Observations on life; particularly spiritual

Christian

Jesus died for your wellness

Jesus died for your wellnessSurvive or thrive? Endure or flourish? No one wants to be just getting through. That’s what wellness is about. It is about going beyond enduring to enjoying. I’m drawn to it as much as anyone. I want my body to be healthy, my sleep to be deep, my mind to be clear, my heart to be at peace, my relationships to flourish, my skin to glow, my hair to shine. Yet the pursuit of wellness can become exhausting. And there is one big problem: it is a losing battle. There is no winning in the end. At least not in the physical wellness domain. No matter how healthy we are, we cannot stop aging. We cannot prevent our bodies from eventually breaking down. We may live well and even live long, but none of us can stay physically well forever. One day, we will die. (more…)


Where do plants come from?

Plant propagationWe found that people and animals come from their parents. But people and animals can’t produce their own food and rely on plants and animals for their nutrition. Plants make their own food through photosynthesis. So where do plants come from? (more…)


Where do animals come from?

Baby lionWe found that people come from their parents. But people can’t produce their own food and rely on plants and animals for their nutrition. So where do animals come from? (more…)


Where do people come from?

The baby-bringing stork is an ancient mythYou came from your parents. Your parents came from your grandparents. Your grandparents came from your great-grandparents. Your great-grandparents came from your great-great-grandparents. Your great-great-grandparents came from your great- great-great-grandparents. (more…)


Making antisemitism unthinkable

Understanding and responding to antisemitism in Australia

Allies for a strong Australia

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Replacing “Replacement theology”: Part 2

Pouring petrol on a firePouring petrol on a fire you’re trying to put out causes the flames to leap up and spread, the heat becomes unbearable, and everyone has to step back. And it won’t cool down until the new flames are controlled. Similarly, acts of violence in the Middle East destroy the prospect of peace. (more…)


Replacing “Replacement theology”: Part 1

Abandoned vineyardImagine a family vineyard that once thrived under careful tending—rich soil, strong vines, abundant harvests. Over many years the heirs grow careless and rebellious. They ignore the pruning, chase after other interests, let weeds choke the rows, and even sell off parts of the land or let strangers trample it. The vineyard falls into ruin: collapsed fences, broken trellises, barren ground, fruitless vines that look dead. Neighbors write it off. Outsiders say the owner should abandon it forever. Years pass in desolation. (more…)


Failure isn’t fatal

Starship launch on April 20, 2023The initial Starship flight test on April 20, 2023, ended in a dramatic mid-air explosion. Leaking propellant caused fires which severed connection with the vehicle’s primary flight computer. This led to a loss of communications to the majority of booster engines and, ultimately, control of the vehicle. (more…)


Are all sins equal?

Penalty noticeThis post comes from Philip Nunn, a missionary in Colombia.

Roman Catholic doctrine distinguishes two categories of sins, venial and mortal. A venial sin is a slight fault that does not break friendship with God, although it weakens it. On the other hand, a mortal sin is a serious transgression that completely separates the person from God’s grace. According to this doctrine, at death, venial sins are purified in purgatory in order to enter heaven clean. (more…)


Islam and North Korea

Islam and North KoreaI have written several articles on Islam: Basic Islam, Testing Islam, Islamic prayer and Monolingual Islam. Islam teaches that Allah is the only God and that Mohammad is His prophet.

The Australian government is taking measures against Islamophobia which would favor Islam over others in Australian public life, including mandating Islamic content in state school curriculums. In view of this, it is instructive to compare aspects of Islam against Christianity. (more…)


Get into heaven for free

Get into heaven for freeIn everyday life, we love a good deal. We clip coupons, hunt for promotional codes and try to earn discounts through loyalty points or spending just enough money to qualify. We can apply this same mindset to God – hoping that if we do enough good deeds, avoid enough major mistakes, and keep a clean record, we will eventually “earn” enough credit to get into heaven. (more…)


Nine life lessons from Barnabas

Squanto helped the Pilgrims survive

During their first brutal winter at Plymouth, the Mayflower Pilgrims were on the brink of collapse. They were starving, unskilled at hunting or farming in the new land. Then a native American named Squanto (Tisquantum) stepped in—teaching them how to fish, hunt, and plant crops. Without that quiet, practical encouragement, the colony might not have survived. He was like Barnabas in the New Testament. (more…)


The gospel in one word

What is the gospel?The Christian gospel is a message from God about Jesus. It offers the forgiveness of one’s sin and eternal life in heaven through trusting in the substitutionary death and the resurrection of Jesus. This benefit is available to anyone who believes it. (more…)


The land promise

An olive tree has widespread lateral roots and deeper anchor rootsGod’s promises are not like New Year’s resolutions, made sincerely but forgotten when circumstances change. They are more like a deeply rooted tree—steady through heat, drought and storms.

According to the Bible, God made many promises to the Israelites (descendants of Abraham), including a people (that’s the nation of Israel), a land (in the Middle East), and blessing for the world (the Messiah) through Abraham’s descendants (Gen. 12:1-3). In this post we look at the promise of the land. (more…)


The ultimate Glow Up

The ultimate Glow UpDo you long to improve your physical appearance? Weight loss, muscle gain, glowing skin, whiter teeth, thicker hair, fuller lips, less wrinkles. A national survey by The Butterfly Foundation found 1 in 3 Australians are unhappy with the way they look. Cue the “glowup” phenomenon and the 19 to 25 billion dollars spent every year by Australians on their physical appearance. (more…)


The great commandment: Coping with difficulties

The great commandment to love God and love ones neighbor should be the main thing that influences what Christians say and do. It should be the main thing in their lives. In this post we look at how these loves work. (more…)


The great commission: Coping with pluralism

The great commissionDiversity and tolerance are often promoted today. Pluralism is when multiple groups coexist within society. We can have multi-culturalism, multi-political groups, and multi-religious groups. How can a Christian cope with pluralism? (more…)


What does not “fit for the kingdom” mean in Luke 9:62?

Plowing a straight furrowAfter two men gave excuses for not immediately following Jesus, He told them, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (ESV, CSB, NET). Alternatively, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God” (NLT). (more…)


Living forever requires sacrifice

Living forever requires sacrificeLiving forever – is that something that appeals to you? (more…)


Israel in scripture, anti-semitism and end times

God promised that Israel would be a great nation in a particular land and bring great blessing to the worldBy going through Israel’s place in scripture, we will see why anti-semitism doesn’t connect with what scripture says. (more…)


Prophecies about Jesus: He would be a prophet like Moses

Australia versus Egypt at the 2026 World CupI woke up early yesterday, so I watched the soccer [football]. In the world cup, the Australian socceroos played the pharaohs from Egypt. It reminded me of Moses and the Israelites verses Pharaoh and the Egyptians at the Red Sea. (more…)


No surprises

Most of us don’t like to be surprisedScott was surprised by an unexpected audit. Most of us don’t like to be surprised. Every boss hates surprises. The “no surprises” rule is a golden rule of workplace communication. It means alerting your manager of bad news before they hear about it from someone else.
This protects them from unexpected embarrassments. (more…)


What Does the Bible say about civil authorities?

What Does the Bible say about civil authorities?Presidents and Prime Ministers are often criticized online. But what does the Bible say about our attitude towards our leaders? (more…)


World Cup victory

World Cup victoryEven if you’re not a football fan, the FIFA World Cup probably captures your attention in one way or another. Held every four years, it is the most watched sporting event in the world, attracting an even larger audience than the Summer Olympics. Out of more than 200 national teams, only 48 qualify for the final tournament, and after 104 matches, one team is crowned champion. (more…)