So - what happened?

So what happened when Benny Hinn came to town? History will settle it out, but it may not be premature to make a couple of observations. For two nights, some 18,000 people (I forgot to count the 2,000 chairs set up on the floor of Boston Garden) experienced a joy and a unity which many had not thought possible. And there were two major new cracks in the egg containing an eaglet called Awakening.

Alex said it was the greatest expression of unity he's experienced in forty years of ministry. Ditto. I've been writing about what goes on in the Body of Christ for nearly that long. I was at the Kansas City Charismatic Conference, the first Washington for Jesus, and Promise-Keepers "Stand in the Gap." What we experienced at the Garden belongs on the same shelf with those events.

Curiously (but not surprisingly) there was no mention in the Boston Globe. In Sunday's Ideas section, there was a front-page article on the abortion-rights movement rediscovering religion, but not an inch on what happened at the Garden.

It is reminiscent of New York City in the fall of 1857. Jeremiah Lanphier's Wednesday Noon prayer hour had become an underground phenomenon. His church, "Old North Dutch, could not hold all the people who came to pray. Neither could all the other churches in lower Manhattan" or the firehouses and police stations, the restaurants and theaters.

Word reached the uptown editorial offices of that city's two great newspapers: Something extraordinary was going on downtown. "Nonsense!" scoffed James Gordon Bennett of the Herald. "If it was news, we would have heard about it!" His arch-rival, Horace Greeley of the Tribune, had exactly the same response.

Nevertheless, on the remote chance that something might be going on, they each sent their best man to cover it. When their ace reporters came back born-again and praising God, the astonished editors realized something significant was afoot. They began to cover it, and word began to spread of the Great Prayer Revival of 1857, which eventually went around the world and sparked revivals in both the Union and Confederate Armies.

When the one who controls secular media does not like a newsworthy event, he renders it a non-event by withholding coverage. That happened in Washington in 1980. Other than couple of photos of bizarre fringe elements and two column-inches of copy, the Washington Post ignored the fact that a family event of epic proportions had taken place on the Mall. But other newspapers did cover it, and the further west one got, the wider and deeper the coverage.

Twenty-six years later, there are many more vehicles to get the word out: ipods, live-streaming video, Christian radio and television networks, email, and the Internet itself. All who should know, will know.

So pass the good news on and keep an eye on that egg in Boston....

-David Manuel

Psalm 83 found in Irish bog on Tuesday

SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press Writer (abridged)

DUBLIN, Ireland - Irish archaeologists Tuesday heralded the discovery of an ancient book of psalms by a construction worker who spotted something while driving the shovel of his backhoe into a bog.

The approximately 20-page book has been dated to the years 800-1000. Trinity College manuscripts expert Bernard Meehan said it was the first discovery of an Irish early medieval document in two centuries.

"This is really a miracle find," said Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum of Ireland, which has the book stored in refrigeration and facing years of painstaking analysis before being put on public display.

"There's two sets of odds that make this discovery really way out. First of all, it's unlikely that something this fragile could survive buried in a bog at all, and then for it to be unearthed and spotted before it was destroyed is incalculably more amazing."

...The book was found open to a page describing, in Latin script, Psalm 83, in which God hears complaints of other nations' attempts to wipe out the name of Israel.

Psalm 83
1 O God, do not keep silent;
be not quiet, O God, be not still.

2 See how your enemies are astir,
how your foes rear their heads.

3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.

4 "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation,
that the name of Israel be remembered no more."

5 With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you-

There will be one fold & one Shepherd...

PBS has adjusted their lens. They're now looking at "a national prayer movement.” It’s not just in Boston; it’s everywhere, and the Noon Hour is only a tiny part of it. They’re still coming tomorrow, but will be filming, not interviewing.

Which is fine with us. Whatever God wants. They’re coming at 11:00, to set
up. Alex and I will be there at 10:45, to pre-pray. If you can join us, please
do; we need all the prayer we can muster. If you can't, pray that we stay
out of the way, and that Jesus be seen.

