The Secret that Religion Doesn't Tell You

Your spiritual growth reveals the secret that religion rarely talks about. “You are an eternal being.” Most spirituality information leads you to this conclusion because your spiritual quest is concerned with the interconnectedness of all things and religion is more concerned with its own particular dogma.

This is as it should be. This is just a natural consequence revealing itself. This is “what is so.” No need to get alarmed or panicked (unless you choose to). This is just the natural order of things asserting itself. It is nature at work. We, as human beings, have created everything that has ever happened to this paradise of a planet that we inherited by virtue of our choice to reside here. We created the pollution, the depletion of the ozone layer, the wars, the killing of millions of people, the god of money, the weapons of mass destruction, the extinction of thousands of animal and plant species and religions that teach us that we are all separate.

Now don't go feeling guilty or bad about this. This is neither right nor wrong. It is only “what is so.” Just like looking at a newborn baby is neither right nor wrong, it is only “what is so.”

This is “what is so” in the present moment of now and the present moment of now is the only thing that really exists in this physical universe.

The past is the past. The future is yet to be. We are wholly defined by the present moment of now. Say Amen.

Once again, our observations tell us that we seem to be at a crossroads in this never-ending process we call Life. We are coming to the end of one cycle in order to begin another cycle. All aspects of life in the physical universe run in cycles. Some might say they run in circles; never-ending eternal circles, or cycles, of life.

It has been well documented by our scientists that in seven years every cell of your body has been completely renewed. So, theoretically, we have a body that is never more than seven years old. This observation alone tells us that our bodies, just like every other aspect of life, run on cycles. If this is so, and it is, then we should actually never put a limit on our body's span of existence because life moves in cycles, not years, and you cannot limit a cycle.

Cycles have no real beginnings and they never have an ending. They are in the eternal process of fulfilling themselves, and at the same time they are in the eternal process of renewing themselves within the instrument through which it expresses. Your life does not end at seven nor does it ever end. Life is eternal. Life is a process. Life is a never-ending cycle that continually renews itself.

Here's the really good news. There is not a thing in existence that does not have life. There is nothing that is completely inert. Everything you can think of, from the rocks in your garden to the rocks in the garden on a planet twenty thousand light years away from us, has life.

That is why it is nice to step back and view life from a larger perspective every now and then. Like the old saying tells us, “you can't see the forest through the trees.” When you are focusing most of your attention on your own life and become immersed in the dramas and experiences that are important to you, you shrink your world of existence down to a small, narrow perspective. You limit yourself as to what you see and how you see it.

When you keep your attention focused on the minute details of your dramas, you allow yourself to live within this belief that you are separate from all people and things in this universe. As you separate yourself from everything that exists, in your mind, you are separating yourself from life.

All life exists everywhere, all the time. It's all cycling in a never-ending process of renewal. That is the true nature of how things work. If you know that, that is, if you have a true knowing of this through your experience, then you would never again think of yourself as separate because “a knowing eliminates doubt.”

Most people living on this planet today do not have this knowing. That is why most people live their lives through what they believe. Believing something to be true and knowing something to be true are two entirely different levels of awareness. That is why we are here on this planet called earth in this physical universe. Our purpose here is to experience life in all of its different perspectives in order for God to know, through our experiences, all that she knows of as concepts.

Go out and create the experience of understanding your true, authentic self. This knowing about your true self will serve you well in every decision you make in your life.

About The Author

Richard Blackstone is an award winning author and international speaker on Love, Oneness & Creation. Journey into discovery of Self by reading this FREE report; "The 3 Simple Immutable Laws of the Universe" at: http://www.NutsandBoltsSpirituality.com

How Your Church Can Take On The Porn Epidemic

In How Many Porn Addicts are in Your Church?, we looked at the pressing need to confront the porn epidemic in the church. In this article, we go on the offensive. Our enemy has carpet-bombed us with lust, and we’ve allowed them to take a lot of our territory. They’re holding thousands of broken men, women, children, marriages and families hostage in slavery to sexual sin, and these prisoners of war are waiting to be rescued.

Our enemy is skilled at psychological warfare, and he uses our silence, apathy and fear as a weapon against us. If we want to win this war, we have to boldly assault his front positions with truth and decimate his ranks with the power of God. We’ll clear a path of grace so our battered P.O.W.s can make it home without fear of attack; once they’re safe our Lord can heal their wounds with the balm of His love.

To reach the sexually broken in our churches, we need to provide clear answers in a Sunday morning service. You can offer a men’s retreat or seminar on the topic, but if you don’t go for it in front of the congregation many who desperately need to hear your message of hope will miss out. Those who struggle with porn or sex addiction are trapped in shame and isolation, so the idea of going to a “let’s deal with porn” men’s retreat will be too intimidating for many. We have to reach them where they are, which means your best shot is at church on Sunday morning.

Earlier this year, Christianity Today asked 680 pastors and 1,972 laypersons if they thought the topic of sex should be discussed more from the pulpit: 44 percent of churchgoers said they wanted to hear more scriptural teaching from their pastors on sexual issues, while only 22 percent of pastors agreed. Our culture is a sex saturated sewer, and your people are hungry for the secrets of living a pure life.

Before addressing sexual sin with your congregation, you and your staff should spend a few weeks praying for them. This is an epic battle and you’re stepping up to the front lines; our enemy isn’t going down without a fight. They’ll infiltrate your ranks with thoughts of doubt, fear and confusion… “You can’t talk about sex; it’ll offend and embarrass them. What if they leave the church? Maybe we should soften the message a little... or put it off until we feel led.” They’ll try to cause stress in marriages and families to keep them from coming, and they’ll attack your P.O.W.s with shame and fear: “You don’t need help, you can handle this… besides, what would others think if they really knew what you’ve been doing?” Be sure to pound the enemy with prayer artillery before making the assault into his territory.

Those who suffer with sexual sin carry a heavy burden of shame, and some have been wounded when they shared their struggles with the wrong person. Your purpose is to draw them out of isolation so they can get help and find freedom from sin. A red hot, scolding sermon on hell and damnation will drive them deeper into hiding, which is the opposite of what you want. Boldly speak all of the truth in love. Our approach with the sexually broken should be like Jesus’ when He restored Peter (who would have been greatly ashamed) after he’d failed miserably by denying Jesus three times.

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Galations 6:1

The following is a suggested outline for your message of hope. Sexual sin isn’t an appropriate subject for young children, so you may consider making an announcement 1-2 weeks prior that the topic is PG-13, and parents should have their little ones in Sunday school that day.

