Bevan Fletcher is a fantastic guy - He gave his life to Christ after a tumultuous life and living what he thought was the very best life he could ever have.
He was brave and forthright and lived his life for himself, making heaps of money and taking what he could, even if it meant putting anyone down who got in his way - he was an angry guy who had lived his life for himself and was making and achieving lots of money and what he thought was life!
He was suddenly struck! He suddenly found himself praying, and there in the car at the traffic lights he asked Christ to lead him.
He was completely in awe of what had just happened, did a U-Turn in life, and found himself talking to the minister of that church, who actually advised him to get himself to a Bible college because, knowing Bevan's past, the minister thought he would achieve so much.
That is exactly what Bevan did. He became a full-time minister of the word of God and put himself in God's will, and years later found himself in Syria right in the middle of the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime. There was sectarian violence and a huge and severe humanitarian crisis.
Bevan also found himself in the middle of clashes with Kurdish Forces over control of where he actually was in the northeastern territories. He was in the middle of fighting between traditional government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian democratic Forces.
Stuck in the middle, Bevan couldn't come home, and he couldn't leave this place - he was so helping all sorts of people as best he could. The resources were dwindling quickly, and he had to really make up his mind about what he was going to do.
In the morning he started his journey to the airport, hoping beyond hope he could get some sort of transport out of here and back to Australia. He prayed a lot, and after three full days of trudging along with heaps of other migrants, he found himself at the airport.
He was so aware that he was probably unable to leave because he was in the middle of an active war zone. He prayed a lot, and amazingly, he was bundled with a lot of others on one of the last flights out of the country and taken to the USA of all places.
He was totally broke, not only of money; his passport was gone, he had no other clothes, and he was totally isolated from everyone and everything. Life went on in the USA, and fortunately he found himself with so much help at the Australian Embassy.
A long story cut short, he was soon back in Australia. He was an amazing man, and the USA was fantastic in assisting him back to Australia. He plans to go back once again.
God is great regardless of what we are going through. My mind nearly always goes back to Jesus and what he went through and the age of only 30 years. He gave his life for us, and he rose again to show us what eternity could be like if we even take a quick look.
Jesus once again told a parable to the crowd, especially aimed at the Pharisees and all the others there who were putting themselves way ahead of the poor and needy, who made up the masses who came to see and hear Jesus.
Jesus' parables had real meaning, and this one was trying to get through to the rich and to those of us who think we are pretty good and cruising through life. The following story that Jesus told is found in the Bible in Luke 8: 10-14, and it goes like this in the Good News translation.
"Once there were two men who went up to the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, Í thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there. I fast two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all my income. 'But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, 'God, have pity on me a sinner!' I tell you," said Jesus, "the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home. For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great."
WOW! I reckon that was quite a parable that Jesus told, and self-righteousness certainly was not on Jesus' agenda at all. Thinking highly of ourselves was the crux of this parable, and that is certainly something that Jesus was telling us is a danger!
It is certainly something we should all take on board. Jesus wanted to communicate to all of us how important it is not to put ourselves ahead of others at all. Something I personally have to come to terms with.
Putting ourselves ahead of others can have all sorts of repercussions. Even driving along the roads, there are so many people wanting to get ahead of others and pushing themselves. I'm afraid I am like this also, and even though we are driving cars in today's world, pushing ourselves ahead is certainly a sign that we feel we are better than others.
That is exactly what Jesus was trying to get through to us in this parable. He was making a firm point that putting others ahead of ourselves is good and the right thing to do, regardless of where we are or what we are doing.
This whole parable has been a huge lesson for me personally, and I truly hope that it will be the same for you.
Jesus was amazing when he was physically here on earth, and he is still amazing right now. He really wants you to come to him, asking him to lead your life and give him the honour and glory.
Are you ready to give your life to Jesus and ask him to lead you in everything you do? God bless you this week, and I hope to see you next time.
