Welcome to the much anticipated (mostly by me) Week of Interviews.

I have five fabulous interviews lined up this week with five fabulous folks.

The Line-up Is:

Monday - Billy Humphry, Director IHOP-ATL
Tuesday - Zach Hensley, Nightwach at IHOP-KC
Wednesday - Dustin Ragland, Drummer for Charlie Hall
Thursday - Jonathan Mills, Worship Director at ZHOP
Friday - Winner of the Interview Submissions

We’re starting the week off with Billy “there’s no ’s’ in my last name” Humphry.
Billy is the director of the International House of Prayer in Atlanta, Georgia. IHOP is a 24 / 7 prayer and worship ministry.
The onething team just got back from our young adult conference in Atlanta, which was the largest regional conference we have had so far. Over 2,000 people attended. Billy spoke at a couple of the sessions and he was on fire. He’s been gripped by the necessity of the Sermon on the Mount values, and I am honored to have him share here.
Thanks Billy for taking some time out to answer a few questions.

So, as the director of IHOP-ATL, how much are you in the Prayer Room on a weekly average?

It’s about 60 at IHOP and about 35 in the prayer room weekly.

Wow. Why do you think it’s important to study the end-times (eschatology)?

It’s a weird thing but whenever I get a magazine I flip to the back first and then work my way to the front. And then I will work my way back through it from beginning to end. I have always done this. By the time I am done with the magazine, I totally get the picture of what the whole magazine is about. It’s exactly the same with eschatology. Even if you don’t consider the fact that we are amazingly close to the incredible and catastrophic events of the end of the age, studying Eschatology gives you a picture of the entire system of the Bible and incite into the whole of the kingdom of God. The study of the last things is not only essential to prepare your heart for the coming storm, but it is essential to get a clear picture of this King, named Jesus, and the reality of His Kingdom.

That is so well put. Getting an understanding of where things are going not just so we have our charts right but so we can get a clearer picture of Jesus. So then why would you say it’s important for us to study and go deep in intimacy with God?

100 % of everything in this life is centered around these facts: God is love, God radically loves people, God made people to be loved by Him, we live shattered, hollow and exceedingly unfulfilled if we do not know God’s love.

Then how do you think intimacy and eschatology go together?

intimacy = gas, eschatology = fire… uh, do the math.

That’s a hot equation. For someone that’s starting out in these areas what two books to you recommend for these topics?

Eschatology - I like Van Kampen’s The Sign, for an extensive look. it comes from a different orientation so it gives the reader a chance to study.

Intimacy - Anything by Bob Sorge.

You may also want to consider Billy Humphrey’s Exhaustive Guide to Intimacy and Eschatology, I heard that was a good one.

I haven’t read The Sign, but I am a huge Bob Sorge fan. And you have your own book out? How come something tells me it’s not on Amazon.com?

That book is not actually in print. It’s not actually a book, it was actually a joke.

Right. Well last question; un-related to prayer room stuff: If you had to get a tattoo on your arm of a car, which car would you choose?

a 50’s hotrod…with flames on the side… black car… red, yellow and orange flames

Nice. If I had to pick a car that fitted your personality I would have picked a black 50’s hot rod w/ flames. Good choice. Thanks again for your time.

You can find Billy on the web at www.ihop-atlanta.com and www.myspace.com/ihopatlanta. I also hear Billy has his own myspace but I haven’t seen it myself. (and apparently he has lots of friends…)