Pop Culture Pumpkins

Church was good on Sunday and God gave us a threat! Awesome! Besides that I don't celebrate Halloween but I was fascinated on the Pumpkins that were out there...check out some awesome ones

Autobots

Snoopy!!!

The Death Star



but....we there's also Twilight, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga Pumpkins..... really??

Dreams....

Tenth Avenue North- By Your Side

Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child?
Tell me where will you run to where will you run?

'Cos I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands at my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in and give you life
I wanna give you life


'Cause I I love you I want you to know
That I yeah I love you I'll never let you go
No no

Thoughts

Last week was interesting, lots of things happened. Was a very challenging and tough week where I have to face so many things at once and got a bit frustrated at myself. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing things right, sometimes I wonder if I make a small mistake would it have an effect on other people, I kind of understand now when my friend told me that you'll have to pour out a lot of sweat and tears to get the other person to move even just a bit. It's not easy but I can imagine the outcome when the person will one day be moulded and ready and everything was worth fighting for.

I think that's how God sees us as well, that we are nothing but a clay being shaped and moulded in His hand. God has been showing me to see in His lenses. We are all messed up, still growing and learning and its amazing really how God's love never fails, it can be so ever patient, disciplines you yet still loving. His teaching me to do the same for others, to see their destiny and not their history.

..... you make all things work together for my good

Tiada Ternilai

Fell in love with this song the moment I heard it.... loved it!


DI HATI-MU TERUKIR NAMAKU
DI MATA-MU TERLUKIS WAJAHKU
BUKAN KAR’NA KUAT GAGAHKU
NAMUN HANYA KAR’NA KEMURAHAN-MU

MESKI TERKADANG AKU TERJATUH
TAK PERNAH LELAH KAU HAMPIRIKU
MEMELUKKU DENGAN CINTA-MU
BETAPA BESAR MULIA KASIH-MU

BAGI-MU TUHAN S’GALA PUJIAN
HORMAT KEMULIAAN
TIADA TERNILAI SALIB-MU TUHAN
SUNGGUH BERHARGA ENGKAU YESUS

Inspiring Love Story

This is really inspiring, its amazing when you let the creator of the universe write your love story. :)

p.s- As usual this probably won't show up on FB as its directed linked from my blog so just click 'view original post' down the comment section and watch it.

The Smith family

Haven't heard of them?

This is what they're all about.. unlocking opportunities fro disadvantaged Australian children through education and learning.

I got approached by them once, asking to donate and support their organization, but thinking that Australia is such a well developed country there's no way that children can be disadvantaged and told them I rather use that donation for Compassion, another charity organization. oh boy, was I wrong, like any other countries there are disadvantaged families out there that has low income, or even maybe a single mum that has to work two jobs to support her children, even in the midst of economy downturn people become jobless and can't support their children. Therefore The Smith Family focuses on helping disadvantaged children get the most out of their education, so they can go on to make the best of their lives.

You can click on the link on the top right hand corner to have a look. Even though you might not want to donate or sponsor a child, it's still worth checking the site and their videos to see how this awesome organization is making a difference in the community.

OR for those who are looking for a volunteering job, now is your opportunity to volunteer and work for The Smith Family.

If you're Australian (or international) and has seen the need to help disadvantaged families....what are you waiting for?? Let's make a difference and do good for the community!

p.s- If you're reading this on facebook, please click 'view original post' (right at the comment section) and the link is right there on the website :)

The call to Nazarite Consecration- Lou Engle

This was written by Lou Engle, and thought of sharing it with you guys..this has been my heart, the inward burning for God.... be blessed

Summoning the Consecrated Ones If there is one word that describes the young godly ones in this generation, it is consecrated. This is the martyr spirit. As William Wallace said in Braveheart, “Every man dies. Not every man really lives.” They understand that to lose their life is to find it and they have crossed the line of commitment once and for all. Consecrated: to separate from the common to a sacred use; to be officially declared holy; to give one’s life completely to a particular purpose; to be devoted irrevocably to the worship of God.

