Is it okay for a Christian to drink wine?

The full question:

I would like to know whether I could drink wine.  I heard over a television site (Christian) that we should not drink anything that is fermented.  Also, regarding eating crab, prawns (shell fish), and any fish without scales.

The short answer is yes, it is permissible for a Christian to drink wine and eat crab, shellfish and fish without scales.  Support for this can be found in the following verses:

1 Timothy 5:23:

No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

Mark 7:19

since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

The longer answer:  with a few exceptions, wine has never been forbidden in Scripture, just drinking wine to excess.

The Jews, like Jesus, drank wine on several occasions, and certainly, wine was used as a regular drink at the table and on feasts, like marriage. Remember how Jesus changed water into wine? He for sure would not have done so if he thought drinking alcohol would be against God’s Wishes.

But regarding the use of wine or any other alcoholic beverage, we should be careful, as we should check with any consumption not to overuse.

But we must be aware about certain moments it was not best to use alcoholic beverages.

Exceptions were:

• Under the Law of Moses, the priests were not to drink wine when they went into the tent of meeting. Leviticus 10:9
• When a man or woman entered into a Nazarite vow, they were not to drink or eat any grape product at all. Numbers 6:2-4
• In Proverbs, the mother of Lemuel (probably a symbolic name for King Solomon) advises abstinence from wine for kings. Proverbs 31:4-5
• John the Baptist was commanded not to drink strong drink.  Luke 1:15

Under the Law given through Moses, eating of crab, prawns and fish without scales was forbidden.  The Law of Moses has been superseded by the new covenant, therefore this prohibition no longer applies.   Paul reasons in Colossians (and other places) about the passing away of the Law.  Colossians 2:13-17

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,  (14)  by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.  (15)  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.  (16)  Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.  (17)  These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Galatians also makes that point that we are no longer under the law – referred to as a guardian. Galatians 3:23-26:

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.  (24)  So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.  (25)  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,  (26)  for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

Some people choose not to eat these foods forbidden under the Law of Moses, as there are often health issues involved.  This is a personal choice and not a religious requirement.

When reading the Bible

Foto door Rodolfo Quiru00f3s op Pexels.com

We should regularly read the Bible, the infallible Word of God. In that collection of different books we might find all sorts of reliable stories, poetry, proverbs, and wisdom that can feed our spirit to grow in knowledge and to a better personality.

When reading the Bible you should ask yourself some questions:

• Principle 1: Read for the author’s meaning, not your own.
  When we read, we want to know what an author intended us to see and experience in his writing. He had an intention when he wrote. Nothing will ever change that. It is there as a past, objective event in history.
  We are not reading simply for subjective experiences. We are reading to discover more about objective reality.
  I’m not content with what comes to my mind when I read it. The meaning of a sentence, or a word, or a letter is what the author intended for us to understand by it. Therefore, meaning is the first aim of all good reading.
• Principle 2: Ask questions to unlock the riches of the Bible.
  When we read, we generally do not really think until we are faced with a problem to be solved, a mystery to be unravelled, or a puzzle to be deciphered. Until our minds are challenged, and shift from passive reading to active reading, we drift right over lots of insights.
  Asking ourselves questions is a way of creating a problem or a mystery to be solved. That means the habit of asking ourselves questions awakens and sustains our thinking. It stimulates our mind while we read, and drives us down deep to the real meaning of a passage.
• Principle 3: At every page, pray and ask for God’s help.
  Reflect on how Christians today should live in light of this passage, and consider what impact it should have on your life.

 

How to Start (and Keep) Good Habits

The Divine Creator has given His divine Word to mankind. He demanded some ‘holy men’ to write down those words so that nobody would have an excuse and would say

I did not know.

He also took care that in a certain way everybody would have the opportunity in life to come in contact with either people or with the words declaring Him. All people are created in the image of God and in a certain way have the connection with the Creator inplanted in the self. God wants all creatures to come close to Him. He also would like that they all would become partakers of a marvellous peaceful world. But all people should take the steps toward God of their free will.

To get to know Him and what He wants, God gave us the Book of books to help and guide us.

When we want to go on a big trip, we also prepare ourselves. We take care that we have the right roadmaps and have everything with us that we need for the trip. Going for a better life, we need to undertake some serious matters. It is fine when we have bought some roadmaps to start our trip, but when we do not use those maps, we are nothing with them. It is the same with the bible; When we have a Bible or Holy Scriptures but do not read it, we are nothing with it.

When having such a Sacred Writings and Bestseller, we best make very good use of them. For reading the Bible we also better prepare ourselves and make some arrangements to read it regularly. We should make it a good habit to regularly go through that Word of God and think about it.

