Enrico Leigh

Living an ordinary life, Extraordinarily

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Sinfully delicious #burgers

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Three-cheese stuffed patties on a white sesame roll #awesomefood #lovemycolleagues

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Some of the rad people we serve with and the awesome awesome lids we encounter #viewchurch #viewkidspm #servantheartedleadership love these okes!!!

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Getting ready for some time with my dad #quiettime #timewithGod #refreshmysoul

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A trip around the harbour #capetownharbour

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/eternity-hell-fire/ An eternity in hell, on fire?

Sunday morning before church I spent some time watching a few faith-based TV programmes on CTV. It usually has nothing entertaining but this time there was a programme on with a title that really caught my attention – ”Is Hell Real/. The show host gave a very convincing speech about how hell is not an eternal fire but rather a merciful annihilation, to read the actual article or watch the show go to the Beyond Today website

The fact that hell is a place where people are annihilated doesn’t sit well with me, and whilst I am not going to go through all the scriptures that prove this doctrine wrong, I am going to comment on common misconceptions around the subject of hell. There are so many different beliefs about hell but I think that the root of understanding what hell really is and what it is like starts by understanding the character of God and understanding the Bible.

There are two topics arguments that I would like to cover here today; the argument that a loving God would not condemn his creation to an eternity of punishment and the fact that hell is an “eternal fire” (Matt 25:41; Jude 7).

Firstly, in order to understand hell as punishment, we need to look at the gravity of sin and specifically unrepented sin. All sin is rebellion against God and a refusal to acknowledge who God is as the Creator and as King of the universe. When we refuse to repent of our sins we go one step deeper to an even more serious sin which is the sin of unbelief. Unbelief ultimately construes the idea that we are God and He is not. Now when we take some time to think of this, why would anyone with this idea in their heads want to spend eternity with the one who is God? If we read the Bible we see that when God reveals himself in the future ages openly and clearly to the world there will still be people who do not want to know Him and will not acknowledge Him as God. God loves people so much that he does not force himself on them but if these people choose not to acknowledge who God is and continue in their unbelief, then hell is not so much a punishment for them but rather something they have convinced themselves they really want. Yes, they will realise the mistake they have made in not believing, but, we cannot deem God unloving because he justly delivered them to their rightful end.

Secondly, the argument of whether hell is a place of annihilation or eternal punishment is not even an argument we need to have because the Bible is very clear that hell is an eternal punishment ( I won’t even get into the scripture on that as there are hundreds of other sites that already do this). What many people seem to forget though is that not everything in the Bible is meant to be taken literally and one such topic I believe is that of hell. We know in the Bible that Jesus spoke of the Valley of Hinnom which was a real place on the outskirts of Jerusalem where waste was taken and burned, this fire was constantly burning due to the fact that there was always more waste being added which fuelled the fire. This sermon that Jesus preached was the first one where the idea of an eternally fiery hell came from but the reason he used it is because for the people of that day who knew of the Valley of Hinnom this would have left a rather strong impressions on them of what was waiting for those who opposed the Kingdom. As I said though, the entire Bible is not meant to be taken literally and when Jesus spoke of this he was purely trying to create an image in the minds of his audience of how terribly agonizing hell would be. This agony that people in hell would feel would be the eternal separation from God and the utter hopelessness that a life without God brings. The images of a fiery hell merely help to convey the image of the two main pints that Christ was trying to get accross which is how terrible hell will be as well as the fact that it is eternal.

The teachings about hell are always going to be questioned and the question will always be posed, How can a loving God allow do this but when we fully understand hell it is easy to see that the concept of hell is not one that can take away God’s character of love, it is one that shows us how much God actually loves us, that he gives us a choice and we choose our own path. Whether we choose to deny him or choose to follow Him, our choice is ours and ultimately we decide where we spend our eternity.

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/16-days-activism-got-thinking-gods-view-lives/ 16 Days of Activism Got Me Thinking About God's View on Our Lives

The campaign Count Me In for the 16 Days of Activism started on 25 November 2014 and marks 16 years of this campaign against gender-based violence. It has recently expanded to include violence against children which is a growing concern not only in South Africa but in the world.