First, set the standard.

In a 2003 Barna survey, 28% of Christians said looking at pictures with nudity or sexually explicit behavior was morally acceptable. God’s standard, found in Matthew 5:28, is that lust in the heart is the same as committing adultery. The married man who uses porn is sinning against God – and is unfaithful to his wife. Christians aren’t immune from our culture’s “if it feels good do it” mentality, and those who’ve allowed this lie to influence their thinking need to hear God’s truth.

Show how destructive sexual sin is

“Just porn” takes out marriages and families; the tragedy is that most guys don’t realize it until it’s too late. At a 2003 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, two thirds of the 350 divorce lawyers who attended said internet porn contributed to more than half of the divorce cases they handled. The aftershocks from porn addiction in a marriage are little different from the fallout from the physical act of adultery; there are many stories in Scripture that show the devastating consequences of sexual sin (such as Samson and David’s).

Let them know they’re not alone.

Because porn or sex addiction is so rarely discussed in the church, most guys mistakenly assume that “I’m the only one with a lust problem.” This lie keeps many trapped in shame, because if “I’m the only one” then I dare not tell someone for fear of being branded with a scarlet P. Exposing the statistics that 50 percent of Christian men have an issue with porn will show them they’re not “the only one,” and encourage them to reach out for help. One powerful way to do this is for one man to share his struggle with lust with the congregation; when one person steps forward and confesses his weakness it gives others the courage to do the same.

After opening the door, point the way out:

1. Isolation is death

All who struggle with sex or porn addiction are isolated, and few have friends who they can be vulnerable with. James 5:16 says “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one other so you may be healed,” and in Proverbs 28:13 we read “he who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” When we keep our sins a secret they have more power over us; exposing our struggles to others dissolves the shame (Psalms 32:1-5) and breaks the stronghold of lust in the heart. And, when others pray for us in our specific area of weakness as is mentioned in the second half of James 5:16, the Holy Spirit touches our heart where we need it with His power and grace.

2. The stumbling blocks of lust must be annilhated.

In Matthew 5:29, right after He set the standard for sexual purity in verse 28, Jesus drew a black and white picture of the no compromise approach we’re to take in the war against lust: "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” In practical terms, this means the man who stumbles with internet porn installs blocking software, gives his wife the passwords to the computer, or shuts off all internet access to their home. If cable TV is a problem, he has the service turned off. If he can’t stop watching porn movies in hotel rooms, he must leave the TV off, doesn’t travel alone, or finds a new job. Wife getting in lingerie magazines like Victoria’s Secret? He asks her to cancel the subscription. Our enemy thrives on compromise and weakness, so the only way to win is to take the offensive and kill it.

3. Point them to the One they’ve been looking for.

Sex addiction is the search for God’s love and acceptance in lust. Help them see they’re after a “lovingkindness that’s better than life” (Psalms 63:3), which is found only from the Living God of blazing grace. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.” Psalms 42:1

4. Teach them about grace.

I’ve never met a man or woman who struggled with porn or sex addiction who had accepted God’s grace in their heart. Most are programmed by parents, peers and circumstances that love is performance based, conditional, or impossible to obtain. This makes their hardest struggle not in being accountable, or cutting off the stumbling blocks of lust, but accepting God’s grace. Teach them to live in grace, as Jesus told us in John 15:9:

"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.”

5. Give them a safe place to go

Once you’ve shown them the way out, give your people a safe place where they can be vulnerable and find encouragement by starting a Strength in Numbers group in your church. Strength in Numbers is a Christ and grace centered support group for those who struggle with sex and porn addiction that is based on James 5:16. For more information on how to set up a Strength in Numbers group go to www.blazinggrace.org.

A Strength in Numbers group is a ministry to your city, not just the men in your church. I get requests for a group all the time from persons all over the U.S., and most of the time I don’t have a place to send them to. I’d love to be able to refer the sexually broken to your church. My prayer is that we’ll see many of these lighthouses of grace spring up in churches all over our land.

About The Author

Mike Genung struggled with sex addiction for 20 years before God set Him free in 1999. He is the director of www.blazinggrace.org, a ministry to the sexually broken and their spouses, and the author of The Road to Grace; Finding True Freedom from the Bondage of Sexual Addiction (available at http://www.roadtograce.com). Blazing Grace also helps churches minister to the sexually broken by providing resources and helping them set up Strength in Numbers groups.

8 Steps to Effective Christian Leadership

As a Christian leader, you are held to high moral, ethical, and social standards. As a leader, you are held to high standards, but as a Christian leader, that bar is raised even higher. Why? Because both the Christian and non-Christian social environment has tended to expect that Christians measure up to their self-proclaimed moral and ethical standards, as they rightly should. What can you do to be sure you ‘stand up to the test’ in the area of Christian leadership?

1) Probably the most important thing you can do as a Christian leader is to clean up your act---if there is anything in your life, moral or ethical, which would not stand up to scrutiny if the entire world found out---you must eliminate it immediately. Do not give anyone an occasion to think that you are a hypocrite.

2) Be sure that every decision you make is honest and ethical. You cannot effectively lead, as a Christian or not, when your decisions and actions are not above-board, fair, and honest.

3) As a Christian leader, commit to telling the truth no matter what. As a Christian leader, when you lie or tell half-truths, people tend to feel that your entire faith is a sham. In fact, if you are habitually lying and telling half-truths, your faith may indeed be a sham.

4) Learn everything you can about the tasks at hand, even if it means working in the trenches for awhile. No one likes to be led by someone who has never done what they are doing. This doesn’t mean you have to become an expert, just participate in the menial work long enough to understand the frustrating aspects of the work. Another benefit to this is, when you have actually done the work, you can more effectively brainstorm solutions to challenges when they arise.

5) Lead by example. Do you expect your employees or secretaries to arrive on time for work, and dressed well? Then you must do the same. Sometimes it is so easy to think that you have earned the right to come in whenever you feel like it, or to return from lunch whenever you wish. Sure, you may have earned the right, but you gain far more by setting the example for performance. Do you expect others to work overtime when a project is behind projections? Then you must be willing to do the same.

6) Although you may feel you have earned the right to delegate away all the work, continue to be involved in productive tasks. By doing some of the work, not only do you gain the respect of your employees, but also you keep in touch with the flow of things. As a leader, it is easy to become disengaged from the actual productive segment of your business, and resultantly make decisions that look good on paper and sound good around the boardroom table, but are actually worthless when the rubber hits the road.

