Jesus : The answer to this lost and dying world

Humility + God's wisdom makes us effective for His Kingdom

With a humble heart centered on Jesus, a generous helping of God's wisdom, a healthy attitude of godly discernment and good dose of self control we are most effective as messengers of God's message of grace and truth to this lost and dying world.

Our God is a strong God who loves and saves His people

God put it on my heart to read Psalm 46 tonight before going to sleep. After reading it - I understand why...

It's a passage about God's strength, His power, His majesty, His Truth, His Deliverance and our promised future with Him in His Kingdom. The penultimate verse has to be "Be still and know that I AM GOD. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth"

Such a powerful and positive promise that reminds us of Jesus' true identity as the King of all Kings and of our place by His side as the children of God when He returns and ends all wars and brings His powerful peace to this Earth.

It's also such a powerful answer to the evil spirit of fear and anxiety that so often tries to attack us before and while we sleep. This is the answer that needs to be spoken and meditated on when it tries to rob us of God's peace that's promised to His children.

Psalm 46

God Is Our Fortress
To the choirmaster. Of athe Sons of Korah. According to bAlamoth.1 A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in etrouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear fthough the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is ia river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

the burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

#God #Strong #Tower #Peace #Trouble #Depression #Hope #Jesus #Bible #Mark #Jansen #Adelaide #Church #Follower #Truth

JESUS The Hope for the Hopeless by Mark Jansen | Adelaide

#Jesus #Truth #Bible #Hope #Hopeless #Depression #Addiction #Lost #Found #Mark #Jansen #Adelaide #Bible #Peace #Father #Christian #Heaven #Australia #Youtube #Grace #Mercy

God desires holiness in His people

Great article about worshipping God and what He requires from His chosen and redeemed children. Put simply... "not what I want, but what you want God. Not my way, but your way."

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/worship-is-not-made-to-order?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedpress.me&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dg-articles

#Jesus #God #Bible #Truth #Church #Peace #Hope #Idientity #Mark #Jansen #Adelaide #Grace #Holiness #Relationship #Australia

God's grace explained clearly

A great clear explanation of God's grace in the life of a Christian by Pastor John Piper in the link below.

Grace is not an excuse or enablement for our sinful nature - but instead a motivator for us to strive for holiness knowing our sins were paid for in full at such high a price - the substitutionary death of God's Son Jesus in our place.

http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/fight-sin-find-rest?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedpress.me&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ask-pastor-john

#God #Jesus #Bible #Peace #Hope #Truth #Mark #Jansen #Adelaide #Cross #Grace #Explained #Clearly #Christian #Australia

Don't love this World or the things in it

Fame, money, power, pleasure... They all come from the World. They are desires put in place by the unseen forces that run this world to maintain the control they wish upon humanity. But it is a World that is destined to end... One day when Jesus returns it will all be gone.

Collecting the treasures of this World is just like being rich in a video game... It doesn't matter how much you collect - It's not real. The game ends one day and it doesn't convert into a currency that can be used in our eternal destination.

Jesus said we are far better focusing on laying up treasures in Heaven by following Him and His ways. He promises eternal treasure that cannot be stolen or corrupted by time. Treasure beyond price that can be enjoyed for all eternity.

[ 1 John 2:15-17 - Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-is not from the Father but is from the world.

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. ]

Planet Earth - God's Stunning Masterpiece (1080p)

God's creation is on display all around us showing us His power, His Majesty and His unfathomable love in sending His only Son Jesus to be the final and eternal payment for the sins of all who believe in and choose to follow Him.

To know more about Jesus and become born again into the family of God - please read the book of John in the New Testament (http://www.esvbible.org/John+1/)

To know more about God, His character, His Promises and His great love for this world - First pray "God please open my eyes and my heart to receive your Truth" then start at the Book of Genesis and read through to the final book of Revelation. God will reveal Himself and His Truth to you through The Word of God. He promises to reveal Himself to all who seek to find Him and His Truth (http://www.esvbible.org/Genesis+1/)

You are never alone as God's child

Accept the Truth that as a child of God you are never alone. Remember and meditate on Moses the leader, Elijah the prophet, Esther the foreign princess, David the shepherd boy, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace... and Jesus in the wilderness. They all knew the Truth that they were never alone and that God was with them in all things and at all times. It is acceptance of the lie from the devil "that you are alone" that makes us dangerously vulnerable to his evil plans and harmful devices. It is the acceptance of the Truth - that God never leaves or abandons His children despite how we feel, what we have or don't have, or who stands with us or against us - that keeps us safe inside the impenetrable fortress of His unbending and unchanging promises. Like His character, God's promises to His children never waver or fade and He promises to never abandon His own.