Imagine it’s late and you’ve had a long day. You were planning to exercise, fix yourself a healthy meal, then spend some time in God’s Word. Instead, you grab some pizza and binge TV shows. Without realising it, you just reinforced a habit. Research suggests we all have “keystone habits,”† acquired patterns of behaviour that form the basis of our daily routines. Change those, and you can change your life. Here are 5 Ways to Develop Healthy Habits: Remember whose you are. You are called by God and made in His image. Because of His great love for you, you have the ability to become more like the person God created you to be. Identify the “why” behind your behaviour. Do you eat junk food because you like the taste? Or because you’re tired or bored? Once you know why you behave the way you do, it’s easier to replace unhealthy habits with better ones. Draw close to God. When you prioritize time with God, you’re allowing Him to renew your mind (Rom. 12:2). Eventually, this will help you change the way you live. Focus on one key habit. Consistently doing one thing well will yield results over time and make it easier to master other habits later. Give yourself grace. You won’t always get it right… And that’s okay. When you stumble, “fall forward”: learn from your mistakes and keep going. God will still be right beside you, cheering you on. It only takes a moment to start a healthy habit. Plan everything to come to a regular Bible reading, and let God use that choice to begin transforming your daily routines.

Be convinced that the Bible in itself contains enough to fully inform and educate us to go to God and to find the right path of life to enter the kingdom of God. We must fully trust in it.

+

Preceding

“I want to draw closer to God, but…”

++

Find also to read

1. To create a great journey
2. Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians
3. A Book to trust #26 Roadmap for life out of darkness
4. Bible
5. Gospel or Good News – Evangelie of Goede Nieuws
6. Word of God
7. The Word itself should be enough reason to believe
8. Absolute Basics to Reading the Bible
9. Daily portion of heavenly food
10. Torah hanging on two commandments and focussing on a Mashiach
11. Expectations for kashrut to meet individual and contemporary norms
12. Back to back or Face to face
13. Importance of Tikkun olam
14. Creator and Blogger God 12 Old and New Blog 2 Blog for every day
15. Born of the Father
16. Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people
17. Imperfect ones to learn from the One Who wants to be our Father
18. Confidence in times of trial
19. Today’s thought “God has come to test you …” (February 10)
20. Today’s thought “Everyone whom the Lord calls to himself” (April 26)
21. Today’s thought “You stiff necked people” (April 30)
22. Today’s Thought “Jesus Greater than Moses” (May 31)
23. Today’s thought “Draw near to God …” (June 9)
24. Today’s thought “On the eternity of God” (December 17)
25. A Worldwide Vision for Theological Education

Ik manifesteer een perfecte blogpost

Tijdens de maanden van Corona lockdown kregen geestelijke websites (zoals de onze) heel wat meer bezoekers en vragen over leven en dood. Opmerkelijk daarbij is dat bij velen door het wegvallen van een geloof in een Opperwezen (God) en het ontbreken van een religieuze activiteit in hun leven, er een grote leegte is ontstaan die zij zoeken in te vullen met een hele hoop alternatieven.

Om hun mentale problemen op te lossen gaan velen nu een houvast in het spirituele zoeken.

Bij de huidige generaties valt het oog voornamelijk op materiële goederen. Het is niet bepaald de wetenschappelijkere kijk op de wereld die de oorzaak van de daling religiositeit zou veroorzaken. Wetenschap en religie hoeven elkaar niet uit te sluiten. Maar het is meer het materialisme, het oog voor Mamon de god van het geld, dat de mensen verblindt.

Toch is er het ongekende dat aantrekt en maakt dat jongeren ook wel op zoek durven gaan naar dat mysterieuze onbekende en het spirituele.

Jongeren zetten zich af van het traditionele geloof. Ze zijn nog steeds geïnteresseerd in het transcendente aspect van het leven, maar doen dat op een meer individualistische manier.

 

+

Vindt ook te lezen

1. Gods vergeten Woord 14 Schepping 6 De Schepping als doel en garantie
2. Op zoek naar spiritualiteit 1 Inleiding
3. Op zoek naar spiritualiteit 2 Hoe te vinden
4. Op zoek naar spiritualiteit 3 Zin van Christus
5. Op zoek naar spiritualiteit 4 Zin van Christus leren kennen
6. Op zoek naar spiritualiteit 5 Vrucht van de geest
7. Op zoek naar spiritualiteit 6 Spiritualiteit en gebed
8. Op zoek naar spiritualiteit 7 Prediking van het goede nieuws
9. Op zoek naar spiritualiteit 8 Eigen spiritualiteit
10. Spirualiteit geeft smaak aan leven
11. Godsgebeuren en Kerk in Europa
12. Jongeren interesseren zich voor spiritualiteit
13. ‘Heilig Vuur – religie en spiritualiteit in de moderne kunst’
14. Zinloosheid of zin van leven volgens Bas Heijne
15. Vragen om onder de vleugels van God te komen
16. Reeks over de plaats waar doden bevinden of wat dood zijn eigenlijk inhoudt.
17. Wie straalt, loopt nooit in het donker
18. Beter niets doen dan druk doen om niets
19. Kerkshoppen: “Arrogant tegenover kerklidmaatschap”
20. Voor- en nadelen van internetspiritualiteit
21. Aanroepen van Gods Naam

 

+++

Gerelateerd

1. Een parel
2. Heidendom met diepgang
3. Vraag en antwoord tussen Neil Donald Walsch en zijn God van Morgen
4. De Kerk heeft rafelranden nodig
5. Bezield leven

Godin Robin

Dat religie de deur uit wordt gegooid, zoals een vuilzak de avond voor de ophaling, dat wisten we al langer. Jongeren breken zich los van de gewoontes die vorige generaties meekregen van hun ouders. Is een wetenschappelijkere kijk op de wereld de oorzaak van de daling religiositeit? Of zijn we van religiositeit overgestapt naar spiritualiteit?

