The Content Blender

Missional living is definitely a popular saying that is everywhere these days. the concept that we are required to title bodies of Christ, missional, has since the beginning of creation been a tiny bit weird to me. I mean, shouldnt all churches be missional in their very essence? Shouldnt a church, at its very essence, desire to introduce their culture and neighborhood with the story of Christ as a missionary would in a another country? Isnt it what the bodies of Christ is commanded to do in the sending out by Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own place of origin deserves this brand of church. Churches in central Austin is slowly moving to what our Creator instructed in the Bible.

Jesus gives the charge in Acts 1:8 saying, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 exemplifies this topic as, right before Jesus Christ rises to Heaven, He sends the disciples on a exploration that would launch right in their own community. He begins with their origin of Jerusalem, and then stretches the call to the outer parts of the creation.

As believers, we are not called to privacy, but to be missional persons who are anxiously going out and connecting with others right where they are with the good news. We have noticed this throughout history: God moved Abraham on a mission to move from his country and his people and go to the land that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God moved Moses on a story to restore an enslaved people and lead them to relationship with God (Exodus 3:8-10), God urges Jesus on a mission to earth to pull all things to Himself through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending people on a journey to engage areas, cities, tribes, and even nations with the good news (Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we reject this motivation and continue to display the churches like a closed off country club ” encouraging that people fix their act, pay their money, and walk to our church God will continue His story without us.

Major upheaval in Israel coming soon?

Will an EARTHQUAKE shake Israel to its foundations and rock the world? Would the destruction of the Western (”Wailing”) Wall and the demolition of the “Dome of the Rock” and Al-Aksa mosques - by an ACT OF GOD - serve further notice that it’s time to build the Temple?

[Notice: I believe a supernatural disaster (a blessing in disguise) will take care of the Muslim symbols of occupation. I’m NOT calling for any individual to blow up the mosques! However, if the Israeli government decided to finally exercise its sovereignty over the Temple Mount, I would encourage their biblical efforts to restore that most sacred site to the Jews. Despite this public record, I’ve been unjustly DEPORTED FROM ISRAEL (as reported on the front page of The Jerusalem Post, January 8, 1996) for alleged involvement in a plot to “damage” the mosques! Before my deportation I was held in Jerusalem’s corrupt Russian Compound for two weeks as a POLITICO-RELIGIOUS PRISONER! I’m still fighting this injustice and, with God’s help, expect to return and receive citizenship. Barry Chamish, in his book, Traitors and Carpetbaggers in the Promised Land, also attributes my deportation to an article published in The Traveller magazine in Jerusalem, where I exposed a Vatican-German plot to take over the Temple Mount in the Old City].

About the Author

David Ben-Ariel, an American author who has travelled widely and who has lived throughout Israel, shares a special focus on the Middle East and great interest in Jerusalem, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out www.benariel.com

The Maharal explains that the spiritual world of the after-life
is not available to us in this world because it is beyond our
senses and we have no way to represent it to ourselves or to
perceive it’s reality.

Similarly Rav Yisrael Salanter emphasized that we do not have
any direct access to our subconscious yet the foundation of our
decisions and actions are rooted there.

Consequently, it appears that our struggle for holiness,
righteousness and a spiritual life are in vain. In order to
succeed in perfecting our character and reaching completeness
(shleimus) our Torah values must penetrate our inner
being. How can we expect to overcome the darker side of our
personality if we don’t even have a way to break through and
communicate to our inner self?

Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler in his book “Strive for Truth” explains
that it is this realization that “there is no way out”, which
actually opens the doors to our inner reserves of strength and
heavenly assistance, paving the way for our success.

The dynamics of our “no-win” situation, together with our
“must-win” dedication and love of G-d, skyrockets us above the
impossible. Miracles only happen when one has reached the end of
their ability to succeed. Abraham was saved from the furnace
when he accepted the challenge and marched forward to a miracle.
(Yalkut Shimoni). The Red sea spilt only when the
Israelites jumped in the sea. As it says. “The Lord said to
Moses, Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Israel
and let them advance.” (Shemot -14:15).

During Chanuka it was clear that a handful of Jewish Priests
could not defeat a mighty army. However, since there was “no way
out” and they accepted their absurd challenge they received a
miracle above the bounds of nature. It was this “chutzpa
for the sake of G-d” which caused their success beyond any
reasonable logic.

The number eight represents that which is beyond the confines of
this world. The eight days of Chanuka are here to tell us that
if we do the will of our Creator we can succeed beyond all the
odds. History has shown us that this has always been the story
of the Jewish nation.

Have a Happy Chanuka!

With the death of Pope John Paul II in April I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on his life. Pope John Paul II was sometimes called “The People’s Pope” which was a fitting description. He was a good and decent pope who seemed to be able to bring people together. People all around the world seemed to respect him and he will be missed.
In this editorial we will reflect on two of his major accomplishments that we feel are milestones (Jewish relations and his role in bringing an end to Communism).

Jewish/Catholic Relations:

At times relations between Catholics and Jews have been strained. Pope John Paul II was able to bridge the gap and for the first time in centuries, relations between the two religions were much better. John Paul II made it one of his priorities to reach out to Jews and seemed to be very sincere in his effort.

Jewish leaders had praise for him as reflected by the fact that the Anti-defamation league in 2003 congratulated John Paul II on his 25th anniversary and issued a statement that said he was committed to the “reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people” (encyclopedia.lockergnome.com). This shows what type of man he was.
So what did this pope do that was so special?

He was the first pope to visit Auschwitz (encyclopedia.lockergnome.com). That sent a special message to Jews all over the world that he was serious about reaching out to the Jewish people and Jewish leaders. It was a powerful message.

In March 2000, Pope John Paul II also visited the Yad Vashem (memorial to victims of the Holocaust) and touched the holiest shrine of the Jewish people, the Western Wall (encyclopedia.lockergnome.com). On his trip to Israel, the Pope reached out further by asking forgiveness for the world for the sins committed during the Holocaust. This was another very powerful message and a great step in easing tensions between Jews and Catholics.

So why do we think he cared so much about Jewish/Catholic Relations? The pope grew up with Jews (many were his friends). He was saddened by the events of the Holocaust and wanted to make things better.
When it came to repairing relations with Jews, Pope John Paul II was very successful. He will be missed by this Jew and many many more.

The End Of Communism:

The pope was instrumental in bringing about the end of Communism. This will go down as one of his greatest accomplishments. It has been mentioned that Ronald Reagan met with the pope to seek advice about the possibility of meeting with Michael Gorbachev. Many people believe Reagan used Pope John Paul II’s advice and that it was pivotal in bringing an end to Communism.

It is believed that Pope John Paul II was able to convince both Ronald Regan and Michael Gorbachev that they should and could trust each other. This is a great accomplishment that helped bring some peace to the world. It was hard to imagine that the two superpowers could ever work together. The two powers needed a strong and committed mediator and they found that in John Paul II.

I think it was the trust and faith that world leaders had in the pope made him so successful.

The Soviet Union was dismantled over a decade ago and relations between the U.S. and Russia are much better. We owe a lot to the pope for his wisdom and ability to bring the two superpowers together.

Pope John Paul II accomplished many things in his life but we feel two of his greatest accomplishments were his commitment to Jewish/Catholic relations and his role in bringing an end to communism. We hope that the next pope carries on where Pope John Paul II left off. We hope that pope Benedict continues to have good relations with Jewish leaders and that he has success in mediating some of the major conflicts in the world.

Anthony B. is the founder and owner of ItsTheRightWay.com a news, political and sports commentary website.

Anthony has over 7 years of experience as a business professional