7) Constantly reevaluate your own performance. Often, you may spend so much time correcting the actions of others and solving crises you didn’t create, that you develop a sense that others aren’t as capable as you. Consequently, you may not recognize when you are falling into bad habits that also need to be corrected. Be the first to recognize and correct your own short-fallings.

8) Avoid pride. Once in a position of leadership, especially if you are good at what you do, it is easy to begin to feel that you are invincible. Once that occurs, you become vulnerable to pride, and may make decisions you would frown on if your subordinates made the same decisions. Maintain full responsibility for your actions, and keep them above-board at all times.

Bonus Step:

9) Learn to manage your time. When you are in a position of leadership and find yourself delegating away most of the time-consuming tasks, it is easy to lose control of your time. Again, when your employees see you wasting your time, they will tend to do the same.

About The Author

Written by: Sean Mize, Christian entrepreneur and Christian time management author.
http://www.christiansuccessnetwork.com

Are Your Prayers Missing These 4 Steps That Always Get Them Answered With Yes?

Do you blame God for not answering your prayers even though you're the one who's not following the rules, then you get mad and end up going on a sinning spree and missing out on even more blessings?

Or.

Do you wait for the last minute to ask for His help and only because nothing else worked when things seem hopeless and you're even more worried, then try to use Him like a genie who needs to grant you three wishes?

If you said yes to any of the questions above then listen to this.

The first step to answered prayer is a very important prequel to praying by the rules.

And while you don't have to actually do this while praying your prayer life will remain ineffective if you don't do it at all.

Step #1 Meditate Your Worries Away

Think about it this way.

God is the ultimate problem solver.

And He already set up a solution to every problem you could possibly have and it's in your Bible, therefore if you find it and meditate on it you'll be preparing yourself for answered prayer.

For instance if everybody at your job is worried about getting laid off and they're all in panic mode throwing each other under the bus you don't have to worry because you're not participating.

And the reason you're not participating is because you've been meditating on psalms 91:7 "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee".

Now let's say one of you're worried co-workers tries to throw you under the bus, you don't care, why, because you've also been meditating on Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn".

Therefore, when you've meditated to the point where you've replaced worry or anger with the good news in your Bible then you'll be ready to get on your knees and pray to God with confidence, and by the rules without cheating.

And this way you'll be calling Him out on His word and seeing if He's a liar instead of waiting for bad stuff to happen then begging for help, then disbelieving when it doesn't just disappear like it never happened.

Step #2 Confess Your New Found Beliefs

This is probably the most important step there is when it comes to answered prayer.

And I say that because this is how you know whether you believe His word or not.

Because whatever you believe in your heart is what will eventually come out of your mouth.

Mt 12:34 "..for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

But who or whatever you listen to is what will determine what you will believe.

Like a two-way street.

But you're more likely to believe what you say than what anyone else says.

Mt 12:37 "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

This is what it means.

Let's say one of your worried co-workers, you know one of the ones who's always worried about getting laid off and throwing each other under the bus asks for your opinion after a nervous rant about how you're all going to get fired soon.

If you say something that agrees with what they said then guess what.

You got the worry bug too.

And you might just attract the thing that you're worried about and get yourself laid off next.

What you should say instead is this "but it shall not come near me!" and leave it at that, unless they want to know why.

This way later on that night or in the mourning when you're praying there will be no contradiction or mistake about what you believe.

But check this out.

Does your prayers sound similar to this example?

"God please help me I need one thousand dollars by next Friday or I'm going to lose my apartment and be homeless, please make a way for me to get this money so I won't get kicked out" with tears running down your eyes.

If so, you may be emotional and serious, but you're still not praying by the rules.

So, after you've found at least one verse to meditate on.

Let's see, you could use Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Then you simply return it back to Him by confessing it in prayer like this.

"God the Bible says that you supply all my needs, according to your riches in glory threw Jesus Christ my lord and saviour therefore I know that my rent is paid and on time because I believe your word"

Notice I said "is paid" instead of "will be paid" because this is important.

That's enough to get the job done but I like to get outrageous.

I would also add.

"the Bible says "your mercy endureth forever" so I know even though I messed up you still help me.

"The Bible says that you will never leave me or forsake me" so I know you are with me on this"

The Bible says "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want" so I know you take care of all my needs"

And I could go on and on.

Because God already did everything that He's going to do but it's up to you to receive it.

Step #3 Praise Him For What He Already Did

Since you already established the facts that God supplies all your needs, His mercy never runs out, He won't leave you and turn His back on you, and He will give you everything you want, that's plenty of reasons to be happy and praise Him.

By this time you should be excited and maybe even shedding a few tears because you realize how much God really does love you.

This also demonstrates gratitude and shows that you trust Him and are not worried about your problems.

Which upsets Him because He is way higher than your little bitty problems.

We don't call Him the most high God for nothing.

Step #4 Ask For What You Want

Now you're ready to ask God for what you want and if you followed the first three steps correctly He has to do it for you.

Because you put together a open and shut case against the prosecution and you got a jury full of angels on your side and the most high Judge who is more than honorable and has to follow His own rules and keep His own word in which you sent back to Him respectfully with confidence and gratitude.

About The Author

David Hopkins is a Christian article writer for The Daily Word Of God Group.

http://www.dailywordofgodgroup.com

His articles will help you remember to glorify God in everything that you do so you won't miss out on any of His wonderful blessings. If you enjoyed reading this Answered Prayer article then you will also enjoy reading this Righteous Man article.

Adultery and the Christian

As a Christian, we know and understand the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and even though our sins are forgiven when we believe in Him, we are still commanded to turn from sin. Throughout the Bible, there are many verses that point out these sins the Christian is to avoid and it is important to understand what God considers a sin. As I read through these sins, many are mentioned multiple times and in various places in the Bible. Sins of a sexual nature seem to appear more often in the Bible and my personal belief is because they are the most prevalent in society and the hardest to avoid.

It is easy for the Christian to criticize or judge those that exhibit the most blatant of sexual sins, but there are sexual sins that have become so common that we tend to disregard them as normal. Adultery or a person having an affair is one of those sins. Obviously we know that if you are married, it is wrong to have an affair outside of your marriage, but we have become so complacent when we see it. How often do you see someone on TV or in a movie that falls in love with another person other than his or her spouse? How often do you see someone in your church that divorces because his or her marriage is no longer exciting? Then my favorite excuse is when someone says my spouse no longer fulfills my needs and looks for love and excitement in another person. Sure, there are real reasons for couples to divorce and separate, but the lack of sexual excitement is not one of them.