Viewing statistics of these crimes against women and children and crime in general makes me sad but also reminds me that we as Christians have a mission on this earth. We are not here to pursue our own happiness, and we should therefore not grow attached to the things of this world. We should remember that our existence on this earth is not eternal, it is temporal. Life on earth is just the preschool to heaven where we get to choose how we define life. Are we going to live a selfish life pursuing earthly riches and selfish gain or, are we going to live a life that brings glory to God, a life that attracts people to you and makes them want what you have which is God?

I am choosing to live according to God’s view of life. If we understand what God’s view of life is we will firstly be able to make much better use of our time here on earth and secondly we will understand why we endure so much suffering and pain in this world and why happiness can never be achieved to the fullest while we are here.

God views life as a test God is continually testing our characters, our obedience, love, integrity and loyalty in everything we do, every single day. We must never reside ourself to the belief that the small things don’t matter because everything we do here on earth has eternal value. The attitude with which we approach our work, the way we speak to people, the types of TV shows you watch, everything you do, God watches and you will be judged on come judgement day. It may seem like a lot of pressure to think of everything as being judged by God but the fact is that if we are truly in relationship with Christ, everything we do will be done with godly character. We may have shprt-falls but Christ will prune our branches until we bear fruit.

Life is a trust exercise All our resources, our talents, our giftings and our worldy belongings belong to God. There is nothing on this earth which we have that was not provided to us by God. He has entrusted us with these resources and we are to steward it accordingly. The way we manage our talents on earth directly corrolates to the reward we will be given in heaven. Do you remember the story about the businessman who gave his three servants the bags of talents whilst he went away for a few months? When the businessman returns he evaluates each servants responsibility and rewards them accordingly. At the end of our lives here on earth we will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you.

The reason we feel discontent with life is because we are not at home. No matter how much material goods we try to acquire, no matter how much we try to fill our days with activities, we will never be truly happy until we leave this place and go to our eternal homes in heaven. The pain, suffering and dissatisfaction with life that we feel all point to that exact same explanation. I have vowed to start living my life through God’s view so that I can reap the rewards in heaven and I believe it is time that all his children start doing that, maybe then we will see a positive change in the crime statistics here in SA and in the rest of the world.

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/repentance-requires-forgiveness-self/ Repentance requires forgiveness of self

Repentance plays a very important role in our salvation and our relationship with Christ because without it there would be no salvation at all. I am sure most of us got saved the same way, we are in church after an inspiring sermon from our local pastor, time for salvation call comes and everyone in the congregation bows their head as the pastor requests that hands be raised for those who would like to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour over their lives. You feel a nudging in your heart at the same time and at the same time you’re as nervous as you’ve ever been. Despite your nerves, you raise your hands and together with the pastor and the rest of the congregation you pray a prayer. This first prayer is the very first time you repented of your sins but it defintely won’t be your last.

Repentance is not something you can do once and you’re okay, repentance is a discipline that requires constant evaluation of your actions and repentance in accordance to whatever wrong you may have done since your last repentance. Unlike confession, in the Catholic faith, when you repent, you are speaking to the one true God and you don’t need to go to Him once a week. You can go to Him as many times a day as necessary and every time, he is faithful to forgive and pour out His grace over you.

When you start your walk in the faith you tend to only notice the ”big” sins in your life such as lying, cheating, swearing and the likes. As your faith and relationship with God deepens over time, you start to notice ”smaller” sins like bad attitudes towards others, incorrect thought patterns, not thinking before you speak, things which previosuly you would not have picked up because you may not have been as in-tune with the Holy Spirit. The funny thing about this stage of your walk is, it seems like sins is happening so much more often because of the fact that you pick up these ”smaller” sins you never picked up before. This can be quite demotivating in your pursuit of perfection like it was for me.

Whenever I would sin, I would immediately repent knowing that as soon as I repented I would be forgiven. I didn’t realise though that I would be my own worst enemy in this process. I knew I was forgiven because God’s word says I am forgiven if I repent sincerely but I would still feel guilty, I would beat myself up about what I did for hours, days and even weeks depending on the severity of my sin (in my eyes). This is something I have come across as being a problem for many Christians who I have spoken to who say the most difficult part of repentance is forgiving yourself.

