You know one of the best things about God is that He's not like us. The truth is we as humans aren't really all that faithful even when we try our best to be - and we don't naturally have mercy for one another when people do us wrong and hurt us. By instinct we protect our own interests first but God isn't like this. If He protected His own interests He would have just written us all off a long time ago because we are all broken, fallible and prone to hurt Him over and over again. But He doesn't write us off - instead He opens the doors of mercy to us brand new every day even when we don't deserve it and we often earn quite the opposite. He is also faithful. Extremely faithful. As a matter of fact He is perfectly faithful. He ALWAYS keeps His Word and ALWAYS keeps His promises. In a world of so much uncertainty, He is our certainty. God loves you. You are worth far more than you know. 

[ Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. - Lamentations 3:23 ] 

I hope today you're having a great day. I hope that you're enjoying the gift of life that God has given to the absolute full because that was His intention when He gave the gift to you when you were born. He wishes only good for you and has plans of amazing things should you choose to follow Him and His ways. Today I need to speak about something and I don't mean it to in any way make you feel sad or add heaviness to your day - that said I must obey my God when He speaks. I truly hope and pray that you do have a great day full of happiness, joy and peace... but there are many out there today that will not. This is not a message for those whose lives right now have peace and joy - it is a cry for those who do not and are near the edge. I found out this morning that my sisters ex-boyfriend took his life in the past few days. He was around 30 years old and left behind a 12 year old son as well as a 1 year old daughter. His life was one of sadness, pain, loss and grief. He was an amazing guy who like me loved skateboarding and almost became pro in his late teens. He ran a landscaping business and knew how to work hard. Yet, He suffered with depression, loneliness and pain which ultimately led to his death.


He battled alcohol and drug addictions which took their toll on his physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health as well as inflicting great pain on all who loved him and knew him. Why do I write this? Because I too held the cold blade of suicide once. I went to the very edge of oblivion - the point of no return. I too heard the voices that said "end it all... it's time to just lie down and die... you're not worth anything and if you kill yourself the pain will stop...". I'm heretoday to tell you that the voices are lies. They come from a liar and the father of lies. I'm here to raise the sword against death and depression and to name it among my people as an oppressor and a thief. The greatest lie the Devil can ever tell is that if you take your life - the pain will stop. The thing is this, he knows its not a lie that's easy to pull off and he has to set up a lot of things to get it to happen. I'm here today to tell you how his game works. First he brings pain into your life. Maybe it will be theft, maybe it will be rape, maybe it will be betrayal, maybe sickness, maybe rejection. Trust me when I say he has a toolbox full of instruments he knows how to use very, very well. Next he adds to that pain with more pain. His plan is to pile on as much pain and suffering as possible while whispering to you in the silence that you're worthless, you're nothing and you'll never be anything. He does this to erode your beliefs and to try to make you believe the lies he tells.


Then... when he knows you're at your weakest... when he knows its the most strategic time... when everything is in place... he tells the greatest lie ever... "Go on, end it all... you know its the answer...the pain is too much... just end it all". I'm here to tell you today that the devil is a liar. He lied to me too and he nearly pulled it off. I heard him that day say to me "pull hard left on the steering wheel and drive your car off this bridge and it all ends..." But something that day stopped me. I don't care if you don't believe me but I know that day there were someone else's hands that pulled the wheel back towards the road. I know who those hands belonged to and I think you do too. What I'm here today to tell you is this. The answer to your pain is not suicide. Yes, the pain is horrible and it needs to die but the answer isn't ending your life. The answer to your pain is in a person. The answer to your pain is in an exchange. The answer to your pain is in a King - and that King's name is Jesus. That King became pain for you so that you don't have to carry it any more. I don't want to scare anyone by saying the things I'm going to say but trust me when I say I've seen first hand the power of my enemy the devil. For years and years I had visitations, voices and often woke with unexplained bruises all over my body the next morning.


I've seen how truly powerful and devastating the power of witchcraft and deception is and how well he can use it to attack and destroy us as humans. The devils war has always been with us - he hates us and has always wanted to corrupt and destroy us simply because we are the creations of Jesus - the Master to whom he rebelled against. Now here's where things get real. I've also seen the power of my King. I've seen His absolute authority, I've seen His fury towards those that wish harm against His children. I've seen His power to restore and redeem things that were shattered and utterly broken. I've seen Him heal diseases that have no cure. I've seen Him transform people to be the complete opposite of what they were. I've seen Him breathe hope and life into seemingly hopeless situations. I became a christian at the age of 8 years old but for most of my life only knew Jesus the guy that died for me, a skinny, effeminate Jewish man with long hair that paid for my sins with his death. I was always thankful for what He did but I barely knew Him at all. It wasn't until my life came to the very brink of death, when all hope had faded and I couldn't continue on any more that I finally sunk the knife into pride instead of myself. It was once pride died that My King arrived. I suffered badly for years with depression which drove me to suicide yet all it took was a single encounter with Jesus as my King to change everything.


