I said  that John the Baptist was a  prophet, and others said the same of me. Both of us operated outside of the structure and organization of the established faith practice. You see the same principle in effect through the Old Testament as well. Prophets were not priests or kings who had title and office. They were all voices crying in the wilderness, yet called and commissioned by God to bring necessary words of correction that they would not have been able to deliver from within the organization. The need for this ministry has not gone away. Who do you think of as a prophet today?

Have you ever changed your mind? This phrase is normally used to state that you have arrived at a new opinion on some issue, ranging from political policy to trivial preferences. It is not usually understood to mean that you have acquired an entirely new mind. Yet is this something you need? Your old way of thinking is more than a set of opinions. It flows out of your world view. I offer you an entirely new world view and corresponding way of thinking. This is referred to as being transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Did you know that I went to church when I was a young man? One day it was my turn to read from the scroll. I did so and went on to remind the people of Biblical accounts in which God bestowed blessings on people who were outsiders when there were those in need within the nation of Israel. This was not well received, and it was the last time I was welcome in church. I went on to do my public ministry to outsiders as an outsider myself. Do you accept it as an essential element of your faith that God loves everyone? How popular in your church are stories of God blessing outsiders?

Have you heard accounts of military engagements in which a piece of ground is fought over in a bloody battle, and the victor later abandons it without opposition? Does it make you wonder why they fought so hard for it in the first place? Do you know that you get to choose which hills you are willing to die on, and this concept extends to your defense of the faith? Is everything that your church believes and practices essential to the faith that you present to others? Do you know which things are, and which are not?