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Written by David Hassan

Published: 24 April 2017

Psalm 130 

“Out of the depth’s I cry to you, O LORD” is how Psalm 130 begins.  Have you ever said that before?  Have you ever been so low, felt so down that all you can do is cry out? What do you pray?

Today’s Psalm of Ascent are the footprints we’re invited to tread in, when we cry out to God, these are footsteps that tells us we are setting our feet in the right direction.

So what does Psalm 130 have to teach us about Hope and crying out of the depths to God?

Psalm 130 invites us to hope to cry Out to the God who listens

as we read in verse 1-2.  Listen in…

1  Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;  2  O Lord, hear my voice.   Let your ears be attentive  to my cry for mercy. 

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Written by David Hassan

Published: 16 April 2017

Isaiah 53:1-12 & Mark 15:21-39

 “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once said. This is a line that runs through every emotion. So both love and hate, pleasure and displeasure, approval and anger, can go bad, and both can go good. Today we come to remember a day where both our displeasure, and our desire to run at life our own way.  They are confronted head on.  Our want and waste was stared down with the offer of forgiveness, grace and mercy has come to us.  Jesus the sinless Son of God chose death on a cross

Jesus the perfect Holy one. He who healed the sick, and restored the broken, was despised and rejected, suffering death on the cross, so that we might taste and know the forgiveness and love of God.  The question is this Easter Friday “What does the life and death of Jesus mean for you?”

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Written by David Hassan

Published: 11 April 2017

Isaiah 42:1-9;   Isaiah 49:1-7; Isaiah 50:4-9; Isaiah 53:11-12

Today I want us to do a bit our own souls preparations for Easter by looking at 4 ancient songs given to people “looking out for a saving servant.  This servant they didn’t see all that clearly when he came.  Just like not many of us know the second verse to our national anthem, the first 3 songs today we aren’t as familiar with either, the forth song we have heard many times.  These four songs from Isaiah are about expectation, looking forward in hope of God in the flesh, the expression of God’s pure radiance of a servant born to save, a servant born to die.  A servant who will transform your life eternally with a new heart and new mind.  As Israel was used to the idea of servants being the representative for the people.  They had seen servants already with men like Moses, then in Samuel and at the height through a servant King like David and much later on through the prophets.  Each one of these servants stood between God & Israel, they had a role that saw them stand in the place of Israel to intercede before God.  The way I want to work this through is to look at each of the songs in turn, looking at each song as if we were the first hearers; then come to ourselves and see how this fits in our lives today as we seek to live and follow Jesus

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Written by David Hassan

Published: 26 March 2017

Acts 10:1-33

An estimated 11 million Syrians have fled their homes since the outbreak of the civil war in March 2011. After 6 years of war, 13.5 million are in need of humanitarian assistance within the country. Among those escaping the conflict, the majority have sought refuge in neighbouring countries or within Syria itself. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 4.8 million have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, and 6.6 million are internally displaced within Syria.   Further, about one million have requested asylum to Europe. Germany, with more than 300,000 cumulated applications, and Sweden with 100,000, are EU’s top receiving countries.[1]  In 2015 Australia we promised to take in 12, 000 of these refugees, we only took in 2,000[2]  We did little better in 2016 only accepting 1, 000 more, ddespite churches and towns opening up invitations to resettle Syrian refugees including Christians fleeing the terror of their country.  We have also witnessed many European countries have recently closed their borders leaving many refugees stranded in resettlement camps in poor conditions.  Prejudice is an ugly word.  We all hate being confronted with our own prejudices as our emotions are never neutral.   Just like anger towards God will either maliciously accuse Him or express living faith in Him.  So often people who are angry at God shove him away[3], or how my pride is a love of getting my own way.  What we are to notice is that being in the company of Jesus I need to confess my sins, ask forgiveness, believe the gospel, and ask for the wisdom to know how to respond and the power to do it.   Which is where we find ourselves today in Acts 

with God there is no prejudice. Jesus is Lord over every tongue and nation, and he is the one comes towards us with mercy and grace

so that we might bring the glory and praise to Jesus.  The question we are asked to answer today is: Who is the gospel for?  As we read in Acts 10:3-4

 One day at about three in the afternoon he (that’s Cornelius) had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"  Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked.  The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.