We had fun last week, when the Revere Noon Hour joined us and put our
numbers back above seventy for the first time in awhile. Funny thing, the sheep in
that fold hear Him and follow Him a lot like we do. It was a nice foretaste
of John 10:16, where He says He's going to put other sheep with us, and there
will be one fold and one Shepherd.

For I have placed you upon the walls of this city, to watch and to wait. It will not be for much longer. Every prayer that has gone up from this place – and from all the other places where hearts yearn for me, has been recorded. And now I tell you: the time you ardently desire is almost at hand. Use these final hours to set aside, once and for all, the things that keep you from intimacy with me. Then, when that glorious morning arrives, we will greet it together, hand in hand, heart to heart, glory unto glory.

-David Manuel, July 19, 2006

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - July 10

Eight regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray today, joined by Hank’s daughter.

We heard of Allison’s plans to produce a secular movie, with a redemptive storyline, with a non-Christian colleague. We remembered this project in prayer. We discussed what it meant to communicate winsomely and effectively in this culture. Andrea mentioned that she had joined an open air worship and evangelism session in the pit at Harvard Square on the previous weekend; and that it had been good to have light brought into that place. We prayed for one Albanian man whom she had met and spoken with on that occasion. The event will be repeated on 21 July.

We prayed too for some of the struggles going on around us:

• We were grateful for the Supreme Court Decision allowing the marriage amendment proposal to go forward, and prayed for legislators and those leading this cause;
• The Anglican Communion is fracturing after recent decisions by the US Episcopal church, and we asked for wisdom for the leaders of Episcopal churches here and abroad as to how to respond.

As we prayed for the city of Boston, we prayed that we would know how to speak life to the people of the city. We were struck by the energy and enthusiasm generated in the city by the World Cup final the night before, and asked that people would come to know the true source of energy. We prayed for leaders in this centre of power and privilege to come to know the true source of life. We prayed for the leaders of all churches in Boston that they would be praying and seeking God at this time.

Some were impatient for God to show and grow his work in this city. At least one present felt like the disciplines on the Emmaus Road—uncertain and somewhat confused about recent events, where so much expectation had been built up of Jesus moving in power; and yet a crucifixion was all that seemed to happen. We gave thanks that, like the disciplines on the road, Jesus draws near to us, and speaks to us in ways which open our eyes and warm our hearts.

My sheep know my voice, and they follow me...

If you can come to the Tremont Temple tomorrow (Wednesday) at Noon, by all means do. It will be a landmark for the Boston Noon Hour,as we'll be joined by Father Tom Dilorenzo, leader of outreach to Boston's homeless, and by Bob Ionello's men's prayer group which usually meets on Wednesdays, in Revere.

Other news: The PBS “News Hour” has gotten wind of the beginnings of big-R Revival Boston. They’re sending a crew here, and will be covering the Noon Hour on Wednesday, July 26.

As the time grows short, the need for patience is great. Lack of it connotes lack of trust in me. By now, even those who do not know me well, sense that I am about to do something of immense proportions. I will be relying on those who do know me well, to calm and steady the rest. Listen to me in the depths of your hearts. I will speak to you there. Become familiar with my voice and follow me. That means come when I call you to come, and do not go where I bid you not go. My sheep know my voice, and they follow me. Are you one of my sheep? Hear, know, and follow.

-David Manuel

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - June 5

Seven regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray, joined by D. who had been before but who had meanwhile been involved in starting Fenway Church. He shared of the experience of the starting the church there.

We also heard of the prayer meeting at Tremont Temple on the day of Pentecost, the day before, which several people had attended.

We were reminded of the prime call to faithfulness in witness—through the examples of S’s evangelism team which had gone to Newton to evangelize, despite the rain when they started; and B’s recent encounter with a woman on a plane flight.

In prayer, we lifted up all churches and organizations which sought the Kingdom in Boston, praying for unity and a sense of partnership. With D. present, we prayed especially for Fenway church and the Fenway/Kenmore area. We prayed also for the safe arrival of their first child later this month, and that he and his wife would be ready, and blessed.