Jongeren zetten zich af van het traditionele geloof. Ze zijn nog steeds geïnteresseerd in het transcendente aspect van het leven, maar doen dat op een meer individualistische manier. Vroeger was het vanzelfsprekend dat je je bij een van de religies voegde. Het woord religie stamt af van het Latijnse woord religare wat gebonden betekend. Vroeger was religie of zingeving meer georganiseerd, tegenwoordig is het voornamelijk een individueel proces (Versteegh, 2012). In dat individueel proces komt er plaats voor andere manieren van spiritualiteit.

Hoe verplaatsen jongeren zich door die reis van spirituele ontdekking? Ook over dit…

View original post 428 more words

Non-kosher fish eaten in Jerusalem during early days of Judaism

Richard Jonathan shared a link on the Facebook Christadelphia Christadelphians page:

https://www.newscientist.com/…/2278415-non-kosher-fish…/

An interesting archaeological story doing the rounds today showing that plenty of scaleless fish were being eaten in Israel in Old Testament times, despite them being forbidden in the Law of Moses. This is in contrast to the near absence of pig remains – indicating that this aspect of the Law was being observed.

Some will see this as evidence that the Torah was written quite late. However, all it tells us is that this aspect of the Torah wasn’t being kept, which is entirely consistent with the Old Testament account of even pretty major parts of the Law being routinely ignored (e.g idolatry / Passovers not being kept).

Either way, it’s a reminder that the strict focus on keeping the Law that we associate with the Pharisees is something much more characteristic of the Greek and Roman periods, and not Jews in earlier periods.

The full journal article is here: https://www.tandfonline.com/…/10…/03344355.2021.1904675

newscientist.com

Non-kosher fish eaten in Jerusalem during early days of Judaism

We Are Loved

It is Jehovah God, the Creator of the universe Who had a Plan with His creation and shall fulfil it.

He accepted the sacrificial offering of His only begotten beloved son, Jesus Christ, the son of man and son of God. It is that human being born in Bethlehem which we should accept as the sent one from God, who put his own will aside to do the Will of God. By offering himself as a Lamb of God, he brought salvation unto mankind. His love for us was accepted by his heavenly Father Who by His love allowed grace coming over all people.

To remember:

• God loves you + will never stop loving you.
• We can’t earn God’s love
• up to us to accept God’s love
• time for us to take God at His Word
• God wants to save sinners from their sins
• God’s Word set you free
• Heavenly Father desires to have relationship with His people
• Jesus breaks bondage in our life.

Overcoming The Times

Whoever you are, Wherever you are from, No matter what you have done…I want to let you know that God loves you, and He will never stop loving you. Neither your accomplishments nor your failures, Your victories nor your defeats qualify you nor disqualify you from God’s love.

Let the truth of God’s Word set you free. When God looked at us, He doesn’t think paying with the most precious thing He had in all of eternity, that’s Jesus Christ, was too high a price for you and I. God displayed for all of creation and eternity, His immeasurable and untouchable love for us. This kind of love is hard to comprehend by the natural man. Afterall, prior to us accepting salvation we had no understanding of spiritual things. Yet even inspite of us doing mischievous things, God still loved us: And when we ask Him to save us, The…

View original post 877 more words

Devotions by Christine Caine: Salt of the earth

Christine Caine looks in her devotion to Jesus who states that our role as Christians on the earth is a transformational one and that we are called the “salt of the earth”.

To remember

• be personally transformed from the inside out.
• the Church never created to remain insular = to be a caring, gracious, & inclusive community > our mandate = to love others = love ourselves.
• Church (as God’s hands & feet on the earth) = called to operate in the realm for which she was created > a lost + broken world.
• The Church = vehicle that God has created to fulfill his mission on the earth.
• people =  object of this mission > found outside four walls of the church building. => “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
• not afford to simply do church on Sunday => church seven days a week.

 

From The Darkness Into The Light

Duration: 365 days

ReadMatthew 5:13

Jesus says that his followers are to be the salt that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.

SALT OF THE EARTH

Jesus clearly states that our role as Christians on the earth is a transformational one. We are called the “salt of the earth” and salt essentially does three things: It adds flavor, it preserves, and it heals. So our task is to bring flavor, preservation, and healing to the world around us. This is why it is imperative that we ourselves be personally transformed from the inside out. If we have not been changed, we cannot bring out the “God flavors” of this earth.

In the same way that salt was never designed to remain in the shaker, the Church was never created to remain insular. We are called to live from the inside out both personally and corporately. God’s love flows…

View original post 336 more words

The self and the other in times of insecurity

In these times of insecurity, we can see that lots of people are not sure about themselves and get lost.

