Misty Edwards video: You won't relent

Bill Johnson on Todd Bentley's failings

My friend Jake Ray at the Salem House of Prayer in Oregon has posted the 3-part video response Bill Johnson recently made in his church in Redding, California. Test the spirits, discern if you can find Jesus leading somewhere through this message:

http://salemhouseofprayer.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/bill-johnson-address-the-todd-bentley-situation-part-13/

http://salemhouseofprayer.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/bill-johnson-address-the-todd-bentley-situation-part-23/

http://salemhouseofprayer.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/bill-johnson-address-the-todd-bentley-situation-part-33/

1 Corinthians 13

Image by Volkan OZ via Flickr Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Highway 1 in Iceland

FYI: it was on this date in 1732 that the Moravians sent out their first missionaries. They went to St. Thomas.


You may want to follow the exploits of some friends of mine. Over the next 11 days they are roadtripping on Highway 1 in Iceland, the roughly 830-mile ring road that circumnavigates the nation. They are praying for spiritual breakthrough in the nation and the advancing of the gospel in Iceland. Highway 1 sounds like an interesting road, sometimes its a single lane over some bridges and in some places its apparently not even paved.

They are blogging this here: http://icelandicadventures.wordpress.com/

RSS feed for the blog is here (it will be on my blogroll also, which is the first column to your right on this page): http://icelandicadventures.wordpress.com/rss

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Shall not God avenge His elect?

Image by • 7 via Flickr Its dewy and quiet right now in Fort Mill. Its grey outside, hinting of the colors of the approaching day. I'm in the ZHOP prayer room where the transition has finished yet again for the night watch to finish their hours engaged before God. Its pretty special what God is doing all over the world in these relatively hidden prayer rooms. There are people giving themselves to seek God for God's sake as well as for the city around them, becoming a part of a corporate pursuit of God.

The first part of that equation may sound strange. Why would people "seek God for God's sake"? Is that even in the bible? Good questions; key questions, in fact.

In Luke chapter 18 Jesus tells a parable of a widow who is incredibly persistent. You know, much worse than a slow drip in your bathroom sink when you're trying to sleep. Drip, drip, drip. She is going to a judge with a request and will not cease until her answer is given. Ask, ask, ask. Seek, seek, seek. Knock, knock, knock. Would you, will you, won't you?

In the story, Jesus describes the judge as granting her request simply in order to shut her up. He says OK to her not because she is right but because he is convinced that she is relentless. Jesus then pivots this story on its ear and says:

“And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Jesus is saying here if she gets her answer from an unjust judge how much more will God answer His beloved, 'His own elect'? There is no question Jesus regards the seeking as wisdom, for He states that God will avenge them with 'speedy justice'. I've taken shots by some who think this kind of gig such as at ZHOP is striving, that the deal for Christians is to simply walk out whats been made available. I'm not angry because of this, and I don't argue that much has been made available through the finished work of the cross. But I read this parable and I see the heart of Jesus being revealed in a succinct way: that He hopes for a people of night and day prayer when He returns.

And there is real consideration to be made for seeking God for God's sake. Most ministry today is towards people. But to minister to God, to "seek God for God's sake" has biblical precedent even as we read in the book of Acts that the apostles primarily gave themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. It was out of the context of this corporate intimacy that the church advanced with boldness and power. The modern missions movement itself is rooted in the Moravian "watch of the Lord" that began in 1727 with a 24-hour prayer engagement that was sustained for over 100 years. And its the reason the apostle James stands up in Acts chapter 15 and prophesies that God's stated intention of Amos 9:11 is to be realized by the Church of Jesus Christ.

The apologetics for night and day prayer are clear and strong, grounded in the scriptures (far beyond this little article) and have significant precedent in Christian history. This is the primary way the people of God will be prepared for His return. And the effect of this will continue to be to cause "the Gentiles" (ie non-Jews) to seek God, (Amos 9:12). Its the people of continual worship and prayer whom history will ultimate show to be the catalyst for the greatest harvest, the greatest ingathering of the lost into faith in Christ. Oh, this is wisdom my friend. I say this with a singing heart of worship in a room that is open all day and all night, often with live music and with regular times for corporate intercession and praying the bible.

