The study reported in this volume grew out of some theoretical work, one phase of which bore specifically on the behavior of individuals in social movements that made specific (and unfulfilled) prophecies. We had been forced to depend chiefly on historical records to judge the adequacy of our theoretical ideas until we by chance discovered the social movement that we report in this book. At the time we learned of it, the movement was in mid-career but the prophecy about which it was centered had not yet been disconfirmed. We were understandably eager to undertake a study that could test our theoretical ideas under natural conditions. That we were able to do this study was in great measure due to the support obtained through the Laboratory for Research in Social Relations of the University of Minnesota. This study is a project of the Laboratory and was carried out while we were all members of its staff. We should also like to acknowledge the help we received through a grant-in-aid from the Ford Foundation to one of the authors, a grant that made preliminary exploration of the field situation possible.
IntroductionBelievers continue to struggle with the tragedy of unfulfilled prophecies. Here and there, men and women of God all over the world continue to speak the counsel of God to individuals. Then we notice that people receive these prophesies sincerely but most of them never come to pass.Today is an attempt to show us what may be wrong and also to reveal to us the place of the prophetic and the place of the word of God. This is because there are people, for instance, who have seen things in visions and dreams or have received prophetic word from genuine and anointed men of God. Some of these prophecies may not have been consistent with the dealings of God. Some of them may have been negative prophecies and they have remained helpless believing that just because a man anointed and accredited by God made a pronouncement to them means that nothing could be done about it. So they sit down and allow this prophecies happen1 Tim 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightiest war a good warfare.Paul was talking to his son in the gospel, Timothy. And he is encouraging him that prophetic word have been released to go ahead of him. Then he tells him that by those prophecies that have gone ahead of him, he should war a good warfare.So it is possible that prophetic word can be sent ahead of a person, whether in ministry, family life, business, etc. There are people here and there who, probably because of their religious affiliations or the kind of the structure of mentorship they have received, they have been trained to ignore and despise the prophetic. Some persons have been very vocal about the fact the prophetic is no longer useful in today's church. All versions of sarcasm have been communicated as regards the prophetic. Whereas, the Bible u settled it once and for all in 1 Thess 5:20. It says "despise not prophesyings."This is a warning. It is telling you that you must not despise prophesy in your journey through life. This means that the Bible recognize that there is a place for the prophetic. If you find yourself in an environment where people or even the leaders there continually despise prophecy, you don't have to fight anybody or create a scene there. Just let it be a settled conviction within you that in the journey of a believer, there is a place for the prophetic. When it comes to prophecy, the Bible tells us that even the scripture is a prophecy.
Groundbreaking study of the prophets, based on Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance. A clear account of current views of Israelite prophets and prophecy, of interest to social psychologists and theologians.
Where can you find answers for an uncertain world? The answers have been waiting for you all along. They're in the pages of the Bible. By studying Bible prophecy, you can learn crucial information about future prophetic events - the time of the end. Whether you are unsure of the value of the Bible's prophecies or regard them with deep respect, this Bible Study aid, "You Can Understand Bible Prophecy", is meant to help you accurately understand Bible prophecy. We want you to see the true scope of prophecy - how it links mankind's past, present and future. Learn how a knowledge of prophecy can provide you with a balanced perspective and the details of God's wonderful plan for humanity. Chapters in this ebook: -- Why Prophecy? -- The Fundamentals of Bible Prophecy -- Jesus Christ's Life and Death in Prophecy -- Promise and Covenants: A Prophetic Legacy -- God Confirms His Credibility to the World -- History Proves the Accuracy of Bible Prophecy -- The International Scope of Prophecy -- The End of 'This Present Evil Age' -- The Coming "Abomination of Desolation" -- What Is 'the Lord's Day'? -- The Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ -- Beyond the Millennium Inside this Bible Study Aid ebook: "God inspired much of prophecy to relate to the first and second appearances of Jesus as the Messiah." "Another purpose of prophecy is to urge repentance and offer everyone forgiveness through Jesus Christ’s suffering and death." "The history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah is a powerful testimony to the accuracy and precision of Bible prophecy." "Many prophetic passages describe the time of God’s preparation of the world to accept the rule of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God."
Of the approximately fifty percent of Americans who believe in UFOs, a fraction are devotees of one of the numerous UFO-based new religious movements. The Unarius Academy of Science is one of the oldest of these groups. Founded in 1954 by "Cosmic Visionaries" Ruth and Ernest Norman (also known, respectively, as Archangels Uriel and Raphiel), Unarius is devoted to teaching the all-encompassing Uranian Science. Combining elements of pop psychology, new age thought, and science fiction, the Science asks its students to channel messages from the infinitely intelligent Space Brothers and to heal themselves through the practice of past-life therapy. Unarians await the arrival of spaceships, manned by the Space Brothers, that will bring to earth advanced intergalactic technology that will benefit all humankind. Tumminia has been conducting research on Unarius for over a decade - attending meetings, inteviewing members, and studying official Unarian literature and videos. Here she offers an inside look at this fascinating movement. She pays particular attention to the ways Unarians adapt when their prophecies - and particularly their prediction that the Space Brothers would land in 2001 - don't materialize. This is the first in-depth study of any UFO religion.
