Observations on life; particularly spiritual

Christian

Prophecies about Jesus: His death, burial and resurrection

Sam Konstas plating a ramp shotMark Taylor (captain of the Australian cricket team, 1994-1999) told Sam Konstas to ditch the ramp shot and go back to basics to force his way back into the (Australian) Test cricket team. The basics are the foundation of whatever you are talking about. Builders know that if the foundation isn’t right, the whole structure will fail. (more…)


A brave rescue!

The lighthorse charge at Beersheba on 31 October 31, 1917 Last Friday was the 108th anniversary of a brave rescue. On 31 October 1917, the Lighthorse charge at Beersheba in Palestine was ‘The last great cavalry charge in history’. My wife’s grandfather was one of the 800 Australian horsemen that captured Beersheba. Beersheba marks the southern boundary of Israel, often mentioned in the biblical phrase, “from Dan (in the north) to Beersheba (in the south)” (Jud. 20:1; 1 Sam. 3:20; 2 Sam. 3:10; 1 Ki. 4:25). Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived there and Elijah visited when he fled from queen Jezebel. This stunning victory ended the 400-year Turkish rule over the Holy Land and lead to the creation of Israel as a nation once again. It was a brave rescue from Muslim rule. (more…)


Imagine everlasting peace

Imagine everlasting peaceDo you know that throughout recorded history there has never been a period of complete global peace? Though some consider we have been in a state of “long peace” since the end of WW2 that isn’t the reality for the millions who have lived in Myanmar, Rwanda, Nigeria, Congo, Somalia, Libya, Vietnam, Sudan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Ukraine, Palestine and so many more countries. (more…)


Giving thanks in everything

We are thankful and grateful for what God providesA prayer at the end of a thanksgiving service for an aged care provider

The Bible says that Christians are to, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th. 5:18NIV). And those who are filled with God the Holy Spirit will be “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20). We can give thanks in everything because God is in control and He is always with those who trust in Him. That’s why each November we publicly honor God and thank Him for the work done through our organization over the past year. (more…)


The Light Horse charge at Beersheba

The Lighthorse charge at Beersheba on 31 October 1917

The Lighthorse charge at Beersheba on 31 October 1917 is known in military circles as ‘The last great cavalry charge in history’. The stunning victory of the 800 Australian horsemen, together with their New Zealand and British comrades, changed history. Yet in Australia, it is totally overshadowed by the discouraging stories of the losses in Gallipoli and the Western Front. (more…)


Prophecies about Jesus: He would enter Jerusalem on a donkey

In ancient times donkeys were used for personal transportThere were two donkeys in the field near where we stayed in France recently. They followed people around and liked eating apples.

On the Sunday before He was crucified, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling a predictive prophecy given about 530 years earlier (Zech. 9:9). (more…)


A Christian manifesto

A Christian manifestoThis manifesto is a statement by some Christian leaders in Australia declaring essential Christian beliefs that must be upheld, taught, and practised no matter what laws are made to oppose them. It addresses laws and cultural forces that threaten to silence Christian convictions in Australia by defending free speech, life and biblical values. (more…)


Archaeological evidence of the exodus

Moses crossing the Red Sea (French School color engraving)After the original creation and the resurrection, the exodus and the miracles surrounding it are the greatest miracles God performed. Indeed, before the incarnation of Jesus, God regularly identified himself as the God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt (Ex. 20:2; 29:46; Ps. 81:10; Jer. 11:4). (more…)


The 2025 Westminster Declaration

The 2025 Westminster Declaration

The 2025 Westminster Declaration is a call from Christian leaders and organizations across the UK to affirm timeless truths about life, marriage and family, freedom of conscience, and the role of Christian faith in public life. It also carries calls on the university, and on the development of AI and other new technologies. (more…)


Life is not fair

Life is not fairA young boy eagerly trained all year to make the school’s soccer team. He was up at dawn every morning, kicking the ball against the fence, running drills until his legs ached. Tryouts came—and he played better than he ever had. But when the list was posted, his name wasn’t there. Instead, a student whose father sponsored the team got the spot. At home, with tears in his eyes, the boy asked his dad, “Why? I did everything right. It’s not fair.” His father said, “You’re right—it isn’t fair. But life often isn’t. The question isn’t whether life is fair; it’s whether we’ll choose to trust God when it isn’t”. (more…)


When you can’t take it any more

When you can't take it any moreHave you ever felt you can’t take anymore? Difficulty after difficulty, hurdle after hurdle, loss after loss seems to have overcome your ability to cope. Overwhelmed you simply want to collapse in a heap and give up. It’s a hopeless feeling. And sadly a common one in this world of corruption, deception, disappointment and danger. (more…)


I convinced Grok the biblical flood really happened

I convinced Grok the biblical flood really happenedA conversation with Grok about geology and fossils, which comes from a video by Calvin Smith of Answers in Genesis. (more…)


I convinced Grok that God is real

I convinced Grok that God is real

A conversation with Grok about evolution and the origin of life, which comes from a video by Calvin Smith of Answers in Genesis.

