To walk on water or not to walk on water?

The other day I was in Manaus. Manaus is a beautiful city and has the most fantastic theatre. My brother and his wife were with us and decided to visit the theatre.....I decided that sitting and waiting was a better option for me. As I waited a man came out of the theatre, double over, using two walking sticks, when I saw him I felt a real desire to pray for him, a compassion welled within me. I have to say I have ignored this welling sensation since I was about 6-7 years old. Yet incredibly having been to the Middle East, Africa and South America and experiencing many horrendous situations this feeling isn’t always there.
Anyway, I though, I just have to pray for this man but I just don’t have the ‘brass neck’ (or I don’t have a brass neck enough) to go up and say ‘I want to pray for you’, jeepers I would appear a little scary! So, I just prayed God give me an opportunity.....and all of a sudden the man turns and says in a heavy American accent ‘bom dia’ (good day). I laughed within myself and replied ‘good morning’ but in English....and that is where we started. We chatted and I shared a little as to how I ended up in Brazil. By the end of the conversation the man reached into his wallet and gave me $20.00 for the work of the school. But the door was opened and I asked if I could pray for him.........he said yes....and so I knelt in front of this dear man and prayed for God to heal, to restore.
This dear man didn’t stand up straight or walk out of the theatre straightened up. I would love to say he did............I hope that something has started to happen.....
But I still walked out of the theatre happy, I had met a man who knows God, was so overflowing with his love and joy and he prayed for me too, it was worth the risk.

Marching in Maues

What a contrast to previous weeks when mobs marched the streets of Maues! It was wonderful to see young and old coming out to March for Jesus around Maues. Daniel 6 years old walked the 6 km route without a complaint, jumping, leaping and praising God! The crowd stopped at several strategic points around the city to pray. It was wonderful to see so many different churches represented as brothers walked in unity side by side. Definitely a joyful noise!

What you eating?

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. I know paraphrased......
What you put into your mind will determine who you are, how you act, what becomes your priority and so on. To think otherwise is just to be naive or downright stupid!
Paul spoke into Timothy’s life and stirred up what was already in him! Which begs the question, what are you stirring up within yourself? Maybe because of my family background it has been ingrained into my brain that one day I will give account to God. I will give account for my actions, my thoughts, my words....................my life will be spread out before Him like a canvas. Blaming others on why I did what I did or didn’t do what I didn’t do or why I allowed the chip on my shoulder to stay isn’t really going to wash with Him. I am not going to stand before God and give an account of someone else’s life but mine. I am responsible as to why I choose to obey or disobey.......
I have to say I am not driven by fear in the sense of dread but motivated by a desire to please and walk in my fullest potential. One of my favourite verses in the bible is where Jesus says that if you believe in Him you will do the same works and greater because He is going unto the Father.
I mean isn’t that amazing.....when you think of what Jesus said and what he did, that is fairly incredible. But this isn’t a verse taken out of context but a theme throughout that if you believe, do not to be surprised when these things happen.
I have been trying to walk sensitively in obedience and live what Jesus says......I have found this really challenging, challenging to whom I fear more, man’s opinion of me or God’s........what if I look a complete fool am I willing to get it wrong?
The other day......I was out doing the weekly shop with Rebeca. As we were about to leave the shop one of the staff commented that he was in a lot of pain because of a kidney infection. I asked him, if he believed God could heal him, he said yes, I said I believed to. I asked if I could pray for him, he said yes too. Though Rebeca said by the look on his face he wasn’t quite expecting me to drop everything and pray, he did permit me to pray just outside the shop for him.
That was a Saturday, on the Monday when Rebeca entered the shop he said to her, where is your husband? Because he was 100% healed, he even went out horse riding on the Sunday and had absolutely no pain!!!!!
What are you feeding yourself with? I don’t know why some people get healed when we pray and some don’t but that doesn’t stop the truth being truth. Everyone that came to Jesus for healing left his presence changed......

Newsflash

Today, we were sent home from church! I was at the start of the message when the Pastor rushed up the aisle to stop the service. The military police informed the Pastor that a young lad had been shot in the head in an operation in the 'New District'. The officer informed the Pastor that a policeman had tripped causing his firearm to discharge, hitting an innocent bystander. We were told to go home as a mob of over 2000 had converged on the hospital and was trying to cause a blackout in the area by vandalising the electrical transformers to permit an invasion of the hospital compound. The office feared that the mob would turn its attention to the police station located in front of the Living Word Church.....an thus the order to ‘go home’. A curfew has been imposed, the road where the police station and church are located has been barricaded and well armed police are standing by.
Please pray for Maues, this wonderful little city, the boy and his family and the police officers.
HIS peace, shalom, into a tempestuous situation.

Fatherland

We are now into June and so much has been happening that it is hard to get a hold of it all. So what has been happening?
I will tell you few of the real exciting things for me.....if that is ok!
At the end of April before going to leave people of to the airport in Manaus I was in a local shop here in Maues. I have the privilege of standing out like a sore thumb being determinedly pink in complexion. Most people who know me a little know that I am Irish but to the general population in Maues I am 'The German’.
Rebeca and I were talking to a local shop own, Rebeca has known him for over 20 years and on the way out the door I invited him to come along to church. Just that, will you come along to church, it is at 7.30pm and we’ll sit beside you and make you feel most welcome. I mean there is nothing worse than arriving at a church and standing like a wilted tree at the back, wondering why you walked through the doors in the first place.
I had to travel to Manaus and on arriving back; you will never guess who went to church, yes! The shopkeeper.... The shopkeeper has come along to church for the last few months and also started coming along to Rebeca’s cell group. Two Sundays ago he raised his hands as tears streamed down his face as he gave his life to Jesus Christ. He said after, that if no appeal was given he was going to go to the front and give his life because he couldn’t wait any longer.
This week, I spent some time listening and getting to know the ‘shopkeeper’, he is 55 years old and been backslidden for over 30 years. No one knew, no one stopped long enough to get to the heart of the matter. Yes, there is a godly timing...........but I came away challenged....how many times have I been in this man’s shop, how many times have I missed another person’s yearning to return but with no way back..........have I been judging even without realising it......... I think so, I know so...........no excuses.
God has given us a ministry of reconciliation, that is all of His children, a ministry to bring man into ‘peace, relationship, intimacy’ with Him.