[ Hebrews 13:6 "So we say with confidence The Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man do to me?" ]

100 best photographs of God's world with no Photoshop

Absolutely amazing photography with no photoshop wizardry applied whatsoever. Often the reality of this amazing world that God created is more astounding than man made fantasy!

Have a great weekend guys :)

-Mark

https://brightside.me/article/100-best-photographs-without-photoshop-46555/

The Love of Money is the root cause of all evil

Great article on the truth about "The love of money being the root of all evil" and how easily our hearts are corrupted by ambition, gain, greed and lust.

There is a clear distinction between "God's blessing" and the "riches of this world". Don't be a fool and confuse the two. Just because you see a person with a lot of money don't assume they have God's blessing. When Satan tempted Jesus he made it clear that he (Satan) is in control of the commerce and economy of this physical world.

Remember Jesus' words... "You cannot serve (pursue, seek) God and mammon (gain, greed, satisfaction found in money / accumulation of possessions). Jesus also said "scarcely will a rich man enter the Kingdom of Heaven". The Bible also says "Has not God chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith to inherit salvation?"

Ask God to test your heart just as David prayed to see if the corrupting love of money has taken root in the deep recesses of your heart.

Full article from the DesiringGod website here...

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-price-isn-t-quite-right?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedpress.me&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dg-articles

Jesus brings life!

Another awesome song about our awesome Saviour! From darkness to light, He gives us life and sets us free!

"Church Growth" from a correct biblical view

Really good article on "Church Growth". I really respect the wisdom God has given Pastor John Piper.

http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/as-a-pastor-did-you-use-church-growth-strategies?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedpress.me&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ask-pastor-john

Hosanna - Jesus the King of all Kings

One day the King of all Kings will return for His people. Until then, we stand and wait in faith on His promises and His Word

I Stand Amazed (Live)

Awesome song. It's only in surrender to Christ that true freedom, true peace and true identity is found.

Hope...

Hopeless we all were... Outcasts destined for oblivion. Blind, broken and lost... With no way to remedy our vices and bound as slaves and children of darkness itself. But then in the darkest of night when the sages and seers all slept... you came. Such a clever disguise to be born as a mortal, the King of all Kings born among beasts of the field. Yet your divinity could not be hid from the wise... A king hidden in flesh, the marvel of ultimate power concealed in a humble human boy. The Creator became one like His creation to cancel the sin debt of the whole world... A path that would knowingly lead to a certain and terrible death. For death was the only way it could be achieved, yet as the supreme commander of the highest hosts He hid not from darkness. No... He trod His path unashamed, unswerving and faced the hordes of hell dragging our sins to their citadel. For death did not best Him... No... He harnessed death as one who rides a wild horse through Sheol, plundering and giving hope to all who believe in Him. Do you know His Name? Do you know this one? Seek Him and you will find the Truth.

All things are possible if you believe

Jesus said "All things are possible to those who believe". Because Jesus is God and God can't lie then it means the inverse "nothing is possible if you don't believe" must also be true. Put simply if you don't believe God can do it then He can't and won't do it. The problem is not God because He can do anything and specialises in the impossible - the problem so often is our unbelief. It says in Matthew 13:58 that Jesus could do no miracles there because of their unbelief. Think about that for a second... The supreme creator of the entire universe who is limitless in power couldn't help those people for one simple reason... Unbelief. So the key to seeing God do that impossible thing in your life is seeking Him and believing He can do it. So can God do the impossible? Absolutely. Does God always perform the impossible at our request? No. Sometimes He has a greater plan for us and asks us to trust in Him. He doesn't leave us hanging and will always give us an answer either yes or no to those who seek Him. It comes down to relationship. He wants us to ask and believe. So... Ask and Believe God for the impossible. He can do it. God loves you. 

