Month: June 2024

Do not be afraid, just have faith

June 30, 2024

Bible reading: Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

I really love this passage of Scripture. It talks about a man coming to Jesus as he is worried about his sick daughter. He is so concerned she might die, that he comes to Jesus and asks Him to pray for her. He wants Jesus to go with him to his house. Sadly while he is with Jesus, some friends come and say your daughter has died. As I dwelt upon it four things came to mind.

1. Bring your problem to Jesus

Jairus had a problem. His young daughter was not well and he feared for her life. He knew Jesus could heal her so he brought his request to Him. Bringing our problem to Jesus should be our first response. Often we try to sort things out ourselves, but Jesus has all power and authority and bringing our problems to Jesus makes sense.

2. Do not be afraid, just have faith

In the passage we see that Jairus’ friends came to tell him his daughter had died. We see that Jesus did not listen to them. He just said, “Do not be afraid, just have faith” in verse 36. Then they set out for his house where the daughter was. I can imagine what the journey would have been like. His mind would have been racing. My daughter is dead, but Jesus said to have faith. In bad situations it is important to trust Jesus and His power, not what we see or hear.

3. Do not listen to the doubters

In this passage we see that Jesus did not listen to the friends who said the daughter had died (v35) and He put out the people who laughed at Him on His arrival (v40). Jesus said she is not dead, just asleep. Jesus only took the Mother and Father in to the room along with the three disciples Peter, James and John – three people of faith. When we are going through things it is important to listen to the words of Jesus in the Bible, not the negative voices around us.

4. Allow Jesus to intervene

We see that Jesus took the girl by the hand and told her to arise in Aramaic. The girl who was dead, rose to life. Jesus then gave the girl back to her parents alive and well. Jesus intervened and performed an amazing miracle. The dead girl was now alive! When facing problems in this world we just have to ask Jesus to intervene in faith and allow Him to do what only He can do. Our part is to bring it to Jesus and trust Him for the outcome.

Closing reflection

For us today it is so easy to get discouraged when bad things come our way. We can become downcast and listen to all the negative people around us. They key, I believe, for the Christian is to look to Jesus. Bring your problem to Jesus, invite Him in to your situation in faith and allow Him to intervene. You can trust Jesus because He is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He has all power and nothing is impossible to Him. Do not be afraid, just have faith.

Unfolding awe of Jesus

June 23, 2024

In Mark 4:35-41 we see Jesus perform an amazing miracle of calming a storm.

Jesus was in a boat sleeping when a storm came up and threatened to sink the boat. The disciples were terrified and thought they would drown.

One of the things I find interesting about this is they were experienced fishermen. They knew what it was to fish in all types of weather and it would take a lot to scare them.

In verse 38 we see the terrified disciples shouted at Jesus and said, “Teacher, don’t you care we are going to drown?” The next two verses is where the miracle happens…

[39] When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. [40] Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Can you imagine being on a boat in a ferocious storm and thinking you were going to die, then all of a sudden it stops at Jesus’ command?!

The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

Earlier in the book of Mark we see that Jesus had already caste out an evil spirit from a man, healed a paralytic, and healed a man with a deformed hand on the Sabbath. This miracle was next level. He controlled nature.

I can imagine the disciples having an unfolding sense of awe as they followed Jesus. Healing people, teaching with authority, casting out demons, but telling the wind and waves to be calm. I am not surprised they were terrified!

Looking back from our position we know that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. But for the disciples there would have been an unfolding sense of awe and belief in who Jesus was.

I know in my own life I had a sense of unfolding awe in Jesus too. I did not come from a family of faith so in my early twenties I started my search for God.

Slowly over time I purchased a Bible, attended church and began to pray. Over the period of six months I came to faith in Jesus. I knew I was a sinner and Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I knew I needed Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

If you are in this search for God, I would encourage you to visit my “Find salvation” page above. It explains what Jesus has done and what we need to do in response. I hope and pray that you will find an unfolding awe of Jesus too.

Hardest thing about being a Chaplain

June 21, 2024

I got asked what the hardest thing about being a school Chaplain is today. It was a genuine question from someone. My answer surprised them.

As a school Chaplain working in a government school, my role is to provide pastoral care to the students, staff and parents. But as it is a government school I cannot talk about my faith.

In this context I cannot speak about God, I cannot share the Bible or offer to pray for people. When I worked as a Pastor this was my go to. I would listen to people, pray and offer encouragement from the Bible.

For me this is so hard and at times very frustrating. When you sit across from someone and see their pain, you just want to pray and offer hope in God. But I cannot do that in my role.

Some days I daydream about what it would be like to work in a Christian or Catholic school and be able to use all the things available to me. To pray or share a passage from the Bible would be amazing.

So the hardest thing about being a school Chaplain in the public system is not being able to be to use my faith in my work. I can be a Christian presence in my school, but I cannot pray or quote the Bible.

Saved by grace to serve

June 18, 2024

Ephesians 2: 8-10 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

One of the great truths of the Bible is we are saved by grace thought faith in Christ. This means we become Christians through God’s unmerited grace, not as the result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. 

Out of love for God and out gratitude for this free gift from God, we should seek to help and serve others with kindness, love, and gentleness, and not just not live as we please.

While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit, but to serve Christ and build up the church.

God wants to save us. That is why Christ came and died on the cross for us. God wants us to accept this and go one and serve Him all the days of our lives.

God wants us to do the works He planned long ago as a result of our love for Him and salvation. We truly are saved by grace to serve.

My passions?

June 12, 2024

What are you passionate about?

This is an easy one to answer. The things I am passionate about are always not far from the surface and easy to see. I have many passions, but one stands above it all.

My faith in Jesus is my number one passion. Since I came to Jesus in July of 1989, my life has never been the same. He changed everything for the better. My heart is to walk with Him all the days of my life.

Walking closely with the Lord drives everything else I do in my life. He is the reason I get up early to pray and read my Bible. He is why I want to be the best husband and father I can be. He is why I am a Chaplain. He is why I have my PASSION websites to reach out with His love.

If it was not for Jesus I do not know where I would be. Jesus has given my life meaning, purpose, strength, hope and a future. He loved me and died on the cross for me. My response is to give my life back to Him each day and to take up my cross as it says in Matthew 16:24.

What am I passionate about? Jesus!