“Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.” Mark 15.21 (NKJV)

Popcorn Christianity!

Submitted by Ps Joseph Swan

Mel Gibson’s film ‘The Passion of the Christ‘ gave many people a new understanding of Jesus’ journey to the cross and the horror of his crucifixion. Like many Christians around the world, I went with my Church to go and see the movie. In some ways I wish I hadn’t. I would much rather have sat in the privacy of my home so I couldn’t be distracted by the people around me. Along with many others in the cinema that day, I was moved to tears. All I could think while I watched Jesus being beaten, whipped and crucified was, ‘He did this for me!” But there were some in the cinema who talked through the movie, some giggled while others sat there in their comfortable seats stuffing their faces with popcorn, chips and choc tops, while the Son of God was crucified in front of them!

Jesus’ death to these ‘Christians’ was nothing more than a night’s entertainment!

Afterwards as people were coming out of the cinema, some wanted to chat, all I wanted to do was jump in the car and go home as quickly as I could. I wanted to be alone. Scenes from the movie played over and over again in my head. I just wanted to fall in a heap on the floor somewhere and sob, and repent of living a selfish life. There was also part of me which wanted to phone every one of those ‘so called Christians’ and give them a piece of my mind. How can you watch something like that and be indifferent!

But I guess there were thousands of people just like these who actually witnessed Jesus going to the cross that day and walked away unchanged. Some hurled insults. Some jeered. Some even took great joy in seeing Him suffer. Would I have been any different if I were there that day?

There were some who were impacted. There were those closest to Jesus, His mother and friends who watched from afar. There was the Roman centurion who came to the realisation that this truly was the Son of God. There was the criminal on the cross who that day entered with Jesus into eternity. And there was Simon, the man compelled to carry the cross of Christ.

Simon was from North Africa. Maybe he was chosen because he was black, maybe because he was a foreigner, maybe because he stood out in the crowd. Regardless of why, he had the honour of being the very first person to carry the cross of Christ. But he had to be forced to do it.

To carry the cross of Christ is never easy. It is never comfortable and it is never convenient. But Jesus tells us that if we want to follow Him, it is something we need to do daily. To carry the cross causes us to focus our attention on Christ. It means laying down our will, our desires, our dreams. It forces us to stop thinking about ourselves. It causes us to stand out in the crowd and identifies us with Jesus.

Just like Simon, we are ‘compelled’ to do it but we are often blessed by the things we are compelled to do. We are changed! Scripture says that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander. We learn in Romans that Rufus was someone known to the early Church and was a devoted follower of Christ. We can surmise that something happened to Simon that day. He may have been a stranger to the city. He may not have known this ‘Jesus’ whose cross he was commanded to carry, but in carrying the cross, a transformation took place, one which not only changed his life but also that of his children.

My prayer is that we all put down the popcorn and pick up the cross so we can experience the transforming power of Jesus’ love in our lives.

Catch more of Pastor Joseph at www.josephswan.com.au

She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Mark 14.8 (NKJV)

Be All You Can Be!

Submitted by Ps Joseph Swan

Randy Kraus was paralyzed. His left side was useless. But his right hand was good enough to lift the barrel of a .38 to his temple. Once, he’d been a police officer in Fresno, California and owned a private-eye agency. Once, he’d been strong and able. Now, all he felt was nothing.

His trouble started with Parkinson’s disease, but it didn’t end there. In July 2002, the 60-year-old Kraus went into the hospital for an operation that implanted electrodes in his brain to control the shaking. But during the operation, he had a stroke. He was paralyzed. The cop, the tough guy, the man who loved golf, “could think, but couldn’t move.” Transferred to a rehab hospital, Kraus wanted the therapists to give it to him straight. “You may never walk again,” they told him. “Maybe you won’t even be able to talk.”

Once home, he found he couldn’t lift a fork or take a drink by himself. Physical therapy was so painful and slow. What did he have to live for? So now Kraus held the gun against his head. Feeling the cold metal on his skin, he began to consider not his pain, but the pain he would cause his wife, daughters and grandchildren. He didn’t pull the trigger.

