last night was at the homeless ministry from our church, it's called Streetwise and it's ran by an incredible woman called Alison Beckwith and they've partnered with the hotel i work at, to provide sandwiches and soup for the ministry one Thursday a month..


so i just spent some time there, just hanging out..playing ping pong
met a guy who used to be in the army and was stationed in Northern Ireland in Tyrone, now he's homeless
met a guy who may need his leg amputated because he's been sleeping rough so long
met some young lads who have run away..


and then they left, they get something to eat, have a chat and leave
then i got really angry
homelessness, famine..world issues like KONY2012...child soldiers, sex trafficking...
what the frick?


like i just don't get it...God made us this beautiful world and filled it with beautiful amazing people and we wrecked it
we broke some of the hearts he gave us
the night after i watched the KONY video i had to sleep on my bedroom floor because i felt horrifically guilty that i have a bed
and we have the cheek to ask God how he let this happen?
how did YOU let this happen??
i don't get it and i don't know what i'm meant to do with these feelings


when did we get so damn apathetic toward need?
as a human race when did we get ok with it?
and now, how do we fix it?

i am sure the answer is the local church, community, family...


but sometimes it doesn't help my heavy heart, i spend time with those people, i show them they are valued by serving them, by getting them a cup of tea because they are so so precious to my God
but how are they meant to believe me when they walk out the door, back to the street to be abused by drunk people coming out of nightclubs at 3am?

fuzzyhead

sometimes i get a fuzzy head, i don't always work out whats wrong right away but i just feel like i wana go back to bed, get really frustrated easily and it all kind of clicked when it was Easter and i was reading about the crucifixion in Mark and read this verse in chapter 14v38
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. 
The spirit is willing, but the body is weak"


and i realised that my flesh wants one thing, but my spirit wants something else - the Godly thing
and so its like an inside turmoil and the wolf you feed is the wolf that wins
if you feed your fleshly and worldly desires, they will win because they grow stronger
but we have to feed our spirit, with time along with Jesus..even if you can't say anything cause your head is fuzzy
get a spirit of agreement, so that your flesh is disciplined and your spirit wins
watch - reflect on the things you do and the things that frustrate you

my spirit is strong but when my flesh starts to win it doesn't look good on me

when i start to walk in what my flesh wants, i get grumpy quickly because i know in my heart that i'm not walking the path God wants me too

the greater joy lies in what God has for you, even though sometimes it takes blind faith and courage to walk into that because it isn't what you expected joy would look like in your life

eph3v20

God has a purpose for your life


purpose:The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.


we were created to glorify and worship God, to point to him
if you knew the purpose that God intended for you, it would blow your mind because i guarantee its much much more than working a 9-5, getting married, having kids, maybe being a leader at youth on a Friday night 
yea you may do those things, and that isn't wrong...
but his purpose will look more like leading a generation of young people to rise up, or setting captives free, or feeding the hungry, to be a friend to the friendless
maybe its just being the one person who speaks a positive word into someones life
maybe its to be an encourager


you have power and you have a God on your side who wants to change this world through you!
there is an army rising up
an army that isn't so much about fighting, but about going behind the enemies lines, and looking after the injured


don't be afraid
be excited
don't just raise awareness, get your hands dirty
get planted in your church and serve
that was your purpose
go and play scrabble with the older people in your church - they have so much wisdom
they are whole people, they still have dreams and desires for their lives
show them that we are not a lost generation,
we are a found generation and we are planted and we are growing
we have broken the chains
and we don't care so much


we will fight negativity because that is never from God
we will fight fear with hope
worry with faith
doubt with promises never broken
disappointment with love
lack with plenty
need with sustenance


live like Ephesians 3v20 is tattooed on your forehead

Now to him 

who is able to do 

immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, 

according to his power 

that is at work within us

when you come up against a wall, say it out loud
i give this to God, who is able to do so much more than i can, more than i can even imagine and his power is in me

declare it in your heart and over your friends
break the walls down

when you see Satan attack, which he will, tell him to piss off cause you are able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE

than he can imagine, he can't imagine, he can't bring about any truth or new or original thought - he is only lies

and you'll hear his lies in your head

i can't do that

they'll never be saved

i can't be different

lies...and the best bit is, the opposite is the TRUTH
you can do it
they can be saved
and you are different

Satan is scared of you, scared of all the ground your gonna take for the kingdom of light

scared of all the hearts your gonna save

listen to the whispers of heaven, listen to the truth

align your heart with the purpose of heaven

read your bible, it will change your life 

learn the scripture that tells the truth about who you are and where you are going.


be inspired by Jesus
feel your heart race as you walk in the light, bask in the truth and acknowledge that you are cherished
and pass it on

be challenged

The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyles. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

Brennan Manning

?

why do you do what your do?
what makes you happy or mad?
and why?
what are your motives?
there is a motive behind every action/thought/conversation
why does it make you mad when someone is late?
why does it make you frustrated when someone doesn't text you back?
why does it make you happy when you get your way?
why do you get excited when you have time to yourself?
why didn't you make an effort with her?
why do you feel absolutely destroyed when they don't make an effort with you?
why don't you wana go there or do that?
why do you want that career?
why do you need that new dress?
why do you have to be at that gig?
why?
is Jesus the answer?
is he your motive?

where is your fruit?
if people aren't asking whats different about you, you aren't doing it right.
you have the Holy Spirit and they don't
the fruits of having the Holy Spirit in your life are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfullness, gentleness, self control
so if you have the Holy Spirit, where is your fruit?
what is different about you?

totes mainstream

there is no such thing as cool
and if there is, its completely subjective
cool was invented by our 14 year old selves
Jesus wasn't cool and now loving Jesus isn't cool
we create this strange social ladder and 'rate' oursleves and others around us
by what we wear or who we hang out with or the music we listen to
not long ago i was completely submersed in this
i wanted so bad to be cool, then i wanted so bad to be a cool christian
you know what really isn't cool?
broken people
even less cool?
washing their dirty feet
its not cool to say hello to someone you don't know and have that first awkward conversation
i'm really bored of cool
bored of exclusivity and favouritism
bored of people wh are too cool to make an effort
condescending and proud
people who think they're better than others
bet your reading this thinking "thats not me"
but it is!its me too
there are some people, that i have to push so hard to make an effort with
the world wants nothing to do with them, they are less than nothing, they are labelled
"hard to reach"
"un-engaging"
"care leaver"
"young offender"
"homeless"
"chav"
i flippin love them
i am so humbled by them
they are so precious to Jesus
as are the hipsters and the indie kids and the mainstreamers


so pull your head out of your arse and go love some people
stop caring so damn much about what people think

John 13v1-17 Jesus washes the disciples feet
v3-5
"Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet"

because Jesus knew he belonged to God, He knew the power was with God and not with anything or anyone of this earth, he didn't care about humbling himself in this way. He didn't care what people would say, he just wanted to wash some dirty feet.

i am called to wash dirty feet, to love people back to life.

God has a goal for your life
and you are the only one who can affect that
if your heart is willing then nothing or no one can stop Gods goal for your life.
Satan can tempt away, the world can fetch it on
critisize, tear me down but you cannot defeat God and what he has planned
i am in agreement with him
so you cannot stop me
BRING IT


Jeremiah 29v11
""For I know the plans I have for you" declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.""

Psalm138v8
"The LORD fulfills his purpose for me; your steadfast love O LORD endures forever"

Phillipians1v6
"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion untill the day of Jesus Christ"

you know these verses
but do you live, pray, act like they are true?