It is easy to remember when we first became involved with an individual how exciting it was getting to know that person. The chemistry of a first date and the sparks that flew with the first kiss were all very exciting. However, if the relationship progresses and even into marriage, that initial excitement changes. It may very well become better; full of deeper emotions than the initial excitement, but it is not automatic. All relationships will go through various stages and it is unrealistic to think the excitement of those first few dates can be sustained. However, in each stage of a relationship there are aspects to be enjoyed but only if there is a commitment to the other. Without getting too deep, the last and final stage of a relationship, after the kids have started their own lives, is the most fulfilling time of any relationship. We all can smile when we see a couple that enjoys playing with the grandkids, traveling and spending their golden years together. This time did not just happen, they were committed to each other and I believe it is God’s gift to them for a committed life together.

Adultery interferes with this natural development of a relationship. It is the lack of a commitment by one of the partners, looking for excitement in another person rather than creating it with their partner. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman, created by God and through this union you have the ability to create life itself. God wants the best for us and it is through this natural union and commitment we find God’s blessings. Adultery is a sin, the Bible tells us so and not only are we warned to avoid it but we must be careful not to condone it within the people around us. We must not judge a person, but adultery cannot become accepted practice of the Christian.

• About Steve Childers

Steve Childers is the author of Catholic or Protestant: What our Churches Should Be Teaching. Visit www.CatholicOrProtestant.com to learn more about the book and to register for FREE articles sent weekly. This book is also the perfect guide for your Bible study topics as you discover the full truth of God’s Word.

Grace To Be Ourselves

Brett Favre, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, announced his retirement this week. At a news conference yesterday his simple explanation for the move was that he was tired. At thirty-eight and possessing graying hair, Favre and his family have been through multiple tragedies and upheavals in the last few years, but he kept on playing, even the day after his father died.

Having given more to the game than most and played the game with more joy than anyone, Favre had a right to his reasons and wanted his loyal fans to hear those reasons from him, not filtered through the media, which has been known to have quite vivid imaginations regarding the facts at times. Favre was emotional during the hour broadcast from Lambeau Field, home of the Packers and all they have accomplished. It seemed he embodied every uphill battle and triumph the team had delivered to the people of Wisconsin during his sixteen seasons.

What was quite wonderful, and rather poignant, was that of all the records that Favre holds - most yards passing, most starts, most passes completed among them - he claimed none solely for himself. He believes everything he did was a team effort and the whole team deserved credit for what are labeled publicly as his achievements. And what matters most to him is that he is leaving at the top of his game by his own standards, not anyone else's.

That said, Brett Favre is the first to tell you his is not perfect. His battles with prescription drug dependency and alcohol abuse are well-known and almost cost him his marriage and family.

But between the public hero and the private man who struggled to work through his issues to reemerge in wholeness and health lies grace. In this respect Brett Favre, Jesus and the rest of us have grace in common.

Grace is one of those words that gets tossed around like a Frisbee at a church social, so for the record, my dictionary and I are defining grace as, " unmerited favor or generous courtesy granted." Take your pick. Either way, grace is something we cherish when we are the recipients and something we have a lot to learn about offering up more often. So I think it is important to take the time to say that we may not be as familiar with how grace functions as we may pride ourselves.

With that settled, please know that I am not calling Brett Favre a messiah in any way, shape or form, nor do I believe he had a messiah complex. I don't think Jesus did either. Jesus lived His life with humility, kindness, faith and a complete boldness that was unheard of in His time and unmatched in our own. His public ministry, marked by frequent run-ins with religious authorities and filled with conflict, also contained instances of insightful teaching, miraculous healings and speaking events that drew crowds simply by word of mouth. The level of warmth and acceptance He felt for the marginalized people of His culture - women, children, tax collectors, prostitutes - drew controversy, but didn't distract Him from His work and did little to damage His image with the general population. People loved Him for who He was and what He brought to their lives: hope.

Meanwhile, scripture tells us that Jesus did struggle with this work He was called to do, and even more so, the brutal end he foresaw for His own life. Frustration with the disciples is evident. They can't be blamed for not quite getting the full depth of Jesus' thoughts and ideas. We have barely scratched the surface of that ourselves and we possess two thousand years of hindsight. I am fairly sure Jesus didn't blame them either. Having grown up in the Temple, Jesus also never left his faith behind to pursue or create a new religion. He understood, better than most, the power religious institutions can have over people. So even in his verbal scuffles with Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees He knew they were trying to preserve a history and a people which had known more slavery than freedom, while He was pointing the way to a newly-defined freedom in God's love. Crowds followed Him day and night, hardly giving Him any opportunity for sleep, let alone personal reflection and prayer, but for these and the many people who were never able to grasp what Jesus was offering them, Jesus only had mercy and compassion.

And yet, in all that he thought, said and did, He didn't take credit for His knowledge, insight, teaching or preaching abilities, but always pointed back to God as His Sources of being. It may have been easier to smile and say, "Thank you," but He didn't. We remember Him today as One with authority, but also great humility. We remember Him as a man of grace, a man who gave unmerited favor and generous courtesy to those least deserving and those most in need of its transformative power.

And so, we are back to Brett Favre, expressing humility in the face of great opportunity to take all the credit, smile and say, "Thank you." Instead he chose the grace of shared experience, shared victory and shared credit with the people who helped him make it all possible. He chose grace, giving favor to those who had not asked him for it. He offered generous courtesy when no one would have faulted him for doing otherwise. He chose grace.

We too have the opportunity to express humility in the face of opportunities to take all the credit, smile and say, "Thank you." But instead, we can choose to extend grace to others at times when unmerited, unearned favor or generous courtesy may take some effort on our part. The effort is worth it, particularly when we may be blessed with grace we have not merited or earned, or have generous courtesy extended at a time when someone else makes the effort for us.

About The Author

The Rev. Cory L. Kemp, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a double major in Communication and the Arts and Social Change and Development and a minor in Women's Studies, was ordained into the ministry of the Moravian Church in North America after completing her Master of Divinity degree studies through Moravian Theological Seminary. Over twenty-five years of experience in individual and community ministries gives Rev. Kemp an informed perception about faith, its implications and struggles in everyday life. Rev. Kemp focuses her work on helping people understand their faith and how faith can become transformational in their lives. Bring authentic, meaningful faith into your daily life by visiting http://www.creatingwomenministries.com.