And his exercise physiologist, Andrew Garud, didn’t pull any punches with him. “You are where you are”, he told him. “The pace would be slow; the pain would be real. But as long as you are alive, you have the ability to get better.” After three months of working with Garud, Kraus wanted to see if he could stand. He could. Then he took three steps, sat down and cried like a baby.

One step, as they say, led to another. Next he managed a short walk along the edge of a boxing ring in the health club where he worked out. It was the hardest fight of Kraus’s life. People at the gym cheered him on. Garud kept saying he could do more.

Today, Kraus can walk up to 50 feet with no assistance, brush his teeth, shave himself, and uses an eletric wheelchair to enjoy an active lifestyle. He finds great pride in helping local patients find their path to recovery, just like he found his. He has become an inspiration to many.

Sometimes we can mistakenly think that success is receiving world wide recognition for your talents and achievements. We can think that success equals money in the bank, a degree on the wall, a top 10 hit, a large church. But Jesus’ definition of success is found in this story of the lady with the anointing oil. He praised her because she did all she could!

God expects no more from us than doing ALL we can do.

For each of us that will be different because we all have different capacities. The question we need to ask ourselves is, “Have I done what God has asked of me to the best of my ability?”

Sometimes we set the bar too low. Left on our own we often take the easy road. We all need at least one person in our life like Andrew Garud. Someone who will speak the truth and urge us on. Someone who believes in us and someone who won’t settle for any less than our best.

John Wesley once said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can as long as ever you can.”

You never know, simply by doing the most insignificant task to the best of your ability, you could inspire a whole generation.

Catch more of Pastor Joseph at www.josephswan.com.au

“Then everyone will see the son of man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. And He will send His angels to gather His chosen ones from all over the world – from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.” Mark 13.26-27 [niv]

Way Too Scary!

Submitted by Ps Helen Kobakian

This whole chapter talks about the last days on earth before Jesus return. It sounds way too scary. This is the inspiration for so many Hollywood movies; drama, action, torture and destruction. For some of us, it can be overwhelming to even think about such an experience is daunting.

If you are prone to anxiety and worry, then this chapter can be enough to throw you into a meltdown. It is very important what we do with our thinking and where we let our thoughts run. In context of daily life, tragedy and trauma happen every moment of every day across this earth. They may be isolated and on a smaller scale than what Jesus talks about here, but they are happening, and could happen to any one of us any day. So the fact that this is a big scale event, I don’t need to worry about it other than to be sure my heart is right with Jesus and I am one of His chosen ones.

I like to focus on the fact that the whole drama culminates in Jesus rescuing us, and this being the beginning of our eternity with Him.

Once I have my own head around the drama and have avoided a personal fear meltdown, I can then focus on what Jesus is really highlighting.

There will come a day, an end point where people’s eternity will be permanently defined. I have the responsibility to share this truth with others so they can also be assured of an eternity with Jesus.

Application: Don’t stress about Jesus coming back, keep your heart right. Then put that energy into praying for family and friends to be saved and look for opportunities to share your faith.

I remember a time in my christian life when my only prayer was, “Jesus don’t come back yet, I am not right with you!”

It was a real Jonah season, (you can read about him in the book of Jonah in the bible.) I knew what God wanted me to do, I had heard clearly from Him, but I was running in the opposite direction. I could find no peace, even though I was trying to be part of a church and do what was officially correct. At this time, reading that Jesus could come back at any moment would bring me great distress, I was not ready.

A couple of things to learn from this!

Don’t run from God. When He has revealed what He wants you to do, what is His way, just do it. The spirit of God lives inside you, He cannot be outrun or outwitted. When you invited Him in, He moved right in and loves helping you live to God’s glory. So go with it.

