Sunday at Dagoretti

WOW!!!!
I love the vitality & genuineness of the church services here. I was welcomed back as one of the family (it's my 3rd trip to Dagoretti). I was greeted by a number of people by name which really made me feel at home. I was looking forward to hearing Ps William Eyika preach but there was a guest couple from Nigeria speaking. The wife spoke for about an hour with a lot of emotion and hype but although there were some good points in her sermon there was not a lot of depth. It was very much a prosperity gospel message.

The afternoon was spent relaxing back at the guest house ready for an early night as I'm being picked up at 6am tomorrow to catch a 7am bus to Uganda.

The week in Uganda will be full of surprises & new experiences.

Ephesians 6:19 (NIV)
"Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel"

Last minute preparations

Today (Saturday) was a day of rest, catching up on washing, reading and packing my bags ready for the trip to Uganda. Well, at least that was for most of the day.

Late in the day I received a phone relaying a message from the people I will be visiting in Uganda. Typical of Africa, the message was a last minute request of new topics that they would like me to preach & teach on in Uganda. WOW! I'm travelling there on Monday. Talk about short notice! I said that I could make no promises but would look try to come up with something.

God is good! For two of the topics that they have requested I have already prepared talks. That leaves me Sunday after church (which goes for hours & is in Swahili) and then Monday during the 12 hour bus trip to work on the last topic.

Please pray for divine guidance & wisdom in preparation and also for safety during the trip.

The start of my Kenya extension

After 3 weeks with the Kenya Help Mission Awareness Trip team, tonight I farewelled them as most of them (including my wife) headed back to Australia. I'm staying mainly to work with a group in Dagoretti Corner (an area in Nairobi) to help with preparation for the establishment of a new Bible School / Mission.
However, first I'm heading to Uganda for a week to teach, preach and open a new church in a village. I leave for Uganda on Monday. So for now, a quiet weekend of rest and some final preparation.
I aim to blog daily if possible but the week in Uganda is somewhat of a mystery & so I may not have Internet access at all that week.
Stay tuned........

You Can't Get There From Here - Barnabas Network

You Can't Get There From Here - Barnabas Network

This is an article written by a dear friend.
I hope it will shed some light.
It does put things in perspective, in my opinion.

The Thin Edge of the Wedge - Barnabas Network

The Thin Edge of the Wedge - Barnabas Network

If the issue of same sex marriage is a concern to you, then you need to read this article.

Resurrection Genesis

Resurrection Genesis

The doctrine of the Resurrection of Christ is one of the most important doctrines of Christianity; without the Resurrection, we have no hope of salvation from our sins (1 Corinthians 15:12–18). Follow the title link to read more.

Attributes of God

Often people will say "I believe in God" but what exactly are we saying we believe about God? We all have our own ideas about who God is. The Bible is the word of God to us. What does it say about who God is? In other words, who does God himself say he is?

Here is an article I read on the website "All About God" that clearly explains what the Bible says about the attributes of God.


Attributes of God – The Meaning

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” So says A.W. Tozer in his classic book on the attributes of God, The Knowledge of the Holy. Why would he make such an extreme pronouncement? Tozer goes on to say, “Man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts of God.”

In our hearts we know the above is true. It is not enough to follow “god.” That word has come to mean so many different things today that it actually means very little. If we just make up our own minds concerning what He is like, then we are just creating an idol in our heads.

Attributes of God – The Basis

Jesus came to reveal the God of the Bible. And God has revealed Himself in His book. Any deviation from that insight from Him is a made-up god. Tozer in Knowledge of the Holy finds 18 characteristics of God in the Bible. They are repeated here, although not in the same order. Tozer’s definitions, when used, will appear in quotes.

The Bible says to praise God for who He is, especially in prayer. Much of Psalms is a good example of this. Most people concentrate their praise in just a few areas, such as God’s love, and then spend the rest of their prayers asking Him for things. (So that you can remember all of the attributes of God they are presented in the order of this acronym: WISH TO FLOSS JIM EGGO.)

Attributes of God – The Characteristics

Wisdom: “Wisdom is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve these ends by the most perfect means.” In other words, God makes no mistakes. He is the Father who truly knows best, as Paul explains in Romans 11:33: “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!”

Infinitude: God knows no boundaries. He is without measure. This attribute by definition impacts all of the others. Since God is infinite, everything else about Him must also be infinite.

Sovereignty: This is “the attribute by which He rules His entire creation.” It is the application of His other attributes of being all-knowing and all-powerful. It makes Him absolutely free to do what He knows to be best. God is in control of everything that happens. Man still has a free will, and is responsible for his choices in life.

Holiness: This is the attribute that sets God apart from all created beings. It refers to His majesty and His perfect moral purity. There is absolutely no sin or evil thought in God at all. His holiness is the definition of that which is pure and righteous in all the universe. Wherever God has appeared, such as to Moses at the burning bush, that place becomes holy just for God having been there.