Insecurity, primarily due to social and economic instability, but also exacerbated by a weakening of the perception of ethical principles makes man feeling very bad these days.

The perception of ethical principles that underpin the law and personal moral attitudes, which always give strength to the rules that govern society, have so much weakened or moral and ethical values have been placed in the cupboard and are way forgotten.

People should know even when churches may be closed, it are those institutions which can bring some light in the darkness. Modern thought has developed a reductive view of conscience, according to which there are no objective references in determining what has value and what is true; rather, each individual provides his own measure through his own intuitions and experiences, each possesses his own truth and his own morals. When each individual has and keeps to his or her own morals we shall come to see chaos.

People have forgotten that the Creator has provided a Guide for life. Whatever the situation may be, man should be able to find answers to his questions and find solutions for the crisis encountered. All those who feel depressed, feeling down by the present Corona situation, should know that when everybody would keep to the regulations prescribed by the government everybody would soon find it much easier to cope because it would not take such a long time as it has taken now.

Because there are so many people who do not know the Scriptures or have forgotten or abandoned the Gospel announcement, they no longer identify themselves in a community of brothers and sisters where agape love is the most important rule.

Many environments, even in traditionally Christian societies, are reluctant to open themselves to the word of faith and have placed the “Self” or “I” in the first place, giving not much place for protecting the other. today we can see a lot of people who pu their self interest at the beginning of their activity line. They are not concerned what their presence might do on a shopping street or in a shopping mall. One can wonder why they were not able to go online to buy the goods they so urgently do need to have.

Whilst a lot of worry circles around, many do not seem to worry about the effect of their presence on the streets or in the shops. Is it out of ignorance or out of selfishness that they are not concerned about taking more precaution measures to avoid spreading the coronavirus?

When one could place the “self” more aside and give more thought to the “other”, especcially to all those working in the health sector, for sure all the measures the goverment asks to follow would be so much easier to follow and would not feel as a limitation or restriction of our liberty.

So many people are complaining that they would be not able to celebrate Christmas. Why and how does it come they would not be able to have some sacred time together with their own household members? How does it come they can not make it cosy and pleasant for their own little bulb?

If they want to go to church, why can they not enjoy the virtual church service their church may be offering? Or is their church insisting, contrary to the governmental advice, to come together in the church building?

Each sensible person should know it is his or her duty to do everything to protect the other. Under duty of gratitude towards recognisance, each should muster the brotherly love to work for the good or welfare of the other and as such keep to the safety measurements.

+

Read also:

1. Tinderbox for domestic violence
2. No time yet to relax the CoViD-19 restriction measures
3. Just to remember for the coming Winter holiday period
4. Challenges of the Post-Pandemic period
5. What ethical principles do we need in the Covid-19 pandemic?
6. Turning Your Home into a Sacred Space

Het treffen van tijd en toeval

6 Maak je nergens zorgen over,+ maar maak bij alles je verzoeken aan God bekend+ door te bidden, te smeken en te danken.
7 Dan zal de vrede+ van God, die alle begrip te boven gaat, je hart+ en je verstand* beschermen door Christus Jezus.
Fil. 4:6, 7

11 Ik heb nog iets gezien onder de zon: de snellen winnen niet altijd de wedstrijd of de sterken de oorlog,+
de wijzen hebben niet altijd het voedsel of de slimme mensen de rijkdom,+
en personen met kennis hebben niet altijd succes.+
Want tijd en toeval* treffen hen allemaal.

Pred. 9:11

Het zou verkeerd te zijn om te denken dat als men in God gelooft alles van een leien dakje zou verlopen. Ook een gelovige in God zal zoals iedereen verschillende omstandigheden tegen komen waarbij geluk en ongeluk elkaar lijken af te wisselen.

Doorheen ons leven hier op aarde komen wij regelmatig onvoorziene gebeurtenissen tegen die ons als het ware beproeven. Sommige van die ervaringen stellen ons echt op de proef en doen ons zelfs met momenten twijfelen aan vele dingen, aan ons zelf, aan anderen maar ook wel eens aan God.

Soms valt het ons ook zwaar te zien dat bepaald louche figuren het heel wat beter hebben dan mensen die eerlijk zijn en getuigen van goedheid. Het is dan alsof hun goedheid niet beloond wordt.

Wij weten niet echt hoe de volgende dag of de toekomst er zal uitzien. (Jakobus 4:13-14) Sommigen mogen dan wel een idee voorop stellen, maar echt zeker kunnen zij toch niet zijn. Soms kunnen wij denken dat er bepaalde mensen invloed mogen hebben op wat er in de toekomst zal gaan gebeuren. (Prediker 9:12) Wat ons dan wel mag opvallen is dat eigenlijk niemand zeggenschap heeft over zijn of haar sterfdag. (Prediker 8:8)

Waarom zouden wij als gelovigen ons zorgen maken over die toekomst? De bijbel geeft ons raad voor het heden en geeft ook genoeg waarschuwingen om het toekomstig gebeuren te herkennen. En een gewaarschuwd persoon is er twee waard.