One body, Many parts

We all have good days and we all have bad days. Life's like that. Sometimes you're soaring above the clouds and sometimes you're face down on the ground just wanting it all to end. Some days you're strong and feel like you could lift a car, some days you can barely get your head off the pillow. Here's something God brought to mind for me about all this... The next time you're having a great day rather than just enjoying every single second for yourself - take a look around and see if there's someone you could maybe help. Maybe God gave you an awesome day so you could help someone and bring light and life to that person who isn't having such a great day. Imagine if we all did that... It would be a very, very different world. It would be like a body that looks after itself and tends to the parts that aren't doing great just like the Bible says we should behave as believers in 1 Corinthians 12. Have an awesome day and feel free to like, share and tag a friend. God loves you for who you are. 

The Fire Inside

I wish I could tell you, of this fire inside. More than feel, see or hear - like the sea and it's tide. A force more mighty than the essence of life - a truth not for sale but that's paid with a price. Not something to show, to act, or to play - but a truth that you live once your heart knows the way. See, those ones who know this - will know just what I mean. It's a filthy stained heart that's made blood soaked clean.  †

Like a seed I am nothing

      Like a seed I am nothing,
      Without your earth, sun and rain.
      Just potential locked up
      Greatness locked in a grain.
      But with your care I can flourish,
      Like a tree in the field.
      By your Word I am nourished,
      And like the crop I will yield.
      So I lean on your graces,
      A humble seed in the ground.
      It's by your truth I am fed
      And by your love I am found  †

God is good and has good plans for His children

This verse reminds me that despite how I feel, despite how things look, despite what I've done... God is a good God who loves His children and has awesome and unimaginable plans of good for everyone who follows Him and His ways. He's faithful and true to His promises and will save and help all who humbly call out to Him. God loves you. 

Be Nice

Be nice. Honestly there's enough evil in this world already. Imagine if we all truly considered each other and decided to take the path of kindness, honesty, respect and love instead of hatred, rivalry, pride, deception, fear and revenge... Resist that urge to "settle things" yourself and instead follow the greatest teacher that humanity has ever known... Jesus. He is God in the flesh and He taught us to love your enemies - a concept that cuts against the grain for every single human alive - yet what if it is truly the answer to all of humanity and it's conflict? At the end of the day the real question is what is love and what is it to love? The answer is simple... Love is sacrifice. If only we could all surrender to love then this world would be saved...

Way of the Pearl

Simple and humble carbon is transformed into priceless diamond through a process  of time and extreme pressure on all sides. A blacksmith uses the extreme heat of the furnace then drowns the blade in water over and over to harden steel into a weapon that is reliable, tested and worthy for battle. A precious pearl is created in response to the irritation of a simple grain of sand entering the abode of a humble unattractive clam. Do not give up. These trials are sent to test you, refine you and strengthen you. Stand through the fiery trial not in your own strength or with faith in yourself... But in the knowledge and strength that Jesus will only allow these things when He knows through Him you can stand and endure. So stand soldier. Don't give up or give in and see God transform you and produce something truly amazing from the fire. God loves you. 

Kindness has a reward

Revenge leads to death in far more ways than you can imagine. You may think you are in control but walking that path is to submit to and serve evil itself. Instead of taking the dark, easy and accessible road of retribution choose the path of kindness and doing right then leave the rest to God. He promises to repay and avenge and is the only righteous judge that sees all - motive and actions. Jesus taught us to love our enemies by choosing to not return evil for evil, to show kindness when it's undeserving and to pray for those who only show us hatred and harm. Jesus never said it would be easy and but He does promise to walk with us, help us and reward those who choose His ways. Choose to follow Jesus - the source of life and seek His ways and He will reward you with life, righteousness and honour.

Two Kings

The story of two different Kings. Proverbs 22:4 "The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life."

God spoke to me tonight while reading this verse and brought to mind two Kings from the Bible that I've studied quite a lot. One King was chosen by the people. He was tall, handsome, strong, popular, self-confident and from outward appearance perfectly looked the part to be an awesome king. His name was Saul. When he became king it quickly went to his head and in his pride and arrogance he forgot about God and thought he no longer needed God's help. His pride led to direct disobedience to what God asked and as a result he lost his mind, his kingdom and ultimately lost his life dying dishonourably on the battlefield as a coward who killed himself rather than fighting to the death to protect his people. 