Trinity: Though the actual word is not used in the Bible, the truth of God revealing Himself in three persons is included. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all called God, given worship as God, exist eternally, and are involved in doing things only God could do. Although, God reveals Himself in three persons, God is One and cannot be divided. All are involved completely whenever One of the Three is active.

Omniscience: “God possesses perfect knowledge and therefore has no need to learn. God has never learned and cannot learn.” Omniscience means all-knowing. God knows everything, and His knowledge is infinite. It is impossible to hide anything from God.

Faithfulness: Everything that God has promised will come to pass. His faithfulness guarantees this fact. He does not lie. What He has said in the Bible about Himself is true. Jesus even said that He is the Truth. This is extremely important for the followers of Jesus because it is on His faithfulness that our hope of eternal life rests. He will honor His promise that our sins will be forgiven and that we will live forever with Him.

Love: Love is such an important part of God’s character that the apostle John wrote, “God is love.” This means that God holds the well-being of others as His primary concern. For a full definition of love, read 1 Corinthians 13. To see love in action, study the life of Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of others is the ultimate act of love. God’s love is not a love of emotion but of action. His love gives freely to the object of its affection, those who choose to follow His son Jesus.

Omnipotence: Literally this word means all-powerful. Since God is infinite and since He possesses power, He possesses infinite power. He does allow His creatures to have some power, but this in no way diminishes His own. “He expends no energy that must be replenished.” When the Bible says God rested on the seventh day, it was to set an example for us and our need for rest, not because He was tired.

Self-existence: When Moses asked who he was talking to in the burning bush, God said, “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS.” God has no beginning or end. He just exists. Nothing else in all the universe is self-caused. Only God. In fact, if anything else had created Him, that thing would be God. This is a difficult concept for our minds since everything else we will ever encounter comes from something other than itself. The Bible says, “In the beginning, God.” He was already there.

Self-sufficiency: The Bible says that God has life in Himself (see John 5:26). All other life in the universe is a gift from God. He has no needs and there is no way He can improve. To God, nothing else is necessary. He does not need our help with anything, but because of His grace and love, He allows us to be a part of advancing His plan on earth and being a blessing to others. We are the ones who change, but never God. He is self-sufficient.

Justice: The Bible says that God is just, but it is His character that defines what being just really is. He does not conform to some outside criteria. Being just brings moral equity to everyone. When there are evil acts, justice demands there be a penalty. Since God is perfect and has never done evil, no penalty would ever be necessary; however, because of His love, God paid the penalty for our evil deeds by going to the cross Himself. His justice needed to be satisfied, but He took care of it for all who will believe in Jesus.

Immutability: This simply means that God never changes. It is why the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Mercy: “Mercy is the attribute of God which disposes Him to be actively compassionate.” Since God’s justice is satisfied in Jesus, He is free to show mercy to all those who have chosen to follow Him. It will never end since it is a part of God’s nature. Mercy is the way He desires to relate to mankind, and He does so unless the person chooses to despise or ignore God at which time His justice becomes the prominent attribute.

Eternal: In some ways, this fact about God is similar to His self-existence. God always has been and will forever be, because God dwells in eternity. Time is His creation. It is why God can see the end from the beginning, and why He is never surprised by anything. If He were not eternal, God’s promise of eternal life for those who follow Jesus would have little value.

Goodness: “The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men.” This attribute of God is why He bestows all the blessing He does on His followers. God’s actions define what goodness is, and we can easily see it in the way Jesus related to the people around Him.

Gracious: God enjoys giving great gifts to those who love Him, even when they do not deserve it. Grace is the way we describe that inclination. Jesus Christ is the channel through which His grace moves. The Bible says, “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Omnipresence: This theological term means “always present.” Since God is infinite, His being knows no boundaries. So, clearly He is everywhere. This truth is taught throughout the Bible as the phrase “I am with you always” is repeated 22 times in both the Old and New Testaments. These were even Jesus’ words of assurance just after giving the challenge to His disciples to take His message to the entire world. This is certainly a comforting truth for all who follow Jesus.

Attributes of God – The Conclusion

This is the description of the God of the Bible. All other ideas about God are, according to the Bible, false gods. They are from the imagination of mankind. By learning the attributes of God, you may praise God for who He really is and for how each of His attributes impacts your life in a positive way.

To read more about who is God, including the original article and similar articles follow this link - Who is God?

Reverse

This is a powerful video.
You need to watch all of it to see the truth that it reveals.

Reverse

Sermonspice.com

See Details Buy Now

The Gospel in Colours

An easy way to remember and share the gospel is by using colours.
Green, black, red, white & gold.

If you would like to know more about the gospel, drop me a line.

