Depending on what part of the world you live in - in the next few days the world celebrates Christmas. Some see it as excuse to overindulge, Some see it as a good reason for a holiday, some as a time to reflect over the past year...

For me though... I celebrate it as a remembrance of when the greatest weapon against darkness was unveiled upon this Earth. For me, it's a reminder that God's immeasurable and insurmountable grace was poured out and somehow contained in a human vessel that we call JESUS.

It's totally absurd that it even happened - that the One called LORD who breathed out suns and stars in a moment became a tiny, vulnerable baby for one single purpose... To die sacrificially to save us.

What a remarkable story of redemption. What amazing love. What a truly awe inspiring God.

This Christmas... Remember The Reason.

His Name is JESUS!  

God put this on my heart to share as something I've walked through especially the past few years. I wasn't sure what to call this process but the words "reflective wisdom" came to mind and pretty much fits the bill I think. What I want to say is this... I believe in life there are two ways to learn wisdom. The first one is through your own experience. What I mean by that is that a certain type of wisdom can be learnt by you going through something in life and then looking back on the events and choosing to approach the same matter differently the next time that set of circumstances presents itself again. I would call that "adaptive wisdom". It's the ability to learn from your mistakes and failures and to move forward gleaning a new perspective on the same problem. If you read the book of Proverbs in the Bible it covers this type of wisdom quite a lot. God often uses things like this in our lives to help us to learn and grow. Think of when you're hammering a nail into wood and you hit your thumb with the hammer. Pain tells you it hurts and to avoid doing the same action of smashing your thumb again. It's a natural process of humans to avoid pain and learn from it.


It might be you getting a huge $400 speeding fine while driving to teach you the value of others lives and to respect the law. The same thing might even be a "wake up call" to help you to grow up, get control of your anger and not treat life and others so recklessly. I know for me that when these types of things happen my first response is to be very upset but later if I choose to submit to the Spirit of God it brings me to a place of thankfulness and repentance. For those of you who are not familiar with the term "repentance" it simply means to turn around and change. Wisdom is gained when repentance is given place in our lives. Put simply, when we get to a place in our mind that we foolishly think "we are always right" then we no longer learn and wisdom begins to die. You see, Wisdom is not a set of trophies on a shelf - a much better way to explain wisdom is that it's organic like a muscle. If it isn't used daily - it starts to weaken and then die. Now, the second way to learn wisdom is even more valuable than the first. Have you ever wondered why in the Bible and especially the Old Testament that there are so many stories of people doing the wrong thing and suffering for it?


King David and his sin of murder and adultery is a good example. King Solomon and the greed that corrupted his heart is another. Cain hating his brother which led to murder is another. The list goes on and on of the people that chose poorly and paid dearly for it. I'll tell you why there are so many stories like this... God wants us to learn from their mistakes. This is the second type of wisdom - reflective wisdom. It's the ability to see the pain and hardship that others have in their lives caused by poor decisions and to choose to avoid that path yourself. Now please understand my heart on this - this is most certainly not an excuse to judge and condemn others - instead its the process of discerning what happens in others lives and deciding to avoid having that happen to you. The book of Proverbs in the Bible talks about this kind of wisdom even more that the first type. It says in Proverbs 7:4 to "Treat wisdom as your sister, and insight as your closest friend." Many think this is just a clever analogy but I completely disagree. Wisdom is not just a collection of knowledge or a string of good decisions.


Wisdom is an entity. It's a Spirit that is given by God. Check out Ephesians1:17 if you don't believe me. So what I'm really wanting to say today for all who want to hear it is this... God wants to give you wisdom for your life to help you, to guide you, to teach you and to keep you. All you have to do is ask. He has no special respect or partiality for anyone down here - He sees us all the same and gives generously to all who ask. Just remember, God's wisdom is not like the wisdom of this world. It will often go contrary to what many others may say and think but the outcome of God's wisdom is always peace. God loves you. 

[ James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ]   

Call me weird or whatevs but I'm gonna use skateboarding as a way of explaining Faith. You see, when I first started skating several years ago I was awful. And I'm not just saying awful as in "OK... but not great" I'm talking AWFUL as in faceplant, lose skin and ruin good clothes just about every time I visited the skatepark. I even had kids there tell me I should find another sport. Thing is, God gave me skateboarding as a gift when I suffered really bad with depression. I weighed almost 20kg heavier back then and was as pasty white as wallpaper from doing nothing but watching bad movies, bad TV and playing violent xbox games all day. Skateboarding was God's way of saying "You were made for much more..." Looking at me back then I would have strongly disagreed with Him.. but He was right. Over the next year or so He did some MAJOR renovations to me which turned my life completely upside down. Major "excavations" is probably a better description because it was a case of getting rid of a whole lot of stuff that was bad for me in a very short time period. Why am I saying this? Well, I was pretty convinced that the fat, lazy, unmotivated, addicted and depressed guy I was back then was all I was ever going to be. Thankfully I was so wrong. Faith is a journey. It's an adventure where you learn, grow and change. Don't worry if you don't look anything like what you think you "need to be" to get things happening. God has a habit of unlocking hidden things and bringing them out to the light. After all, He is the God that makes all things new. So step out in Faith - because God loves you and He's got this.

I couldn't sleep last night so I started praying at about 3am to God about some stuff thats been really heavy on my heart for a long time. I was talking to God about some of the things that happened this past year and in the previous years that really hurt and ripped my heart to shreds. Things I'd said and done just trying to help people but instead it all blew up in my face and seemed to only hurt the person and myself more than before I stepped in. The thing is with us humans is that when we fail we naturally give up. Logic dictates that if you failed you weren't fast enough, smart enough, strong enough or just not good enough for what needed to be. But here's where faith comes in... Faith isn't about how good, how strong or how qualified you are... It's about JESUS. Pure faith takes the focus off of you and your deficiencies and instead highlights the majesty, power, authority and love that JESUS has for us. Several things have happened over the years that would easily warrant me giving up trying to help people and sharing God's love and truth. After all, I've tried so many times and failed badly so, so many times.


But here's the thing... It's not about me. It's about JESUS. Im not perfect - but He is. I'm not strong enough - but He is. I'm not clean enough - but He is. I'm not good enough - but He is. So instead of trying to present myself as perfect, qualified and the answer to the World's problems - I'll present JESUS instead. So, where that puts me today is this... I'm getting back up to do what He called me to do. To share God's love and truth to anyone who wants it. To be kind even though I'm sure I'll get my heart run through again and again. To stand up when I know I'm certainly going to fall flat on my face over and over again. So if you need prayer for anything feel free to use the link to my website www.spiritburn.org in my profile and I'll gladly pray for you. Think of it as just a average guy that loves God talking to Him on you behalf. A humble soldier of the cross with a patched up heart from years of bullet holes fighting yet another day - because that's what soldiers do. So even if you don't believe in God - I do. So even if you don't believe in prayer - I do. Even if you're a complete stranger to me - you're most certainly not to God. So if you need prayer... Ask. God will hear you because He loves you.


Need Prayer? Visit www.spiritburn.org and click the 'NEED PRAYER' button and I'll be happy to pray to God for you. God loves you.

Lord, I bring before you my sacrifice...

It's not the best of me... It's not my wealth... It's not my talents... It's not my accomplishments...

I bring before you the thing I guard the most. The thing that is hidden from others but not from you...

I pile up today on the altar of sacrifice all my failure.