The second king God brought to mind was a young teenage boy. He wasn't the obvious choice among his brothers as a candidate for the throne. He held down the humble job of looking after his fathers sheep in the wilderness outskirts near his home. One day this boy visited his brothers on the battlefield to deliver supplies to his brothers as requested by his father who cared for them. This boys name was David. On the battlefield he heard and saw the giant Goliath badly dishonouring his country, his people and his God and said it needed to stop. God put it in David's heart to face the giant and as I'm sure you know - he won. 

The first King Saul wasn't humble and he didn't respect God and the result was that he himself was dishonoured and lost everything including his life. The second king David was humble. He feared and respected God and acknowledged that he needed God's help. The result of his choices was honour, riches and a long life as one of the most memorable and celebrated kings of Israel. 

So which king will you be? Just like the two kings above - your choice will determine the outcome. God is no liar and His Word is always true. What He says may not always happen right away it will ultimately end the way He says and as a result of your choice. I'll leave you with the verse I believe Joshua put extremely well...

[ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live. - Deuteronomy 30:19 ]

God is our safe place in the day of chaos

I was reading this verse tonight to my kids before bed and explained it like this to them... "The Psalmist says that he sings about our God being a strong God. He sings out loud first thing in the morning because it just consumes his being about how good God really is. He is thankful to God for being the safe place and the shelter of peace to Him in the days when everything around him is crumbling down and chaos and hatred surround him like a flood." I pray that you too can know God like the Psalmist spoke of because the words he wrote about God completely echo my heart for what I know God to be. My refuge, my strength, my peace, my clarity, my hope, my destination and my Father in Heaven. 

Simple Wisdom

I was putting my kids to bed tonight and God put it on my heart to read them this verse. I get these daily bible verses on my phone every day and usually wake up and read them first thing in the morning - not out of religious repetition but out of a relationship with God and in an expectation of Him talking to me from it and teaching me something new. The Bible says in the proverbs "A wise man will increase in learning..." so the day you stop learning from God - you also stop being wise. So I read the verse out loud to them tonight and then asked my kids if they knew what it meant. My oldest boy says "No one has fully seen, heard or imagined heaven with God". The funny thing is that when I read this verse myself I mostly had an earthly view of it - not that reading it that way was wrong as God does promise us a lot of amazing things in the life we walk down here. He promises His presence that will never leave us, He promises healing for our hearts and our diseases, He promises provision of our needs, He promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to live inside all who believe in Jesus and so, so much more. But the way my little boy understood it is far more powerful than any earthly view. He was given wisdom straight from God to see the direct eternal perspective of what God promises in this verse. This world and all we see will one day be gone but the Kingdom God has built and prepared for us will last forever and ever. No one can possibly ever dream or imagine how good it really is going to be in Heaven with God until we get there. But that's just it - we walk by faith not by sight. It's amazing how God can gift such young children with the very simple yet profound wisdom He gives to teach an old fool like me another way to view His goodness, faithfulness and His promises. I hope this encourages you too. Have an awesome night. God loves you.  

Become Nothing

Everywhere in this world I see just about everyone trying to be something... People trying to be the hottest thing. The latest thing. The coolest thing. This whole world is geared that way because of the unseen powers and the ruler of this world that has it all set up like that and pushes it this way and that. This whole world system is a lie and is under a very powerful lie (See Revelation 12:9 and 2 Corinthians 4:4) The world's philosophy says...Be the best you can be. Be known by all. Build a name for yourself. Become popular. Become sexy. Become successful. Become rich. Be better than everyone else. Jesus taught His followers a very different way... He told us to be the least. He told us to be the last. He told us to become humble servants that help, love and care for one another selflessly in truth (See Matthew chapter 20). He wants us to willingly empty ourselves of ourselves and become empty vessels that He can pour the power of
God into to be used in this world. Jesus calls us to "Become Nothing" for His Kingdom so then and only then will He truly be able to use us for His purposes.​ (2 Corinthians 4:7 & 2 Timothy chapter 2).


One day this whole world one day will be gone. Everything you see will be gone. The earth, the planets, the sun, the moon and everything in the universe will be gone. All our advancements, knowledge and clever reasoning will be gone. We humans think we are so smart down here with our science, our logic and all we discover but the truth is we are just tiny little creations of a much, MUCH more powerful being. That being has a Name and His Name is Jesus - the Creator of all things seen and unseen. When all this around us is gone and we stand before God - none of what we did down here is going to mean anything unless is was done for His Kingdom. All our money, all our popularity, all our fame, all our influence, even all our good deeds done in front of people are all going to be gone unless they counted for His Kingdom. This is why Jesus said it's very important that when you give your money to those in need that it be done in secret and not to openly publicise your good deeds before others (See Matthew chapter 6). That type of behaviour is no different to the self promoting behavioural systems of this world and has no eternal value and is not counted for God's Kingdom.