There is a place in prophecy allocated for each and every one of us. And your fulfillment and your relevance in life is tied to not only your discovery but your arrival. There is a condition there is a place where you must arrive to be able to find the joy and the fulfillment of living. It is called destiny. The second definition of destiny is the place where your assignment finds full expression. Your destiny represents the place where you can say experientially that I am living the reason for which I am born, I am making impact. Another definition of destiny is the place of notable and consistent impact. No longer the place of desire no longer the place of ambitions. That you have gotten to a place where your impact is notable. Your impact is significant. The last definition of the word destiny. Destiny also represents a place where you have earned the right to transform lives and to watch those lives transform others. Not just that you are transforming lives. You are fulfilling destiny to the extent to which you have earn the right to transform life. And you have the privileged in your life time of watching those life you have transform, transform others.Read This Book and Be Blessed
The study reported in this volume grew out of some theoretical work one phase of which bore specifically on the behavior of individuals in social movements that made specific (and unfulfilled) prophecies. We had been forced to depend chiefly on historical records to judge the adequacy of our theoretical ideas until we by chance discovered the social movement that we report in this book. At the time we learned of it the movement was in mid-career but the prophecy about which it was centered had not yet been disconfirmed. We were understandably eager to undertake a study that could test our theoretical ideas under natural conditions.That we were able to do this study was in great measure due to the support obtained through the Laboratory for Research in Social Relations of the University of Minnesota. This study is a project of the Laboratory and was carried out while we were all members of its staff. We should also like to acknowledge the help we received through a grant-in-aid from the Ford Foundation to one of the authors a grant that made preliminary exploration of the field situation possible.
A startling exploration of the history of the most controversial book of the Bible, by the bestselling author of Beyond Belief. Through the bestselling books of Elaine Pagels, thousands of readers have come to know and treasure the suppressed biblical texts known as the Gnostic Gospels. As one of the world's foremost religion scholars, she has been a pioneer in interpreting these books and illuminating their place in the early history of Christianity. Her new book, however, tackles a text that is firmly, dramatically within the New Testament canon: The Book of Revelation, the surreal apocalyptic vision of the end of the world . . . or is it? In this startling and timely book, Pagels returns The Book of Revelation to its historical origin, written as its author John of Patmos took aim at the Roman Empire after what is now known as "the Jewish War," in 66 CE. Militant Jews in Jerusalem, fired with religious fervor, waged an all-out war against Rome's occupation of Judea and their defeat resulted in the desecration of Jerusalem and its Great Temple. Pagels persuasively interprets Revelation as a scathing attack on the decadence of Rome. Soon after, however, a new sect known as "Christians" seized on John's text as a weapon against heresy and infidels of all kinds-Jews, even Christians who dissented from their increasingly rigid doctrines and hierarchies. In a time when global religious violence surges, Revelations explores how often those in power throughout history have sought to force "God's enemies" to submit or be killed. It is sure to appeal to Pagels's committed readers and bring her a whole new audience who want to understand the roots of dissent, violence, and division in the world's religions, and to appreciate the lasting appeal of this extraordinary text.
Taking its inspiration from the 50th anniversary of the publication of Festinger et al.'s 1956 seminal and controversial volume When Prophecy Fails, which introduced the notion of "cognitive dissonance" as an explanation for how a small group of flying saucer devotees handled the failure of a predicted visit from space aliens, this volume looks at both theoretical and empirical studies of religious groups for whom space beings and civilizations provided an inspiration to prepare for the nearness of events that would trigger "the end of the world." Rather than examining merely the rationales adopted to account for the disappointments associated with such "failures," the core of the present volume seeks to explore the dynamics that inspire not only such beliefs but also the vigorous participation in activities in which adherents engage to prepare for the coming of (or transport to) alien civilizations from "outer space." Contributors include: Lorne L. Dawson, Arthur L. Greil, Ralph W. Hood, Jr., Benton Johnson, Salvador J. Murguia, Jon R. Stone, Bradley Whitsel, and Stuart A. Wright.
How do I know it's God? is one of the most commonly asked questions of new and mature Christians alike, and the aim of God Conversations is to both equip and inspire the reader and show them that hearing the voice of the Spirit is accessible to everyone who chooses to follow Jesus. Most Christians know that God speaks, yet struggle with how to recognise his voice in their everyday lives. What does God's voice sound like? How do we know if what we're hearing is from God? Stories of God talking to his people abound throughout the Bible, but we usually only get the highlights. We read; "And God said to Joseph; 'Go to Egypt'," and then; "Mary and Joseph left for Egypt." We don't get a blow-by-blow description of how God spoke. We don't receive a detailed explanation of how they knew it was God, and we don't get to see what was going on inside their heads as they acted on what they'd heard. In God Conversations, international speaker and pastor Tania Harris shares insights from her own journey about hearing God's voice. You'll get to eavesdrop on some contemporary conversations with God in the light of his communication with the ancient characters of the Bible. Part memoir, part teaching, this unique and creative collection of stories will help you to recognise God's voice when he speaks and how to respond when you do.