All my vain, selfish ambition. All my useless self serving accomplishments. All my failed ventures that I attempted on my own.

I pile them up. Higher and higher the mountain grows until it hides the sun itself.

Then I drench the heap with my bitter tears of vain dissapointment. All my sorrow through self justification and pride I pour on it from top to bottom until it runs into puddles around the sides.

Now, the sacrifice is ready. There is only one thing left for it to be complete...

Fire from God.

And so, as the ancient prophet called on your Name, I too call on the Name of the Most High God to send Holy fire from above.

Send your consuming fire upon my sacrifice so that I can see it burn to a crisp under the sheer magnitude of your power.

I do not fear your purging blaze for I know it heals, cleans and makes pure. It consumes all that is not meant to be.

So, let it burn. Burn until there is nothing left at all but ashes.

For there is only One God that can create beauty from ashes and only One God that can bring life from the dust itself.

Use me. I am at your bidding Lord. 

hey guys, can I share something with you? I'll be honest in saying I'm not perfect. To even insinuate that is such a joke. I have so many flaws its not funny - I've just learned to hide them from others and even from myself. After all, no one puts up horrible pictures of themselves on facebook and instagram - we put our best stuff out there. Well, what I wanna say is this. When we live in such a money driven world - I so easily fall into the trap of being materialistic and unthankful for all the things and the life God has given me. He has honestly given me so, so much. Far more than I ever deserve and He even helps me when I stuff things up. Which believe it or not is quite often. Is my faith in Him perfect...? No way. It's puny and tiny. I'm just glad He loves me and has patience with me. I remember a few years ago I was meeting a few guys to skate in the city skate park. You see before that I used to skate alone a lot in empty parks in the suburbs and was pretty happy just rolling around and with the few tricks I could do. I'd often find that I'd really meet God when I'd be there and He'd speak and teach me so much. I also learned how to have fun skateboarding for what it was and not for all the competitive hype that often comes with it. Just raw skateboarding. Straight up.


Well, after hanging around some "really good" skaters at this city park I ended up starting to feel like I was complete rubbish at skateboarding. You see, these guys were popping treflips and hardfips in their sleep - tricks I could only hope to nail. Truth be told though, these guys were pretty nasty womanising dope-smoking law breaking types who treated each other pretty darn rough but for some reason I got caught in the whole competitive materialistic side of skateboarding just by being there. It's funny how God works though. One day a new guy rocked up and I have to say he was the most remarkable skater I've ever seen. He rolled into the park, popped a kickflip then sat down in the shade. What really hit me wasn't his skate style or his tricks... it was the fact that he had no hands at all. You see, this guy was born deformed yet he didn't let even that stop him. One of his eyes was sunken in his face and I'm sure he probably didn't think he was hot stuff but I have to say that just seeing him skate at all hit me like a 50 carriage freight train at how unthankful I had become in such a short time. It also made me feel really sorry for getting caught in the hype of it all and not just being thankful for just being able to be free to skate. One day I'll share with you why I skate. Put simply it was a gift from God to me. A reawakening but that's for another time. Be careful not to lose perspective and become unthankful like I did guys, it's so easy to have your vision dazzled by the bright lights and all the hype but at the end of the day life itself is such an immense gift. God loves you.   

[DISCLAIMER - Before you proceed reading I issue the following warning. The content described below is of graphic nature. Skip reading this post if you are of sensitive temperament.]

The following is a vision God showed me quite a few years ago and has just now given me permission to disclose it in full detail publicly. I closed my eyes and then when I opened them I was in a large octagonal arena. The floor was made of cold, pitted concrete. The sides of the arena were surrounded by thick red ropes much like a wrestling or MMA ring. I was dressed in fighters garb, ready to go. My heart was already racing. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. In my mind I repeated the words "I can do this... I've got this..." I raised my fists in front of me ready to face my opponent. Whoever it was, I knew I could take them. I was born for this. Out of the shadows he came... The very first thing I noticed was his eyes. Such malice. Such undiluted hatred. He didn't even have to say a single word for me to know his intent. I could feel it in his presence alone. Pure evil itself. Never before had I seen a being that was so corrupted by bitterness, acrimony and spite. His form was that of a red dragon.


His skin was covered with weeping sores and just by looking at him I could tell that he harbored every disease known to man. His forked tongue uttered words I cannot repeat due to their abominable nature. He once was a jewel of perfection, beauty completed... but now all he resembled was a hideous monstrosity. He was once called and revered by his angelic name Lucifer - but now he was known as 'The Destroyer'. He wasted no time in formalities. I could sense in his body language that his sole purpose for me was pain. To inflict as much pain as possible and in the worst ways possible. I steeled my resolve and tensed my muscles ready for his onslaught. His first blow from a clenched claw filled fist was aimed squarely between my eyes. I managed to cross my arms above my face and block it but the sheer force and magnitude of his attack sent me reeling backwards. Before I could even regain my footing he had swiftly advanced and had me against the ropes. Another strike at my face which I blocked but this time he followed with deadly body blows to my ribs and thighs. It wasn't just the force of his blows that affected me so much but more his intent for me in that every time he contacted my flesh I felt death itself rob me of life.


I started to fight back and raised my fists again vainly swinging at his hardened scaly skin only to see my best efforts barely even make a dent. He backed off for a moment, almost as if giving me time to breathe but then launched at me full force and slammed me to the cold, unforgiving concrete. The wind escaped my chest and as my head hit the concrete my vision blurred and faded for a moment. I stood over me looking at me in utter contempt. A hatred not only just for me but for all of my kind. I tried to anticipate his next move but nothing could have prepared me for what he did next. In such fury and rage he dived on me and began to pummel me in a flurry of sledgehammer blows. Every single strike felt like the weight of an entire bus crushing me and then when he knew I was almost about to fade he reached down and grabbed a handful of my ribs and lifted me in the air. I realized then I was no match for him. I had trained for years and years yet my defeat came so swiftly. As he held me above his head he spoke the words... "you are nothing but dirt..." and then hurled me across the arena like a rag doll. The impact on the concrete broke several more bones and as I lay there in agony trying to get back on my feet I began to cough up large amounts of blood. My cuts and wounds screamed out in pain as I lay there in torment.


Pain now came in waves and with such an intensity that I could feel my life itself fading every moment. One of my eyes had stopped working altogether and I could no longer hear at all from the damage done to my body. My head was spinning and it hurt just to breathe. Tears began to stream down my blood soaked cheeks as I said to myself "I did everything I could and it wasn't good enough... I wasn't strong enough..." With the one eye that was still functioning I could see him crossing the arena with his large spiked tail now lifted in the air ready to deliver his final death blow. This was it... he planned to end me once and for all. Then it happened... Time itself stood still for a moment and everything faded to black and white. All the pain stopped. Everything stopped. And it was then that I could hear it... Like a voice inside. A familiar voice. "Call my Name... You were never meant to fight alone... Call my Name child..." I knew it was time. I had nothing left. There was no way I could win this fight and in the next few moments my evil foe would claim my life as his prize. With the very last ounce of strength in me I mouthed one word... I only had the strength left to say one word but it was the only word that needed to be said... "JESUS..."