Keep in mind when you gaze at the rich and famous of this world that all those high flying celebrities with all their perfect looks and perfect bodies aren't going to mean a thing one day. The Bible says "God is no respecter of persons" so it doesn't matter how good you think you are down here - God sees right through you and when we all stand before Him one day all those things down here won't count for anything. The bible also says life is like a vapour that only appears for a short time then vanishes (James 4:14). There are no guarantees in life and no one can say how long they will live down here. You may live another 50 years. You may die tomorrow.  In short, when we all stand before God He will be looking to see if Jesus is in us. That's the only thing that redeems us from the corrupted sinful beings that we are. Unless we believe in Jesus and what He did to save us then we are still corrupted beings that are in debt for our sins. All your conquests and achievements aren't going to mean a thing. All your amazing talents aren't going to mean a thing. How famous you became and how well known your were for what you did down here wont mean a thing.


None of those things will matter unless you believed in Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of your life. So don't follow all those sheep that are plunging headlong into oblivion, pretending to be imaginary kings and queens building castles made of sand that will all be washed away when the tide of this world comes in, instead follow the Shepherd who has life and who holds the only meaning for our existence. Build a life that has a foundation built on solid and impenetrable rock that is Jesus that can't be moved or shaken despite the size of the storm. Follow the one who brings meaning and purpose to our very brief existence here on earth. His Name is Jesus and He came and died for our sins. Sin must be paid for and the payment is death. There is no negotiating with God. We have nothing of value to trade with Him to redeem us. We are all in debt because everyone has sinned but the awesome news is that Jesus came to cancel our debt by making the payment for us. His sacrificial death was the payment for our sins and is our salvation and redemption.


All we have to do is simply and humbly accept His incredibly gracious gift through simple faith and follow Him as He leads us through this life. You can read more about God's amazing gift of salvation in John chapter 3 online at www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3&version=ESV. Please feel free to DM me if you want to know more about Jesus and His amazing gift of life that saves and redeems us. God loves you.

Self Control trumps strength

There's no point at all in being super strong and tough if you lose your cool under pressure and your buttons are easy to push. Someone who has self discipline and control over their temper, their desires, their emotions and their will is far superior to someone who can conquer an entire city through strength. Remember, it was a ragged little teenage shepherd boy that listened to God's voice who took the head off of a war hardened killing machine giant monster of a man on the battlefield. Strength didn't win that day and it rarely does. God's strength and wisdom is shown the most through the self awareness of our own deficiency and our need for and request of His help. God loves you. 

Meekness is not Weakness

Don't mistake meekness for weakness. It takes a whole lot more strength to "turn the other cheek" and "not return evil for evil" than it does to take the easy anger fueled path of revenge. God asks us to obey what He says and leave retribution to Him despite how we feel. He is the only one who sees clearly to judge correctly and is the only one perfect, impartial and with the authority to measure out what punishment is required. Judgment of others is not our right or responsibility - our task is to test the fruit of people's heart and if necessary remove ourselves from that behaviour or environment if God requires it of us. Psalm 1 explains this very well. God asks us to be kind, be humble, consider others in all things and to pray for our enemies and those that wish harm on us that God would open their eyes and help them to change through His truth and love. Revenge is never a tool that God uses, it's a cruel weapon of our enemy the devil. We show God, His love and His truth that sets free to this world when we obey what He asks of us and behave the way He instructs. God is good and He knows best. God loves you. 

Stay Humble

Life can be pretty interesting. One day you can be poor and the next day come across a large sum of money. One day you can be a nobody and the next day suddenly hugely popular and famous for something. Whatever happens in life - don't lose yourself in people's opinions. We as humans so often guard ourselves against negative opinions but very rarely check ourselves when flattery and praise starts flooding in. What do you become if you suddenly got rich, famous, popular and influential? Do you change and morph to suit the opinions and success that put you there...or do you remain solid in who you are and what you're here to do. Always remember that it's God who exalts and brings low - not us. "For He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble" - James 4:6. Stay humble, don't trip on others opinions whether they're good or bad and let God sort out the rest. He knows best and He loves you. 