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The Call DC

We streamed the Call from DC into the prayer room at ZHOP on Saturday. I've seen prayer events come and go but this one had a focus and sobriety to it that is rare in my experience. And I mean this in a really good way. I only saw about half of the event but I do want to say it was an authentic occasion of a corporate, Joel 2 fast. The place in the bible where God says, "Rend your hearts, not your garments." The place where God says, "Turn to me with all your heart."

I got the following picture from The Call DC photostream on Flickr, it says more than a thousand words. Listen to the Holy Spirit... "Turn to me with all your hearts. Turn to me with all your hearts. Turn to me, and be saved, all you people."

Like apples of gold

Image via Wikipedia The most sublime poetry available to the human experience is in the bible. Really. Truly. To think otherwise is to imply one doesn't know whats there, or to not know how the words became available in the unfolding context of world history.

The spiritually inquisitive and seeking find One who is transcendant and pure, strong and gentle. Powerful and patient. I love (with gratefulness brimming in my heart) Jesus' description of God:

He is kind, even to the evil and the ungrateful. (Luke 6:35)

That verse alone from That Man should simply leave you on your knees sobbing with hope, reaching again for His comfort and counsel all the days of your life. It should make the prayer of your life become: I want to be like You, Jesus, Lord make me like You.

In the bible we find timeless words from a Brilliant Mind and fascinating heart. (Side topic: You do know God has a heart, don't you? For example, after the flood Noah offers a sacrifice when they leave the ark. Understand what was transpiring here: Noah was thanking God for delivering his family. Noah was saying in effect: God you are good, when you render judgement there is no fault with you. You always move for the sake of love, so that Your creation will bear this testimony with joyful praise. After this sacrifice, the scripture states that "God said in His heart I will never again curse the ground for man's sake." The whole of this incident is deep and as profound as possible: God will destroy evil, yet through this judgement He shows that there is hope moving beyond the flood because of a man living in loving faith towards his Creator.)

I was going to reflect on Psalm 19. That will have to do for now because of my sidetrack. I've got to go teach some interns at ZHOP shortly, I'm talking about the modern history of the prayer movement. I love teaching this topic, I would pay them to let me teach it but they're kind enough to me to have none of that.

Update on Jeremy

The latest on Jeremy is this from his wife, sent out Sunday evening:

Jeremy continues to rest and improve. Enzyme levels are dropping, but as long as they are still present at all it indicates that there is still damage being done to the heart. He was placed on anti-inflamatory medication to reduce the swelling in the heart lining, therefore eliminating the pain. He did not have any chest pains at all since 4am. That is a huge blessing. Tomorrow they will perform an Echocardiogram. This will determine the current level of heart function. If the echo looks good, and the enzyme levels are eliminated, then it is possible that Jeremy will get to come home tomorrow. He will need to remain on bedrest and restricted activity for an extended period of time.

Please continue to pray for the Jacobs family: for healing, for peace, for financial covering. Thank you!

Migas on Sunday

This post is simply a moment of self-indulgence to share with you, my reader. I get a yearning for Texas about this time of year. I can't explain it, and if you're not from Texas it could sound really pretentious. But there's a saying back home: you can take the man out of Texas, but you can't get toothpaste back in the tube. Not really, its that you can't get Texas out of the man.

So I took the time to make myself migas before church this morning. Many, if not most, in our community are from parts north. It was a great little meal I made in the quiet of my kitchen. (You know, its not like I can head out to downtown Fort Mill and get some migas at the diner. It takes some time simply to sift through the NASCAR menu items, NASCAR booster seats, NASCAR visors and NASCAR bumper stickers hovering around you. But I digress.)


I don't know what it is that stirs, some might speculate since football seasons is drawing near that might be the link. But for just a moment, I could close my eyes while enjoying my repast, and almost hear a screen door slamming... with my kids running out barefoot, making a footrace to the creek.

Postscript on Monday:

Nanci Griffith sings the song "Lone Star State of Mind" which goes:

Corpus Christi seems so far away
And I'm not talking about the miles.
And there ain't much I wouldn't give today
Just to see one of your smiles.

Saw John Wayne on the late-late show
save the girl and ride away.
And I was hoping as the credits rolled
He'd make it back to her some day

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