He took from me what didn't belong. He laid hold of it and removed it with His passion, His love and His strong arm of authority. He didn't just take away my depression - He annihilated it. He utterly destroyed it before my very eyes and made a point of showing me that years of torment and suffering all died in the space of seconds before the presence of His power. When He did what He did He opened my eyes to who He truly is - not just a man that lived an died for me - but the King of all Kings. The Lord of all Lords. The roaring Lion of Judah against who none would dare or can oppose. He showed me just a glimpse of His true authority as my King and it was terrifyingly powerful. I still have shivers even at the thought of who He truly is - yet in all His awesome earth shaking power He fights for me. He showed me the power of His love and His unmatched authority to make anything that stands between His children and His love fade into ash and disappear into the winds of His breath. What I'm here today to say is is... The answer to your pain is not death. The answer to your pain is transformation. I am everything that I am todaybecause of my King. I found the answer and the thing I was looking for all along. I found it in the power and the authority of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ - the only one who has the power to transform a wretch like me into a child of the King.


He alone has the power to take from you the pain and suffering in your life and transform you too into what He says you truly are. Trust me when I say you really have no idea what and who you really are until you seek the King and His mercy. He took a slave and an addict like me and turned me into a soldier for His Kingdom. Now I don't fight for my survival, I fight for the freedom of others who suffer like I did. I'm not here today to tell you how to be free - only Jesus is and can show you the way. I can tell you it's not the latest book in the stores, it's not a movie that's going to do it, it's not a series of affirmations or chants, it's not you giving more money, serving more or working harder. The answer to your freedom is you giving up and letting Jesus the King reign. It's you saying "I'm done Jesus, I can't and won't do things my way any more... I give you my life... take it and use it... I need you Jesus...". I know for sure that there is someone out there that needs this, that's on the brink like I was, that's hanging from the edge from your last few fingers... This is for you. Hand over the keys to those doors you've kept locked for so long and let the war drums begin. Give Him permission and He will fight for you.


Trust me when I say this... I've seen how these fights go down and no matter what it is that faces my King in the ring - it all ends very, VERY quickly. Give Him FULL access to your heart and your life and watch and see the true power of His love for you. If this is you right now and God is speaking to you from this while you're alone please read Psalm 18. This is how God feels about your pain and how He feels about you. You matter greatly to Him and you're worth more than the pain and the lies. I pray thattoday God intervenes and reveals Himself to you like He did to me as the King of all Kings full of power and authority and willing and able to save all who call on His Name. There is always hope. God loves you.  

"This road you called me to walk... It's just too hard. I can't do this alone... I'm exhausted..."

I PROMISE YOU YOU'RE NOT ALONE. I WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU. ONE STEP AT A TIME SOLDIER. WHEN YOU FALL I'LL CARRY YOU. 

"This place I'm in is just too dark... the blackness swallows up everything that's good..."

I HAVE NO PROBLEM SEEING IN THE DARK. TRUST ME. JUST FOLLOW MY VOICE AND YOU'LL BE FINE. 

"This sword you've given me is just too vast. It's way too big for me..."

RIGHT NOW - YES. BUT I'LL TEACH YOU TO GROW INTO IT. LEARN FROM ME. ALL I ASK IS FOR YOU TO NOT LET GO OF MY WORDS. BURY THEM DEEP IN YOUR HEART. FOLLOW MY LEAD AND I'LL DO THE REST. 