Role of Our Church

If you take the time, I believe you could find a church that will teach what ever you want to hear. In fact, they will take scripture right out of the Bible and rationalize any point of view a person could come up with. For example, recently I heard a person trying to sell his book about becoming rich through Biblical principles. He quoted a scripture about how the Christian will have an abundant life, which may be true, but it may not necessarily be in materialistic terms. God may very well bless you financially as He did many in Biblical times, but there is not a financial formula in the Bible to becoming rich. In 2Timothy 4:3 Paul talks about how people will gather around them teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. That was true then and is true now.

The second book of Timothy was St Paul’s last letter he wrote before being executed. It was to Timothy and others, passing the torch of leadership of the early church. I would encourage you to read this short letter because it is a summary of how we should live and what we should expect of our church leaders. Paul was in and out of prison and knew he did not have much time left on this earth, which gives even greater weight to his words in this letter. He did not have any other motive in this writing other than to give last minute instructions to those who would carry on his work and promote God’s plan. This is the most intimate and moving of all Paul’s letters, because it was his last.

Paul starts the letter with tenderness and love for Timothy, but reminds him of the qualities and sacrifices needed to spread God’s message. He tells him to remember the gifts God has given him to teach with boldness, staying disciplined and to be ready to endure hardships for the sake of Christ. He then warns Timothy to be ready to reject errors in doctrine, holding fast to the truth in the Bible. Paul warns him of the opposition that he would face in the last days from self-centered people, who would use the church for their own gain, teaching false doctrine. If you look at the churches today, you will see exactly what Paul was referring to. I have no idea if we are in the last days, but what Paul describes sounds so much like what is happening today.

Chapters two and three not only tell the Christian how to act, but also warns about what kind of people will be around us. In verses 3:2-5 it talks about in the last days there will be people who are “lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, lovers of pleasure, etc. However, what Paul warns us of in verse 5 are people who will take on the form of Godliness, but will deny His power. What this is telling me is that people will be going to church and acting holy, but living according to the rules of society and not the commandments of the Lord. This is why it is so important we understand what the Bible calls a sin and the way God is calling us to live, because we can not always assume our church leaders are going to be spelling it out for us. We must take responsibility for our own actions by the choices we make and then hold our church leaders responsible for teaching the full truth as outlined in the Holy Word of God, the Bible.

Steve Childers is the author of Catholic or Protestant: What our Churches Should Be Teaching. Visit www.CatholicOrProtestant.com to learn more about the book and to register for FREE articles sent weekly. This book is also the perfect guide for your Bible study topics as you discover the full truth of God’s Word.

Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus

Jesus Trail – Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus

A 65 km (40 miles) marked trail, from Nazareth to Capernaum

Jesus spent the bulk of his life and ministry in the Galilee region, walking between the picturesque towns and villages mentioned in the Gospels.

As you follow The Jesus Trail, you will encounter a mosaic of sights and cultures (Christian Arabs, Muslim Arabs, Druze and Jews), all living together in one authentic, ethnic Galilean paradise.

Enjoy a 3-4 day leisurely adventure hike in the rugged and beautiful Galilee landscape. A Holy Land experience that will leave you with blessed memories for years to come.

Let your boots be your transport and the Bible be your guide…

In advance of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Israel in May, the Ministry of Tourism started placing signage along the 65 km "Jesus Trail." This enchanting route winds its way from Nazareth through Sepphoris, Cana, the Arbel Cliffs, Tabgha, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River.

The Jesus Trail offers Christian tourists and pilgrims the opportunity to tread the very earth that Jesus and his disciples walked on, breathe in the natural and spiritual beauty of where it all happened and connect spiritually to the calm and serenity of the Galilean landscape.

With no rushing from place to place or being herded onto buses, you can leisurely hike the Jesus Trail over three or four days. You have an engaging variety of overnight options – from hotels to overnight camping, and there are many places to buy water and food along the way. Public buses are available at most starting and end-points.

Among the many highlights along the trail:

- Explore the markets and alleys of Nazareth, Jesus' childhood home.

- Pray in the Basilica of the Annunciation and discover how the Synagogue Church got its name.

- Experience Cana, site of the wedding feast where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine.

- Visit Tabgha, with its breathtaking view of the Sea of Galilee, the traditional site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes.

- Capture the calm of Capernaum, Jesus’ home base during his ministry in the Galilee.

- Climb the Mount of the Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

- Bathe at the Yardenit baptismal site along the Jordan River, where John baptized Jesus.

And lots more along the way… Byzantine mosaics, a Crusader battle, 1st Century cliff dwellers, tranquil gardens, a 13th Century Muslim fortress, natural hot springs…

Depending on the time of year, you can also see bright red anemones and yellow daisies – "lilies of the field," (Lk. 12:27), wild oats, thistles and a beautifully cultivated field, recalling the "Parable of the Sower," (Matt. 13:3-9), and enjoy the view from Sepphoris, the "city on a hill" (Matt. 5:14).

Free Walks

Day-long walks leave Monday-Saturday at 08:00 from the Church of the Annunciation. The hike includes a visit to Zippori National Park with its Roman ruins, Crusader fortress and Byzantine mosaics, Cana, the fourth century Arbel Synagogue, the site of the Sermon on the Mount and Capernaum, the former fishing village that was once the center of Jesus' life and ministry.