The Nazirites arose in the darkest times of Israel’s history. God raised them up primarily as a youth counter cultural resistance to the spiritual decline of Gods people and a holy protest to the increasing domination of Baal worship over the hearts of those called to the jealous love of Yahweh. These firebrand extremists became the conscience of the land, rebuking apathy and indifference toward the worship of Yahweh. These young men and women became the hinge of history and the course of the nation turned upon them. When God wanted a new era, a new prophetic priesthood and turning back of a nation to God, He raised up Samuel, Samson, and John the Baptist, lifetime Nazirites. Nazirites! The word Nazir in Hebrew means ‘consecrated one; separated one; a person of the vow.’ The Nazirite had a desire, an aching, burning desire to be close to the Lord. Last night on a live web chat on Elijah Revolution.com, a young lady expressed how she feels a continual burning inside her, a burning hunger for God, That is the Nazirite burn. Jesus said of John the Baptist, a Nazirite from his birth, “he was a burning lamp and you enjoyed his light for a little while” (John 5:35). The true Nazirite is a burning man! A true Nazirite is a burning woman! Have you ever felt this inward burning for God? That burn is more holy than anything on earth. Treat it as holy, guard that fire. For that fire is God’s burning heart of jealous desire for you. “Or do you not think Scripture says without reason that he Spirit he has caused to live in us longs jealously for our devotion?” (James 4:5) Praise God the law of jealousy is moving in America and is creating extreme passion in a young generation to separate themselves from other lovers in a vow of purity and holy intimacy.

The Nazirite movement in the scripture was a counter cultural youth protest against the Baal worship of that day. Whenever great spiritual decline and evil began to take over in the land of Israel, these Nazirites would begin to appear in great numbers. These holy youth were God’s preservative for the nation of Israel. And they are God’s preservative in our nation today. During these days, is God calling you to some commitment of separation from the world? How about turning your TV off for 40 days. How about waking an hour earlier, to seek God and pray for revival? Do you love God more than sleep? How about drinking juice for 40 days, expressing your burning desire for God in fasting? Separate yourself from video games and Internet pornography.

May you burn for God more than you burn in lust for this world! O Nazirite generation arise! The Nazirite not only separated himself to God in a vow of holy devotion, but is seems that the vow had a definite kingdom purpose in mind as well. John the Baptists’ vow had to do with turning a whole generation back to the God of their fathers. God, I pray that across America you would raise up a counter cultural youth movement of extreme devotion to God to God to resist and stem the tide of evil in the land. Let Your jealousy be aroused again. Judge the idols of our hearts. Turn the nation back to You. Raise up the Nazirites!

I was inspired by this book by Lou Engle to live a life of consecration and to say Yes to the call of God.

 

The Call of the Elijah Revolution: The Passion For Radical Change By James W. Goll & Lou Engle Authors James W. Goll and Lou Engle seek to inspire an entire generation--to exchange temporal pleasures for a radical and passionate leap into the spiritual joy of Jesus Christ. You will be propelled into joining the cries of other lovers of the Savior--"Is there not a cause in the land?" His answer is, "Yes!" Let "The Call of the Elijah Revolution" come forth--His people will overcome. 262 pages, softcover from Destiny Image.

Consolation Prize

Definition of Consolation Prize from yourdictionary.com- A prize given to a competitor who loses or does not win the first prize.

Just want to share a lil something I got from work two weeks ago. We are having our annual church and I was fighting very hard at work to try and get my leave approved, because the status has been unknown for a month. Cut the story short, I wanted to for camp so badly, I've never missed one and hearing the good stuffs we'll be getting made me want to go so much more.... but I got a 'I Declined your leave' that left me in tears. Next day at work I got couple of good tips + an email from one of the guest sent to the resort saying how I'm awesome, and the best...........kidding XD but the email was praising me of the work I've done for them and how I've been helpful and they appreciated it. I was like wow! A personal mail praising me! I know it might seem like a small thing to you guys but it was huge for me.... I've been dreaming to have one of those at work and I got it. I was thinking 'mmm... so I don't get to go to the camp but I was blessed at work today.. maybe its a consolation prize for me'

That's how I felt.