"I trust you Lord... even though I can't even pretend to do this in my own strength I will move forward on your command. Not because I believe in myself... but because I believe in You and your Kingdom. So bind these broken fingers to the hilt with your perfect cords of love, hope, truth and justice. I'll give my all until I am fully spent - because that's what You did for me that day. I will stand and fight for the broken, the oppressed, the hurting, the voiceless and the forgotten. I don't care how many bruises, cuts and scratches I get. I don't care if I get no pay and no reward. I don't care if no one notices what I'm doing. I don't care if my name is ripped to shreds by lies and accusation. I'll forge on, not for me... but for the others that haven't tasted true freedom yet. Lord give me strength for the battle. Teach me to fight for others like you did, in sacrifice and in pure love. For your glory, your Kingdom and your Name. I bow before you my King with very little strength as a humble child. I offer the little I have for your Kingdom...†"

RISE MY SOLDIER! I GIVE STRENGTH TO THE WEAK. I MAKE MIGHTY MEN AND WOMEN FROM LITTLE CHILDREN. I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS. THE BATTLE IS MINE AND I WILL DELIVER THE ENEMY INTO YOUR HANDS. STAND MY CHILD.

[ Exodus 14:14 - The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. ] 

God knows your hidden pain. He knows and understands those things you struggle to explain to anyone. The things people said and did that you were powerless to avoid and that sting deep in your heart day after day. He also knows why you do what you do even though you hate repeating it over and over. He knows what you're going through. He knows when the things you had planned aren't working out as you might have thought and when things are taking longer than you expected or would have liked them to. Take comfort in the fact that He knows and cares for you. Faith is not about a magic procedure, special secret chants, the latest book or finding the hidden way to getting everything you ask for when you want it - Faith is simply about relationship. It's about relationship of humble children with a loving Heavenly Father in simple respectful reliance. The truth is that we can't really do a lot to help ourselves of our own efforts. We aren't strong enough, smart enough or connected enough. Sometimes when things do go right for a decent run we think that maybe it was all to do with how good we are or how talented and clever we think we are... But the truth again is the only reason we ever succeed is all because of God and His immense love, mercy and grace for us. The only reason anyone is anything at all because God helps us - and many times we often don't see it or realise it. You see that's how amazing God and His love is - it has nothing to prove and wants nothing in return.  He just wants you to be loved an receive His love and He wants to help you in your life both in the great times and in your struggles.  I pray today for you my brothers and sisters that God's love comforts your heart and gives you the strength and peace you need for your trial. Everyone has trials and there's always love, mercy and grace available for you from your Father in Heaven in truckloads for whatever comes your way. Stay strong because God loves you. 

[ "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." -2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ] 

OK, I'm throwing down a challenge for today! If you're up to it, join me :) Here's the deal - Do your best today to encourage three people. Try to make it something meaningful and not just something about someones outward appearance - go a bit deeper and try to look for something unique or something about someone's character to encourage. You would be blown away at the effect it has even if you don't see it right away. If just 100 people did this today then at least 300 people get encouraged! Imagine if those people went on to do the same? The results would be exponential and enough to change a city. A few of those people might just be close to giving up or worse so you might be the last word of life and love that helps them get back up and into the race of life. Do it freely, expect nothing in return and I can promise you this, you'll have an awesome day yourself. I'll start the ball rolling. You're awesome, there's no one like you. I'm talking about the real you, the you inside that doesn't age. The part of you that passion, life and all of your interests flow from - that part is awesome. It's a gift from God. Stay Gold :)

I became a christian at the age of 8 years old. I grew up in a broken home with my single mum and two brothers. I accepted Jesus as my savior in a dusty old run down public school classroom after school in a bible stories class my mum sent me and my brothers to. The lady spoke about these amazing stories from the bible like David and Goliath, Adam and Eve, Noah and the flood and then Jesus. She told me that this guy called Jesus who was the Son of God died for me and in my place to take my sins away and to make a way for me to be with God who apparently was my Father - I thought that sounded like a pretty bad deal for Jesus, dying so badly and all that - but if He was willing to do that for me I'm up for it for sure. Hey, I was 8 - I'd take anything that was free :) 

I then went on to learn about Jesus and His ways and one of the biggest things that stuck out in His teachings was that He said the two greatest commandments that sit far above all of the ten commandments and all the prophets in the bible are to "love God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbour as yourself". I had huge problems with this though. I also grew up in a country where men are told that if you feel emotion you are weak. And loving yourself was a sign of arrogance. It wasn't that I didn't want to do this though - I had no idea how to love myself or others. You see I was broken. I was a young boy who hadn't been shown love very much and had seen so much pain so I had no idea how to love others or even accept love. I couldn't accept praise for anything, I couldn't be hugged, I couldn't even look in the mirror. I lived most of my life hating myself for the simple reason that I must be worthless - it was only logical - history has proven to me and by all the things that have happened to me it must be true. The voices inside echoed day after day reinforcing the same. I heard this concept of God being a Father but He wasn't that to me in my mind - all I knew was pain. 