We prayed for the small seeds sowed faithfully—whether in Newton or on airplanes—that God would water them by his Spirit and cause them to grow to become mighty oaks of righteousness. We prayed in the words of Galatians 6:9: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

We also continued to pray for Trinity Congregational, Wayland and Newton, and other areas like it—that affluence would not choke hunger for God. We prayed especially for Jewish people—that they would come to know the true Messiah. We kept up our prayers for good to come from the viewing of the daVinci Code movie.

We remembered M’s son Steve, currently in Istanbul—praying that the trip there would be truly transformational in his life.

June 4th - Global Day of Prayer @ Tremont Temple

Over the past few months, God has been wonderfully at work bringing His people closer together. He has been breaking denominational and racial barriers, bringing urban and suburban churches into greater unity, increasing our sense of being part of a corporate Church that He wants to revive and empower to do His will in the world. The Global Day of Prayer gathering on June 4th at Tremont Temple is an opportunity for believers in this region to continue strengthening the bonds of Christian unity.

Seven weeks ago, thousands of Christians gathered near Franklin Park in Dorchester to celebrate a "Sacred Assembly." We were blessed by the corporate prayer, and the intense passion and hunger for God expressed by the diverse group of believers that gathered there on that day. Before that event, a wonderful time of prayer and worship took place in January at Tremont Temple, with over a thousand believers gathering to celebrate this new wind of revival that is beginning to blow over New England. Meetings of intercessors from all over the region have been regularly taking place during the past few weeks, and gatherings of key spiritual leaders have been increasing revealing an unprecedented sense of trust and camaraderie among them. God is certainly doing a new thing, and we should all feel blessed to be alive at such a time as this.

Many of us have sung that chorus that says: "Bind us together, Lord. Bind us together, with cords that cannot be broken." There is certainly a significant role God must play to bring His people together. But there is also a ministry work He has left for us to do to help bring us into the unity of the faith. We have a sacred responsibility to discern God's intentions for this time and to do all that we can to reach out to one another. God is calling us to embrace the effort to promote Christian unity in this region. By attending activities that facilitate functional unity among believers, by supporting financially efforts such as the Global Day of Prayer and Covenant for New England, and by lending our time and talents to the organization of similar efforts, we will be aligning ourselves with God's Spirit and setting a strong foundation for revival.

I urge you to come and gather with us on June 4th at Tremont Temple, particularly from 5 to 8 p.m. It will be a wonderful, intense time of celebration and prayer. God's Spirit will meet us there, and we will advance what He is doing in His Church. It will also be a time of vision casting, spiritual impartation and further development of a sense of corporate identity for all of us. Please do not miss it. Commit right now to attend and to pray for this event. Let others in your church know and invite as many as possible to come with you on that day.

Prayer rooms will be open in the Temple from 8:00am to 4:30pm for prayer.

I look forward to seeing you there!

-Dr. Roberto Miranda, Pastor, Lion of Judah, Boston, MA

The Blessing

"...You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness" (Acts 3:25-26 RSV).

A few weeks ago in our inner-city neighborhood, my wife and I attended the funeral of a young man who was killed a street away from his home and several streets away from our own doorsteps. We wept as people from near and far; church, community and city leaders, eulogized a life tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence. Days later, a direct descendant of a very wealthy family shared a sad tale of his difficult upbringing. His mother was left out of the family's fortune (blessing). His most memorable statement was that leaving his mother out of the will (blessing) was an act of violence to her and her offspring.

The Blessing is an ancient institution that passed not only the rights of the family fortune but also favor with God to the firstborn. In Jacob's case, it created separation between brothers. Christ comes and interprets the Blessing in light of redemption. The criterion now is no longer birth order or affluence, but Christ. In Christ, we are all inheritors of the Blessings of God. The Blessing of Christ breaks down the walls of separation that divide fathers and sons, Greeks and Jews, us and them. The dirty little secret in our churches is that we often live in places where we believe the blessing is based on criteria other than Christ. We believe we do not have to be our brother's keeper; we believe some deserve the blessing while others do not. We believe that our private sins do not have public implications. All the while, blood is on our streets and the righteous cry remains silent.