The other thing to remember is our salvation is not based on whether I obey or not. I am saved by grace, by the precious blood of Jesus I stand before God holy and blameless. I did not need to fret that I would miss out, Jesus loves me, died for me and saved me a filthy sinner. Why would he then leave me behind after all that!

In saying that, obeying is by far the best option. The struggle and anguish in my heart while living is disobedience to Holy Spirit’s clear direction on my life is not a fun place to be. It is not living the abundant life Jesus promises.

Jesus return is not too scary, as long as we are assured of our salvation by faith in His grace. It is something to be excited about, and our excitement and joy will be enhanced as we live daily obeying and listening to Him.

“Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning – lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. Mark 13.33-36 (NKJV)

Left Behind!

Submitted by Ps Joseph Swan

In August 2008 a four-year-old Israeli girl was left behind at Ben Gurion International Airport at Tel-Aviv as her mother, father and four siblings rushed to catch a flight to Paris. The ultra-Orthodox family of seven, who between them had 18 suitcases, were in a hurry not to miss their flight and in their haste failed to notice that only six of them had actually boarded the plane. The girl was found crying and wandering around the departures hall by a police officer. It was too late to stop the plane as it had already left the terminal. As the aircraft gained height, the girl’s parents suffered the crushing embarrassment of being told by the pilot that their family was one short. They had apparently still not realised. There was a happy ending to the story as the little girl was put on the next flight to Paris, accompanied by a flight attendant. The forgetful parents were questioned by authorities upon their return home.

I can only imagine what was going through that little girls mind? The realisation that everyone she loved had gone and she was left behind.

As a child in the late 70′s and early 80′s I can remember hearing preachers talk a lot about the return of Jesus. Planes falling out of the sky. The mark of the beast. Earthquakes. Famine. Disease. Persecution. The Rapture. It sent chills up my spine. It is an event on the Christian calendar which is shrouded in mystery. No one knows exactly when it will take place or what it will look like but it is getting closer day by day. I remember coming home one day from school to find no one at home. There were no notes, no phone messages, just a freshly made cup of coffee on the table and no one around. The words of Larry Norman’s song, “I wish we’d all been ready,” came echoing back to me. One line in particular screamed loudly around in my head, “there’s no time to change your mind, the Son has come and you’ve been left behind.”

I panicked! Immediately I began phoning every person I could think of who I was certain was a better Christian than me, the only problem was no one was answering their phone!

Just as I was about to fall in a heap on the floor and plead with God for a second chance, I heard the familiar sound of my parent’s combi van coming up the driveway.

Despite my misguided fears, there is going to come a day when Jesus will return like He said He would. To each of us His servants, He has left us with the responsibility for His house, given us His authority, and commissioned us with work to do. When He returns I am sure He will want to see just how faithful we have been with these in His absence.

My Dad had a very simple philispohy on end times. “Plan as though Jesus is never coming back but live like He is coming back this very minute.”

I wonder what Jesus will find me doing when He returns?

Catch more of Pastor Joseph at www.josephswan.com.au

“He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.  He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watch tower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.” Mark 12.1 [niv]

Dropping That One Word

Submitted by Ps Linda Bailey

Observation: As part of our study at Theological College we had to practice preaching. This was often done as part of our class time where someone would preach to the students and then be marked according to certain criteria. It was always rather daunting standing in front of your class mates and presenting a sermon for them. You could hope that they would have compassion for you because they knew that they were up next, but you were never too sure! The next part of the assessment was to actually go to a real congregation and share a sermon there. I can remember one of the students coming to our church as a guest speaker. They were confident, well prepared and very articulate. They had the congregation following along until they dropped one word and then they lost about 90% of those who were listening. That one word wasn’t a swear word, it wasn’t racist and it didn’t offend people. But as soon as it was mentioned, not just once but a number of times, our student preacher lost most of their willing listeners. That one word was… Johannine (pronounced Jo-han-nine).  I only knew what the word meant because I had already endured two years of theological college by then. But the word Johannine is the word that theologians use when referring to the writings and themes in the gospel of John. That’s it.  Nothing hard to explain or difficult to understand, just another word for saying what is expressed in the Gospel of John. And yet using this one word caused the majority of the congregation to switch off because instantly they didn’t understand a key word within an explanation.