Through my teenage years I tried to cope with this pain by various and some quite dangerous ways. I lived life on the edge all the time. Pushing every boundary - and why not? What was I worth anyway? I may as well go hard, all the way past danger and reason. My worth was only in what I could do. This went on for years and years. I accumulated lots of things - money, cars, motorbikes, TV's - basically everything that people seek after. Yet I was in the depths of misery. I had everything - so much more than others had - yet I had nothing at all. The thing I wanted always escaped me and kept me awake at night. There was a hole in me that ached so bad. A hole that could only be filled by a Father. Then my life went particularly bad. I  started losing my mind. I knew what was happening. I was caving in. Everything was collapsing into that hole and I knew I didn't have much time. Things were getting worse quickly. I went to see a doctor and she immediately diagnosed me with depression and anti-depressants. They only made things worse though. They flat lined who I was. I now felt less pain, but I also lost all my passion for life and anything at all. I became a walking zombie. I knew this wasn't that answer - it couldn't be. I said to myself "I can't and refuse to live the rest of my life like this". I'll share another time how God healed me totally and completely of depression and all my horrible addictions but I want to share what He did before He tore from me what tormented me didn't belong. 

I had a family breakdown which was something that was just  waiting to happen after the teenage years me and my brothers have had  and how it affected my mother. I drove home one day and pulled into the garage. That ache inside was so bad, it was no longer an emotional or spiritual problem - it actually hurt in my chest and I was struggling to breathe. My heart was shutting down and I knew this was serious. As serious as a heart attack. Then it happened. Through the windshield I  started to see my life playing back to me in slides like someone was showing me living photo scenes of my life. I saw my first job, my first car, my first motorbike. My first fight at school, my first bmx, the day my Dad left home. It kept going back further though. Flashing faster and faster. I saw my first day at school and myself drinking from the taps as a little boy, my first day at kindergarten climbing on the monkey bars and falling in bark chips. I saw myself crawling as a baby looking up with an innocent smile. Then lastly the scenes stopped and I saw a baby in a plastic hospital crib only 1 minute old with dried blood smeared across his forehead. I looked at the arm band and it hit me like a freight train. It was me. This defenceless smooth skinned little child lying there was me. Then I heard God say "When I look at you - I've always seen you as that. I loved you so deeply that day and have loved you long before you even existed. I am your Father." For the first time in my life my heart beated like it was meant to - in rhythm with my Fathers. 

A stone cold heart now became a heart of flesh because of love. Why am I telling you all this? Because I never loved myself. And because of that I could never really love anyone else. Now that God has shown me that I am loved eternally, incomparably and radically by my Father in heaven it changed every single thing about me. Now I value myself. Now I know I am worthy. Now I know I belong. Now I l know I have a future. Now I know for certain - I....am....loved. And now because of Him and His love, I understand the two greatest commandments. Love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. I love myself because I choose to believe what God says about me - not what history, my emotions, my accomplishments, my friends, my family, my enemies or anything else tells me - only what He says and He says "I love you". And now that I love myself the way God wants me to, I can properly and freely love others. Obviously I now also love God with all my heart because without His amazing love - I wouldn't be who I am at all. God is love. God loves you. If you don't know God as your Father and would like to, call out to Him. He will hear you. And He will answer with love just as He did for me. 

I pray for you today more than anything... that you KNOW God's love. Deep in your heart. Settled. Sure. Immovable. Because when you truly know you are loved by your Heavenly Father all the silly games stop, all the self deception ceases, all the petty justifications die, the outward parade ends, and religion finally goes to the grave. When you know you're truly loved by God you know that God sees and knows all of you. Every single part. Then you humbly bow before Him and simply just receive His love as a child. God loves you - far more than you'll ever know... I pray today He reveals that love to you more and more. - 1 John 4:16 NLT "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."  

Some say love is spelt in gifts. Some say love is spelt in affection. Some say love is spelt in respect. Some say love is spelt in attention. Some say love is spelt in service to another. Some say love is simply a chemical reaction. For me... none of those things saved and changed me. Even as nice as some of those things are - none of them were powerful enough to reach the real me that was lost inside under years of smothering lies and pain. The type of love that found me was a love that fears nothing, not even death itself. It was a type of love so radical, so offensive to the strong towering walls that were built around my heart that they began to crumble and fall under the sheer weight of the truth of its power. A love I had not known and would never know from a being that walks this earth - apart from The One called the Son of God. It was His love, His undying love that saved me, reached me, found me, cleansed me, raised me, teaches me and leads me. A love that stared death in the face defiantly and unafraid, a love that went to the grave burying and dragging my sin to where it belongs, and a love that exploded back to life three days later to live forever and ever! That love has a name. His Name is JESUS. It was love that saved me. His love. †