Wij moeten beseffen dat er een Hogere Macht is die Zich om Zijn kinderen bekommert. Ook al mogen er zovelen tegen ons zijn, zij zullen nooit zo sterk kunnen zijn dat Gods Plan met ons zal teniet gedaan worden. Indien wij blijven vertrouwen op God is er geen reden om bang te zijn.

Wanneer wij getroffen worden door moeilijkere tijden moeten wij er zorg voor dragen dat wij niet worden mee gesleurd door de sombere gedachten. In zulke negatieve tijden komt het er op te blijven geloven in Hem Die veel sterker is dan welke mens maar ook.

Besef dat elk ogenblik van de dag, een goed ogenblik is om Die Allerhoogste aan te spreken. Vooral als wij het moeilijk hebben is Hij de aangewezen persoon om rustig met te praten. Dat praten kan op eender welke wijze gebeuren, intiem of meer uitgesproken. Bidden is communiceren met God en is een belangrijk gegeven in onze relatie met God. Elke goede relatie houdt een regelmatig goed gesprek in.

Laat niets je tegen houden om verzoeken aan God te richten. Hij is de meest geschikte persoon om de beste oplossingen voor jou te weten te vinden. durf daarom de nodige tijd uit te trekken om rustig met Hem in gesprek te gaan.

Ook al mag het lijken dat de sterken de strijd zullen winnen, zal op het einde der tijden blijken wie er het meest gezond uit de boot zal mogen stappen om de smalle poort naar het Koninkrijk van God binnen te gaan. Bereid je er op voor om bij die gelukkigen te zijn, en neem dan die slechte momenten van de dag als iets voorbijgaand er bij, met het vooruitzicht om later een heerlijk oneindig leven te hebben.

+

Gelijkaardig artikel: Wanneer dingen anders lopen dan verwacht

English version about the same subject / Engelstalige versie over hetzelfde onderwerp: When things run differently than expected

Voorgaand

Reflectie bij het maken van zorgen

Geen enkele storm kan eeuwig duren

Geluk is aanvaarden van noodzakelijke ongelukken

++

Aanvullende artikelen

1. Wordt verlicht met betrekking tot de betekenis van de tijd waarin we nu leven
2. Beproevingen en geloof
3. Herinner jezelf dat moeilijkheden en vertragingen vrijwel onmogelijk te voorspellen zijn
4. Wees blij dat de doornstruik rozen draagt
5. Een liefde die ons niet vrijstelt van verzoeking
6. Uw strijd ontwikkelt uw sterke punten
7. Wapens van onze oorlogsvoering
8. Herinner vele zegeningen ook in moeilijke tijden
9. We horen vrolijk te zijn in het midden van onze beproevingen
10. Bereid zijn toegang te krijgen tot vreugde in het aangezicht van tegenspoed
11. Wees niet bang van die proeven die God op u wenst af te sturen
12. Praat een beetje met de Pottenbakker
13. Roependen en vertrouwenden worden niet beschaamd
14. Een kleine moeite is als een kiezelsteen
15. Belemmeringen voor uw doel
16. Door moeilijkheden zien dat de bijbel waar is
17. Mogelijkheid tot leven
18. Het is niet proberen maar vertrouwen
19. Heb vertrouwen in je geloof … twijfel aan je twijfels
20. Geloof dat stenen verplaatst
21. Geluk is als manna
22. Vind uw diepste geluk bij Jehovah
23. Tot bewust zijn komen voor huidig leven
24. Hoe is jouw film van je leven?

+++

Gerelateerd

1. Het gaat heel goed in de wereld
2. Samen met mezelf
3. Dwangbeest
4. Over manische depressiviteit: algemeen
5. Over manische depressiviteit: symptomen in het algemeen
6. Fliekvlooi Floris se fliekresensie: ‘Skemerson’
7. Luister: ‘Skemerson’ se Pietie en Elize: ‘Dis nie maklik om plek van vrede te vind’
8. Depressie
9. Wat depressie met me deed
10. Maar, hoe dan?
11. onwaardig (1)
12. WoW: teloorschijn komen
13. Brieven Aan Koning Therapeut 13
14. Waarom ik?!
15. Supermornings
16. Een paniekaanval tijdens een wortelkanaalbehandeling
17. Wanneer alles in een keer op je afkomt
18. Ergens, is verdwalen toch goed!
19. Kom je dichterbij jouw dromen door de dingen die je doet?
20. Sommige momenten herinneren je steeds over jouw ‘existence’

Soms heb ik het gevoel dat ik daadwerkelijk op de verkeerde planeet ben.

 

 

Soms heb ik het gevoel dat ik daadwerkelijk op de verkeerde planeet ben.
Het is geweldig als ik in mijn tuin ben,
maar zodra ik uit de poort ga denk ik:
‘Wat doe ik hier in godsnaam?’

~ George Harrison

Heel vaak leven veel mensen in hun eigen cocon. Anderen zijn op weg terwijl ze hun eigen wereld creëren, hun voorkeur gevend aan een andere wereld dan diegen die ze aanschouwen.