Then again I learnt the power of having people people around you believing for a miracle and breakthrough for you when you don't seem to have it. There was no effort for the need to strive and believe believe believe. I know sometimes people say 'You must have faith, you must have faith, you got no faith' and put pressure on the poor person who's already having anxiety to have more. However telling the person that you're believing for a miracle for them puts them at peace... they don't have to fight, they are in faith and they have rest and peace through the storms and that was how I felt. The awesome people around me had faith to believe for me and was praying for me. Don't get me wrong I was praying for it as well but there was no sense of anxiety or any hard effort. (I believe sometimes there are seasons we need to push in as well). Anxiety deflates the greatness of God.

The Last day of work before my weekend and three days before camp I got a call from my manager and asked if I still wanted the weekend off for camp. Apparently one of my colleagues wanted to work and asked my manager and so managed to cover the shift for me. Praise God! God owns everything, and managed to turn the situation around even though it seemed bleak, how cool was that?

Then it hit me. God does not give consolation prize. Those are for people who lose and do not win the first prize. In God's kingdom EVERYONE is a winner in His eyes, He wants the best for His children and His timing is perfect. God does not want to give consolation prize to mock us.... He wants us to keep going for Gold, even though sometimes we fail or feel like losers.

But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. -Matt 19:30
my version of this would say '..... the loser will be the winners'

Through the fire......

Its time for the season of harassment to stop..... thus far and no further... you will not steal my worship, my fire, my passion, my city, my nation, my dream...... Shut Up and Sit Down! I say no more, this ends today, I'm getting breakthrough each step of the way.

I'm not good as....

This thought always comes up and I don't like it. Whenever I hear a powerful testimony or hear what other people have achieved I tend to look at myself of what I've done or what I haven't seen and I start putting myself down with thoughts like 'man I can't go to where they're at, I feel like an ant compared to these giants' and just things that would bring me down. Yes, the aftermath of that is that I'll probably go insane, go depressed for awhile and lose focus. Worse, there comes the religious spirit that would go.... I have to do this, do that to get to where these guys are at out of stress and my lack of identiy in Him.

From my previous post I wrote that I complained a lot, and I should stop doing that. Made me realize how I was like the Israelties who saw God's goodness and power and yet still had unbelief, complained and got therefore wandered in the desert for 40 years. Made me realize part of me had unbelief therefore I started to complain and compare. not a good thing.

Problem here is simple, I lost focus on God and who He is. You know the famous verse 'Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit?' Both Might and Power are attributes of the Holy Spirit, its not the attributes but the person that has it, its not the signs, but what the signs points to. The works points to the person...... selah.

God has taught me to slow down and rest these few days. I have been running up and down, always busy BUT I've learnt to just rest and have peace. Not peace as in no wars, no conflict, no noise but a peace that focuses on the Presence of the Person, then you know that He has dominion over all the storms in your life. Bill Johnson said 'the place of rest is a place of strength' So soak in His presence and let God do what He needs to do... stop striving. Its ALL of Him or Nothing,

See you in church!

get a grip

Not feeling the best in the past two weeks, been procrastinating in not applying for my PR when I should have. Stupid thoughts and lies just keep going through my head on what is to come. Little things that shouldn't really matter brought me down. Its one thing to be dreaming for something ,wanting to see it happen and another to get your hands dirty and start doing it. There's no one to be blamed but me. For not taking any responsiblity well, for not stepping up when I should have, for not having the right attitude and character. Seriously I'm so good in complaning that I don't do anything about it.