Let us pray that during this season the Church unifies under the banner of Christ and Christ alone. Like it was in the days of Pentecost, may the Church be a model of unity of all people groups, miraculously speaking diverse languages, but yet understood. The promised blessing is for all who seek the Lord and proclaim His name. Let the church be an instrument of God's Blessing.

-Rev. Ronald Verna, PureSpring Ministries Boston, MA

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 22

Eight regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray, joined by Lex who had visited before and was now able to come again, during a time of personal transition.

Although some had been experiencing times of spiritual attack or struggle, even if linked to new growth, we rejoiced in the evidence of answered prayer:

• K’s son A, who was entering his next stage of life with evidence of real commitment and growth;
• The various groups which faithfully evangelize in Roxbury, and for S’s most recent experiences of openness there;
• Not only has the commitment target almost been reached at G’s church, but there is evidence that the campaign around a common goal is strengthening community there.

In our time of prayer, God continued to speak around the themes we have experienced of late:

Water—D. read Psalm 1:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

D. spoke further of God’s invitation, which is always for the here and now, to step into the river, which is always new, regardless of where the river goes.

K. read later from Isa 43: I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. In this sense, we prayed especially that God would make a way for A. and L. during times of transition; and we prayed anointing and protection on K.’s son A. as well as he goes to college.

Spiritual attack—K. read from Ephesians 6 as we prayed for discernment and protection. We remembered especially the effect of lies, whether spoken in our own mind through fears, or in the wider society through myths like the daVinci Code being widely believed. However, we rejoiced in God’s sovereignty, and ultimate victory over evil. We were grateful for the opportunity for God to show his power in turning around strategies of deceit; and we acknowledged that for us, “so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Eph 6:13.

In the midst of these familiar themes, we also prayed to be open to the new work of creation with which God is ever at work, but which we often fail to recognize: our lenses are so often adjusted to looking for re-vival, in the sense of bringing the dead back to life, about which so much has been spoken and written that it seems familiar to us. However, we can miss much of what God is doing in creating the new, as K. read from Isaiah 43:

18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

We prayed for the ‘radar’ to see opportunities for ministry and witness; and courage to take them.

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 15

Four regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray, joined by D. who had visited once before. We heard of his work in creating the Carpenter’s Fund which finances the set up of Christian businesses in Africa.

In prayer, we remembered the various themes through which God had been speaking to us recently:

Water — as a source of cleansing and blessing, and refreshment

Spiritual attack — we prayed for discernment and protection

We remembered the church in this country, especially the US Anglican Church which faces the choice of a new leader soon, and asked forgiveness when the church has been unfaithful or even apostate. We were reminded of the example of Ezra who called the returned people of Israel to faithfulness, and prayed for prophets to arise in Boston and for wisdom on all church leaders who sought truth here.

We prayed too for the city—and for its leaders, especially Mayor Menino. We prayed that people would come to recognize the ‘unknown God’ in the midst of their many idols, in the words of Paul. We prayed also in the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14: if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”

We were grateful for Greg’s opportunity to pray with a troubled colleague last week, and to see the prayers answered later that week; and that the capital campaign at his church had reached the milestone of 80% of its target. We prayed for God’s work to be blessed and released in the church.

In prayer, we lifted up:

• J.’s job situation
• A.’s friend M.—that she would recognize truth
• D.’s ministry through the Carpenter’s Fund—that the deal flow would be adequate and the work blessed; for the Muslim head of the water drilling company; and for the Masai chief he had mentioned.

We were also asked to pray for recruiting decisions faced by both H. and D., and for A.'s office.

-David P.

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 8

Four regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray, joined by S. who runs a non-profit ministry in Boston which ministers to families of victims of violence, and is staging concert to support this soon.