Hoevelen zijn bereid om de wereld in te gaan en zich af te vragen wat ze daar doen en zich af te vragen of ze er niet iets beter zouden kunnen van maken van die wereld die volgens hun draait zoals het niet hoort?

+

Originele Engelse versie / Original English version:  Sometimes I feel like I’m actually on the wrong planet.

Sometimes I feel like I’m actually on the wrong planet.

Very often lots of people live in their own cocoon. Others are on their way as they create their own world, giving preference to another world than the ones they view.

How many are willing to go out into the world wondering what they are doing there and questioning if they would not better do something to that world which is turning around like it should not be.

+

Dutch translation / Nederlandse vertaling: Soms heb ik het gevoel dat ik daadwerkelijk op de verkeerde planeet ben.

Purplerays

Sometimes I feel like I’m actually on the wrong planet.
It’s great when I’m in my garden, but the minute I go
out the gate I think, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’

~ George Harrison

Text & image source: Marianne Gillis https://www.facebook.com/marianne.gillis.773

View original post

”Let Your Guilt Be Washed”

Too many people are being squeezed into a corner and others succeed in humiliating their fellow human beings and making them feel bad.

We have to be very careful not to become a victim by putting ourselves in a weak position. We must always consider our own “I” high and worthy enough to respect each being around us respectfully and to give the love that we may receive from the Supreme, so that we don’t have to feel guilty of our and others wellbeing.

When something bad happens we should always check what caused it and if we were part of the causer(s). As long as we did nothing wrong against the Law of our Maker we should not feel guilty, but that excludes us not of having to try to mend it and to bring back the good to it.

*

To remember

• did something bad => feel terribl = feel like you’re a bad person => deal with this
• sometimes there are things we just need to do for ourselves without feeling bad about it.
• need not to be guilty of your wellbeing.
• Misery =  not solution = choice we have with every aspect of our life > to be a part of problem –  or –  part of solution.
• Physical nourishment needed
• enjoying bounty of life > If you cannot be grateful for that = Something seriously wrong = serious psychological ailment.

”Let Your Guilt Be Washed”

Too many people are being squeezed into a corner and others succeed in humiliating their fellow human beings and making them feel bad.

We have to be very careful not to become a victim by putting ourselves in a weak position. We must always consider our own “I” high and worthy enough to respect each being around us respectfully and to give the love that we may receive from the Supreme, so that we don’t have to feel guilty of our and others wellbeing.

BeBloggerofficial

”With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing so you will have no guilt.”

Zig Ziglar
You did something bad. And now you feel terrible. But the feeling won’t go away. It gnaws at you. Even worse, it makes you feel like you’re a bad person.

Nobody tells us how to deal with this, we all feel a wide range of emotions from time to time, but some feelings just don’t deserve to stick around — guilt being one of them. Unless you’ve done something terrible, you shouldn’t feel bad for your actions, and there are certain things you should never feel guilty doing, especially when they don’t hurt anyone. It’s easy to get caught up in pleasing others, but sometimes there are things we just need to do for ourselves without feeling bad about it.

A lot…

View original post 589 more words

You Are Called To Stand Up, Even If You Are Standing Alone

There are several religious people who say Christians may not be involved in politics or even may not go to bring out their vote.

In Belgium voting is compulsory, and not going to the ballot station is a criminal offence, as such each Belgian is expected to have his say and foreign residents in Belgium, are welcome also to give their voice so that there can be worked at a democratic country, where everybody can have his say.

This month and especially on the 26th of May each resident of Belgium and those living in the European Union, should think about what they want to do and what position they want to take in this world.

Everybody should know that there are animals and plants plus enough people who have no voice and that it is important that people come up for them.

*

To remember

What are you waiting for? ….  That ache inside you in sign enough.

• We lean into “be still” + ignore call “to do”.
• heartbeat of Love = action. Love = action. >Love cannot exist without action.
• in the doing = change the world.

God already gave you mandates:

• care for the poor and the orphaned and widow;
• fight against injustice;
• proclaim the gospel;
• worship;
• love others the way you want to be loved;
• relentlessly throw all of who you are at the feet of Jesus.
• Don’t make exceptions for yourself.
• Don’t make excuses.

speak it out loud.

Speak up even if it means you are the only one left standing.

 

You want to change the world? = Go home + love you family. Be bold. Love the broken. Call out evil every single time.

Fight for the children who cannot fight for themselves.

Love risks everything to see truth + justice thrive.

+

Read also

A Voice to give in May 2019

+++

Related

Vote

If God has called you to it. Do it.

View original post 825 more words

Restoring the Foundations

Sometimes our lives can seem to be falling down around us. It might feel like we are living with broken walls and burnt out lives. Even as Christians, our foundations can be shaken with personal issues, like an unexpected diagnosis, a financial problem or challenges with our family or work.

When we press into God, the story of Nehemiah shows us that He is our source for bringing things back into line. Nehemiah was downcast because of the destruction of Jerusalem. When he began to fast and pray, God gave him boldness to seek the king’s blessing.