Caesarea is a sea port town on the Mediterranean coast.  It is where the Italian Regiment was stationed, and a soldier named Cornelius - a centurion was in command.  Rome was the occupying force of Palestine

Caesarea was the hub of control for the region, a center of Roman administration.  This Italian Regiment would have been there to keep domestic peace; as well as also reminding people who was really in charge, a showpiece to Roman ingenuity and culture, that even sported a temple dedicated to Caesarea.  Cornelius the centurion led around 80 men.  He would have been a toughened war veteran and he was personally accountable for the men under his command.  There is one thing we soon learn about this war hardened Centurion Cornelius, it was that he and his family were all God fearers.  Cornelius even though part of the Roman war machine, was a man who identified himself with God, the God of Israel; and what’s more he was known for his generosity and prayerfulness, and his devout faith and a fear for God.  Verse 2

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 

We can’t miss a little of the irony of that as part of an occupying force of Israel, has a God fearer who has identified himself totally with the faith of Israel in charge.  Cornelius was more than a sympathizer for God.

He was a follower who wanted God to shape his every thought and action though respected he was someone as a Gentile who was unclean

so any serious Jew would not enter his house.  All that was about to change, verse 5-8 (The Message)

The angel said, “Your prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God’s attention. Here’s what you are to do. Send men to Joppa to get Simon, the one everyone calls Peter. He is staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is down by the sea.”  As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two servants and one particularly devout soldier from the guard. He went over with them in great detail everything that had just happened, and then sent them off to Joppa.

Like using Google Earth today’s passage we now zoom’s out from Caesarea and zoom in on Joppa on where Peter is staying at the home of animal skin tanner named Simon.  Like Cornelius prayer is at the center of the action.  Also like Cornelius God meets with Peter with a vision that will challenge all of his cultural sensibilities.  As a Jew Peter thought he couldn’t associate with Gentiles, even though now he was a follower of Jesus, he just kept up his old Jewish ways.  All of this was about to change as God was about to confront him with his own prejudices, verses 11-14

He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

Peter’s Jewish sensibilities meant the laws of Moses stopped him eating many of those animals he was now seeing caught in that net.  The reptiles were out as were some birds, so was any animal with a split hoof

(cf Leviticus 11).  Peter’s growth in humility and grace is made plain to us, as we know Peter understood his freedom in Jesus.  We also know how the gospel was being spread to the ends of the earth, where even Ethiopians and Samaritans, confessed Jesus is Lord.  Now we witness a shift that was about to occur that has impacted ever since as to what our identity is today.  We are one in Christ Jesus there is no Jew or Greek slave or free.  The more I read about Peter the more I keep on thinking how relatable he is.  I see that Peter is like me it sometimes takes a while for the penny to drop.  Sometimes it’s like God has to make it really obvious where change needs to occur in me, verse 19-20

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

This is part of that problem many of us still deal with today.  That if we’re someone who’s grown up in a church we like the comfort of all of those rules we grew up with, and so we find it hard when people who are not Christians don’t live the same way.  I wonder if we can see our own cultural sensitivities that have to do with people hearing about Jesus ?  The question is do we believe that people need to earn the right to hear the gospel?  What I mean is like do they need to have to come here to church, or behave or dress or speak in certain ways before they qualify for us to tell them the Good News.  Peter got it verse 27-29 (The Message)

Talking things over, they went on into the house, where Cornelius introduced Peter to everyone who had come. Peter addressed them, “You know, I’m sure that this is highly irregular. Jews just don’t do this—visit and relax with people of another race. But God has just shown me that no race is better than any other. So the minute I was sent for, I came, no questions asked. But now I’d like to know why you sent for me.”