Some of us came with plans; others weary or despairing after continued spiritual attack; or frustrated at co-workers; still others feeling remorseful or ashamed. We gathered by the small spiritual ‘spring’ which has bubbled up at Kitty, and through sharing and in prayer, we drank deep of the living water which comes up from the great reservoirs of grace; and which brings cleaning, refreshing and slaking of thirst according to all the different needs there were.

In prayer, we were reminded that “these three remain: faith, hope and love; and that the greatest of these is love”. We remembered God’s unchangeable love for us, which seeks us out even when we flee or feel unworthy—“Where shall I go from your presence?” as the psalmist asks. In the light of this love and acceptance, we could experience renewed hope in the future; and renewed faith that God is indeed at work in and through us and in this area. We were encouraged to wait hopefully on God, with the word to ‘fear not, since I have overcome the world”.

David had recently been taken to a climbing wall, where he had experienced physically the safety harness which meant that even when he slipped, he was held safe and able to start again. This experience gave a metaphor of the safety net of grace which undergirds us as believers and enables us to keep climbing with hope, even though it takes effort and we are likely to slip at times.

In prayer, we remembered:

• S.’s program for Live for the Future
• The M. family who lost another family member to violence in Boston over the weekend
• A.’s coworkers and upcoming event
• J. and her work situation (after the door on the present prospect had closed)
• J’s brother Jim who had recently had major heart surgery and other friends known to her
• Jim and his vision for ministry in Boston
• All those who had passed through Kittys over the two years; and especially the regulars not present.

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 1

Seven regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray.

In the time of general sharing, we discussed how some of us were feeling under forms of spiritual attack—in part, following or linked to times of busy-ness. In this season, it seems all the more important that we walk by faith and not by sight, believing the things which God is doing within us and in the wider Boston area. Often, our eyes do not see as they should.

In this context, we were reminded of the need to rejoice at the various signs of change—for example, the recent conversion of several people in or through Marty’s church; changes in the lives of people in Andrea’s church; and evidence of healing and deliverance through the Healing Center.

Even when we do see—for example, Hank reported a recently renewed sense of his mission field being local—a Godly restlessness and hunger for the Kingdom may still rightly characterize our lives this side of heaven.

We also discussed the possible uses of the Kitty’s upper floor space. Jim Luther’s group in New Hampshire continues to be interested in downtown mission but the expected funding has not yet been forthcoming.

In prayer, we remembered:

• M. who was entering a detox program
• P. who is undergoing health problems
• The forthcoming outreach in Roxbury of which S. is part, remembering especially Muslims
• The potential construction of a new large mosque in Roxbury
• J. and her work situation
• G.’s church and in particular, its current capital campaign, that God would use the new energy and commitment to prayer for his purposes.

Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - April 24

Six regulars gathered at Kitty's to pray.

We started with feedback from the prayer walk led by Hank on Friday evening on State Street. Three people had moved slowly up the street, stopping to pray at major buildings, and culminating at the place marked by a plaque which indicated that DL Moody had been converted there on the same day in 1855. Hank and David had gone on to join the Tremont Temple prayer gathering, where they found Bob. The meeting had been very different from what was expected: only around 70 people, far from the expected crowd, had met to pray, worship and hear from some of the area leaders. These insights had in themselves made the evening worthwhile, as these pastors spoke of their sense that revival had started in the heavenly realms, although not necessarily in the way which man might expect: rather than by gathering crowds of believers for times of refreshing, they spoke of how this revival was ‘for the harvest’ and how the church was called to act like John the Baptist in these days, preparing the way of the Lord. We were encouraged to be intentional and bold, while healing and strengthening the body. David shared the picture of trench warfare which had in some ways characterized the church’s external ministry—brief sorties across no man’s land, with little change of the front lines for a long time. However, the ‘weapons of mass deliverance’ of which we had prayed previously could cause the enemy trenches to be abandoned unexpectedly; and that, if we went over the parapet, we could find the ground undefended and ready to be taken. We discussed fear and boldness for a while.