Jesus, I want to fall in love with you again, you are my breathe, my love my life. Forgive me for the times where I've ran around aimlessly doing my own things which doesn't even benefit and help. I need your strength, I need to rest in the shadow of your wings. Just need one touch from You, daddy. I want to be in that place of surrender again where I give you all my dream, every part of me.

I need a new set of 'tires' because mine is almost worn out :(

Hayden Panettiere- My hero Is You

Found a song by accident, and the lyrics for this song reminds me so much of Jesus. I don't think Hayden is a christian, she's the awesome Claire that can't die in Heroes. Maybe the person who wrote the song was but nevertheless this song is what I was feeling a few days ago. Many doubts just started hitting me but it's so good to make the decision to just get in your bedroom and cry out and seek Him where I can find Him :)

You know I try to be
All that I can
But there's a part of me
I still don't understand

Why do I only see
What I don't have
When my reality
Its things are not that bad

Your faith has shown me that

When my world goes crazy
You won't let go
When the ground gets shaky
You give me hope
When I try to push you away
You never move, yeah

Now when I start doubting and
You help me see
There's a strength, and a mind, and a power in me
Oh believe me thereain't nothing I can't do
My hero is you, yeah
My hero is you

I never saw the way
You sacrificed
Who knew the price you paid
How can I make it right
I know I've gotta try

When my world goes crazy
You won't let go
When the ground gets shaky
You give me hope
When I try to push you away
You never move, yeah

Now when I start doubting and
You help me see
There's a strength, and a mind, and a power in me
You believe there ain't nothing I can't do
My hero is you, yeah
My hero is you

I am a child of God

So far....

Been reflecting on what God has done in my life for the past few weeks (and months) and realised that I'm still a work at progress but have been grown from strength to strength and glory to glory. One prayer that I've been praying during the start of the year was to not just catch the revelation from heaven but to experience it. I don't want to just know it but able to live it and experience it out and Praise God, I've been experiencing the goodness and power of God!

This year has been a lot of challenges and ooo how prophecy can really mess your life up! (in a good way) John Jacks prophecied that God will bring challenges to me and to take that opportunity and respond to it. The challenges has come in all areas, at work, in my personal life and in ministry. Been focusing on my new life group Gen418a to focus on how to build it and make it healthy and grow, its mind blowing because I'm still inexperienced and sometimes think I'm incapable, but I want to trust God to use me and cause Gen418 to be one that can bring, faith, hope, love and a renewed passion and vision as people come in, they will experience the tangible love of God and get to know their destiny.

On a side note I want to say that I'm an ordinary man blessed by a extraordinary God. I thought I would have to wait for another 2 years but finally somehow my timing and God's timing is different and He has blessed me with a wonderful mate yay!!! :) I want to continue to grow in this new journey to serve, honor and protect....... ok wait.. stop that sounds like a slogan for the Policeman! urgh. How about being a man that she can trust that I'll always be God fearing, will always be faithful and make her feel that shes the most blessed person in the world ;)

People have asked what are my feelings? The first few times I didn't know how to answer them and gave an answer... I don't know cos I'm shy with my feelings hahaha but now I do after giving it some thought.

• I'm nervous yet excited
• I'm happy to get the approval and blessings from the leaders and knowing that we're not in this journey alone but there will be others joining the journey with us
• It's weird how many people have seen this coming way last year even before I had any thoughts or feelings.
• and lastly.... God is good :)

Passion for your name

Facing your mountains

All of us has will eventually face a mountain or 'Goliath' in our lives.
And truthfully... the response when God reaveals what He wants to do in my life goes from 'yeah! Bring it On' to 'Oh cripes, what have I gotten myself into' when we really get our hands dirty into it.

We face fears.
David had to face Goliath
Moses had the fear of public speaking
Noah was asked to built an ark and he probably had no idea what it is.
The ten spies had fear when they saw giants in the land.

Bottom line is that God has never asked us to do anything that was easy, if it was then we wouldn't need Him and we must fight through Fear :) Perfect love drives out fear, I believe David had a love and passion for God and his people that he didn't had the fear to face Goliath.