(more…)


Questions and answers about creation – 2025

Questions and answers about creation - 2025The Bible gives a selective history of the earth from its creation to its re-creation. Many question this. Did you know that there are answers to your questions? Here’s the answers to some questions that were asked recently. (more…)


Why as a biologist I believe in creation

Poster: "Praise Darwin, evolve beyond belief"Biology is the study of living organisms like bacteria, animals, plants and fungi. It investigates the origin, growth, reproduction, structure, function, behavior and distribution of living organisms. As a Christian biologist, I believe in creation. (more…)


Genesis: the real history of the universe

The geologic time scaleToday we hear a very different history of the universe to what the Bible teaches. This is called cosmic evolution – everything made itself. There was nothing and it exploded and here we all are! But it had no cause – God didn’t do it. It just happened. They believe in magic rather than miracles. Christians believe in miracles, but I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist because they believe in magic, not miracles. Miracles require a miracle worker, and they have no miracle worker. So, they have nothing becoming everything with no cause whatsoever! Has anybody seen nothing do anything? Nothing does nothing! But this is what they have to believe if they don’t want to believe in God. Atheism is rife in Australia. And the basis of it is the idea of biological evolution. Richard Dawkins said that evolution enabled him to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist. So evolution is the creation myth of the atheist. (more…)


Be ready for whatever the world throws at you

Be ready for whatever the world throws at youWhen do you feel at your weakest and most vulnerable? Perhaps it’s when you’re experiencing financial insecurity or if a relationship isn’t going the way you hoped. Perhaps you feel weakest when you’re faced with uncertainty whether it’s uncertainty about your children, about your health, or about your future. Perhaps the everyday demands of life simply leave you exhausted and unsure how you will muster the energy to face another day. (more…)


Where does intelligence come from?

Seven stones tools were found in IndonesiaArchaeologists have discovered ancient stone tools on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, suggesting early humans were there more than a million years ago (assuming uniformitarian deep time). These stone artefacts and some fossils were found in sandstone sedimentary layers. And the finding was published in Nature (Hakim et al, 2025; Phiddian, 2025). (more…)


Christianity survived persecution in Rome

The Colosseum in Rome where some Christians were martyredThe city of Rome formed at the best place where the River Tiber could be forded between the Tyrrhenian Sea and a very distant locality upstream. This was at the island of Isola Tiberina.

Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire. Romans practiced polytheism and worshipped the emperor. Because Christians, believed in one God and refused to worship Roman gods or the emperor, they were viewed as subversive and even treasonous. (more…)


Another test series

Test cricket series - India versus England 2025The recent test cricket series between England and India finished in a 2—2 draw. And the next England versus Australia test series begins on 21 November 2025. A test cricket series involves up to five cricket matches, with each match lasting up to five days. Did you know that Israel went through many more tests on their exodus from Egypt in about 1450 BC? How would they respond to the challenges on their journey? Would they trust and obey God who was leading them? Or would they rebel against God and go their own way? (more…)


When you’ve got nowhere to run

When you've got nowhere to runAustralia is a very safe country to live in. According to the Institute for Economics and Peace 2024 report Australia ranks as the 19th safest country in the world. In such an economically, politically and environmentally stable country it’s normal to feel safe. (more…)


Two great miracles

Medieval (~1400s) woodcut of God Creating the world with CompassIn Psalm 77, the writer “cried out to God for help” (v.1NIV). He was in distress (v.2) and couldn’t sleep (v.4). He could only think about his troubles. And he doubted God’s mercy and kindness (v.7-9).

But then he looked back at what God had done for Israel in the exodus from slavery in Egypt (v.10-20). And he wrote, (more…)


The benefits of carbon dioxide and fossil fuels

The carbon cycleMany people are ignorant of the benefits of carbon dioxide and fossil fuels.

Two physicists have issued a technical paper showing that physics demonstrates that increasing greenhouse gases cannot cause dangerous warming, extreme weather or any harm. In particular:
– More carbon dioxide will create more food, and
– Driving greenhouse gas emissions to net zero and eliminating fossil fuels will be disastrous for people worldwide. (more…)


New US climate report

US Department of Energy logoThe US Department of Energy (DOE) has just published a report by the 2025 Climate Working Group. The report concludes that carbon dioxide (CO2)-induced warming appears to be less damaging economically than commonly believed, and that aggressive mitigation strategies could be more harmful than beneficial. Additionally, the report finds that US policy actions are expected to have undetectably small direct impacts on the global climate and any effects will emerge only with long delays. (more…)