In the 20th year of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, (445/444 BC), Nehemiah was cup-bearer to the king. By having a proper focus on God and trusting in Him, learning that the remnant of Jews in Judah were in distress and that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, he asked the king for permission to return and rebuild the city. Artaxerxes sent him to Judah as governor of the province with a mission to organise the rebuild.

When we focus on the source of our restoration and step out boldly to clear away the rubble, God can begin to rebuild what is broken.

• Dove ministries and Belgian Biblescholars

You Have Nothing To Prove — Orlando Espinosa

Each person has enough reason to be here on earth and has only to believe in himself

Summer holiday time to knock and ask, and time to share

In the daily Bible readings our chapter in Matthew today unfolds to reveal powerful personal lessons – principles we must live by, though in the chapters of the first book of Samuel we also see that it was not always easy for the preferred one of God, David! He also was victim of human jealousy [v.8-12].

In these summer-months we do have time to examine ourselves and the situation we are living in at the moment. We can check if we kept to Jesus his sayings or if when we had certain needs or wanted to receive knowledge if we did ask like Jesus advices us. Often when we are at work we do not have time enough for God’s Word. It might not always be easy to have us every day to pick up the Bible and to read in it and to take time enough to let our thoughts wonder over the Biblical text. Now when the Summer holiday comes to us we have no excuse. Now we should have enough opportunity to read in the Bible but also to talk to others bout different things, including the Word of God.

Summer time often gives us opportunities to come at other places, where nobody might know us, where we do not have to fear talking about our faith and to show others how we love God.

We can ask God to help us to get insight ourself but also to give us strength and opportunities to give others insight in His infallible Word. We might be assured when we dare to ask Jehovah God will provide, when our heart is in the right place with Him.

⁷ “·Ask [Keep asking], and ·God will give [^Lit will be given; ^Cthe passive verb implies God as subject] to you. ·Search [Seek; Keep seeking], and you will find. ·Knock [Keep knocking], and the door will open for you. ⁸ ·Yes, [^LFor; Because] everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who ·searches [seeks] will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

⁹ “If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? ¹⁰ Or [^Lwhich of you] if your ·children ask [or son asks] for a fish, would you give them a snake? {Matthew 7:7-10 Expanded Bible (EXB)}

When we long to have knowledge in the Holy Scriptures God is not going to withhold it. He is not going to detain us and leave us without Biblical knowledge if we really want to have such knowledge. Though in such circumstance God wants us to open our mind and when we encounter matters which we have learned at school or in the past in our religious environment, but which are based on human doctrines, God wants us to choose for the Biblical doctrines and to put those human and false teachings aside. We have to show to God that we are willing to learn what He wants to say to us and what the Bible puts openly in front of us, words black on white and no misty myths of the world.

For many it may not be easy to put away all such false human teachings, but that is what God requires, not to be of the world but to belong to the world of God.

Knowledge will be given to you when you are prepared to seek honestly and with the will to learn Godly Truth. When you open your mind, ask God to help you, He will provide and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you.

Keep Pursuing What You Need From God. He Will Give You Good Things

⁷ “Be asking, and it will be given to you; be seeking, and you will find; be knocking, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone asking receives; and the one seeking finds; and to the one knocking, it will be opened. ⁹ Or what person is there from-among you whom his son will ask-for bread— he will not give him a stone^[a], will he? ¹⁰ Or indeed he will ask-for a fish— he will not give him a snake^[b], will he?

1. Matthew 7:9That is, something useless.
2. Matthew 7:10That is, something harmful. {Matthew 7:7-10Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)}

For everyone, also you, who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds. So you only have to be prepared to be willing to find and to ask God to help you find it. But you too should help others to find it. So what you have uncovered may not only be your secret. Even when we will realize our failure to see the Biblical truth because we wanted to hold fast so much to denominational teachings, noticing it so late in our life, we better accept it that it is better late in life than never, to come to the Biblical truth.

Out of compassion and love for the other, we should try to let others know the Word of God and show them what is really written in it. One of the tasks given by Jesus was to go out and preach. When we do understand what the Nazarene man Jesus has really done, we should tell others of this incredible act of self-renunciation. We should tell others about his self-sacrifice and how he is not the God we should worship but the Way to God, the Only One True God of gods Whom is the Only One to be worshipped and praised above all.

Jesus expects everyone who hears these words of him to do them!

²⁴ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and is doing them will be-like a wise^[a] man who built his house upon the bed-rock.

1. Matthew 7:24Or, prudent, sensible. {Matthew 7:24Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)}

Let us be wise in the Lord and show the world how we want to be partakers of the Body of Christ and follow the same God as Jesus had. In the knowledge that the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, we should be aware that though salvation is given to all the world also shall have to see that those who find that entrance to the Kingdom of God shall be just a few. We should know and let others know that wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss.