Application:  Jesus was the guru in communicating appropriately to His audience. When He wanted to connect with a particular crowd He would use language that He knew they would understand. Time after time we hear His parables that use the very simple things of the world to bring a much greater meaning.  When we are talking to people about our faith we don’t need to go to Theological College or use long, convoluted words.  We just need to speak simply and from the heart. Then people will not switch off but hear the truth in our simple but meaningful words.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, it is impossible for us to find words to explain who You are and what You mean to us. Help us to communicate Your greatness to those we witness to.  Amen.

What style of communication works best for you?  

Ps Linda writes a Daily Devotional everyday. Check it out!

“Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12.42-44 [nkjv]

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Submitted by Ps Joseph Swan

In 2009 a Queensland couple and a man from Adelaide won $53m dollars each in Oz Lotto’s biggest division one prize. To a lot of Australians, winning the lotto is a dream come true. The chance to get ahead in life. But for those lucky few, the dream can quickly turn into a nightmare.

“Winning the lottery isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be,” says Evelyn Adams, who won the New Jersey lottery not just once, but twice, to the tune of $5.4m. Today the money is all gone and Adams lives in a trailer.

Jack Whittaker won a record $314.9m Powerball jackpot in 2002. But life for him has been anything but perfect since that day. There has been a long list of arrests, lawsuits and broken relationships. In 2007 his wife admitted she wished she had torn up the ticket.

William Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania Lottery in 1988. He was sued by a former girlfriend and his brother hired a hitman in the hope of inheriting his winnings. Post invested badly and within a year was $1m in debt! Today he gets by on social security payments and wishes the whole thing never happened.

Janite Lee won $18 million in 1993 but filed for bankruptcy just eight years later.

Michael Carroll won $9.7m in 2002 and after 30 court appearances and being jailed for drug related offenses, admitted to only having $500,000 of his windfall left just six years later.

Willie Hurt won $3.1m in 1989 and spent it all on divorce and cocaine within two years.

I could go on and on…

Jesus watched as this poor widow gave her two mites. According to custom, she had an obligation to pay something into the treasury. One coin was expected. But she gave two! And even though what she gave was so small in comparison to other’s gifts that day, Jesus highlighted the fact that the value of a gift is determined by what it cost the giver. This is what made the widow’s offering so valuable.

It cost her everything!

Most of us haven’t won the lotto. We have debts, mortgages, and bills. We are pulled in a thousand different directions by things wanting our time and attention. We have to get up each morning, go to work, to earn money to live. Even though it may seem like we have very little, we can’t use our lack as a reason not to be generous – generous with our time, our money, our words and our life.

The poor widow challenged the mindset, “I’ll give more when I have more”. And Jesus noticed her out of everyone else!

I wonder if I were in that line that day, would my offering have caught Jesus’ attention?

Catch more of Pastor Joseph at www.josephswan.com.au

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbour as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12.30-31 [nkjv]

Love God, Love Others

Submitted by Ps Linda Drowley

Love God, love others. Love God, love others. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? The two go together because faith without action means nothing. God is perfect. I find it easy to love perfection. I find it much harder to love strife, trouble, hardship, abuse, criticism and slander. Loving others with a great attitude takes determination, conviction, endurance and stamina.

It takes prayer and persistance to love the unlovely side of life. It takes compasssion and sacrifice to reach out to help others in need. I love that the Word says that both these commandments are equally important. We are greatly blessed but that is not just for ourselves. We are blessed to be a blessing to others around us and we have the God of no limits to help us.

Jesus, help me to use the two edged sword. The blade of blessing and the blade of sacrifice working together in worship and service.