In prayer, we were reminded of God’s great forgiveness extended to us all. We specially remembered G’s family, asking that he would have the wisdom and insight to minister forgiveness, which would bring healing to family members and relationships. We prayed too for J’s recent job interview—that God would bless her boldness in the interview and open doors for her in work.

We continued to pray for Kitty’s, following news of impending changes to the upstairs area: that God would bless the business and all who patronized it; and continue to provide a place for prayer and ministry.

Judas: A Saint for Our Seasons

From Gerard @ American Digest.org, some articulate insight into modern-day betrayal, treason, sin, shame & guilt:

Have you ever betrayed your promise?
Did you ever break a vow?
Have you traded love for money,
And are you happy now?

Did you kiss him in the garden,
And then abandon him to fate?
Is your final sin forgiven,
Or is it far too late?

WHEN IT COMES TO DISCOVERING new ways to cheapen the human soul, the "professional intellectuals" of our society have cornered the market. So it was last week when, timed carefully to cash in on the Easter holiday, the "serious" editors of National Geographic chose to release their gleanings from a sheaf of rags and call them "The Gospel of Judas."

....But beyond these considerations, the publication of the "Gospel" of Judas has another, deeper and more lasting benefit to our neophytes of nihilism. It puts one of the final elements of their anti-morality play at center stage. It seeks to sanctify treason.

It was never a question of "if," but only a question of "when" our contemporary society would discover an avatar who would make treason acceptable. It only codifies the realities of their secular belief system. Treason against others or one's country has long been as common as adultery in this country. Like adultery the rate of treason is on the rise because, like adultery and similar forms of personal betrayal, it no longer has any consequences at all.

It is true that the federal crime of treason is not easily established and is rarely if ever charged. But the formal crime of treason is not what I am discussing here. Rather the more common, garden variety of treason as understood by plain people -- the rabid and unremitting hatred, expressed in word or deed, of the country that gives you the freedom express your hatred. It is the treason of the ingrate, the soul-dead, the politically perverted, and the bitter; it is, as Roger Kimball at The New Criterion discusses, the treason of the intellectuals and "the undoing of thought."

It's a fact of our self-centered contemporary existence that betrayal has become one of the common forces that shape our lives. For when our own desires ride us like a drunken demon lodged on our shoulders, betrayal is the first order of the day when others seek to thwart our desires, or even when others become a mere inconvenience to our wants and whims.

Final Exams

For some time now, God is been telling us that we are in a time of preparation. As He has said, He is preparing the hearts of a few (us), for He will soon be bringing many. The time of preparation is almost over. We will soon be on the stretch for Him, as George Whitefield put it, stretched as never before. We can do it. We have Him, and we have each other.

You have been faithful in the little things I have given you; now I am about to bestow on you great things and great responsibilities. Everything to this point has been a test. You have passed them to my satisfaction. Some of them, you had to take over “more than once” but you have passed, and you are ready for the next step.

It is a time of great preparation, of rapid review of everything I have taught you. For you are about to enter your final exams. Spring break is over, and it is time to bear down. Do so with joy. I will help you prepare. I will make sure nothing is lost or overlooked. I will guide your studies in these final precious weeks. I have not brought you this far, I have not invested in you all that I have, I have sustained you through all your adversities, to abandon you now, or leave you in any way comfortless.

Take my hand, as you have so often in the past, and let me lead you to the table I have prepared for you, in the presence of my enemies. For I shall anoint your head with oil, and I shall fill your cup to overflowing, and you shall dwell in my house forever.

A week from Friday, the Noon Hour is going Prime Time. On Friday, the 21st, from 7:30 till 9:00 PM at Tremont Temple, we are having our first evening prayer time. Ask Him, if He would have you be among that number. If He wants you to come, then you must come, no matter what roadblock the other one might put in your path, or sudden 'emergency' he might throw at you, to keep you from coming. If God wants you there, He will clear the way for you to come. And please, bring every friend you can.

-David Manuel