Prayer doesn’t “work”!

Reuters carried an article yesterday (which you can read:
HERE) on a test conducted
in an effort to find out if prayer works.

“”>”The patients in the study at six U.S. hospitals included 604 who were actually prayed for after being told they might or might not be; another 597 patients who were not prayed for after being told they might or might not be; and a group of 601 who were prayed for and told they would be the subject of such prayer.”

The results? “”>”A study of more than 1,800 patients who underwent heart bypass surgery has failed to show that prayers specially organized for their recovery had any impact, researchers said Thursday.”

“In fact, the study found some of the patients who knew they were being prayed for did worse than others who were only told they might be prayed for — though those who did the study said they could not explain why.”

What are Christians supposed to say when we are confronted with “evidence” like this? Does the word DUH! come to mind? It should - and here’s why.

FASTING - A Brief Biblical Primer

Matt. 6:1-18 & Isaiah 58

Fasting is NOT a very popular topic. And when it does get addressed, the treatments are often mystical or superstitious or just plain fiction.

Our Church has the opportunity each year to conduct a sunrise service Easter Sunday morning at a local cemetery. We usually see several hundred people - many of whom seldom if ever attend Church the rest of the year. We have a burden to have the Gospel proclaimed with unusual power and effectiveness and so we are asking our own folks to fast and pray to that end. That the dead will be raised through the Gospel, even as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

Below, is a VERY brief primer we’ve done to prepare people for that fast. Perhaps it will be useful for you as well.

Please note this is a SCALED down version of a study I did years ago - but I believe the content can be very helpful.

DON’T FORGET THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE w/D. A. Carson and Michael Haykin - April 21 & 22 - Contact Ivan Kellogg @ igkellogg@juno.com for info or registration.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CONFERENCE INFO

Called to be saints

Saint Augustine
Walk in Wisdom - 1 Cor. 1:2

DON’T FORGET THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE w/D. A. Carson and Michael Haykin - April 21 & 22 - Contact Ivan Kellogg @ igkellogg@juno.com for info or registration.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CONFERENCE INFO

Divine Nobodies

Walk in Wisdom - Romans 16

DON’T FORGET THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE w/D. A. Carson and Michael Haykin - April 21 & 22 - Contact Ivan Kellogg @ igkellogg@juno.com for info or registration.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CONFERENCE INFO

The League of Unlikely Brothers

Walk in Wisdom – Gleanings from Scripture
Today’s Readings Mar. 24/06 : Matt. 28:1-10; Romans 15:14-33; Psalm 70; Deut. 32

DON’T FORGET THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE w/D. A. Carson and Michael Haykin - April 21 & 22 - Contact Ivan Kellogg @ igkellogg@juno.com for info or registration.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CONFERENCE INFO

Artsy Schmartsy

Celebrated fine artist Mako Fujimura (His “Christmas Eve” is shown here) has written a very thought provoking article regarding Christians and the arts. You can read it -> HERE (Scroll down to A.R.T. Introduction).

A family in our church posted it on our internet “Connection”, and I responded it to it below.

Looking for Glory in all the wrong places.

Walk in Wisdom – Gleanings from Scripture
Today’s Readings Mar. 22/06 : Matt. 27:45-56; Romans 14; Psalm 69:1-18; Deut. 27-28

DON’T FORGET THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE w/D. A. Carson and Michael Haykin - April 21 & 22 - Contact Ivan Kellogg @ igkellogg@juno.com for info or registration.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CONFERENCE INFO

GUILTY! With MY Sin

Walk in Wisdom – Gleanings from Scripture
Today’s Readings Mar. 20/06 : Matt. 27:11-26; Romans 12:9-21; Psalm 67; Deut. 18-21

GUILTY! With MY Sin.

DON’T FORGET THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE w/D. A. Carson and Michael Haykin - April 21 & 22 - Contact Ivan Kellogg @ igkellogg@juno.com for info or registration.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CONFERENCE INFO

Eden and Gethsemane

Walk in Wisdom – Gleanings from Scripture

Today’s Readings Mar. 17/06 : Matt. 26:36-56; Romans 11:1-24; Psalm 64; Deut. 6-8

DON’T FORGET THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE w/D. A. Carson and Michael Haykin - April 21 & 22 - Contact Ivan Kellogg @ igkellogg@juno.com for info or registration.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CONFERENCE INFO

The Foolishness of Preaching

Walk in Wisdom – Gleanings from Scripture

Today’s Readings Mar. 16/06 : Matt. 26:17-35;Romans 10; Psalm 63; Deut. 4-5

DON’T FORGET THE UPCOMING CONFERENCE w/D. A. Carson and Michael Haykin - April 21 & 22 - Contact Ivan Kellogg @ igkellogg@juno.com for info or registration.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CONFERENCE INFO