Test the fruit

Jesus taught this powerful truth... Often we may not agree with the choices others make but God tells us to test the fruit - not the outward appearance. Jesus was teaching us here that the offspring or result of wisdom and it's application in our lives is to be judged not by the initial act but by its outcome. Many times in the Bible this rings true. Think of Joseph and his unfair imprisonment that lead to the salvation of his family from the famine. Think of Naaman the Syrian who was told to wash seven times in the Jordan river to be cured of leprosy. Think of Jesus who faced an unfair trial and was murdered simply for bringing light and love to this world and for being the Son of God. The tough road of certain death that Jesus walked would have looked hopelessly morbid at the time but God knew it would lead to our salvation and the hope for the entire human race as well as the rightful restoration of Jesus as the reigning King. God's wisdom is not like our wisdom. It is much higher and requires an enlightened mind and awakened spirit to even begin to understand it - yet even a small child through simple faith can grasp and understand it's deep mysteries. This is the power of God. Trust in God and His ways. He always knows best and has great plans for you. God loves you. 

God will make a way

Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Trust in God. Trust His purposes. His ways are not our ways. They are much, much higher than ours. All He asks is that we simply acknowledge Him and trust Him. He can use even worst circumstances for our good and the good of others. Remember Esther, Job, Moses, Joseph and of course... Jesus himself. Stand strong in faith. He has a plan. God loves you. 

Keep your eyes on Jesus

Don't let the haters derail you from the purpose God has called you to. If you follow Jesus they will hate you because you're not like them and you don't belong to this world as they do. Jesus actually promised in the Bible that you will be hated by this world if you follow Him. There's no need to hate them back, they are simply being controlled by an evil puppet master the devil. The devil is the origin of the hate and they are simply puppets being controlled by unseen spiritual impulses despite thinking they are exercising their own free will. This is precisely why Jesus prayed "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing". When hatred attacks don't return evil for evil, instead overcome evil with good as the Bible tells us. Think of their hatred as an opportunity that God has provided for you to pray for your enemies that they will come to know His love, hope, mercy and truth that sets them free from the grip of the devil. God has the power to save and transform anyone, even the absolute worst offenders. Remember Paul the Apostle was once a murderer that hated and hunted christians then Jesus powerfully transformed him into the man who carried the message of the Gospel to the outside world as well as penning over two thirds of the New Testament. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Trust in God and in His power to redeem and deny hatred the opportunity to use you. God loves you. 

Let your light shine

Throw back to my custom cut out grip. Believe and Live. Disregard the ridicule. Let your light shine as Jesus said. The devil is going to try every thing he can to get you to hide your light but here's the thing... He can't actually stop you. He has to convince you to stop. This is exactly why Jesus said "Let" your light shine. It's up to us to let it shine or not. Be the hope this World needs to see. Let them see Jesus in you. God loves you. 

God gives Wisdom

Life can be really tough and we all need more wisdom to get through this journey and to better follow Jesus. The awesome news is that God gives wisdom to His children generously every time we ask Him humbly in prayer. He promises it in James 1:5 and He is ALWAYS faithful to His Word. In fact, He holds His Word above His Name and there is nothing higher than His Name... apart from His Word. So if you need wisdom for something... ask! Jesus said "Ask and you will receive." God loves you. 

Jesus Saves

Everywhere in this world I see just about everyone trying to be something. People trying to be the hottest thing. The latest thing. The coolest thing. This whole world is geared that way because of the unseen powers and the ruler of this world that has it all set up like that. This whole world is a lie and is under a very powerful lie. The world says...Be the best you can be. Be known. Build a name for yourself. Become popular. Become sexy. Become successful. Become rich. Be better than everyone else. But the truth is this. This whole world one day will be gone. Everything you see will be gone. The earth, the planets, the sun, the moon and everything in the universe will be gone. All our advancements, knowledge and clever reasoning will be gone. We humans think we are so smart down here with our science, our logic and all we discover but the truth is we are just tiny little creations of a much, MUCH more powerful being. That being has a Name and His Name is Jesus - the Creator of all things seen and unseen. When all this around us is gone and we stand before God - none of what we did down here is going to mean anything unless is was done for His Kingdom.