Before I could see Him I could sense His presence. I knew He was there. As a matter of fact I knew He was there all along. Watching... Waiting... I saw Him step out of the shadows towards the arena. He was hooded and cloaked but His eyes gave away His true identity. He had the eyes of a King. The eyes of a Soldier. Eyes that knew no fear. He gently slid my broken body out of the arena onto the ground outside and then slowly lifted my head and placed a pillow under it making sure I could still see the arena. "Rest now child..." He said as He walked towards the ropes. "I'll take care of this now..." The dragon watched in disgust as He entered the ring muttering under his breath "I should be king instead of you...". Completely and totally unphased at the dragons sheer size and venom He walked right to the middle of the arena and then stopped. With His feet positioned at shoulder width and His fists clenched either side then He unlocked His true power. I saw His eyes ignite into flames of fury and then the hood and cloak exploded off Him in a force I can only describe as ten thousand volcanoes erupting all at once. The shock wave of His force and the magnitude of His energy is like nothing I can ever hope to describe.


He had a glow around Him that resembled an element I that doesn't exist anywhere here on earth. A combination of fire, water, lighting and mass. His appearance was nothing short of immense. Underneath He wore grave clothes like bandages that were now flailing in the wind that was emanating from Him. This was the risen King. The One who had conquered Death and Hell and now held them captive by His Word and His Will. I watched as the dragon trembled just at the sight of Him and could no longer even stand and fell to his knees. My enemy that battered and beat me so severely was reduced to a kneeling subject before My King. Then My King surged in such speed that could not hope to be measured. My eyes couldn't even keep up with His movements and in a moment He was there and had caught the dragon with one hand. I watched as His hand contacted the outer skin of the dragon causing it to sear and steam in reaction but that wasn't the thing that really made me sit up. There was a hole in His hand from where the nails were and through it I could see the eye of the dragon looking back at me. An eye that was once filled with so much pride, so much hatred, so much vengeance and consumed with bitterness now looked just like the eye of a rabbit caught in a trap. The dragon was totally and completely dominated.


Absolutely powerless before the presence of my King. The dragon knew it was all over, there was no fight. There was no contest at all. It was like comparing an ant to the sun. Then my Savior turned His head to me and smiled and in the flick of His wrist He sent the dragon hurling from the arena like a meteorite coursing through space at millions of miles per hour. It was over. He had won. Peace surrounded Him as He slowly exited the ring and came to my side and placed His hand on my bruised and broken chest. In a moment I felt all my life return to me. All my broken bones aligned and even the cuts and wounds sealed up as if they were never there at all. He looked at me and said "Why did you fight alone for so long child...? Anytime you need me just call my Name and I'll be here...". He then took my hand and got me back on my feet and said to me with a smile "Lets teach you how to fight soldier..." 

[ Romans 16:20 - The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. ]

Don't fall into the trap of self elevation that so many before us have. It's a very easy trap to stumble into, an unholy hubris that is formed in our minds and by the opinions of others that leads us astray. The end is always destructive.

Remember King David's error being tempted by the devil to count his subjects and measure his success instead of humbly relying on God despite the results. Learn from his error and the folly of so many others and resist the lure to become the "next big thing" and a new type of saviour. The devil always wants to find some poor fool to exalt and lift up so when the timing is perfect - he can pull them down and use it to create a shockwave of destruction.

The safest place to be is to always remember we are simply sinners saved by Grace alone. Little children who need our Father for everything.

We already have the best thing that being salvation and we already have a Saviour who is more than enough.

His Name is JESUS.

Romans 12:3 - For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 

You're not alone... I AM with you.

The reason others don't walk this path with you is because you are being personally trained One-on-One. My best soldiers are always trained this way. The fastest way to learn is to be removed from all that is familiar and to rely solely on My Voice. 

The reason the road you tread is hard, rocky and unpaved is because very few walk this road. Many choose the easy road, the smooth road, the road with the least surprises - the common road. 

You chose wisely when you listened to My Voice and began down this path despite how difficult it looked. But you have grown My child, I have led you and I have taught you. I have trained you and refined you through hardship and trials for My purpose. 

Your reward is something this world cannot ever offer you. Something it can never purchase or steal. Something far beyond price. Something that can only be bestowed from above. 

Keep following My Voice. Do not step to the left or the right - only maintain the course I set for you and you will receive what I promised. 

Wisdom, Insight and Eternal Life.  

Everything that Jesus did and said while He walked this earth as the Saviour of the World was truly and utterly remarkable but the single thing He said that stands out the most for me in regards to our relations with each other is when He said "Do to others as you would have them do to you..."

Throughout humanities existence many people have used broken fragments of the Bible taken way out of context to justify just about anything... ambition, greed, theft, betrayal even taking another's life from them - but this single phrase changes all that. It's the bomb defusal specialist sent in to disable the nuke that's going to blow in the middle of a packed city and start world war three. It's the lone soldier that says "I'll surrender my life if it means it will end the war..."

Can you imagine if every person that called themselves a follower of Jesus applied just this one simple truth? Can you imagine..?

I hope and pray this single notion captures our hearts and starts a revolution. God loves you so show love to each other.

"Treat others the same way you want them to treat you" - Luke 6:31

There's a lot of pressure in this world to be a lot of things... A lot of people want you to be their savior, to fix all their problems and to ease their pain. There's also people that want you to be the scape-goat for all the wrongs they've experienced and to take the blame for their hurt. There's people that want you to be some sort of exalted leader, something to follow, something that gives them hope. There's even some people that want you to be perfect - flawless and without fault being the perfect representation of their cause. Can I share some wisdom with you today? You don't need to be those things. As a matter of fact, you don't need to be any of the things people want you to be. When God made you - He made you with a purpose - His purpose. When He made you - He made no mistakes. What God says about you and His plans for you are far, far more important than the opinions of others. Even if those opinions come from people with great power or from hundreds, thousands or even millions of fans - what God says still sits much, much higher.


One of the most important names of God is that He's called "The Great I AM". Why is this so important? Because He is what we don't need to be and can never be. You don't need to be famous... Because He says "I AM". You don't need to be the scape-goat... Because He says "I AM". You don't need to be someones saviour... Because He says "I AM". You don't need to be Mr or Mrs Fix-it... Because He says "I AM". You don't need to be an amazing role model... Because He says "I AM". You don't need to be perfect... Because He says "I AM". God gives you a message in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans that I have for you, plans for good and not for evil, plans for a hopeful future". Jesus is already all those things listed above so all that leaves you to be is... You. Just be you. Who are you...and what is your purpose here? I can't tell you that because only God knows. But that's the best part, finding that out is only found through relationship with Him - not through someone else - and that's what He's always wanted with you. Relationship. Simple relationship of a loving Father to a valued, planned and extraordinary child. God loves you. 

Consider the famous discourse from the disciples to the crippled man in Acts 3:6 "Silver and Gold have I none but such as I have I give to you... In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth... Rise up and walk!"

The disciples had not a cent to their name yet the power of God flowed and healed a lame man making him walk, run and leap for joy because of the healing that came through the power of Jesus Name.

Why doesn't that happen in our churches much today? Is it because unlike the disciples we have money in excess yet very little of the simple faith and obedience the disciples had to move forward in the Name of Jesus?

Remember... The love of money is the root of all evil. You cannot love God and selfish gain.

Maybe if there wasn't so much money making the rich even richer it would make us draw closer to the true heart of God...

Your Kingdom Come FatherConsider the famous discourse from the disciples to the crippled man in Acts 3:6 "Silver and Gold have I none but such as I have I give to you... In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth... Rise up and walk!"

