BLOGPASTOR – Page 257 – blogging since 2004

Posts

Prayer is ears too!

11 November 2009 blogpastor 1 Comment

help me to listen Lord Prayer includes listening.

Jesus listened in prayer

Many miracles will require more time than the raising of Lazarus.

Even in Lazarus’ case, Jesus was listening to the Father when someone told him that Lazarus was sick. He waited a further two days before he headed for Lazarus home. He waited on God. He listened. Morning by morning, like a disciple, he listened to his Father.

We cry, we listen

It is wise to listen whenever we pray for impossible situations like the salvation of a loved one, a debt, an addiction, a relationship fracture, a colleague or fellow believer who is a thorn in the flesh, a terminal illness, or a rebellious child. We make our request known. We cry out to God.Then we listen, and continue to listen even as we go about our day. God may speak to us about what we prayed for through something we read, hear or see, or even touch. He could simply drop an idea in our mind, or move us to feel, or steel our will to take a certain path.

Respond to God’s invitation. And pray again with faith………….and listen.

Many miracles unfold stage by stage.

Prayer is ears too. Not just mouth.

Preaching: ecstasy and agony

blogpastor 2 Comments

Preaching is both ecstasy and agony. It can happen over just two Sundays.

Ecstasy

One moment, I felt I was on Mount Everest. The anointing heightened all my faculties to another level. I knew I was connecting in an unusual, powerful way with the congregation. The thoughts were coherent and the words flowed with liberty and penetrating power. The people were attentive and attuned. God was at work. I bow my head and thanked God in prayer for the privilege of being used by God.

preaching Agony

However, other times, I was not in the zone. I fumbled for thoughts. I mumbled disjointed sentences. I struggled to connect with the listeners. They became distant. The more I tried to get into the zone, the more I ended in the pit. It does not turn out the way it should. I wished I could leave the pulpit after the second point, even though there were four points. Getting off the stage would be a mercy. I would settle into the chair stumped. “Lord, just where did it go wrong? Was my preparation inadequate in some way?” I reflected, evaluated, prayed. Often this absorption continued on Monday, my day off, and I would be absent mentally though present physically with my wife.

Just Grateful

Thankfully such extremes of emotion were not prevalent. Most times I communicated the message clearly and I was not on a super high or low after preaching. Just a glow of satisfaction that the work is done, the Word delivered. For this I am grateful, to be able to preach God’s Word. I feel pleasure whenever I do it well.

How will this EPL season pan out?

9 November 2009 blogpastor 9 Comments

arsenal rocks My prediction has gone awry. In August my prediction of the English Premier League 09/10 was: first, Chelsea; second, Liverpool; third, Manchester United; and fourth, Arsenal.

My prediction of champions still look formidable: physically, technically, tactically and as a team. Best in Europe right now: Chelsea.

Liverpool has surprisingly unravelled quicker than expected. Who would have known that besides losing Alonso to Real Madrid, poor Liverpool would be hit with a double whammy of losses to injury of their twin terrors- Torres and Gerrard?

Manchester United, as usual, grinded out results despite their mediocre football. Mediocre compared to the last two glorious years, when Ronaldo and Tevez were around. They have too many injured. Too many pensioners. Giggs and Scholes will start creaking and make costly mistakes. Other teams, even the likes of Stoke, will fancy their chances of defeating a weakened Manchester United. The despair of teams when facing Man Utd has gone.

Arsenal is currently in second place with one game to play. I watch their goals on footytube and read of their exploits with glee. They have iron, thanks to Song and Diaby. My hope is that when Chelsea’s Essien and Drogba go play for their countries in January 2010, Arsenal will overtake them and not lose the lead until the end of this age.

I want to be wrong about my prediction. Let Arsenal top the table from January onwards.

How do you think the season will pan out?