All our money, all our popularity, all our fame, all our influence, even all our good deeds are all going to be gone unless they counted for His Kingdom. All those high flying celebrities with all their perfect looks and perfect bodies aren't going to mean a thing. The Bible says "God is no respecter of persons" so it doesn't matter how good you think you are down here - God sees right through you and when we all stand before Him one day all those things down here won't count for anything. In short, when we all stand before God He will be looking to see if Jesus is in us. That's the only thing that redeems us from the corrupted sinful beings that we are. Unless we believe in Jesus and what He did to save us then we are still corrupted beings that are in debt for our sins. All your conquests and achievements aren't going to mean a thing. All your amazing talents aren't going to mean a thing. None of those things will matter unless you believed in Jesus the Lord and Saviour of the world. So don't follow all those sheep that are plunging headlong into oblivion, pretending to be imaginary kings and queens building castles made of sand that will all be washed away when the tide of this world comes in, instead follow the Shepherd who has life and who holds the only meaning for our existence.


Build a life that has a foundation build on solid and impenetrate rock that is Jesus that can't be moved or shaken despite the size of the storm. Follow the one who brings meaning and purpose to our very brief existence here on earth. His Name is Jesus and He came and died for our sins. Sin must be paid for and the payment is death. There is no negotiating with God.  We are all in debt because everyone has sinned but the awesome news is that Jesus came to cancel our debt by making the payment for us. His sacrificial death was the payment for our sins and is our salvation and redemption. All we have to do is simply and humbly accept His incredibly gracious gift through simple faith and follow Him as He leads us. You can read more about God's amazing gift of salvation in John chapter 3 online at www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3&version=ESV. 

Please feel free to contact me if you want to know more about Jesus and His amazing gift of life that saves and redeems us. God loves you. 

God loves you

Forget what all the bitter haters out there say... Go with what God himself says. John 3:16 very clearly spells it out in black and white... "For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son. That whoever believes in him will not die but have everlasting life". The devil wants you to believe the lie that you're not loved, that you're worthless and hopeless, just something to be used and abused but God very much says the opposite. God loves you and values you so much that He chose to make a way to save you through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. He has awesome plans of good for you and wants to give you an amazing life not death. So let go of the lies and run to the truth. God loves you. Have an awesome day!

Hope Rewritten

When I was a hurting, confused and a very broken 14 year old boy she saw in me the man that God said I was... I had no ability to see it or believe it yet she could could see it clearly because God had opened her eyes. God used that girl to show me what true love is. Selfless love. Pure love. Love that seeks nothing for itself but only the good of others. I only saw myself as worthless, damaged, useless and with no future. The lies swirled in my head every minute of every day... "You are nothing but a product of a broken and shattered home... You have no hope... You will repeat the cycle of pain." One brother became my enemy and tried to take the very thing that I held most precious - the girl I loved - as his own. The other brother became a drug addict and a dealer and ended up facing jail on criminal charges for armed robbery. Home became a place that was no longer safe to live with even my own mother turning on me and absolutely no relationship with my father since my parents divorced when I was 4 years old. Hostility, aggression, manipulation, deception, witchcraft, pride and fear reigned and still does in their lives to this day.

But God had a plan... It took time but He never gave up on me. Abuse is all I have known from family but God revealed Himself to me as "The Father to the Fatherless" as it says in Psalm 68:5. He broke all the lies that were said over me and rewrote me with love, value, dignity and honour. He opened my eyes and brought light where there was so much darkness. He is the reason I am alive today. He saved me from suicide, depression, addictions and so much more. He is the single reason I am who I am. Today by His grace I stand as a husband of 14 years and a father of three sons raising them to know the God that loved and saved me from my sins and the darkness of this world. By His power I will not repeat the cycle of my ancestors, instead I will be what He says I am. A husband and a father. There is always hope. You don't have to repeat the cycle either despite what has happened to you. God can help you just like He helped me. Call out to Him. He will hear and be exactly what you need Him to be. God loves you.