The disciples had not a cent to their name yet the power of God flowed and healed a lame man making him walk, run and leap for joy because of the healing that came through the power of Jesus Name.

Why doesn't that happen in our churches much today? Is it because unlike the disciples we have money in excess yet very little of the simple faith and obedience the disciples had to move forward in the Name of Jesus?

Remember... The love of money is the root of all evil. You cannot love God and selfish gain.

Maybe if there wasn't so much money making the rich even richer it would make us draw closer to the true heart of God...

Your Kingdom Come Father

When is the last time you went down to the ocean - not to skate, not to eat an ice cream, not to hang out with your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife or kids. Just you... When's the last time you walked to the end of the jetty and just stood there gazing over the massively wide expanse that is the ocean and just thanked God for the simple gift of life itself. No requests, no complaints... just thank you. If its been a while for you can I encourage you to take a trip to that place. Trust me when I say it'll make a massive difference. Being thankful changes everything. Have an awesome day guys. God loves you. 

The message is simple. God is above all things. This world is broken and we needed help. So God sent down Love to save us. His Name is JESUS. 

There is no greater love than for someone to die in your place so that you can live. That's a soldiers love. That's a Kings Love. A love that spits in the face of Death then comes back with Death itself chained up like a dog completely submitted telling it when to sit, stay and be quiet. 

[ John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.]

God chooses to use the weak things of this world to showcase His strength and the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. So if needing Jesus help every single day makes me weak - then I'll gladly be called weak. And if believeing in the power of the cross makes me a fool - then fool it is. Unashamed †

Hey, God loves you. Far more than words. He loves you so much He doesn't want you to be stuck there in what happened in the past. Yeah that stuff happened, there's no point denying it and you probably feel like you're a prisoner because of it. Maybe it's something you did to someone... Maybe it's something you did with someone... And now you're chained up in past hurt, shame, guilt, anger and regret. God never wanted you to live like this... He wants you to be free. Free to move forward. Free to think clearly. Free to choose. Free to love. I was like you for a long time. Locked up in past hurt that tormented me every single day. I thank God that I finally found the key to freedom that unlocked my prison. It's JESUS. Nothing else even came close by comparison. If that's you, just call out to God and ask for His help and He will hear you. Next He'll guide you on what to do. Just listen and obey and He'll start setting things right again. That's what He does... Creates and Restores. You're not a lost cause. Everyone's story can be rewritten if - only you let Him... God loves you.

[ Philippians 3:13 - Dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead ] 

Proverbs 17:28 - "Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent." 

I've said some really dumb things in my life I wish I could take back. As a matter of fact I still often do. The truth is though... You can't take them back. What's said is said. You can apologize and ask for forgiveness but far better than that is to just not to say selfish harmful things in the first place. Wisdom is not a mouth full of big words babbling on and on about a subject full of your own opinion. Wisdom is like chosen gold, pearls or diamonds. You don't just flash them about everywhere and to just anyone. You choose the right time, the right place and the right people. Be wise, learn to control your tongue and you'll save yourself and others a lot of pain and suffering. Choose to actively say no to gossip, slander, lies, accusation and hate and instead choose to let your tongue be used to build up, encourage, speak faith, life and light. God loves you. 

[ Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ] 

"He who tries to save his life will lose it.. but he who loses his life for my sake - will find it"  - Luke 9:24. What a truly profound truth. For all my life these were only words in a book... just letters in black and white penned thousands of years ago. Just words  until my life grinded to a halt and I needed out. My way didn't work anymore and I knew it was only a matter of time before I lost everything. My sanity, my relationships, my job, my home and ultimately my life. It was at that crossroad that Jesus finally opened up my eyes. I needed to die. Not physically but the ego and hubris that was me needed to die. I needed to admit I was wrong and my way didn't work at. Everything I had built was a lie and a waste - and the more I built... the more I weighed myself down with pain and sorrow. Even though it was years ago now I still remember that day like it was yesterday. The day Jesus opened my eyes and showed me the prison I was really in. Dark, ominous walls surrounded me on all sides. Far too high to climb and far to thick to ever escape from using conventional methods.


The walls were made of heavy stones. Old stones. Some far older than me and that had been there for generations. But behind the walls I could hear a whisper... A name being called out.  It still gives me that chill like electricity coursing through me just recalling it. What was this name... And why did it sound familiar to me yet I never knew it. It whispered again... "let go... of everything..." Somehow it made sense. Deep, deep inside it resonated with something that had been dormant for so long. Asleep all my life in fact. Yet now it was waking up. Like a heartbeat at first but it grew in rhythm and intensity. "it's time you woke up child..." the voice echoed again. A small, unwavering voice yet it held absolute authority. I could sense He was outside the walls now. He was near. The One. The Son of the Living God. Somehow inside I could just tell. I knew He was outside with His hand up waiting for me to respond. I knew what to do now... It was time. I was done with my way. It was time to wake up. It was time to respond. And so I raised my hand to where I knew His was raised outside the walls and immediately all the stones that made up the walls lit up with ancient text.


Even though the words were beyond my language or any language I'd ever seen on this earth - I knew every single word all at once. Ancient Words. Unholy words. Hatred, Fear, Shame, Addiction, Lust, Greed, Rebellion, Witchcraft. Hundreds of them. Then as I called out His Name the mortar that connected all the stones lit up in brilliant white light with such intensity that can't properly be described. Inside me erupted a fire - an inferno birthed not from this plane - but out of love. A white, hot fire placed there by my Maker. The war drums now pounded to a deafening and thunderous roar yet even as loud as they were I could clearly hear His voice. "Child, you were never meant to live in a cage... Be free... Show them what I can do... show them freedom..." Yes, a truly profound truth indeed. The day I finally learned how to lose everything was the day I finally found who I truly was and what I truly am.  I am His.

  

I'll say this as straight as I can... Jesus beats depression. Actually, I'll phrase that better... Jesus totally and utterly annihilates depression so badly He makes a total and complete mockery of it by completely changing the person to become a showpiece of His Power, His Majesty, His Love and His Mercy to save, heal and deliver. Jesus is the Lion that roars thunderously, without apology and in complete unchallanged authority in the face of the mouse that is depression. How do I know? Because I had depression once. I suffered at its cruel hands for most of my life. Dosed up with antidepressants and with addictions as long as a kids Christmas list. Robbed, tormented and suppressed by its evil will. That is until I let Jesus in to deal with it. Oh and DEAL with it He did... I never knew power till I saw and felt what His love can truly do. No one down here can truly set you free. Only He can do that. If it's freedom you want, it's Jesus you need. Let pride die, call out to Him and see His power for what it really is. Have an awesome day :)

I was on a run in the mountains the other day and ran past this old mining tower. It was in use around 50 years ago when the mines were active but todayit just sits idle, decrepit and abandoned. It no longer serves a purpose so it's been fenced up with tiger wire and declared unsafe for the public. It looks like the only visitors and interest it's had lately has been from a few teenagers spraying their tags on it - otherwise its pretty much forgotten. A lonely old tower sitting right at the bottom of the valley. Alone. You know where I'm going with this don't you... You might feel like that tower. You feel like you once had a purpose but it looks like it's all so long gone now. As the years march on your hope of even being noticed or of use to anyone of for anything fades...  There's no denying that those things happened. No matter how much you try to ignore them, those things changed the way things were. And now you feel lost, abandoned and useless. Hope fades like mist evaporating in the early morning sun. But that's not where your story ends. Oh no. You see, I was once like you too. Lost, abandoned and I too felt like I had no use to anyone or anything.