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.” Mark 11.22 [niv]

Fear vs. Faith

Submitted by Ps Linda Bailey

Observation:  When we are born, we are born with only two fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises.  However, as we grow up and experience many more things in our lives our fears have a tendency to multiply. There are now over 2000 fears/phobias on record. And I’m sure we could add to that list with the fears that we feel in our everyday life: fear of failure, fear of not having enough, fear of disappointment.

Application:  In 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, ‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’  God does not want us to be consumed by the fears in our lives.  He gives us all that we need so that we may have the confidence to be His people here on earth. The question is: Is our faith greater than our fears? Fears will still come into our lives, there is no doubt about that.  We will still have situations that cause us great concern but we have to ask ourselves whether our trust in God will overpower the fear we have in this world. Our fears are great, but our God is greater. Our God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, who divides seas and shuts the lion’s mouth, who was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, He is our faithful God.  We can stand firmly in the knowledge that our God is greater than any fear that comes into our lives and He can do mighty things through those who are faithful.

Prayer:  Lord, there is no one like You. All things are possible in Your mighty name.  Amen.

What fear do you have in your life?  

 Ps Linda writes a Daily Devotional everyday. Check it out!

“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.” Mark 11.13-14 [nkjv]

Eat What You Want And Stay Thin!

Submitted by Ps Joseph Swan

Sometimes false advertising is easy to spot. We hear those incredible statements like ‘lose 50 kilo’s in 5 days’ or ‘eat all you want and stay thin!’ If it sounds too good to be true, most often it usually is. But sometimes false advertising is a little more subtle.

Take for example Listerine.

First formulated in 1879 as surgical antiseptic, it was given to dentists for oral care in 1895. It was the first over-the-counter mouthwash sold in the USA in 1914. However by the 1920′s it was being marketed as a cure for sore throats and coughs, a dandruff preventative, an anti-shave tonic and a safe way to protect yourself from cuts, bruises, wounds and stings!

It promised the world but at the end of the day, delivered very little. Eventually the company was fined and ordered to make amends.

In this modern day and age, very little has changed. We are surrounded by marketing campaigns promising the world but coming up short. The end result is we get more and more cynical.

Jesus found the fig tree to be guilty of the same sort of false advertising and He cursed it! Not because it didn’t have fruit, but because it’s green leaves promised fruit but delivered none.
There are too many churches today doing exactly the same thing. They present themselves publicly in such a way that hungry people are drawn to the ‘green leaves’ in search of food, only to find upon closer inspection that there is no fruit on the tree. People come expecting sustenance and substance but leave empty handed and I think their heart grows a little more cynical each time it happens.

However it’s easy to cast blame on the church but we need to remember that churches are made up of people, just like you and me. So we have a responsibility as individuals to ask ourselves the question, “if someone came looking at my tree, what fruit would they find?”

Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Kindness? Goodness? Faithfulness? Meekness? Self-control?

Maybe if we all did that, the church today would resemble more of what Christ intended for her to be.

 Catch more of Pastor Joseph at www.josephswan.com.au

“Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” Mark 11.24-25 [nkjv]

God Is Always On Time!

Submitted by Ps Linda Drowley

Prayer is such a powerful force in our lives!

Prayer activates faith and faith is pleasing to God. God responds to faith. Faith says God is all powerful, all knowing and can accomplish any feat. So when we pray in faith we can expect amazing answers and we can expect to see miracles.

The big problem we have is that we expect to see those answers immediately, however God’s timing is perfect. Sometimes the answer is immediate but mostly the answer comes after a long and patient wait where we have learnt to trust, be patient and where we have become more Christlike along the way. God does not respond to tantrums, or our agendas. He loves us way too much and His plans for us are way to big to give us answers that are not in our best interests. We must also learn to forgive any offences to see God move, and He will patiently wait for us to forgive others before He sends our request through from the throne room of Heaven.

Jesus, I forgive anyone that has offended me, and I believe you will answer when I call to you.  I fully expect to be constantly amazed at the way you answer my requests.