The Eternal Soul

Do you believe that your soul is born together with your materialistic body and that your soul didn’t exist before you were born? Can you see yourself as nothing? Then you’re probably someone that believes that your soul will die after the death of your materialistic body, because our common sense says that everything that has a beginning also has an ending. I don’t think that you believe that you arose from nothing and will disappear into nothing, what’s the use of our life if the final goal is a “nothing”. The soul goes over to another body with death, in the same way as the embodied soul in this body gradually transits from childhood to youth and old age. A self-realizing soul doesn’t get thrown out off his balance by such a change. (II.13) – A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda ( De BHAGVAT – GĪTĀ zoals ze is (Original title: Bhagvat – gītā As It Is)) Our spiritual body is eternal, but our materialistic body is continually liable to change until the soul leaves the body and there comes an end to the materialistic body for a new beginning, a beginning which the materialistic body itself created on grounds of his actions in the materialistic world. A consciousness is created at the moment of death on grounds of his/her positive and/or negative actions in his/her life that plays an important role where the soul will start his new life. According to the Bhagvat-gītā (holy writing of the Hindus) the soul becomes one with God if one is able to think of God at the moment of death, and that will certainly not happen if you didn’t pay much attention to God in your life. We are all here on earth because we hadn’t created that Godly consciousness at the moment of our death in our previous life. You can form an idea of this process a little bit in this way, Peter (earth) who’s busy swimming in the ocean (God) comes out of it, earth that arose from God. Water-drops (souls) came along with Peter, which are minuscule parts of the ocean. The water-drops are not the ocean, but still they have developed their own identity and personality. The individual soul is inclined to follow its own way according to the Bhagvat- gītā. The water-drops evaporate and land again on Peter with the rain or they land somewhere else (another planet) or again in the ocean where they again become one with God. You could visualize the clouds as the resting place of the souls after death to reincarnate again, but a soul that has created a Godly consciousness at the moment of death will be lead right away to God's sanctuary by angels or you could say God's servants. Why do we forget our previous lives? A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda gave an answer to this question in a reading held in 1976, and explained that forgetting of the past is a result of changing of circumstances. If we dream we forget what we are in our materialistic world, and when we’re awake we forget our dream, but in both situations we’re the observer, but circumstances change that’s why we forget. Reincarnation is an explanation why some people are born in a family where there’s a lot of suffering, in some cases the suffering is so severe, and people are born in complete destitution that it’s even impossible for them to think of God, because there’s only room for suffering, while others are born in a family with all luxuries and happiness. God is also referred to as Holy Father. Would you as a father bring children in this world with the intention of letting one of them live in complete destitution, and let him suffer, while you have all royal luxuries and happiness planned for the other one? A father would explicitly not want something like this, especially not a holy one, otherwise he’s not worth being called a father. I strongly believe in reincarnation, because I remembered my previous life when I was somewhere between the age of 2 – 3½ years old. My grandmother would baby-sit me in those days when my parents went to work, and I would chatter freely with her about my previous life. She was very old when she extensively raised this subject, so she did forget a lot about what I had told her, “You should have asked me before about this, when my memory was clear,” she said to me. She wanted to record everything I was telling back then, but my cousins had broken grandpa’s recorder. What she still remembered me telling her was that I lived somewhere in a jungle with my in-laws, my husband and 12 children. My mother-in-law was a slattern, and my father-in-law and my husband worked in the jungle. I also had described how my husband looked, fair and tall, so grandmother had asked me where my husband is, and I had replied that he’s no more. It could have meant that he passed away before I did or that he’s not where I am now. I still remember the teasing of my cousins in Sarnami (Indian language of the Surinamese Indians) when I had forgotten everything, “How is your “saas” doing?,” and I actually was asking myself what they were teasing me about. Mom was very strict in those days, so I was afraid of asking her what “saas” meant, because I was afraid that she would get very angry if it meant something bad. I was 10 years old when I came to know that “saas” meant mother-in-law, and it was then that I understood what they were teasing me about. I did know long before, that I had memories of my previous life in this life, but I discovered the meaning of “saas” later on. I had told my story in an Indian language, so that meant that I also had an Indian background in my previous life. Not only had I forgotten those memories of my past life, I also forgot the language that I spoke in my past life. Granny also told me that I was saying that my parents aren’t my parents, and that I have other parents. Somewhat similar to a documentary I saw some time ago about reincarnation where a boy remembered his past life, and also was saying that his parents aren’t his parents, and that he has other parents. His parents of course had problems with it. I think that back then, my parents also wanted me to forget my past to pursue normally with my new life. If I would want to know about those missing pieces? The answer is no, because I don’t see my past as missing pieces, but as a past that I had to let go off. Who I really was or wasn’t doesn’t matter to me, that past has past away. If you look at your own life there are parts of your past that you’ve forgotten, and parts that you still remember, but it’s your present that’s important, and what you make out of it for a better future, “ you are the creator of your own destiny.” Your past really does have influence on what you are now, you’re actually building forward on your past in a spiritual as well as a materialistic way, that’s why it’s important to work on your present for a better future for yourself. I think that there was something of my past life that I didn’t or couldn’t let go off, or maybe both that caused me to remember my previous life. I think that I got more and more involved in my present life, which is how I began forgetting everything about my past life. Try to revive old memories out of your own life. Which memories cross your mind? Your first time that you learned to cycle, your first kiss, your first time you went on vacation to some country, your special 15th birthday, these are moments that are very special to you, and that you want to keep in your memory. But there are also moments from the past that stays stuck in your memory, and which had a shocking effect on you, maybe you had some unforgettable accident or maybe you saw something shocking, these are memories that you can’t let go off and stay stuck in your mind. In this way, something very shocking or something very beautiful can stay stuck in your memory in your next life, because we are clinging on that memory, mostly it’s for a short period of time. Memories of our past doesn’t have a negative influence on us, but clinging on to those memories do have a negative influence, because it gets difficult to live in your present moment. In most cases it’s so that people who remember their previous life had a traumatic death, and mostly those people have a birthmark on the same place of their body where they had a wound in their previous life that lead to their death. I don’t know if a tragic event had taken place in my life. Dad once told me that I was talking about some knife-fight, but it could have been that I as a bystander saw people fighting. Even dad regrets not having recorded what I had told. Anyways, there are no birthmarks on my body. It’s said that the soul of someone who puts an end to his/her own life with his/her own hands doesn’t get freed and hangs around on earth to complete those years that he had to live in his materialistic body. The soul will suffer in a harsher way then when it was embodied because of the fact that the soul stays in this materialistic world without a body, for example, the soul will feel hunger, but there is no materialistic body to still that hunger. I think that our lives would look very confusing if we remembered all our lives, we would stay stuck between lives and our past, and see ourselves as someone we are not, and claim our rights of our past lives. Earth would be a mess by the abundance of memories.

Healing, Helping, Administrations

The gift of healing included everything that would contribute toward increased human health and well-being as a result of the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the application of the Trinitarian perspective that produced modern science and technology. Indeed, increased health and healing of people under the influence of Christianity have resulted from faith in Jesus Christ. Modern medicine and the health industry must be included in the fruits of this gift.