That is until He came. You know already know I'm talking about don't you. Yep, that guy... Jesus. I looked for someone down here to fix me, to include me and to make me useful - but it never happened. As a matter of fact I believe God actually prevented that from happening because He loves me far to much to see me get attached to a human being for my purpose and identity only to be deeply hurt yet again. It was only Him that could fill that void. It was only Him that could answer the emptiness. It was only Him that could extinguish the endless vacuum inside me. Only He truly holds the power to do that. And He did. He found me. He called out my name and I answered... I answered with "Jesus... please... help me..." Oh and trust me - He did. He did far more than I could possibly ever imagine. He unlocked who I truly am I inside. He completed me. He remade me and He promised to never ever leave me or abandon me. So if you feel like you're that tower... lost... abandoned... useless... Let me introduce you to the one who found me and made me whole. He has many names but the one you're going to need to know right now is this one... REDEEMER.


To redeem is best defined as "to compensate for the faults or bad aspects of (something) - to gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment." And that's exactly what He did. He bought us back by dying on the cross for us. He became pain so we don't have to carry it anymore. He became loneliness so we don't have to be lonely anymore. He became sickness and death for us so that we could be healed and live. He became sin for us to take ours away. If reading this speaks to a part inside of you that aches day after day - don't fight it. Let Him in. He's the one knocking on the door of your heart asking to be let in. He won't force His way in but trust me when I say... you wanna let Him in. If you only knew what He can do... Far more than you could ever dream. I did exactly that when I was 8 years old in a dusty old classroom being told Bible stories after school. That day... I let Him in and everything changed. I'm not here to pressure anyone because at the end of the day it's all about choice. But if you're sick and tired of this life and trying to run the show yourself maybe it's time you let the Master do His thing.


It doesn't matter what you've done, how many times you've done it, how many people you've been with, how far gone you think you are or even what others think of you... Jesus just says "Come..." He is your answer. He can redeem you. He alone has the power to do that. All you have to do is call out to Him, ask Him to save and help you and He will do the rest. The Bible says "Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). He will rediscover,  renovate and refine you into the person you were always meant to be. He will breathe purpose and life back into what you and others only see as dead, dry bones. He will redeem you because that's what He does and who He is. The Redeemer. God loves you. 

I'm sure you've probably heard the old proverb "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". If you're not sure of the meaning it basically goes like this... You can give someone something which may help their immediate need but better yet if you teach them how to solve that need then you've helped them for a lifetime. God brought this to mind for me in regards to praying for people. I had been praying to God and asking Him for wisdom on how to better pray for people and He reminded me of this old proverb and then its application to prayer. I'm sure if were all honest we have come across someone we look up to, someone we respect and someone we think is a "special person" who hears from God and gets "results". I once went to a church and asked for prayer for work on a prayer night and the pastor of the church asked another man to pray for me and said "We'll get him to pray for you because he always gets results and work for people when he prays..." Even just writing that now it just sounds so absolutely ridiculous hey. Needless to say this mans prayers didn't get me any work. God brought the work in months later after teaching me patience, faith and perseverance - not some fancy prayer by an elevated individual.


People don't get prayers answered - God answers peoples prayers. The Bible makes it clear that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) and there are no "special people" that get prayers answered and some that don't. It's the heart that God looks on - not what you've done or what other people think you are. If it was what we did that got our prayers answered then the statement in Ephesians 2:8 "we are saved by Grace through Faith" wouldn't apply at all. We get saved as sinners with no merit at all simply crying out to God to save us and accepting Jesus as the payment for our sins. The Bible says in James 5:17 that Elijah was a normal man just like we are yet he prayed believing and his prayers were answered. Will He help you exactly the way you want? Not always. Will he help you exactly when you want? Not always. Does He hear you always? ABSOLUTELY. So what God is saying in the Bible is this... Pray believing. Not in yourself or what you've done, not in your achievements or who you're connected to... but believing that God hears you because of Jesus, loves you and wants to help you. There's a very important conversation in the book of Job right at the end...


For those who haven't read Job's story it basically goes like this. Job loves God. God blessed Job. Satan says to God "Job only loves you because you bless him..." God agrees to remove the blessing of protection to prove a point that Job loves Him for who He is not what He does for him. Job suffers badly - not at the hand of God - but from the evil affliction of the devil. Job remains faithful. God proves His point that even in immense tragedy and suffering nothing can separate us from God's love and our relationship with Him. Job has the privilege of meeting God in person and He rewards Job more than twice over for being faithful. The conversation I'm referring to is between the suffering Job and his youngest friend Elihu. Basically Elihu says this "You shouldn't have tried to justify yourself to God Job... You should have just maintained that God is good despite what happens."  Why am I telling this story from the book of Job? Because we all at times either think we are something special and deserve to get special treatment or we elevate others thinking they might be able to get results instead of us. In both cases our mind set is incorrect. We are all just humble little children loved by our Father in Heaven - all on equal terms because of Jesus.


Prayers are answered simply because we believe in Jesus, who He is and what He's done - not who we are or what we've done whether it good or bad. So wrapping up, what I'm really saying is this... Don't fall into that trap of thinking someone else down here is the solution to your problems or the way your prayers will be answered. We should all care and pray for each other but more importantly than getting someone else to pray for you - God wants to hear from YOU. He values YOU. He knows YOU and wants to help YOU. So pray... Prayer is just talking to God. Pour out your heart to Him because He wants to hear from you. Believe He hears you and wait for Him patiently. He will make a way despite how impossible it all looks. What my prayer for you today is this... I'd love to pray for you but more than that - I'd love to pray WITH you believing for what you need God to do. God loves you and it's you that's special to Him. 

Hey, I hope you're having an awesome day today. Without getting too deep and spiritual on you - I just wanna say that there are a lot of things going on in this world behind the scenes pulling the strings for a lot of the physical outcomes around us. And no I'm not talking about the Illuminati, the NWO or another group of rich  aristocratic fat cats. 

In the Bible it says "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalitalies and powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places". In a nutshell there is a spiritual world with powerful forces that effects the physical world we live in. But there are also powerful forces in this physical world that can effect the spiritual world... Us. If you believe in Jesus then when He said "Greater is He that's in you than He that's in the world" applies. 

What Jesus was saying was this... "You have God in you - so push back". We as the Children of God have the ability because of Jesus to make a change in this world. To be the light to the darkness. To wrestle with forces that would normally be far more powerful than us - but because of God in us we can dethrone and take back territory. We can change things. How awesome is that? So how do I do that you ask? Easy. When those thoughts of hatred, revenge, lust, greed and selfishness come your way pushing you to respond the way they tell you to - make a choice to say NO. 

Push back and instead of doing what "impulse" tells you to do - be positive. Be encouraging. Be caring for others. Be thankful. Be giving. Be forgiving. Be love. And if in the moment that's just too hard to do...  then bite your tongue and wait. Impulses pass but the truth and the heart of God lasts forever. It's far better to go back and say a nice word later than to have to apologize later for nasty selfish words and actions. 

So today push back and be the change this world needs. You'd honestly be surprised how much weight God puts behind those who seek and give His heart to others. So give someone a reason to smile today and be thankful for the gift of life. God loves you.  