What I have learnt is that in order to forgive ourselves we need to remember a few things that the Bible teaches us:

1.) We will not be perfect until we go to heaven 2.) God will forgive us with the measure we forgive others ( this includes ourselves ) 3.) All sin is equal in God’s eyes, there is no such thing as a BIG sin or a small sin. 4.) By not accepting God’s forgiveness, I am denying what Christ did for me on the cross

When I remember these things it gives me peace and reminds me that because I accepted Christ as my saviour my sins have already been washed away and my repentance is purely so that I can acknowledge my sins before God because the first step to recovery is – admitting you’re an addict, well in this case that you’re a sinner but you get the picture. Don’t allow unforgiveness in your life, not even against yourself. You have been washed clean just like me if you have accepted Christ as your Saviour.

. . . . For those who are reading this and may not yet have received Christ as their saviour, now is as perfect an opportunity as ever. . . let’s say a prayer together:

Dear God, I come before you today as a sinner. I ask Lord that you would forgive me for my life of sin. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ became a sacrifice for my sins on the cross to wash away my sins. I am not worthy of such a sacrifice but I am grateful for your mercy and grace. I acknowledge your Lordship in my life and acknowledge you as creator of all life. I thank you God in Jesus name. Amen

Congratulations! You have just taken the first step to a brand new life and relationship with Jesus Christ.

The next steps from here are to:

1.) Tell someone about your decision to accept Christ as Saviour. 2.) Join your local church congregation so that you can grow in your walk with God

God Bless you

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/eternity-hell-fire/ An eternity in hell on fire?

Sunday morning before church I spent some time watching a few faith-based TV programmes on CTV. It usually has nothing entertaining but this time there was a programme on with a title that really caught my attention – ”Is Hell Real/. The show host gave a very convincing speech about how hell is not an eternal fire but rather a merciful annihilation, to read the actual article or watch the show go to the Beyond Today website

The fact that hell is a place where people are annihilated doesn’t sit well with me, and whilst I am not going to go through all the scriptures that prove this doctrine wrong, I am going to comment on common misconceptions around the subject of hell. There are so many different beliefs about hell but I think that the root of understanding what hell really is and what it is like starts by understanding the character of God and understanding the Bible.

There are two topics arguments that I would like to cover here today; the argument that a loving God would not condemn his creation to an eternity of punishment and the fact that hell is an “eternal fire” (Matt 25:41; Jude 7).

Firstly, in order to understand hell as punishment, we need to look at the gravity of sin and specifically unrepented sin. All sin is rebellion against God and a refusal to acknowledge who God is as the Creator and as King of the universe. When we refuse to repent of our sins we go one step deeper to an even more serious sin which is the sin of unbelief. Unbelief ultimately construes the idea that we are God and He is not. Now when we take some time to think of this, why would anyone with this idea in their heads want to spend eternity with the one who is God? If we read the Bible we see that when God reveals himself in the future ages openly and clearly to the world there will still be people who do not want to know Him and will not acknowledge Him as God. God loves people so much that he does not force himself on them but if these people choose not to acknowledge who God is and continue in their unbelief, then hell is not so much a punishment for them but rather something they have convinced themselves they really want. Yes, they will realise the mistake they have made in not believing, but, we cannot deem God unloving because he justly delivered them to their rightful end.

Secondly, the argument of whether hell is a place of annihilation or eternal punishment is not even an argument we need to have because the Bible is very clear that hell is an eternal punishment ( I won’t even get into the scripture on that as there are hundreds of other sites that already do this). What many people seem to forget though is that not everything in the Bible is meant to be taken literally and one such topic I believe is that of hell. We know in the Bible that Jesus spoke of the Valley of Hinnom which was a real place on the outskirts of Jerusalem where waste was taken and burned, this fire was constantly burning due to the fact that there was always more waste being added which fuelled the fire. This sermon that Jesus preached was the first one where the idea of an eternally fiery hell came from but the reason he used it is because for the people of that day who knew of the Valley of Hinnom this would have left a rather strong impressions on them of what was waiting for those who opposed the Kingdom. As I said though, the entire Bible is not meant to be taken literally and when Jesus spoke of this he was purely trying to create an image in the minds of his audience of how terribly agonizing hell would be. This agony that people in hell would feel would be the eternal separation from God and the utter hopelessness that a life without God brings. The images of a fiery hell merely help to convey the image of the two main pints that Christ was trying to get accross which is how terrible hell will be as well as the fact that it is eternal.

The teachings about hell are always going to be questioned and the question will always be posed, How can a loving God allow do this but when we fully understand hell it is easy to see that the concept of hell is not one that can take away God’s character of love, it is one that shows us how much God actually loves us, that he gives us a choice and we choose our own path. Whether we choose to deny him or choose to follow Him, our choice is ours and ultimately we decide where we spend our eternity.

