Kingdom Ready Blog

Monday was orientation for me (and JohnO) at Boston University. It was a long day starting at 8:30 am and not ending until 4:30 pm. At the end of the day one of the facilitators led us in the prayer of examen. This prayer was made popular by Ignatius of Loyola (the founder of the Jesuits in the 16th century). The prayer of examen is simply a way of reviewing your day and offering God thanks, confession, or petitions as you feel led. I had first come across this prayer technique when I went to Rob Bell’s impressive website (Rob Bell is the pastor of a large church in Grand Rapids, MI, called Mars Hill). Here is a link to the description that he put together. For the upcoming Royal Family Reunion I’ll be leading a workshop called prayer and meditation during which I will be introducing people to this particular prayer along with some others. In light of that I recently put together the following instructions:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – pray without ceasing

Surely Paul doesn’t mean “pray and don’t ever stop” does he? How could this be? What is Paul saying here? Is this an impossible verse?

I grew up being taught to pray to God our heavenly Father and to always close (as the NT instructs us to) with a “in Jesus’ name” tag.  However I’ve heard others pray directly to Jesus.  Of course our Catholic friends tend to pray to Mary.  And I’m sure others in the overall Christian-based extended family may very well even pray to someone else.  But what is the correct way?  Does Scripture clearly indicate whom we should be directing our prayers to?

Often times, men like Moses, Elijah, and Daniel end up falling into the shadow cast by Jesus the Messiah. In one sense this is appropriate because Jesus is the preeminent, forerunner of the new creation of God, the savior of the world, the lord of our lives, the sacrifice for sin, and the coming victor. Even so, this should not in any way diminish our understanding of the great figures of the Hebrew Bible. In particular, I would like to focus on the greatest man in Judaism–Moses–and the special relationship he enjoyed with God. To start, remember with me what it was like when God first came down on Mt. Sinai.

Isaiah 65: 24
It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

This outstanding indicator of unlimited access to God in prayer is part of the description of future millennial glory of which God declares that He will create “new heavens and a new earth.” This renovation will be a work of gladness to such a degree that there will no longer be heard in Jerusalem “the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.” The time described is not yet the time when death itself will be abolished (I Corinthians 15:26, Revelation 20: 14), but a blessing of extreme longevity seems to anticipate the abolishment of death (Isaiah 65: 20, part of v. 22):

This sermon was preached by Keith Daniel an evangelist from Cape Town, South Africa. I’m not really sure what his denominational affiliation is but he associates with various holiness movements. This particular sermon is all about spending time with God. How well do you guard the quiet time you have with God? Keith asserts that this one Christian practice is the determining factor to living a holy life. The text for the sermon is taken from the parable of the vine given in John 15.

Our Father, we pray for
a part in Thy Kingdom,
when Jesus rules the world
with wisdom and power,
when pain and sorrow
shall be no more.

We remember in love all
those who are near and
dear to us. May we be helped
and encouraged to press
on to Thy Kingdom until our
travelling days are done.

George Hale

Did you know … that Isaac Watts, the father of English hymnody/hymnology (the singing & composition of hymns), the author of “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross”; the writer of many trinitarian hymns;
near the end of his life; rejected the ‘Trinity doctrine’ and adhered to the unitarian perspective that “solely the Father is the only true One God” !!!

What follows is one of the most sincerest prayers I have ever come across. Read it slowly and witness the sincerity and the desire for the truth in these words by Watts; as he asked God to clear up the matter of whether …
God is three-in-one or solely ONE GOD??

I am riveted to my TV set tonight, watching scenes of devastation from tornadoes that are ripping through the heartland of our country. My heart goes out to the individuals being interviewed – they seem to be down-to-earth, ordinary folk whose lives have suddenly been turned inside out. One shot pans a “Youth for Christ” sign still hanging outside a now demolished building.