Hey, so God's had this on my heart for a few days now and has been adding to it every day I wake up with more to share. I'll cut to the chase. Everyone wants to be loved. No one actually enjoys being hated even if they say they do. It's part of our natural human nature to want to belong. To be part of something. After all we were created as social beings that long for and enjoy the company of others. You can read it for yourself in Genesis that God said "it's not good for man to be alone". He wasn't just talking about dating and marriage here either - He meant it universally and that's reinforced through the Bible and covered many times in many different areas such as "brotherly love" and "fellowship". Now what I wanna say is this - we all want to be loved and crave that belonging and worth but unless you get it met through the right source it all goes wrong very quickly. I've seen and met many girls that weren't loved and valued by their parents and especially their Dad so as a result of this 'love deficiency' they go from guy to guy trying to fill that empty void. Sadly it's only in vain as the guy can't ever fill that God shaped hole inside and the relationship suffers and often dies as a result.


The ensuing result is a disappointed girl with a broken heart who's now seeking love again.. and so the vicious cycle repeats itself. Now don't think guys are exempt from this either. As a guy that came from a very broken home myself I know the effects of not having that love and worth being inputted into you in those extremely important adolescent years. For a guy it's different to a girl though. Instead of seeking a person to fill that hole, us guys often try to fill it with things - cars, motorbikes, accomplishments etc. The end result is the same though - emptiness. What I wanna say plainly and clearly is this... I built a pretty big and decent castle out of the stuff I did and got in life and all it did was left me even more empty than when I started. Jesus came into my life at a time when everything was literally going to hell and stepped in a saved me and changed everything. Psalm 18 in the Bible describes very well what Jesus did when He came and answered my cries and rescued me. Everything you see, know or think of me now is the complete opposite of what I used to be. The few people I call loved ones that knew me back then would gladly testify of that and are also eternally thankful to God for doing what He did. Now, what I wanna also share is this...


When I was the 'old me' there was a fairly big group of people that really didn't like me. People would always make me feel like I never measured up, wasn't good enough, wasn't smart enough, wasn't tall enough - just not enough. I assumed that when Jesus came and did what He did and changed me into what I am now - a new creation of His mercy, grace and love - that people would automatically really love me now. It only made sense hey - I was really bad before full of horrible nasty addictions, a mouth that only spoke negative things pulling people down all the time and greedy hands that just seemed to always cause trouble and pain for myself and others. So now people would love me now that I'm not those thing anymore right? No... I'll be honest with you and say this straight. I've never been hated more in my life since Jesus did what He did. I learned that the few friends I had when I was what I was before actually got a kick out of me being the social outcast, the weak addicted guy full of pain and negativity. You see - in a weird twisted and nasty way it sorta made them feel a bit better about themselves when they looked at me. They thought "well, I don't have his problems and I'm doing him and favour reaching down to his level to help him".


They made these sentiments very very clear through their words and actions when I started opening my mouth about how good God is and what He did for me to save and help me. Long story short I got told to get back in my box and shut my mouth. God showed me that this type of talk and actions only comes from self righteousness and pride and not from a heart that follows God. One by one I distanced myself from these types of people and in turn drew much closer to God. Now before you pity me what I want to finish with is this. God gave me a gift, a very very valuable gift that so many I come across also need very badly. He gave me the ability to no longer care what people think. Not in a nasty "get stuffed I don't care what you think..." type of way but in a "your opinion of me is irrelevant because I hold to what God says of me far more than what anyone down here says, thinks or does to me...". Because of this gift I can forgive and move past what people think of me and continue to do and be what God says and wants me to be. There's a verse in the Bible that sums up what I'm saying perfectly in Galatians 1:10 "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant".


In a nutshell it's saying this "Your opinion of me is irrelevant because I only seek God's approval". So whether I'm loved or hated by thousands of people down here it really doesn't matter. God loves me and that's all that matters. I doesn't matter if the highest leader of the biggest church in the world says I'm dirty, useless and not good enough. Why? Because they're wrong. They're human just like me so their opinion is one that's on the same level as mine despite how much money or power they have. I'll go with what the absolute highest opinion says and there aint no higher place to go than to ask what God the Father says. And what does He say... He says in Romans 8:38-39 that NOTHING and I mean NOTHING can separate me from the love of God. No person, No angel, No creation, No distance... Not a single thing. So that's me now... loved. And there's nothing that anyone or any opinion can do to change or even assault that. Loved...Secure...Forever. So if you're like I was - looking for love, worth, value and meaning in life but finding you luck out every time... why not jump the queue and go right to the highest rank there is? The God that made all things and sent His Son to die and rise again for you. Seek Him and you will find Him and as a result you'll find far more than you ever imagined. God loves you.  

Rock it out LOUD because the King broke you out of prison and set you free! Now the smart thing for an escapee to do would be to hide and lay low - to keep a low profile and stay off the radar - but call me a glutton for punishment or maybe I was just made for this... but that's me outside the prison walls of others still locked inside screaming out the way to freedom. Telling them there is a way and His Name is Jesus. Standing unafraid of what giants they send out of the gates to meet me. Will the prison guards attack me? most definitely. Do I fear their dark swords and fiery arrows? Not when I'm behind the Kings shield. So sons and daughters of the King... it's time to make some noise. It's time to make those prison walls shake once more like they did in the days of old. It's time to show those stones that words hold more weight. It's time to break down the walls... So Turn It Up.... FOR FREEDOM AND FOR THE KING!!! 

Faith... So what is faith? Faith is standing at the back of a B52 that's circling at 30,000 feet. The rear door opens and the wind and air pressure rushes in like a hurricane. You reach for that parachute pack and His voice says "You won't need that..." And so you stand there... On the edge. Heart racing. Logic says "No" but He says "I've got you". And so you take that first step into freefall. Tumbling like a crumpled piece of paper in the wind. But His voice echoes over the wind "Relax... Let go... Trust me" And so you release your muscles and begin to embrace the decent. Before long you're enjoying what you first feared. In fact... You wish it will never end. But the ground is closing fast. The landscape is magnifying every second you drop through the atmosphere. Then you remember His Words... "Call out to me and I will save you..." Moments before impact you whisper His Name and in a thunderous entry His strong arms catch you. "Got you!" He says. As you gently and effortlessly ascend carried by the Lord of the Storms you ask "Can we go again...?" His reply "Child, You were made for this" 

God's asked me to talk about this and I have to say it's not a topic I really enjoy or am very good at. And that's precisely the reason God's asked me to do it. I'm certainly not perfect and never claim to be - as a matter of fact I wouldn't even consider myself a good person. The simple truth is the only thing that's good in me in Jesus. Left alone and to my own devices I have a tendency to corrupt pretty much every thing around me. Jesus is the only reason that there's anything good in my life and I have no problem admitting to that. So... forgiveness hey. Yeah. 

The thing is in life stuff is gonna happen. People are going to lie about you, slander you, hurt you and abuse you - it's just a fact. We live in a corrupted world. Thinking you're not going to get hurt is naive. The sad truth is... it's going to happen. So what do you do when someone hurts you? Is finding out dirt on them and trying to destroy their character in public the answer? Is slandering them behind their back with twisted half truths the way to go about it? How about an all out MMA style fist fight? I jest. Obviously we know this sort of thing isn't the answer but so often we start to tread down those paths. The answer is seeking God and doing what He tells us to do. 