The response Peter shares the Good News about Jesus and  Cornelius and the rest put their faith and trust in Jesus as their Saviour.  Peter couldn’t refuse to baptises them in the name of Jesus, and he stays on with them for a few days.  Peter is someone who knew what forgiveness meant.  He was a broken man who had trashed everything, on the night of Jesus’ death, to be personally restored, forgiven by Jesus.  So if we hang around a new Christian for any length of time they become infectious.  The overwhelming response is that God’s spirit transcends cultures and borders, as faith is not a product of our race or heritage or family.  It is only by faith in Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins.  The question is how are you going at sharing that Good News with that person you’ve praying about?  Where are you seeing God on the move in your life?  Is there anything you are putting in the way of sharing what is Good News?

Let’s pray…

David Hassan @ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 26/3/17

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Written by David Hassan

Published: 19 March 2017

Acts 9:32-43  

 Legacies are important to us, like back in 1928 John Flynn established the Flying Doctor Service in Cloncurry[1].  An area surrounded by scattered pastoralists, who were poorly served by any kind of medical services.  From Cloncurry, Flynn could reach north to Cape York Peninsula,

west to the Northern Territory, and south almost into South Australia,

a total area of about quarter of a million square miles.  Securing state and federal funding Flynn was able to expand the service to become the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, we know today.  Flynn's vision is neatly summed up on the Flynn Memorial that stands at the Three Ways near Tennant Creek.  This memorial plaque reads:

'Flynn saw that only radio and fast efficient transport would really overcome the inland's vast distances. At a time when his ideas seemed wild and revolutionary, he developed a scheme which combined aircraft, radios and medicine to provide a mantle of safety for inland people. The establishment of the Royal Flying Doctor Service was mainly due to his vision and energy. The first Flying Doctor base was established in 1928 at Cloncurry. Today there are 20 such bases serving some 2200 radio and outstations scattered over some 70 per cent of Australia's land area.'

Like today we start seeing the continuing expansion of the Good News about Jesus being shared.  As we read in Acts 9:31  Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.  A peace descends following the persecutions that follow the death of Stephen, as many of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem fleeing for their lives.  We see many respond to the Good News that is also a work in a man like Peter (the man we know who was prone to “foot in mouth” disease), who on the night of Jesus arrest denied him 3 times.  Peter is now a restored man who knows the power of God to save and forgive.  A man who Gods uses to share the hope we find in Jesus.  This common fisherman from the shores of Galilee reminds us Jesus can make blind eyes see and deaf ears hear, and how joy and thanks comes by looking to Jesus.  As we read in verse 32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.  We last met Peter being hauled up before the Jewish High Council as he asked to give an account for his faith in Jesus along with the rest of the apostles.  We read of how they are busted out of the jail by an angel of God, and how on release they go straight to the temple steps to proclaim the Good News about Jesus.  Here now in Acts 9 Peter goes out from Jerusalem on a journey to Lydda, a town some 40km from Jerusalem towards the coast of Palestine.  Peter goes to strengthen the saints (as we know redemptive people show mercy because we know first-hand the mercy of God’s love ourselves).  In Lydda he’s confronted by a paralytic called Aeneas who has ben unable to move for 8 years.  Aeneas was someone who required all of his personal needs to be met by others and seeing his need Peter immediately says   34  "Aeneas," … "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up.  Aeneas is healed and the result is a town wide response to seeing the power of Jesus to heal this broken man.  As grace demonstrates Jesus is with you.  The question is are we persuaded that He is on scene with powerful, necessary help?  It is where we step into the struggle many of us face with suffering.  Like maybe you have suffered long and you yearn to be healed; or maybe you’ve called for the elders to pray over you, and anoint your head with oil to ask for healing as we read of in James 4; or maybe you prayed and God chose to answer that prayer, as miracles do happen.  What we know is that with suffering