God is our refuge and strength

Whatever it is in life, however young or old you are... God is there for you if you just humbly call out to Him and seek Him. He resists the proud like water on a ducks back but opens His wings of compassion, strength, provision, healing, peace and safety to the humble who seek Him. God loves you

Healthy Spirit

Many people would say fitness starts in your mind but from my life experience I disagree. I used to suffer from depression, anxiety, fear, lust, over eating, addictions and so many other demons that haunted me until Jesus set me free and changed my life. My own wife had a little trouble dealing with the change not because it was a bad thing (quite the opposite!) but just because it was so radical and so fast a change. I used to overweight, lazy, unmotivated, depressed and generally not a nice person to live with or be around for most of my life. Jesus came and ripped out of me a spirit of death which is the origin of depression and then targeted all the other demons that ruined me life. I use the word 'demons' literally not figuratively. They are actual beings that attach to humans and affect their behaviour. In my case they caused all of the above horrible effects. When Jesus did what He did He removed the source of my problems. My problems were of a spiritual nature even though the symptoms presented appeared physical. Once the spiritual problems were resolved and corrected my mind and body naturally followed. So, I believe fitness hinges directly on your spirit and it's well-being. Get your spirit cleaned up and re-aligned as it was always meant to be and your mind and body will follow. God loves you. 

STAY AWESOME

Find the truth then hold onto it above all else. You ARE awesome. It's not about how you feel, it's not about what others think of you, it's not about what you have, it's not about who you are with, it's not about what you don't have, it's not even about what you think about yourself. The truth you base your life on has to be much higher than all those things. It must be an absolute truth. An unchanging truth. It must be a truth that's not from this world. There's only one place to get that kind of truth. It's from your Creator and what He says about you. He is perfect in every way and He is never wrong. This is what He says about you in His letter to us. Psalm 139:14 - "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." So there you are... Hard evidence in black and white. God says you're awesome so stay in that truth and STAYAWESOME.

The Power of Good

Don't underestimate the power of good in this world and those who choose to seek and bring good instead of evil. Evil may flaunt itself in this world through witchcraft, seduction, terror, despair, depression, anxiety, greed, murder and corruption but the power of good and those that seek it will triumph over evil. Evil may have it's day but good will win the war. God asks us to not return evil for evil but to pray for our enemies and help them when they are in need. God does not promote or assist those who are evil but He promises to be strong tower, a refuge, a sword and a shield to those who choose good and follow Him and His ways. His promises never ever fail and He is not in any way weak to help, intervene and fight for you. All He asks from you is to stand in faith on His promises like a good soldier. Obey His voice. The fight belongs to Him so just stand. He is a strong God, full of power, mercy, peace, justice, love and He fights for His children who belong to Him. You don't need to fight against others - just stand. God loves you. [ Exodus 14:14 -
The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." ]

Let Faith Grow

I was driving home tonight after picking up a pizza to eat with my wife and kids and God spoke to me about faith. God does that sort of thing a lot to me. Often I'll be skateboarding, driving, going for a run with my dogs or sometimes even just alone at home and He'll grab my attention and start unfolding some wisdom I didn't know and didn't have a grasp on before. God's wisdom is usually very simple yet very deep at the same time. Sometimes it's so obvious that we miss it in fact. So what God spoke to me was this... Faith is a seed. We don't earn the seed or buy the seed. The seed of faith is given to us by God (1 Corinthians 2:9). The cool thing about that is that it takes the pressure off of us to "work our way" to getting faith. It's simply a gift, just like salvation is. So faith is a seed. A gift from God. Now we don't make the seed grow either. It's very easy to fall into the trap of false religion thinking that the more stuff we do, the more our faith is going to grow and we're going to become awesome in front of everyone that sees us. The opposite is actually true in fact. The more we do, the more we get in the way of what God actually wants to do. Put simply, we are the dirt. I know that doesn't sound super exciting but it's true. After all, we are all made from dirt (Genesis 2:7). So if the seed is a gift and it's God that makes it grow... the what is our role? Well, just like the example above of the dirt our role is to be humble, submissive to the master gardener and patient. Dirt doesn't parade itself, dirt doesn't get impatient when things don't grow, dirt doesn't take any credit for what is grown. Dirt has no control over the weather or whether water comes or not. Dirt can't make the sun shine. Dirt is just... well dirt. It's a part of the process of a plant or tree growing but it's probably the most humble part. That's us. Another great example of how faith works is the example of an empty vessel. God talks about this in an extremely poetic way in 2 Corinthians 4:7 where it says "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." So if you want the gift of faith that God has given to you to grow, learn the ways of the dirt. Simple wisdom yet very deep. God is good. Feel free to tag someone or use this yourself, it's God's wisdom not mine. Have an awesome day.