The English poet Alexander Pope from the 1700's penned it like this... "To err is to be human, but to forgive is divine". What He meant was simply this - Humans fail and hurt each other, but forgiveness is a quality of God himself. We don't of ourselves have the ability to truly forgive in our human nature - it's a choice of ours to align with the paths of God and to let go of an offence. In Greek as the New Testament of the Bible was originally written the word forgive "aphesis" simply means "to pardon, to release, to let go". The example God gave me is an inflated balloon but instead of the end being tied off as it normally is - it's you holding the end closed. But it's you thats the balloon and the pressure is inside of you. 

When you choose to "let go" you release yourself of the pressure of the offence and the pain it causes you. Now I will stop here and clarify something - just because you forgive doesn't mean the other party involved will automatically reconcile with you. We all have choices as humans and they have a choice to either accept or reject your forgiveness. Put very simply God wants us to release that person of the crimes and pain they caused you in your heart first and to adopt an attitude of willingness to reconcile should that person choose to. If the offence continues then wisdom would instruct you to do your best to avoid further incidents while making all attempts for peace. 

The Bible says it this way in Romans 12:18 "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." Peace is something we should all strive to live in and bring wherever we go. Does that always happen? No. But should it be our goal? Absolutely. So today, if there's something that's hurt you - no matter how bad it is - choose to start down God's path of forgiveness and let it go. God never asks you to pretend the offence never happened but instead He asks you to objectively look at the offence and then take His hands and choose to let it go. Trust Him and that His paths lead to peace and all the poison and pain of what happened will drain away. Because I'm writing this does it mean I have this all sorted, boxed up and am a professional at forgiveness? I wish. I need God's help with this more than ever. But with His help I know I'll do a whole lot better job than trying to do it on my own. I pray this helps you and leads you to a path that brings peace into your life. God loves and values you. Have a great day. 

[ Psalm 34:14 - Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.]

Jesus, you are my guide - my light - my peace - my hope and my destination.

Because of you and who you are - I am never in lack. I have you and you have me and when I'm in that place I have all I need.

You lead me Lord into places well watered with plenty for me and enough to share of your goodness with others in need.

Your voice leads me through the fog and emptiness of this world into paths of light for your Kingdom and Glory. In your Majestic Name and for your Kingdom I forge on despite all odds

It's you alone that heals, redeems and completes me. You are the place I bring my broken heart to be mended by the hands of The Master.

Even when I tread the very path of death and it's foul stench surrounds me like a relentless flood - you are there. Even when ten thousand fall beside and all around me - not once does your ever watchful and devoted gaze shift from my frame. Who have I to fear when The Holy One walks this road with me?

You never leave my side and in the darkest shades of night your eternal Word comforts and reinforces your undying love for me.

Because I seek not my own glory but yours and your Kingdom - you lift me up and make of me a spectacle of your immeasurable love, mercy, grace and truth to all those who scorned and betrayed me. You choose to use the foolishness of this world that is me to confound the lofty and proud ones.

My very own brothers and sisters who sank their knives of hate into me while I only served them in love will marvel at the power you hold to redeem the broken. It is you alone that humbles and exalts. You are ever faithful and always pure when you judge. I will not avenge as this world teaches me to. Instead, I rest in your perfect justice Lord.

By the power and authority of your Name, I am sent to speak of your goodness, truth and freedom.

You give me more than my portion and it's your love that flows out from me into all that I come in contact with. I am your willing vessel. Fill me and use me as you see best.

I can never escape the intensity and fervor of your love and mercy no matter how far I run. Your peace surrounds me as a royal cloak and your gifts of goodness from above fill my house. My life is a testament of your faithfulness O God.

And when my time of this mortal plane expires and you at last call me home - I will live and serve in the courts of My King forever and ever.

Thankyou Jesus. It's all because of you. You are the I AM to my I need.  

YouTube Video Link > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKiWhqwysLY

God is good. Far better than I deserve. Seriously. Never forget that money is just numbers and God reigns far above all that. Have the best day guys! :)

God gave me this song after meeting a teenage girl who was severely struck down with a horrible and rare disease of unknown origins that rendered her mute and incoherent for days at a time. Her very life would be robbed from her and there was no way anyone could reach her when she was in that state. Her parents would just watch and pray for her to return to normal while she lay there for days unresponsive. God revealed to me the true nature and origin of her sickness as well as the horrible abuse that happened to her as a very young girl. I was given a message for her that one day she would sing and affect thousands of people with a new song. Her value had been robbed from her by others. God then also started to stir a song in me about her and all the countless other people I come across in my life that are told lies about their worth from a very young age and who live believing they are far less than God intended them to be. I myself came from a broken home and was told those same lies... that "you're worthless... you're useless...you're dirty... you'll never amount to anything". The mirror told me lies every single day and I couldn't even look myself or anyone else in the eye because of the immense pain of rejection and abandonment that existed in me. Then one day after my pride had died Jesus found me and told me something very powerful. He said "Mark... you've been told a whole lot of lies... it's time you knew the truth... it's time you woke up..." My life changed forever after that day. He woke up the real me that was inside smothered under years and years of pain. He set me free. I hope and pray this song speaks to your heart and also helps to break those lies and wake up the true value that is inside you. You are worth far more than what you have, what you do, what's been done to you or where you've come from...It's time you knew the truth too. The truth is God loves you and wants only the very best for you. In the Bible it says "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

(Jeremiah 29:11). If you know of someone else this video may help, please feel free to share it with them. I pray it helps them too. Have an awesome day

****LYRICS****

Mirror's tellin you lies
Don't believe a word it says
Only sees the outside
smallest part of you
Oh, you gotta realise
that you're worth more than all of this
more than shame and regret
priceless in His eyes
Mirror's tell you lies
it's tellin you lies...

Cos' you're worth more
than all this pain
You're worth more
than all the shame
oh You're worth more
Please believe it
You're worth more
Oh just receive it
You're worth more
I wish you could see...
You're worth more
 He died to set you free yeah
You're worth more
You're worth more
You're worth more

 YouTube video link > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5bKKasXetc

The funny thing about the wilderness is that when God calls you away to it we so often start off kicking and screaming and complaining about the things that have been taken away. The seclusion and the isolation. The soft things of comfort removed. But then after some time and if we choose to let go He leads us and shows us the purpose of the wilderness... Training, refinement, focus, relationship, trust, faith, the exposure of weakness. With all the distractions of life removed and in that unique type of surrender we see ourselves for what we are... 

Deficient. A puzzle in need of the lost pieces. It's so often in the wilderness that we truly find God and He does His best work. Work that can't be done in the hectic bustle of life. So whatever your wilderness is... Don't fear it. Because God is there in the wilderness. And when His training is complete you'll come out of the wilderness very different indeed. Trust in Him, He uses the wildernesses in our lives powerfully for His Kingdom if we take His hand and follow His paths.  

Hey, God put this on my heart to share with you guys firstly because I genuinely care about each one of you that reads this and your Father in Heaven cares for you so, so much more. This comes from a broken and heavy heart at the state of what is called "The Church" of today. I've been a church goer since I was very young and have seen some good things and also some very, very bad things happen in the church and in done in the Name of God. I'm not here today to sling mud at anyone or to judge - but more to give a warning as a brother who cares for you. We live in dangerous times, far more dangerous than many realise.