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

In God's Word we hear the terms "brotherly love", "brothers and sisters in Christ", "One spirit in God" but do we really believe it? Do we treat those that love God and His ways as our actual family - or is it just an uncomfortable catch phrase and a churchy cliche? Jesus challenged the thinking of the day in His time here on earth by asking the question "Who is my family?" He then opened His hands towards His disciples and said "These are my family". Jesus said this to change the narrow mindset we often have of family. Family not just those who were born from the same parents as you, Family is in truth those that are born again by the same Spirit as you! And when we really take this truth to heart that those that are followers of Christ are indeed family, it changes everything. You see - Family don't lie to each other, they don't cheat each other, they don't slander or gossip about each other, they don't ignore each other, they don't abuse each other, they respect each other, they guard each other, they confess their faults to each other, they forgive each other, they give to each other, they feed and care for each other, they listen to each other, they fight for each other and most importantly... they pray for each other. Jesus reinforced this truth one last time as He hung on the cross only hours before His death in John 19. He knew that His time to leave this mortal coil had come, yet He still cared deeply for the needs of His family. While in extreme pain and agony Jesus took a moment to instruct John to care for Mary His mother and to now call her his mother and for Mary to call John her son. Jesus cares about and for you deeply. You are valued, priceless and rare. And He wants us to have that same value and love for each other. Family - it's more than just a word, it's a powerful promise from the Kingdom of Heaven.

[ Romans 12:10 - Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. ] 

First of all, I'll define a sinner. A sinner is someone who sins. The simple truth is this - everyone sins. Every single person in this world has either lied, stolen, rebelled, hated, disobeyed, been selfish and hurt others at some stage. Even more than that, we are all born in sin. It's in our very nature from birth. For this very reason you don't need to teach a two year old how to have a bad attitude and throw a tantrum. It's in our blood. So that levels the playing field to start with hey. We are all sinners. Secondarily, sin is sin whether its big or small. I'll put it this way... You're on your way to a wedding in your best gear. You're standing outside the church with a friend and the horse drawn cart pulls up with the brides family inside. Unfortunately the horse ate a little too much for breakfast and decided now is a good time to relieve itself.


You do your best to maintain composure despite the rancid smell and step back to get some fresh air. The bride arrives next in a large black limousine and pulls up to the curb. As the driver reverses to park he runs over the horses 'deposit' and moist particles are sent airborne in your direction. You look down and your nicely pressed suit is now completely peppered and decorated with a substance not generally fit for wedding ceremonies or public appearances. Your friend also suffers the same fate only to a much lesser extent with much smaller spots sprayed over a nice white shirt. Why such a vivid example? Because now both people have 'less than desirable' additions to their clean clothes. Clearly both people would need these dirty clothes washed and to get changed into new clothes.Sadly though, it's often the ones with the big obvious stains that go to 'The Cleaner'. You would think it absurd for the friend that had smaller spots to just ignore it and put a suit jacket on to cover the spots and continue on with the day pretending nothing ever happened.


The truth is no matter how much you perfume or try to cover it up, you know what you've got on you. Sin is exactly the same. We all do it, We all need forgiveness. The great news is 1 John 1:9 tells us that Jesus is always faithful to forgive us when we confess our sin, no matter how big or small. A Christian can be defined as a 'sinner saved by grace'. Does this mean Christians are clean and perfect all the time? Certainly not. A Christian is simply someone who knows the owner of the laundromat personally. We all need Jesus. We all need forgiveness. This is why Jesus said "judge not or you will be judged". We just aren't cut out to judge, we are all flawed just like everyone else and need Jesus every moment of every day.


Jesus was known as the 'friend of sinners' and we are called to be Christ-like so it makes perfect sense that we should do the same. Religion is exclusive, but God's love is inclusive. We don't stay clean in God's eyes by excluding ourselves from sinners, we stay clean by choosing not to sin ourselves and by asking for forgiveness we we fall. So today, choose to be respectful, kind, friendly and inviting to sinners just like Jesus was - because in truth, we are all just sinners who need a Saviour. Our job is to simply present Jesus as our Saviour and let the Spirit of God do His word in their hearts

 [ Luke 5:32 - Jesus said "I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" ] God loves you!