built.  Wood from trees would have been used to make many things:  carts, tools, doors, furniture, crates, ships, musical instruments and much more!  In stark contrast, the building potential of a vine was nil.  Trying to make dowels out of the soft runners would be a pointless waste of time.  In regards to doing work, what the vine was best suited for was to be burned in the fire.  At least it could provide a bit of fuel for a short time until it was reduced to ash. God spoke through the prophet in  Ezekiel 15:6-7:   " Therefore thus says the Lord GOD : 'Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;  7 and I will set My face against them. They will go out from one fir...