Many of the things that Jesus said would happen in the end times are now coming into place. For those whose eyes are not opened it may seem like things are just progressing along as they always were but sadly that's not the case. We live in an age where people who call themselves Christians can justify just about anything from outright adultery and hatred in the Name of God while abusing the concept of God's grace as an excuse to harm others and gain for themselves and their own selfish agendas of fame and riches. I know this probably isn't sounding very positive but stick with me to the end ok? It seems the whole world is looking for another man to follow, someone to lead them like little lost sheep but the truth is we were already given a man to lead us - His Name is JESUS. Jesus is enough.


We don't need another 30 something year old figurehead leader of religion to lead the masses to God - Jesus already was that. We don't need to be part of some thronging mindless crowed mass singing programmed repetitious songs over and over to get closer to God. Riches and fame are not a measure of the presence of and a relationship with God. Jesus said himself "where two or three are gathered... There I am in the middle". Think about that for a minute. Two or three. Why did Jesus say that I wonder... Was it because often those who truly follow God aren't in the big crowds but are instead somewhere quiet, somewhere small, somewhere humble... Just seeking God and wanting to honour Him and not themselves?


What God's led me to say is this... "test all things". Don't just swallow and believe everything you're fed. Just because there's a crowd there don't think that it's trustworthy. Just because you're friends say its all ok - doesn't mean it is. Just because your family always did it - doesn't mean it is either. Test things. Use your brain and pray and ask God for wisdom because not everything you read, see and experience is what it is on the surface. James 1:5 says "If anyone needs wisdom, ask of God and He will generously give it to you".  The greatest deceptions in mankind are the ones that are hidden in plain sight among the crowds of followers. You've heard the saying "A crowd draws a crowd..." Keep that in mind. Why are you doing what you're doing? Do you really know? Are you desperately trying to be part of what's going on but you don't really know what's going on? Be careful. Hype is a very powerful manipulating force.


Some simple wisdom that God gave me is this.. "look for the money trail..." The Bible says that "The love of money is the root of all evil". What that means is that where the love of money is, then there will naturally be money flowing from there. And if its the root of all evil that means that there's going to be a whole lot of really bad stuff that you really don't wanna be a part of there - even if you can't see it yet. My brothers and sisters, look at Jesus and see what He was. People said to Him "We'll follow you anywhere Jesus!" and His reply was "Foxes have holes and birds have nests but I don't even have a house or a bed - will you still follow me?" Keep that picture of Jesus in mind when you see religious leaders standing up in front of you collecting your tithes and offerings and building bigger and bigger temples of ambition and greed justifying it all in God's Name.


Keep in mind Jesus didn't even have a house and the "church" they met in was a borrowed room when you look at the exalted leaders whose lives flow with lavish excess. I'm not here to attack anyone or name names - I just implore you to open your eyes and your ears and see what's really going on. What's happening right now in the world is a precursor for what's to come. Save yourself the pain and seek God instead of mans ways. There will come a world leader soon that will gather a crowd like never before and show signs and wonders never seen here on earth. This leader is most certainly not from God even if He claims to be. Be careful, the crowd is often wrong in who they follow. Jesus said to the woman at the well... "You worship God at this mountain that you call sacred, the Jews worship at the temple in Jerusalem.. but there is coming a time when the Father seeks those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth".


I'm here today to tell you that time is coming. Don't just buy into everything that's put in front of you. Just because someone has one million views on YouTube doesn't mean they are speaking the truth. Just because someone has authored 30 books, doesn't mean you can trust their every word. Test everything. Hey, don't even take everything I say as gospel. I'm certainly not beyond fault and I'm a human that sins and falls just like you. We have to test things against something that is infallible. Something immovable. Something that's perfect and complete. The great news is we've been given exactly that. It's called the Bible. If you don't read your Bible, now's a great time to start. If reading isn't your thing - give an audio Bible a try (http://www.bible.is). Test what's being said against the character of God, test the teaching by comparing it to Jesus teaching in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Test whether what's being said and done goes contrary to the examples in the Bible.


I've seen truly horrible atrocities done in the Name of God while crowds and crowds of people flocked week after week giving thousands of dollars to aid in it's growth. Why do people do this? Because they are lost sheep. Aimless souls looking for someone to lead them. Someone to guide them by the nose by giving them sweet words and the promise of exactly what they seek... money, fame and fortune. The truth is much worse though... They're actually cattle being milked of all their worth and led through the gates of a meat factory. Wake up and see what's going on my brothers and sisters because you're worth so much more than that. You're not just a face in a crowd. You were created unique with a specific skill set to be used for a deigned purpose by your Creator. You are not a number. You are not a database entry. You are known and loved by God and He has amazing plans for you.


Can I encourage you lastly with this simple thought... What if there are no "special" people that God speaks to...? What if each one of us are equally special and all have the ability to speak to God and hear from Him? What if that was His plan all along...? What if He doesn't want you to be ruled and influenced by some exalted leader but instead wants to have a powerful, fulfilling, intimate and trustworthy relationship with you. The Bible says "In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh...". No distinction on age, family heritage, qualifications, experience or anything by which we measure ourselves. God is no respecter of persons and as such neither should we be. God looks on the heart and so should we. Test the fruit that comes from people... not just their words or the fact that there's a crowd there. I write this because I care about you. God loves you and you're worth more than being deceived and hurt.

[ Matthew 7:13- "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ] 

Thankyou Father for my family. Thankyou for my job. Thankyou for my health. Thankyou for the sunshine. Thankyou for my freedom because of you. Thankyou for the food you provide. Thankyou for skateboarding. Thankyou for loving me. Thankyou that you always listen and care. Thankyou Jesus for dying and rising again to save me. Thankyou for finding me - a poor lost and broken little boy - for waking me up and showing me your path for me. Thankyou for my home in Heaven. Thankyou for all the awesome things you do but even more than that - Thankyou God for just how awesome you really are. Without you I truly can't do anything... But with you I can do all things. Thankyou for the gift called life. You are the Life Explosion in me.  

I don't normally answer the taunts of my enemy but today I do... The last time you tried to kill my My King and you and your vile horde paraded and danced around His cross chanting your evil misguided cries of so called victory - the very sky created by Him went black in disgust, the earth itself cried out in pain and writhed at the sheer madness of its origin being unjustly murdered before it. Then... In such fury and power My King decended to the darkness in an indescribable blaze of light and plundered the very bowels of Hell itself, depositing my sins there and snatching back the keys to Death and Hades from you. His love and power then led a train of your prisoners out of the gloomy mist now under His rightful command. You were defeated once - yet you keep coming back for more. You afflict, steal, kill and destroy but I've read of your end. It all happens so suddenly. He speaks in thunderous unmatched authority and you and all your mighty armies of evil cease. The armies of light triumph under the strong arm of the one whose eyes burn like twin suns and on His thigh the Name "King of Kings and Lord of Lords". My King wins. His Name is JESUS! 

Hey you, you're so much more than how you feel right now. Don't let your feelings dictate your identity today. It doesn't mean what you feel isn't real and doesn't hurt - but what's more important and far more powerful than your feelings is The Truth. Here's how powerful the Truth is... Even if you don't feel it or believe it....The Truth remains the Truth. It's immovable, immutable and invincible. And the Truth is this - You are loved by God. You are worth far more than you know. Far more than what's happening around you and far more than how you feel. You have such immense untapped potential far more than you could possibly ever dream or imagine. Rise above how you feel and take hold of the Truth with both hands. God loves you.