Is that nowhere does Jesus promise healing to everyone who asks; whereas everywhere Jesus promises to be shaping us for his glory and our eternal security.  Jesus is the chief of all sufferers.  God who did not spare his own Son from death,  so that we might know the forgiveness of his love.  So with our prayers: sometimes  God says YES, sometimes God says NO, sometimes God says NOT YET.  Still yet we are called on to hope in the Lord as humility comes by carrying our sins in our hands before the Lord, asking for his mercy and loving kindness to be shown to us.  As we see what happens next as news of what happened spread through to Joppa.  The believers send for Peter to come to Joppa (modern day Jaffa – a suburb of Tel Aviv) as a dear saint had passed away here name is Tabia or Dorcas as her Greek friends knew her as had died.  Dorcas was a woman who was always doing good and helping the poor verse 36.  A woman so revered and respected for her love for Christ that when she dies all the widows all those she’d helped out came to mourn her loss bringing with them the clothes and cloaks Dorcas had made for them.  This was the legacy of Dorcas.  The question is do you know a faithful practical follower like her? Dorcas had a heart for the needy.  I imagine she was a woman who you found always sewing.  That she always had a bowl of soup ready to give to a hungry mouth, or who cared for the lonely and isolated for many widows of the town.  On arrival at the house

⁴⁰ Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. Verses 40-41

“Get up!” is all Peter has to say and Dorcas gets up.  This is just like he had when Aeneas was healed back in Lydda.  The same words we are meant to recall that Jesus said to Lazarus as well.  It is as if we are drawn to see that as Jesus got up from death, now Jesus has the same power to continue to heal the sick and raise the dead to new life.  It is here that we step into a much bigger view of Jesus where we start seeing that Jesus view of change is much different than ours.  This is where Peter is pointing us to in the miracle of Aeneas and the resurrection of Dorcas, it is to get us looking at how God shapes us in His own image. Jesus is Lord over death.  We start seeing here in Acts that right In the middle of our struggles, how radically Jesus transforms our hearts by His grace.  How with looking to Jesus we can think, desire, act, and speak in ways now that are consistent with who He is and what He is doing on earth.   I wonder how in our ordinary day we are looking to Jesus and how are we starting to see our desire for change begins to line up with God’s purposes for change?  We learn to reach for Christ desiring to be more like Him every day.  The thing is as we do this, we become more and more prepared for our ultimate destination of eternity with Him. What happened following Dorcas resurrection is the same that followed Aeneas healing.  Verse 42-43

When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner.

God’s ultimate plan and goal for us is worked out in the details of every day life.  The question is are you known for your generosity? How are you finding the love of Jesus shining in your life today? As we continue to look at Acts the challenge is: Who are you praying for that opportunity to share your hope in Jesus with? What step will you take towards that person this week to show them Jesus alive and on the move in your life?

Let’s pray…

David Hassan @ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 19/3/17

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Written by David Hassan

Published: 12 March 2017

Acts 9:1-31 

Who would surprise you to learn they were a follower of Jesus ?  Would it surprise you to find that:  Bono front man of the band U2 is, or the previous American President Jimmy Carter is, or Denzel Washington not only is the son of a preacher but also professes a personal faith in Christ, or that Magnum PI Tom Selleck is, or the renowned martial arts actor Chuck Norris is.  Norris says his mother continues to be a great influence in his life. "She loves Jesus with all of her heart and soul and made sure we understood that [growing up,]" he said, following a book signing in Atlanta. "She influenced me spiritually and instilled in me a sense of responsibility that carried over in my later adult life. She always told me 'God has plans for you,' and I didn't know what she meant. I think I do now."[1]  Some people surprise us when we learn they have become followers of Jesus.  As we find ourselves today seeing the power of God, that turns a fanatic, into the one of the premier evangelists about the Good News of Jesus.  It is men like the Apostle Paul who give us hope that God can change lives.  As we see today Luke wants us to see Jesus in Acts, and he points us to the call to repent and believe in him.  As we see how Jesus is the one, who turns upside down societies and communities.  Jesus transforms lives.  This is where we find ourselves today with Saul the zealot, a man bent on destroying the followers of Jesus, who’s life is transformed by a vision on a dusty Damascus road of the resurrected Christ.  As we read in verse 1-2  1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest  2  and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.   Saul seeks to take up where the stoning of Stephen left off.

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