The gift of helping or helps (antilepsis) is a very interesting word. It means aid or help and is correctly translated. And yet, to translate it as "helping" doesn't really say very much. What does helping mean? Helping what? Helping how? The Greek Lexicon provides this definition: a laying hold of, apprehension, perception, objection of a disputant. It sounds like the gift of helping is a perspective. Does this help? Not much. What perspective?

The word is composed of two parts: anti and lepsis. Anti means opposed, and lepsis is a medical term that means seizure. Together they literally mean opposed to seizure. We can see how the word suggests a kind of helping. And it could be taken in one of two senses. It could suggest a kind of medical helping that would serve to prevent or treat seizures. Here it would be a kind of helping to oppose or overcome or treat seizures in the medical sense.

Or it could suggest that it was opposed to the medical (or medicinal) treatment of seizures, where seizures may be associated with demon possession. Demon possession was common in Christ's time, and the Lord treated several cases of it that were related to seizures. The word "seizure" can also mean to take possession of something. In this sense demon possession was a kind of seizure of the person who was being possessed.

Consider Mark 9:16-29. Take a moment, find a Bible and read it.

This may have been the context for Paul's inclusion of helps on his list of gifts. The father of the boy wanted help, but the disciples could not give the help that was needed. With the dispensation of the Holy Spirit upon the whole Christian church in Acts 2, this kind of help may have been provided more widely.

Here the sense might be that the treatment of demon possession would be more spiritual than medical. The opposition (anti) would be directed more against the purely medical or physical aspects of seizures and focused more on demon possession. This perspective would then point to Christ's preferred treatment of demon possession, which was to cast them out. With the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the church, this gift -- which would have been a gift of prayer according to the context above -- may have been given to Christians as part of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. And perhaps we don't know much about it because it was so successful in its elimination of demon possession as the Holy Spirit was poured out on Christ's church in Acts 2. Demon possession appears to be rare today, but it was not rare then.

I'm out on a limb here, but there isn't much that is known about this particular gift. Calvin suggested that it may have to do with some church function or office that has been lost in antiquity. Most other commentators suggest that it indicates a generic kind of helping one another. And, of course, helping one another is good, and particularly helping through prayer. We may be content with such a definition because of the value of prayer in the lives of believers. In addition, it may be that prayer itself serves to keep the demons at bay. If so, this is a wonderful gift that we cannot afford to lose. Everyone needs the gift of prayer and the help that prayer affords.

The next gift on Paul's list is administrations, which again is not a very helpful translation. The KJV translates it as "governments." Calvin understood this gift to mean the presbyterial functions of the church -- oversight of the church by the elders. And that is a sufficient understanding, as long as we don't limit it to the modern or contemporary understanding of church government. Paul had more in mind than a kind of board of directors who would meet monthly to discuss church administration.

I suspect that Paul had in mind a system of church courts that would be much like the Old Testament elder system that had been developed by Moses on the model given to him by his father-in-law Jethro (Exodus 18:13-24).

Moses set up a system of courts that served to adjudicate conflict among God's people. At the time of Jesus' ministry the Pharisees and Sadducees were teaching wrong doctrine, substituting the teaching of men for the teaching of God (Matthew 15:9). And if that was true, then it could be surmised that the Temple courts were also corrupt. Paul would have been acutely aware of such corruption because of his experience as a Pharisee. In addition, because Paul was dealing with the grand design of Christ's church, he probably had such courts in mind when he put governments on his list of gifts. I suspect that this is the case. Consequently, Paul's gift of governments must include the whole of the biblical teaching regarding government, which includes self-government, family government, civil government and church government, and their various jurisdictions and courts.

And indeed, we know that the Early Church set up a system of church courts to adjudicate disputes. Roman courts had become corrupt and inadequate. They could not deal with the flood of local conflicts that came with the expansion of the Roman Empire. And as a result of this backlog and failure of the Roman court system, people turned to church courts, and even brought civil matters to the church courts. Paul no doubt saw the beginnings of this as he journeyed up the Roman government appeal system to Rome in his quest to take the gospel to Caesar, and anticipated this need by putting governments on his list of gifts. He was able to anticipate it because of his knowledge that the Mosiac court system had grown corrupt in his own time.

About the Author

Phillip A. Ross has been a pastor and author for over 25 years. He founded http://www.Pilgrim-Platform.org in 1998, which documents the church's fall from historic Christianity. His book, Arsy Varsy -- Reclaiming the Gospel in First Corinthians, demonstrates Paul's opposition to worldly Christianity and shows how Paul turned the world upside down.

Everything Will Be Thrown Down! Mark 13:1-8

"Jesus said 'Do you see these great buildings?' Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'" (Mark 3:2)

It is such an offensive thing to say!

Oh, I know that nothing in permanent in this life and that the greatest of our human institutions and heroic achievements will eventually pass and go the way of all flesh, but I really didn't want to be confronted with that just now!.

And though they take our life Goods, honour, children, wife Yet is their profit small These things will vanish all The city of God remaineth

Yes ... thank you Jesus (and thank you Martin Luther for putting it into song). I know that this is true. The city of God remaineth but everything else in this world is going to be thrown down. Nothing else will last the distance- neither persons nor buildings nor even our most cherished relationships. I know that. It's just that the older I get in this life the less I feel I need to be reminded of it.

When I was a younger man, fuelled with all that adolescent energy that sends so many young people off to fight wars that never should be fought, there was nothing I liked more than a good end-time prophecy of how the world was coming to and end and how everything was going to be thrown down! If there's going to be a battle, bring it on! If a conflagration is going to start, hand me a box of matches! Let's get it started!

But that was some time ago and now I'm trying to build a future for my children and, in truth, I suspect that we could probably work out a pretty accurate equation about the amount of satisfaction a person feels in listening to prophecies of doom being in inverse proportion to their age.

When you are young, constant change and upheaval are all a part of the adventure. As you get older, you start wishing things would slow down a bit. Indeed, you look for something you can hold on to that is just standing still!

'Do you see these great buildings?'... 'Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'

Now, of course I'm not suggesting that Jesus only said this only for the purpose of being offensive, and yet it is worth asking why He says it at all. For if Jesus' purpose wasn't just to offend, it wasn't simply to inform either. For so far as information goes, this prophecy of Jesus isn't entirely accurate. It didn't actually come true - not in detail at any rate!

'Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'

It didn't happen, not exactly, not in 70 AD anyway, and I presume that's the event Jesus was referring to - the crushing of the Jewish rebellion and the sacking of Jerusalem during the rule of the Roman Emperor Vespasian.