[enricoleigh]

New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/modelling-godliness-home/ Modelling godliness in the Home

My daughters tend to come home every day with a new habit they learnt from school or from some kids show they watched. Seeing how quickly they pick things up when seeing it in action shows exactly how wrong that old parenting methodology of Don’t do as I do, do as I say actually is.

Although in times past, many parents lived by that saying it is not something that will work if you are trying to instill godly principles in your child. The only way to instill these principles is by modelling them in your own life and it’s always the small things that count:

Pray openly In our household, prayer is a very open practice and we are willing to pray just about anywhere and about anything. Today, Eskom had another one of its rolling outages in our suburb which left us wihtout power for a few hours. During this time, my eldest daughter, Kivah, wanted to watch a movie so we explained to her that the power was out. She then proceeded to pray, “Father God, please would you make the movie come on. . .”. Although this is something quite possibly overlooked by others, to me it showed that our open prayer life is something that has rubbed off on her and instilled in her that you can bring anything before God in prayer no matter how miniscule.   Choose to trust God We all face problems in our lives, whether it be financial problems or health issues, or anything else. The important thing is how you approach them. You can either apporach these problems in fear or you can choose to trust God. How you choose to respond in these situations will have a significant impact on your child’s faith in God’s abilities.   Repent of your sins There has been many times when I have done things which have required me to ask forgiveness from my wife or from my children and more importantly from God. In order to model repentance to our children we need to repent immediately when we have sinned. If you got angry and lashed out at your child for scribbling on your newly-painted dining room walls, repent of your rage to God and to your child so that she may do the same when she sins.   Spending time alone with God Something I find particularly important is not just telling your child that you spend time alone with God daily but modelling it by doing it when they are around. A few months ago I read of a woman who purposefully waited for her 4 year-old to wake up every morning before she did her daily reading of the Bible just so her child could see this spiritual discipline in action.   Reading the word of God Although somewhat related to the previous point, another way to instill the spiritual discipline of Bible reading is by spending 5 minutes with your child, before bedtime, in the word. This will make a significant impact on her in the future.   Model a life of worship God requires that we worship Him every day of our lives in everything we do. We can model this to our children by doing everything with a spirit of joy and a positive attitude to the best of our abilities so that they can learn to do any task in the same state of mind. Teach your child that everything she does can bring glory to God and as such she should approach each task without complaint, positively. Regular fellowship With kids it can be difficult sometimes because the pre-church routine is always a mission but by God’s grace you can make regular fellowship happen. Myself and Sune have made a vow never to miss a church service unless absolutely necessary and this is something that we are grateful we have done especially when our daughter begs us to go to church half-way through the week. By making sure you attend church regularly you are modelling to your child the importance of fellowship and coming together in the house of God.     In conclusion, always be aware of your words and your actions because they are the most important factor in raising a godly child. Children do not follow orders, they follow examples and as the parent you have the responsibility of teaching your child righteous ways by being the example.

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/making-godly-decisions-entertainment-family/ Making Godly Decisions about Entertainment for your family

The media has a tremendous influence over the thoughts and behaviours of our children and the messages it teaches can often times go head-on against what we are trying to instill in their lives. If, like me, you want to protect your chidlren from the harmful effects of this invasive technology, the first step to doing this is by applying these principles to your family’s entertainment choices:

Make media decisions based on God’s standards Psalm 101:3 – I will set before my eyes no vile thing If we want our children to make godly decisions about media consumption we need to start by doing the same. We need to adjust our thoughts about media consumption to be determined by the standard set by God, not those of our culture.   Encourage postive alternatives for music There are lots of radio stations that provide entertainment that is wholesome and pure. We often listen to CCFM but there are other stations such as Tygerberg and RSG which are great radio alternatives for when you are on your way to drop the kids off at school. Have access to the internet? Why not listen to K-Love Radio, a contemporary Christian radio station that stages all of the latest Christian bands such as Colton Dixon, Decyfer Down and Matt Redman.   Encourage positive alternatives for movies With the increase of faith-based movies there are many wholesome viewing materials for you and your family. Movies such as Facing the Giants, Courageous, To Save A Life are good examples. It’s still always important to keep in mind your child’s age and maturity level when selecting movies.   Read Christian Movie reviews There are many sites online that provide movie reviews from a Christian perspective. One that I use often is the reviews on crosswalk.com. Another great one is pluggedin.com which not only provides great movie reviews but also other amazinf content to guide you in making godly media decisions.   Choose to use internet filters By using the internet we are constantly exposing ourselves and our children to potentially inappropriate content. By using internet-filtering products, software systems that search the web and restrict access to sites containing certain types of content, we are eliminating the possibilty of potentially damaging content being viewed by our children and it eliminates the temptation for us as adults to view such sites ourselves.   Limit media consumption Children are spending more and more time consumed by media whether it be on the internet or in-front of the TV. With the influx of technology with access to online content it is becoming more and more difficult to manage what out children are exposed to but we can still manage how much time our children spend on these forms of technology. Why not put some boundaries in place to limit their TV time and online time, after all, you are the parent.   Be open and honest Make your children aware of what is out there in cyberspace and on satellite TV and explain to them why you choose to expose them to entertainment which is wholesome and pure. By doing this you will be instilling in them a spirit of discernment so that they can make wise media choices when you are no longer around to put restrictions on what they watch.

Although this may be the opposite of what the rest of society is doing, we as Christians are not meant to live according to society’s standards, We are called to live according to God’s standards so that our lives may be holy and unblemished before Him.

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/saved-grace-unto-good-works/ Saved by grace unto good works

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them- Ephesians 2:10

If we were saved only for our own benefit then once we had been saved it would have been better for us to be magically lifted into heaven where we could spend an eternity in absolute bliss. Although we are in part saved for our own benefit, God also saved us for the benefit of others through the good works we have been created in Christ to do.

There are two very extreme views on salvation and good works which are both wrong in their doctrine. One is practiced by the Roman Catholics and the Jehovah’s Witnesses which teaches that in order to gain enough merit for salvation, we need to add to what Christ did on the cross by the good works we do while we are on earth. The other extreme teaches that since we are saved by grace, there is no need for good works following salvation.

Ephesians 2:10 answers distinctly why both these views are wrong as it highlights the fact that we have been saved by grace through Christ and this salvation should manifest within our lives good works because although good works do not gain us salvation, they do affirm that salvation has been received into our lives.

Wikipedia defines good works as being a person’s exterior actions or deeds, in contrast to inner qualities such as grace and faith and this is exactly what good works are, they do not just refer merely to the good deeds or acts of service which we are predestined for, it encompasses every aspect of our lives from the way we think to the way we conduct ourselves.

We need to take these good works seriously because it is an integral part of what our faith is about and it is so important to God that he tells us in James 4:17thatif anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

In a time when we are all too busy pursuing our own selfish desires and ambitions, we need to stop and look back at what our true calling is here on earth so that when we get to heaven we can say we fought the good fight and won the race.

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/pray/ How to Pray

In my previous post Prayer is Powerful, I spoke about how prayer has been the biggest part of my journey as a parent and a Christian and how prayer has gotten me through many circumstances with a better attitude and result than when I wasn’t keeping a regular prayer time.

In this article, I would like to delve a bit into what prayer looks like for me personally. There are many “how to” guides on effective ways to pray and keys to a better prayer life but I have never found any of those helping me in my journey to a better prayer life and, I am almost certain there are many out there who feel the same.

In my prayer journey there is only one example that I have really implemented in my prayer life as a guideline and that is the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9 – 13:

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, And forgve us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

The Lord’s Prayer teaches us the structure that our prayers should have:

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name We need to acknowledge that God is holy. In the Greek text you find that the word “hallow” belongs to a family of words translater into “holy” or “sanctified”. By saying this we are giving glory to God, adoring His name and acknowledging God’s holiness and greatness.

your kingdom come Here we are praying that God hastens the return of Christ to establish the kingdom of God on this earth (Revelation 11:15, Matthew 6:33) The world is full of tragedy and pain and God wants us to see that and reflect on the great need we have for Christ’s return.

they will be done on earth as it is in heaven We are praying that He will rule within us, that His will be done in our lives above our own and that our lives may bring Him glory as we bring ourselves in obedience to Him.

Give us today our daily bread God is our provider and by praying this portion of the prayer we are asking God to provide for our needs. God will always provide for His children those things which they need (Matthew 10:31)

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors Matthew 6:14- For if you forgive others for their transgressions your heavenly father will also forgive you.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one It is not God who tempts us to sin but we pray that God gives us the strength to not give into our own fleshly desires and fall into sins deadly grasp. Because everything that is not of God is of Satan, our fleshly desires are what Satan uses to tempt us into sin so by asking God to deliver us from the evil one we are asking God to release us from the power which Satan has over us in our flesh.

