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Illustration : Are we Living or Dying?

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“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJV)

As Christians we are recipients of Divine life that is both eternal and abundant. Isn’t it strange therefore as to how often we speak about death in our vocabulary?

For instance, when our job or boss is giving us a tough time, we may say, “my job is killing me’ or ’my boss is killing me’. When our feet are tired, we say, ’my feet are killing me’. If we are desperate to share a story with someone, we may say, ’ My, I was dying to tell you this’ or ’I was dying to meet you’! When someone says something that is right to the point, we say,’you are dead right’. On the contrary, when someone says something inaccurate, we say, ’you’re dead wrong’, and if someone is a constant failure, we may call him ’a dead loss’!! When we say or do something that is embarrassing, we say, ’I could have died then and there’, or when someone shares a story that is difficult to believe, we ask, ’are you dead sure’? Many times I have heard people who are angry or upset say, ’not over my dead body’!!

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The Preaching Platform – 1st Anniversary

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Praise be to our God!

2 days ago, on 1st September, we completed our first Anniversary of the online ministry of ‘The Preaching Platform’. I well remember the day this ministry was launched 1 year ago by Pastor Dishan Wickramaratne, the Senior Pastor of the Peoples Church (Assembly of God).

As we look back over 1 year of God’s faithfulness, we thank Him for the way He has blessed our efforts and for the lives He has touched through this ministry.  The sermons and devotionals on the blog have had 10391 page views in 142 countries over the past year, besides the views on Facebook and Twitter.

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Devotional : Building a City on Prayer – Part 3

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Photo Credit – Gary Patton – Courtesy of flickr

So far in this series, we have discussed the following prayer strategies of Nehemiah.

  • He prayed fervently
  • He focused on the greatness of the One he was praying to
  • He prayed for favor
  • He prayed the promises of God
  • He prayed against resistance
  • He prayed for strength
  • He personalized his prayers

Many years ago, the music band Starship recorded a hit song called ‘We built this city on rock ‘n roll’. However, Nehemiah built the walls of Jerusalem on prayer, and through the guidance, wisdom and courage he received as a result of his prayers.

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Article : Sports Imagery in the Scriptures

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Photo Credit – @Doug88888 courtesy flickr

Since last week, the eyes of the sports world have been firmly fixed on the Rio Olympics. As expected, new records have been set, new talented athletes haven been discovered and some of the more seasoned campaigners have also proved that they are still at their best!

Personal Sports Memories-

I have always been a fan of sports and my favorites have been cricket, football and tennis, in that order. As a schoolboy, I remember waking up very early to listen to cricket commentaries on short-wave radio from Australia, staying up late when they were being transmitted from England, and staying up even later to listen to commentaries from the Caribbean. All the listening was done through a small radio we owned.

Another sports memory that will always be entrenched in my mind is tuning in at around 3 in the morning to listen to the 1970 Football World Cup final between Brazil and Italy, being played in Mexico. I still remember the thrill I felt when the legend Pele scored the 1st goal and very specially, the final goal scored by the Brazilian captain, Carlos Alberto, later to be described as one of the most memorable goals in World Cup history! The commentary team from BBC Radio made you feel like you were actually watching the game!

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Devotional : Building A City On Prayer – Part 1

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The book of Nehemiah is one that is filled with courage, effective leadership, faith, motivation, a great sense of adventure and a desire to honor God. Upon receiving information that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and in ruins and the gates burned with fire, Nehemiah clearly understood the dangers and disgrace involved (Nehemiah 1:3). It meant the city was unprotected, probably a laughing stock, with its security under grave threat from enemies. (Today we are battling with an unseen enemy that has crossed most borders in the form of a dangerous virus). He therefore resolved to do something about it. This great task that he undertook and finished efficiently was covered by much prayer.

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