Jesus was entirely right of course about the big picture - Jerusalem did fall and the streets ran with blood and the temple was destroyed, but there were still some stones left, one on another, and in fact they are still there today.

If you go to the wailing wall in Jerusalem today you'll see some ancient stones there, piled one on another. They are a sobering shadow of the once great temple that stood on that spot but that wall of stones is still there.

Now some do say that Jesus wasn't referring to the fall of Jerusalem then but to the end of the world when those remaining stones will also be thrown down but that is difficult to maintain, given that a few verses later in this dialogue, as recorded in Mark chapter 13 Jesus says, "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" (Mark 13:30), and indeed the fall of Jerusalem did take place before the generation Jesus was speaking to had passed away, whereas the end of the world did not.

Jesus evidently did not speak these words about the temple purely for the sake of showing that He could make accurate predications about the future, like some all-powerful fortune-teller. Indeed, if His main concern had been to foretell the future, we might have expected Him to respond more helpfully to some of the questions of His disciples when they probed Him about the event.

We're told that after Jesus made His pronouncement about the temple that the apostolic band retired to a quiet spot on the Mount of Olives, where the disciples were very keen to quiz their master for more information: "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" (Mark 13:4)

And how does Jesus respond to them? Does He fill them in on the details of everything that's going to take place? No! He doesn't tell them anything initially, apart from warning them that they shouldn't get too caught up in worrying about the end times and so falling prey to those who would make religious mileage out of their doomsday prophecies.

"See that no one leads you astray", says Jesus. "Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains." (Mark 13:5-8)

You see, sadly, there were any number of wanna-be prophets moving about at the time of Jesus, full of end-of-the-world proclamations and messages of doom and judgement and Holy War, and Jesus is very particular with His people that they shouldn't get involved with any of them!

That was nearly 2000 years ago, but nothing much has changed! In our own lifetime we've seen Osama Bin Laden declare a Jihad against the infidels of the West and an America President respond by declaring his own Holy War against the 'Axis of Evil'.

And like their forefathers of old, these and the other modern-day peddlers of religious violence draw on words of prophecy to fuel their machinery of death. Indeed, I know that it's a particular bug-bear of mine, but I do think that it is one of the most disgraceful indictments on the church today, that there remain many who publicly align themselves with the cause of Christ who nonetheless turn to the Scriptures to justify the oppression and violence of Palestinian people in the Middle East.

Now I don't want to get too carried away with this now, and I'm not going to quote any of the savage language of the Christian Zionists, who hold such a powerful position in the American Christian scene and who remain influential in certain Protestant circles in our own country, but I must tell you that it grieves me greatly when I hear (as indeed I have heard first hand) people justify what happened in Gaza earlier this year, for instance - the murder of so many men, women and children, and the destruction of an entire civilian infrastructure - who justify these things by turning to Scripture and even by quoting some of the prophetic sayings of Jesus!

Such people, I would suggest, do not understand Jesus. They do not understand the love of Christ, and, for that matter, they do not understand the role of Biblical prophecy, which is what we are looking at today.

Let me make a technical point at this stage. I'll state it as plainly as I can, but I need you to bear with me please: prophecy in the Bible is never normative. By that I mean that prophecy, in and of itself, never tells anyone what to do.

Let me illustrate: When the Biblical prophet Jonah prophesied that Nineveh was about to be destroyed, the purpose of his prophecy was not to encourage his hearers to join in the destruction of Nineveh. Jonah prophesied that Nineveh was to be destroyed but that didn't make the destruction of Nineveh a good thing, and in his case it didn't even mean it was going to happen.

The prophecy wasn't normative. The message of destruction in and of itself did not tell anybody what they were supposed to do. The message of doom functioned as a sort of shock therapy - to help people wake up to themselves and repent, and in the case of the Ninevites we are told that they it did function in that way and they did repent, and so the prophecy did not come true, though that did not mean that the prophecy didn't fulfil its purpose.

You see, if we are going to understand particular Biblical prophesies we need to understand how Biblical prophecy works as a whole. Prophecy in the Bible is not the same as fortune-telling. It's not simply about making accurate predictions about the future, and indeed sometimes it doesn't seem to matter when a prophet's predictions are not accurate.

Now certain people will tell you that if we question the historical accuracy of a Biblical prophecy that we are doubting the Scriptures and calling into question the truth of the Bible as a whole, and then some of these same people will take certain statements of the prophets of old and combine them with some of the more prophetic statements of Jesus to show that the modern-day state of Israel has to triumph over all its Arab neighbours in the Middle East before Jesus can return. And they then use this to justify the subjugation of any and all of Israel's political opponents.

Now I'm not going to argue the politics of the Middle East from this pulpit any further, and indeed, the issues there are complex and deserving of a more serious treatment than I could give them in this context anyway, but I do want to say again that Biblical prophecy is never normative, and so regardless of how anyone might see the prophecies of the Bible as applying to the Middle East of today, those prophecies in themselves do not tell us what to do.

In other words, even if you believed that Jesus predicted that Israel was going to destroy all of its neighbours in the 21st century, that wouldn't mean anyone was supposed to help the process along, any more than Jonah's hearers were supposed to join in on the burning of Nineveh.

You see, we misunderstand Biblical prophecy, and religious power-mongers too readily use it for their own purposes - to stir up hatred and start holy wars, which presumably is why Jesus was so direct with His disciples, telling them not to get carried away by people who peddle end-time prophecies to further their own Messianic aspirations.

"Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet" (Mark 13:6-7)

Jesus clearly wasn't interested in stirring up end-time expectations, which still leaves us with the question though as to why Jesus made this statement about the temple in the fist place?

If He wasn't just trying to offend His disciples and yet He wasn't interested in filling them in on the details of what was going to happen, and yet He wasn't wanting His people to take up any particular political cause in the light of the coming destruction, why did He bother prophesying? Well, presumably, He meant is as a bit of shock therapy, as with all prophesy, designed to help us wake up to ourselves.

For nothing in this life is permanent, and that the greatest of our human institutions and the greatest of our human achievements will eventually go the way of all flesh.

None of the things that oppress us nor any of the things that we love the most will be here forever - neither persons nor buildings nor even our most cherished relationships. And maybe it is offensive to be reminded of that, but maybe we need to wake up to ourselves too, and stop clinging to our wealth and to our achievements as if our life depended on them, and make the most of the time we have.

For all these things will pass away. All will be thrown down. And yet the city of God remaineth. Amen