The structure of prayer outlined in the Lord’s Prayer is one I believe every believer should pray on a daily basis as Jesus modelled this prayer for us and it gives a holistic view of all our petitions. From there, we can go into deeper and more specific areas such as our current circumstances, specific needs and so forth.

What I have found works for me is having one general prayer session a day where I pray my version of the Lord’s Prayer outlining everything that needs prayer at that specific time. Because God is a God of relationship, he likes to be in constant communication with us so, like I would phone my wife a few times a day, I check in with God every now and then just to have short chats which keep me focused on Him and constantly renewed by His power in my life.

Prayer is not a dead-set thing, the way you pray is up to you because like I said that which is between you and God is a relationship and no relationships are ever the same.

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/prayer-powerfu/ Prayer is Powerful

Since becoming a father, prayer has become the biggest part of my life as I realised that I was embarking on a journey which I alone do not have enough strength or wisdom to undertake. I have failed in almost every area of parenting at some point yet by the grace of God I have managed to pick myself up from my failures and learn from the mistakes I have made.

As parents, specifically working parents, we tend to have a job that requires us to give of ourselves 24/7. We give of ourselves at work, at home and even at church and in the hustle and bustle of life, we never seem to get time to rest which inevitably leaves us feeling empty and tired. I have found that it is when we feel this way, empty, with nothing more to give and tired of the runaround of life, that we notice the power of a solid prayer life.

We all go through seasons in our life where we may spend more or less time in prayer and the word and it is in these seasons that I have noticed the significant difference prayer makes in my life. As I evaluate the circumstances surrounding the last 4 years I have noticed a pattern. When I was not regularly on my knees praying, the small things in life would get to me. I would find myself in a deep state of depression due to the little stressors that we tend to encounter in life, I would struggle to cope with life’s pressures and lose all hope to ever get out of the slump I was in.

When I was spending regular time in prayer, I found that it was during these times that I would encounter bigger worries yet at the same time these worries did not have the effect on me which the small stressors had on me when I was not in prayer. Whether it be job-loss, financial pressures, health, whatever life threw at our family, I always managed to stay hopeful and in a good state of mind. At one point, in the recent years I went through a really dark season in my life and it was absolutely by prayer alone that I was able to get through it and make the change I needed to make to get back on the journey that God has placed me on.

The reason prayer is so powerful is not because of the person praying but the God who is being prayed to. When our desires line up with His will, He is always ready to answer our prayers. Although his answer may not always be yes, it is always in our best interest We don’t need to pray fancy prayers using special words or phrases, all we need to do is ask.

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℅TITLE% - Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/gods-shield-protection/ God's Shield of Protection

Psalm 91 paints the picture of the one of the many names that we have the privelege of calling our God – the Protector. Here is what Psalm 91 tells us:

Psalm 91:1 I have rest This is reiterated in the New Testament where Christ tells us that all who are weary and burdened should come to Him to find rest.   Psalm 91:2 I am safe Jesus provides us with a safe place in Him. Wherever we are we can always find safety in Him.   Psalm 91:3 He rescues me God is prepared to rescue us even when we create the mess we need rescuing from.   Psalm 91:4 His Promises are our Protection If we have nothing else in this life to keep us safe, His promises offer us guaranteed protection.   Psalm 91:5-8 Evil will not touch me Evil will not touch me, it may strike my colleagues with ill-health, it may cause disaster in my city but by Christ’s grace through my faith, no evil will touch me.   Psalm 91:10 I have good health By the blood of Jesus, we are healed. We can trust in the Lord that He will keep us healthy.   Psalm 91:11-12 God’s Angels look after me At all times, God has angels watching over me and looking out for me.   Psalm 91:13 I can trample Satan underfoot God is already victorious over Satan and as His children we can claim that victory in our lives.   Psalm 91:14-15 I call, He answers It may seem like God is far away but He is just a call away and He is always ready to give you an answer.   Psalm 91:16 I have long life God promises us long life, nothing can steal our life prematurely because His word is the final authority.     It is so encouraging to know that God always has our backs and wants to protect us. These promises can only become reality though if we claim it because God gives to us according to the measure of our faith and that is the only prerequisite, that we trust in Him.