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

The First Noel - 7yr old Rhema Marvanne

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

2010 Trip - 2nd October

This morning we decided to change countries for the day and went to Macau.  Only a 1 1/4hr by ferry, needing passports to go and found that it is very much a casino town.  They pay no taxes, best medical, good pensions, schooling free all because of the taxes from the casinos (35 in total at the moment - more being built thanks, to the Packers, Stanley Ho etc).  Had a great guide for the day who showed us all the sights.  No gambling and no shopping.  Back to Hong Kong.  Got some chinese from a place that looked like it only catered for the chinese community so we were the talk of the shop for a little while.  Heading back to Australia tomorrow.  Can't wait.  Had enough now.  Can't wait to see Charlotte.

a casino in Macau

2010 Trip - 1st October

Today is a public holiday in HK for National Day. Last night I got a phone call from Craig Harvey. We knew Craig many years ago in Bathurst. Craig nows lives in Hong Kong with with wife and family. He made some suggestions about places we should visit while in HK. So today we followed Craigs advice and travelled to "The Peak". Victoria Peak is a high mountain overlooking Hong Kong. We caught the "Peak Tram" to the top. The views are spectacular. Among all the tourist shops up there we found a "Bubba Gump" restuarant. Of course we hade to have lunch there. After lunch (about 3pm lunch), we travelled back down and found a good spot to wait for the fireworks display on the harbour tonight. After watching the fireworks here, I think nobody does fireworks like the Chinese.

2010 Trip -30th September

Hong Kong - city of high-rise

Jet Lag! After a slow start we ventured onto Hong Kong's public transport system. A taxi, a train, a ferry and a bus took us to Stanley on the southern end of Hong Kong Island. We wandered around the Stanley Markets and didn't buy much at all. A bus and a train then took us to Kowloon to shop in the electronics area and then the "Ladies Markets". Again, we didn't buy much. We thought we would find some authentic Chinese food for dinner but ended up eating Japanese. Two trains and a taxi to get back to our hotel. Hong Kong has a great public transport system. Australia could learn a lot!

2010 Trip - 29th September

I think we lost today! We spent it flying from Amsterdam to Hong Kong via Zurich. We left Amsterdam at 7:45pm last night and finally arrived in Hong Kong about 4:30pm today and then caught a taxi straight to our hotel.
The Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel is quite a place. We dined downstairs at the Cafe Lounge choosing the buffet. What a buffet!

Roast pig anyone?

2010 Trip -28th September

Our last day on board. The trip has been absolutely wonderful.  After breakfast, we caught a "Stop n Go" bus to the 'Anne Frank House' museum. It was a stark reminder of the not so distant past. As we wandered through there were a number of people that were obviously emotional at what they were seeing and hearing. We then ventured by foot to 'Madame Tussaud's'. This was an interesting place and we 'met' some famous people.  A lovely lunch and then back to the boat to await our 5pm transfer to the airport.  Very odd seeing different people on our boat.  OK.  It's their boat now.  And we head off to Hong Kong (shopping, shopping, shopping).

2010 Trip -27th September

After sailing throughout the morning, we arrived in Amsterdam around lunchtime. It has been raining on and off all day. We had a short bus ride to another dock to board a canal boat for a tour around the Amsterdam canals. We returned to the ship to spend time before dinner packing our bags ready for our departure tomorrow. Our final dinner on board the Amadagio had a Dutch theme. As always it was a great meal. The weather cleared a little so we had a short stroll after dinner before heading for our cabin for the last night on board.

2010 Trip -26th September

We left Koblenz during breakfast today and sailed until lunchtime to arrive in Cologne. The largest city we have visited so far on the cruise. The Cathedral was amazing. It was begun in 1248 and took over 600 years to complete. We also visited the Lindt Chocolate Museum. A visit to the Lindt shop was a must for Linda. We docked right next to it!

We realised that we are getting close to the end of the cruise as today we had a 'disembarkation briefing'. It has been a fantastic time! The ship and all the staff have made the whole time wonderful. We've made some friendships onboard with other guests that it has been great to share the experience with. - Thanks guys.

Cologne Cathedral

2010 Trip -25th September

We cruised all night and all morning. Mid-morning we turned into the Rhine river as we began our last section of the cruise. During lunch we arrive at Rudesheim. We travelled by mini train to Sigfreid's Musical Cabinet, a private collection of mechanical musical instruments. We caught the chairlift to the top of the hill overlooking the beautiful Rhine valley. The views were spectacular! After coming back down to earth, we wandered the narrow town streets and Linda enjoyed a local specialty, Rudesheimer Kaffee - coffee with brandy and whipped cream. It was prepared at the table in a special way. Linda said it was strong! Just as we finished our afternoon tea (Rob ate strudel again), a band began to play in the street outside the cafe. Very entertaining!
The rest of the afternoon was spent cruising along the Rhine. This section is lined with castles. We past 30 castles before arriving in Koblenz during dinner. After dinner we strolled around Koblenz (under the guidance of our Cruise Manager). It is a very cosmopolitan town with a seemingly vibrant night life. Tonight we'll remain docked in Koblenz so we are all looking forward to a good nights sleep.