If God has called you, He will equipped, sustain and empower you. Of course it might seem impossible but what is impossible with man is possible with God, that's why in Zech 4:6 it says its by God's spirit, not by our might or power. You may think you are a nobody, or an ordinary person who God wouldn't use. Think again~! God is in the business of using ordinary people to do extraordinary things!!

Acts 4:13

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they coyld see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

Be blessed =)

5 reasons why people quit ministry...

Read it, love it and got to repost it
Five Reasons Why People Quit The Ministry by Perry Noble

#1 – Burnout
I once heard someone say, “I would rather burn out than rust out.” Uh…BOTH are bad because NEITHER of them finish well. Too many people in the ministry work themselves into a frenzy, never take time to disconnect and refresh and do absolutely nothing for fun…this always goes bad!

When it comes to leadership circles in America we’ve equated being busy with being godly; however, the haunting reality that confronts that idea is what God Himself said in Psalm 46:10, “BE STILL and know that I am God”…not “be busy!”
If we are not taking regular breaks, doing things “just for fun” and disconnecting then burnout isn’t a matter of “if,” but “when!”

#2 – Unrealistic Expectations
Too many people believe that ministry = easy…despite the fact that it seemed to go really bad for everyone in the Scriptures that sold their life out to Him! Jesus went to the “place of the skull” to be crucified…why would we ever believe He would lead us to “the place of the mattress?”

When we impose our plans and ideas on God and refuse to surrender to His…and then things don’t go as planned…it usually leads to people “giving up” because “God just didn’t come through.”

#3 – Criticism
Criticism hurts…it always will…and if it ever doesn’t then, according to my counselor, something is dead inside of you. AND…it is always personal (especially when someone begins with, “don’t take this personally…but…).

You can’t let the critics dicate what you think/feel! If you have a ministry that constantly responds to critics then you will not have one that responds to Jesus. You MUST respond to the people who God has placed in your life to surround you and protect you–that’s not criticism but rather correction. However, you cannot allow those who know you the least to control you the most–period!

#4 – Discouragement
Every church leader I’ve ever chatted with has done some serious battles with discouragement. After your message on Sunday the enemy comes in and begins to accuse you, telling you that you did a pathetic job and that no one is going to come back next week. Heck, I’ve had to battle discouragement during the message before, hearing voices inside of my head saying things like, “you suck, these people hate you…you need to quite the ministry…” and so on.

This is why it is essential for leaders to get in a place like David did in I Samuel 30:1-6…he faced an incredibly discouraging situation and yet someone managed to find His strength in the Lord.
I do this through reading through encouraging letters and emails that I’ve received in the past, placing myself in encouraging environments and focusing on what God’s Word says about me.

#5 – Losing Focus On God’s Power
When we actually believe it is up to us to make people come back to church every week rather than believing we are conduits that God wants to work through to do that very thing…it’s over! Because…we fall into the trap of trying to outdo ourselves every week, every series and every year…and prayer/seeking the Lord becomes something we love to talk about but fail to do. He saves…He draws people…and He uses us to do it. It’s not up to us…but rather allowing Him to work through us to accomplish all that He wants to do!

Face it…on our own we don’t have enough power to blow our nose! We NEED Him…HE is the game changer!!!

THAT question

Pillar of Support

Received a text from a good friend of mine to pray for her for some stress and 'crap' she's feeling. Although we haven't contacted each other for months yet there's still this connection that we are family and we're out there to watch each others backs :)

Received an encouraging reply after prayer for her saying 'Thx Jay, you've never failed to be my pillar of support"

It was encouraging to me because for the past few days I've felt crap that I haven't been a good friend to others , haven't been a good brother, haven't been taking responsibility well and well that text just puts a smile on my face and telling me to keep going and not give up. I want to be a pillar of support to My Church and to My friends and family. Let's be a pillar of support to one another's lives through the good times and bad times =)