#prayingworks

I love Christmas and proud of it. My home is a barhumbug free zone. Visit me and expect your ears to be greeted with Christmas music!!! My wife love wrapping presents. I love making drinks, snacks on tap and making her laugh...!! its Friday before Christmas and this year the days just feel wrong. Christmas in a Monday - doesn’t feel right. I’m up at the crack of dawn, thinking it’s Christmas Eve. What’s that about? If you thought it...no I know Santa is not real (ha ha). The Christmas story in the bible couldn’t be more different than our prep. Actually I’m happy I’m living in 2017. Have you smelt a barn? In a few days we’ll be celebrating, let’s pay some sober thought to what the first Christmas was like. Only those notified by God celebrated and they celebrated lavishly - those gifts were not cheap. Personally I don’t have a problem with gifts at Christmas. Jesus came into the world so that I can be free to live forever - I’m going to celebrate hard. So why does it feel like Christmas Eve? Maybe it’s nothing more than it’s Friday...maybe...!! Be encouraged Read the full article

I heard a Pastor say “the bible doesn’t speak against slavery”. My heart sank, because I really respect this man, He is humble, always greets with a kind word, always has great advice to give. His words brought me back to reality...like pronto, with a bump...!! Does the bible need to say, the theft, enslavement, murder, rape, torture of Africans is wrong? I don’t think so. God already said Don’t Steal, Don’t Murder, Don’t Covet and love your neighbour as yourself. How can anyone square the circle of the cruelty merged out to Africans with adherence to the bible? Church congregations are also pretty much split along race lines. Have you heard the phrase - black church? Is there a white and black Heaven too? Offcourse I’m being sarcastic!! But you get the point. Secular society is dealing with the issue of race and inequality in a daily basis. However I’m not so sure the church is even prepared to begin the discourse. I have a theory. Our establishment pastors struggle to be as transparent as God, acknowledging the mistakes of pastors and missionaries. Imagine God preserves a book that contains damning accounts of things people who claim to love God did...!! And God’s heart to restore them. It would be great for pastors to lead the way in declaring slavery meted out to Africans had nothing to do with biblical teachings. Be encouraged. Read the full article

It’s really unimaginable how one man making a statement (whether he believed it or not is another question), can so influence popular opinion. He said “we are bringing Christmas back”, yes it’s the president over the other side of the pond. I love Christmas and unashamedly wish everyone of every faith a merry Christmas. I understand the influences and commercialism blah blah blah. Like I said, I love Christmas, it’s an awesome family time like no other. However over the past few years it’s been popular to replace Christmas with the word ‘holidays’. Do you remember the fiasco over Starbucks and removing all traces of Yuletide on their cups. Well they showed their spirit of good will re offering to pay taxes in the U.K. tut, tut...!! Some say he courts the evangelical vote and question whether he is actually a Christian. None of those are concerns of mines. What has shocked me is this. Supermarkets are playing Christmas carols again - not just Bob Geldoff and Santa Baby, Christmas has become popular again. And the voices against seem to be quiet to nonexistent. Think. Is this all it takes to establish Jesus the Christ over the earth. For just one man - irrespective of his choices in life. Would declare Jesus the Christ is Lord and the world would respond. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth (1 John 2:20) In the age of “post-Truth”, knowing the truth requires spiritual anointing from the Lord and willingness to stand counter to popular culture. Be encouraged Read the full article

This picture is of the Collesium in Rome and monument to great “games”. These games were murder games on an industrial scale. Men were brought from every corner of the world to die horrid deaths for entertainment. One boast of the games under Emperor Nero, is that in one day 10,000 people were slaughtered. When they ran out of people to kill, and the Roman economy wasn’t doing too well. Nero blamed Christians and guess what, they were slaughtered in “games” to. Today a cross stands within the Collesium to remember the countless many Christians who were slaughtered there. When you look at the Collesium, what do you see? Do you beam with pride at the architecture. Wonder at how a less advanced civilisation could achieve such a feat. Marvel at how they could hoist those massive stones on each other. Do you contemplate the ghastly purpose of this place. Murder on an industrial scale in the name of entertainment. A few hundred years before the Collesium, in another part of the Roman Empire. A special man was crucified in the name of Rome by those wanting to maintain a status quo. God as Man, laying down His life to restore all mankind to himself. Awesome! The Collesium is 100% history. Jesus is 100% legacy. Be encouraged. Read the full article

This ship is a replica of a famous Spanish war vessel built in Barcelona...when Barcelona was an industrial heartland, building ships for merchant and millitary service. Interestingly, the ship is quite small. The oarsmen were chained to their stations while at sea, only left their station when dead. Don't know if this is true, but a Pastor said the word worship is made up of two words - worth and ship. There was a time when a ship was to that generation what a car is to ours. So value was measured in capability...of a ship. Today the word worship is associated with celebrity, footballers. TV stars, gods and God Almighty. Humans have an ability to give worship. God wants us to worship Him only because He is God the creator or the heavens and earth and all that exists there in. David writes The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Pslam 19:1 God declares Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you. Exodus 23:25 I'd say, that promise is worth-ship Be encouraged Read the full article

The guy in the picture makes a living from being still. Actually his performance involves three things; remaining still; standing to attention when someone approaches to give money; and pose with them for a picture. Pslam 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. Sometimes its good to be still. IN fact learning to be still is a good skill for children to learn, so that when they are older, sitting in a classroom with a not so enthusiastic teacher or in church with a pastor is not problem. There are also times when we need to make a stand. And there are many different ways to make a stand...there's many different things to stand for. In many countries it is a human right to stand and protest peacefully for any issue. Standing for heavenly things, is an invisible "protest" with amazing benefits. The ability to remain calm (still) while everyone around you are losing their minds is a fantastic skill. Be aware though, when you are able to keep your head, know that those losing their minds may think your lack of "drama", is a reflection of your commitment. Ensure your communications and posture demonstrate clearly that you have chosen - not to react, but to be considered in your approach.  So the next time, all hell breaks loose, experience the God that can act when you are still. Be encouraged Read the full article

The thoughts we entertain determine the actions we are prepared to take. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:26-29 In that moment, Peter entertains the idea to defy gravity, speaks it, and is the only one of 12 to experience walking on water. Wow! What thoughts do you and I entertain? Thoughts of self preservation, thoughts of celebration, thoughts of rejection, thoughts of condemnation, criticism, joy, disappointment... In every situation we face, we entertain thoughts. We can justify our thoughts by saying anyone in that situation would do the same. But that’s not true. Peter was the only one of 12 to entertain thoughts not restricted by normal human limitations. I think this was Peter’s default state - always thinking, what would I do in this situation? Let’s date to entertain thoughts that defy normal human limitations and live in the spirit. Be encouraged. Read the full article