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Waiting Patiently, Aggressively - Enrico Leigh

http://enricoleigh.co.za/waiting-patiently-aggressively/ Waiting Patiently, Aggressively

Patience is a virtue which the Bible focuses on intensely and that God wishes to develop in each of us as we grow closer to Him in our pursuit of holiness and blamelessness.

By definition patience is “Perservering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance or anger in a negative way”. Ultimately, patience ends where negativity starts, so, while you’re in that long queue at the gorcers, if you start complaining, you have lost your sense of patience and are in fact becoming impatient.

“Good things come to those who wait” is a cliché that many people are split over. Some say that we need to wait and others say we need to aggressively pursue the things these “good things” but I feel they are both wrong and they are both right.

We need to wait (patiently) but, in waiting we need to take an aggressive approach in preparing ourselves for whatever we are waiting for. Make sense? Let me explain. . .

You’re a single guy, you’re in your late 20’s and you feel now is the time for you to settle down but you don’t have a special lady in your life. So, now you have to wait for God to bring the right woman along. You can either wait for God to do that by sitiing at home playing Xbox or, you can prepare yourself for finding the right woman by spending time at places where you would hope to find the woman God has for you, if you’re Christian, I would advise getting as involved as possible at church – life groups, camps, conferences- because that’s most likely where you’ll find your future wife. Also, preparing yourself means making sure you have the means to take care of said woman by having a job, a car and well money (women are expensive after all).

So, in this sense, patience would be not getting frustrated with God or negative when you are properly prepped but it still takes 10 years before finding the right girl. In this, you see though that taking an aggressive approach to prepare ourselves for the good that is coming our way is the only way we will be ready to receive the good things that God intends for our lives.

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New Post has been published on Enrico Leigh

New Post has been published on http://enricoleigh.co.za/e5-men-start-fasting-wife/

E5 Men : Start Fasting for your Wife

I have recently joined an online group of men who believe that we need to imitate Christ as described by Paul in Ephesians 5:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Chirst loved the church and gave Himself up for her – Ephesians 5:25

So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies.He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it , just as Christ also does the church – Ephesians 5:28-29

As such, these men are taking a minimum of one day a month ( generally the first Wednesday of every month ) and dedicating it to fasting and interceding before the Lord on behalf of their wives. This movement is known as E5 Men.

This movement was started by Steve Habisohn, a Catholic from Illinois, and although it was originally a movement for protestant, catholic and orthodox men, others from various denominations have joined since its inception in 2002.

I have chosen to join this movement because firstly, the Bible gives reference to intercession numerous time and I have personally seen the effectiveness of intercession in my own life and the lives of others.

Secondly, fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines and when joining fasting and prayer together, the Holy Spirit can transform your life ( or the life of the person you are interceding for ).

Lastly, but most importantly, I believe that praying for your spouse is as important as praying for yourself, after all the Bible does say that the husband and wife are “one flesh”.

Praying and interceding alone is not enough though. We as husbands have a responsibility, a role in our marriage which we need to take charge of in order to bring out the best in our wives. As husbands we need to:

Love our wifes sacrifically Ephesians 5:25 tells us to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. This is an example for husbands to be self-sacrificing for their wives. What is self-sacrifice?It means getting up in the night when your child cries instead of pretending you don’t hear anything. It means cleaning the kitchen on Sunday evening instead of leaving the mess for her to face on Monday morning.

Be the leader Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He himself being the Saviour of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so alo wives ought to be subject to their husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:22,23

Be considerate As husbands we are to live with our wives in an understanding way. The word “understanding” in this context means to be sensitive to your wife’s deepest physical and emotional needs. This means to really know your wife and to act accordingly in the way that you lead and love her. (1 Peter 3:7)

Provide for your wife No matter how society has changed, God’s word hasn’t and our job as the head of the home is to be the breadwinner. This doesn not mean that you need to have the only income or that you need to have the biggest income but what it does mean is that when money is tight, you are prepared to do what it takes to make extra money even if it means getting out of your comfort zone to do it. (1 Timothy 5:8)

All in all, achieveing a marriage which follows the example that Christ has given us starts with you, the husband and leader of your home. Taking this step will change your marriage and inevitably your life as you start living out God’s will for you as the spiritual leader of your home.

If you would like to become part of the E5 Men Movement why not Register here