Leading others

When you are asked to pray in public the effectiveness of your prayer should be intelligible, to the extent that (1) you address the matters you are asked to address, (2) you have the “Amen” of the audience and (3) that you are following the Lord’s instructions. The effectiveness of a prayer should be measured by the answer that God gives, whether immediate or delayed. The problems we face in our prayers include the fact that we often ask for things that we have the power to change, and there is too often no evidence that the prayer-minister is in receipt of the divine answer. Saying “amen” does not ensure God’s receipt or answer

Do we listen?

Prayer is a two-way communication. If one asks the prayer-minister “What did God say in response to your requests?” the answer will in most cases be “I cannot say”. The neglected aspect of prayer is that we do not listen as well as we speak.

Who is dictating?

The main hindrances to effective prayer is that we do not follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. After all He is the supreme Prayer-helper. He prays for us, prays ahead of us, and delivers the intents of our hearts to the Father. Related to this hindrance is the fact that we address the Son of God (who insists that we pray to the Father) and the Holy Spirit.
“Let us pray” should elicit a collective attitude and a listening ear, because it is ill-mannered to speak and not listen to the person to whom we are speaking. We ought to be assured that while we are speaking that God is preparing and sending the answer, and His work is not always perceptible in the natural world. People do not have to fall into trances as evidence that God hears us.

Already in progress

The call to prayer should be a signal to focus that which is already in progress, both on our account and more importantly the Holy Spirit’s. “Let us pray” is a reminder of the prayerful attitude that we ought to be in all the time with the acknowledgement that the entire audience is at the throne of God by virtue of the Holy Spirit’s ministry.

Among the expectations that believers treasure there should be be fewer and fewer consumables.  Trouble follows when our desires are fixed on things we can use up and get more of rather than on virtues that can keep growing.

The promise scapegoat

The Lord will return whether people believe it or not.  The fitness of our bodies is not a contribution to or preparation for Resurrection.  The people who promise things they have not experienced are hope assassins. If we have everything God wants us to have our hope resources become useless and we think we have become gods.

Having hope is not the same thing as denying what Christ has done and making every gift either temporary or conditional. People say they are saved but they’re waiting to be saved. People say they are healed but they need healing. People don’t mind being called saints but they don’t want to accept the label “holy”.

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Romans 8:25

The picture for me is rich. Even my native village is on a hill as if beckoning. A large portion of it receives the morning sun. There hill cities like Jerusalem and Zion, and designated hills like Ottawa’s Parliament Hill and Washington DC’s Capitol Hill and Rome’s seven hill. They cannot be hidden. There is nothing anyone can do to hide them. If not hidden, then we see them from every angle of approach.

Impossible Coverup

If we listen to the crowd we will believe that believers fail in some way that hides good works and robs God of glory. This is not possible. “Cannot be hidden” and “you cannot hide ” are the same.  The next time you are tempted to assist someone with their light-bearing duties step away and remember that their lives are adorned and protected by a straightforward mission focus: there is no hiding. Their place on God’s chosen hill assures that there will be no hiding.

One who looks for a friend without faults will have none

-Hasidic Proverb

The number of people who end up in full surprise mode after waking up to the earth from a magical and fabulous event. A ticket to heaven was not supposed to change a person’s address. Eternal life has earthly realities that are the only ways to witness. Heaven needs neither gospel nor law.

Our friends have let us down. We all have let God down so we all need to put friendship on a foundation that avoids accusation and condemnation. This is where we discover that peace and contentment are elusive as long as we cling to performance measures and a perfect tradition.

The Book of Hebrews is a no-nonsense but softspoken arrest of the religion of Judah, the roots of which can be accurately traced to Moses and the ancestors of the Jewish people. The writer calls all of the sources “prophets” then proceeds to show these prophets as inferior and the new speaker – the Son of God – as superior and final.

1. Son is better than “messenger”, “servant”, “prophet”, or “angel”. (Heb. 1:4)
2. Salvation distinguishes these better things. (Heb. 6:9)
3. There is no controversy that the greater blesses the inferior. (Heb. 7:7)
4. Law is eclipsed by the entrance of hope. (Heb. 7:19)
5. The oath makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. (Heb. 7:22)
6. Christ has a ministry and mediates a covenant that exceeds the old by being founded on better promises. (Heb. 8:6)
7. Better sacrifices are necessary in order to exceed the pattern for the priesthood and its services. (Heb. 9:23)
8. A better possession meant that bonds or the plunder of their property could be endured with grace. (Heb. 10:34)
9. God is not ashamed to be called the god of people who look for a better city. (Heb. 11:16)
10. Women who expected a better life following resurrection did not look for release from the torture they faced (Heb. 11:35)
11. God provides something better for all (ancient and modern people) to inherit at the same tome together. (Heb. 11:40)
12. Opposite Sinai is a (1) New Covenant, (2) effective mediation, (3) Jesus, (4) blood sprinkling that outdoes the function of Abel’s blood. (Heb. 12:24)

If a Jew in spite of this exposition wants to keep following Moses and the traditions of the elders and ancestors he would be most foolish, void of good judgment. What shall we say when Gentiles try to turn the business of the Son into the very business on which he came to close the door?

Perhaps “Woe” comes to mind, yet it remains for us to make every effort to stay grounded in the Son not in the ancient prophets, any prophet, any messenger or even an angel from heaven. It remains for us to work for souls to see God’s love in the Scriptures and in us and be drawn to his better things.

Life for Iranians can hardly get more complicated. A long time ago the God of the Jewish people assigned a Persian king to be his servant tasked with returning the Jewish people to the province of Judea. Today we hear today’s Persians clamouring for the smdesyruction of the Jewish state.
What history are they reading? What future is there for a nation seeking the annihilation of a oercieved enemy?