Welcome once more to The Sixty Six.
In today’s video we talk about a little something I call the Principles of Study, these are the guidelines that I use while studying and that will guide out study of the Story of the bible going forward.
Now it is a bit of a longer one so grab some popcorn , sit back and relax, there are some interesting times ahead. Continue reading The66 Ep B The Principles of Study
You may have heard this week that the legendary Stan lee passed away, at the ripe old age of 95.
Characters he created have influenced people the world over and we talk about how much that influence was on us and how much influence we’re having on others
We hope those are questions you’re asking of yourself too.
Welcome to another episode of the Furnace. Today was an especially fun one for two main reasons.
The first was because there was no Robert, that’s self explanatory, but more importantly it was because we were joined today by an amazing artist and one of our very first listeners, The amazing Inktrovert! Continue reading TBF 126 It’s not by force to talk!
Almost every person I know of African descent has the stories of getting disciplined in the most creative and largely painful ways, and today we discuss whether the beds truly justify the means when it comes to disciplining and punishing your children. Continue reading TBF 124 The Furnace on African child rearing strategies
In our last episode of February, and consequentially the last love themed episode we are joined again by the insightful Jolade Olusanya, and the lovely Jemilea Wisdom-Baako.
What was supposed to be a standard ice breaking question flipped the entire episode on its metaphorical head and we ended up having a deeply cutting, excruciatingly uncomfortable, honest conversation about how little men vocalise their brotherly love for one another and why that might be in our case.
We hope you enjoy the episode and if you do please let us know in the comments and let your friends know by sharing, and if you don’t, please let us know in the comments and let your friends know by sharing.
We’re big believers in the “win-win”
The Blacksmith’s Furnace is also available on itunes, just search for The Blacksmith’s Furnace to subscribe, you can also find us on any app you might use for your podcasts, you can also join in the conversation on soundclound at https://soundcloud.com/theblacksmithsfurnace
Alternatively you can listen right here,
Take care and be blessed,
Special thanks to PartnersInRhyme.com for the intro and outro music
And to Calvin A Turner founder of Torra Media (facebook , @torramedia) and digital designer extraordinaire for TheOrdinaryAmazing.com logo design.
This is not a drill!
Entirely random thought, but I just realised I’ve never had to use that phrase before in real life!!
Anyway, I’ve got a companion post for The Big X photo gallery I recently posted in the works but whilst that’s on the conveyor belt I wanted to share a video with you from an event I literally just got back from.
I had the pleasure of ministering at The Grace Convention which was organised by Emmanuel Danso Ministries, it was a great event and Emmanuel really shared some powerful thoughts on the Bible, and religion, and the true meaning of Grace, and I’m sure everyone in attendance was blessed. I know I was!! Continue reading We are Poems
In offering a rebuttal to the popular ideal Money May (Floyd Mayweather) asks, “How about you just don’t get hit?”
Whilst this proved to be an effective approach for the 49 – 0 pound for pound best boxer in a generation; Life tends to have significantly better aim.
Personally, I think Rocky got it right, you will never be smart enough, cautious enough, or just outright lucky enough (I don’t even believe in luck but that’s a discussion for another post ) to totally avoid hardship in life.
So when Life hits and it hits hard, what are you going to do?
Continue Reading!
In my last year of university, I had the privilege of working on a series of devotionals for a the society I was part of. I’ll be posting some of them back up every now and then.
This was the first one I wrote.
Enjoy and be blessed and thanks for stopping by.
Romans 8:26-28 MSG
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
When my gym buddy says he can bench press 120kg, I do not doubt it. I’ve seen him do it before! So when he’s helping me bench press 110kg I take security in the fact that He can carry it if I drop it and I won’t inadvertently decapitate myself in the process.
For they that love the Lord, He says He will make all things work together for our good. Now in as much as I’ve not yet seen God physically working on anything before, I have seen Him at work in my life and I take security in the fact that He is capable of doing exactly what He said in Romans 8:28, because I’ve seen Him do it before.
We see Him do it all over the bible, I mean look at Joseph (Genesis 37 – 50) and everything he went through. I sincerely think that story has one of the greatest twists ever. (Spoiler Alert!) There was absolutely no indication at any point, that he would be raised to the position of prime minister in all of Egypt (think Obama in current times), and after all he went through, he could confidently say to his brothers what they meant for evil God used for good (Gen 50:20).
How about that?!
You might be in a situation where there seems to be no hope, in fact you might be in a situation where to the very best of your knowledge there IS no hope. Take security in this:
God has said something concerning those who love Him, and it is that HE will make all things work together for your good.
Hold Him to it! He can bench press so much more than 120kg.
Be blessed.
His presence, is a present for the present,
presented in the indescribable present that is Jesus Christ.
Just as relevant in the present, as when He was physically present,
and will when the future becomes the present, and we are eternally present in His presence
We should make Him President for though He is resident in many,
In many hearts, He’s allowed to pitch up a tent, and present,
set amount of blessings per tithe payment as rent.
We’re only willing to sacrifice at lent.
Expectant of His intervention at set points in time
as though it weren’t a free gift, but God repaying what was lent
to Him in the offering bowl.
The most vivid display of the spirit of entitlement
can be seen at a zebra crossing.
Where though pedestrians are entitled it,
They do so with majestic strolling,
as though the black and white stripes transform into a royal carpet,
and having stepped into the territory of the metallic chariots,
they have transcended mere human status and are now capable of
bidding these steel beasts, cease.
Yet should my brakes fail me, they die.
and similar is the consequence of our response to Christ.
It is as though, having given our offerings we are purchasing His provision,
and His intervention we require regardless of our submission,
We forget, that though HIs Spirit submits to us,
His Spirit, with He created us.
and in an instant, could render us, ceased.
Humility and obedience are keys to any Father’s heart
and for one who’s strength is made perfect in our weakness,
it’s perfect to see God’s will sparked in us,
It’s not so important to chase the blessings instead it is He we should chase.
For Goodness and Mercy shall chase me when I’m staying at His place.
Silently Stuck solidly, scared stiff, stood still.
Till stones fly rapidly, and I’m killed.
still sulking, softly, still sinning, still caught
They brought me to hear this rabbi’s will what judgement shall pass in this treasury court?
The sun bears witness, I need not hear this,
I was brought here by force, not out of repentance,
The crowd stands ready, the silence deafens me,
Eyes wide shut as I await patiently,
the first rock of penance to come and save me.
"Master" they claimed though they neither knew nor served Him,
"here stands one soaked fully in sin,
here stands one the law commands we should kill,
but we thought we should come here to hear your superior will,
let’s see how you dispute this, how should she pay the bill?"
As I stand scared,
As they await to hear,
His very first words inspire the greatest of fear.
"Indeed, the law says to stone one such as this, hence,
You without sin, do quickly commence."
I tense. Judgement is passed.
Anticipating the first stone, get on with it fast,
Till at last, after the longest, short period of time,
I realise, I’m actually still fine,
Sheepishly , I open my eyes,
for He asked me,
"Where are those who accuse thee?"
I observe and this treasury courtroom is empty
was it so bad he wished to personally stone me,
"No" He replies, read my mind? This guy’s scary,
but I’m confused, what’s my plight, what now, will my end be?
"Go and sin no more."
Hold on, is that all?
Here I stood, before the one man that accepted me just as I came,
caught in adultery, the law said they should stone me, pain should abound in me, just like my shame
Yet He loved me so much without even knowing my name.
And He loved me so much I didn’t leave that treasury the same.
The Ordinary Amazing 