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. [^LBecause] The gate is wide and the road is ·wide [broad; spacious; or easy] that leads to ·hell [^Ldestruction; ruin], and many people enter through that gate. ¹⁴ But the gate is small and the road is ·narrow [or difficult; hard] that leads to true life. ·Only a few people [And there are few who] find that road. {Matthew 7:13-14Expanded Bible (EXB)}

For those few we have to invest our free time and do what Jesus expects from us, making sure that we are not a foolish person in his eyes, because he shall watch us and in the end days shall judge over us. Let us listen to Jesus his words:

Matthew 7:25-29Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)

²⁵ And the rain came down, and the rivers^[a] came, and the winds blew— and they fell against that house. And it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the bed-rock. ²⁶ And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. ²⁷ And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew— and they struck-against that house. And it fell, and the falling^[b] of it was great”.

The Works of The King: Divine Power In Action²⁸ And it came about that when Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astounded^[c] at His teaching. ²⁹ For He was teaching them as One having authority, and not as their scribes.

1. Matthew 7:25 That is, rivers of flood waters.
2. Matthew 7:27 Or, collapse, downfall.
3. Matthew 7:28 Or, overwhelmed, amazed, astonished.

{Matthew 7:25-29Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)}

When having found Jesus his words and having gone deeper into them, finding the Words of his heavenly Father, we should build our own life on them and create the foundation for ways for others also to come closer to God.

There are many ways – travel in our world has never been more readily possible, but whether nearby or further afield, we must, as we read two days ago in Matthew 5,

¹⁶ In the same way let your light shine ·before others [for people to see], so that they will see ·the good things you do [^Lyour good deeds/works] and will ·praise [glorify; give honor to] your Father in heaven. {Matthew 5:16 Expanded Bible (EXB)}

Take some time this holiday to have some work done for Jesus and his God that they and the world may see your good works and glorify your Father in the heavens.

Let us also make sure that we tell others what is in the Word of God and have us honestly trying to have our faith in God shine as a strong light before others, so that on that day when Jesus returns we do not have to be ashamed and do not have to say like many who will say to him

… Lord, did we not prophesy (preach) in your name…?”

Having Jesus to look at them and responding that they have to depart from him because he does not want to know of them.

²² On ·the last day [judgment day; ^Lthat day] many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ·we spoke for you [^LDid we not prophesy in your name…?], and ·through you we forced out demons [^Lcast out demons in your name…?] and did many ·miracles [^Lmighty works in your name…?].’ {Matthew 7:22 Expanded Bible (EXB)}

We do not have to show extra-ordinary things to others, not doing miracles. We only have to honestly tell them what we believe and show them what the Bible says.

These days when we might have more free time, let us make sure that we take some free time for God and to show our love for God to others.In the knowledge that “many are called, but few are chosen” let us belong to those “few” that will hear the words we read today in Isaiah 62,

Isaiah 62:11-12 Expanded Bible (EXB)

¹¹ The Lord ·is speaking [announces]
    to ·all the faraway lands [^Lthe end of the earth]:
“·Tell the people of Jerusalem [^LSay to the daughter of Zion; Zech. 9:9],
    ‘Look, your Savior is coming.
He is bringing ·your reward to you [^Lhis reward with him];
    ·he is bringing his payment [his recompense/reward is] with him.’”
¹² ·His people [^LThey] will be called the Holy People,
    the ·Saved People [Redeemed] of the Lord,
and Jerusalem will be called ·the City God Wants [^LSought After],
    the City ·God Has Not Rejected [or Not Abandoned; Deserted]. {Isaiah 62:11-12 Expanded Bible (EXB)}

If you knew how much God loves you, you would be happy to receive and share His love with others and would be pleased to have others also coming to know Him and His great Love.

+

Preceding articles

Summer holiday

May we have doubts

Facing our existence every day

What Are You Seeking?

High time to go out telling the world about Jesus

7 Ways To Become A Better Christian

What Should I Preach ?

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Crisis man needed in this world

Refusing to Be Silent

Go Ye!

To proclaim the day of vengeance

Proclaiming: a task given to Christians

Go! Proclaim! Testify!

Scriptures and Thoughts about: Proclaim

++

Additional reading

1. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
2. God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind
3. Do You Expect God’s Answer
4. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #17 Sorts of prayers
5. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #18 Fulfilment
6. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
7. We should use the Bible every day
8. Bible in the first place #2/3
9. Loving the Word
10. Necessity of a revelation of creation 8 By no means unintelligible or mysterious to people
11. Necessity of a revelation of creation 11 Believing and obeying the gospel of the Kingdom of God
12. Atonement And Fellowship 6/8
13. Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan
14. Fragments from the Book of Job #3: chapters 21-26
15. Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still
16. Obtain favour from Yahweh
17. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
18. Blogging in the world for Jesus and his Father
19. Sharing thoughts and philosophical writings
20. Going deep into cultures to reach lost people
21. Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
22. How do I know if I’m called to ministry?
23. Priest, scribes and others with authority
24. Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom
25. Oratory Style
26. What Should I Preach ?
27. When not seeing or not finding a biblically sound church

+++

Further reading

1. Here for a cause, anointed with a message the world needs to hear
2. Motives behind Criticism are often more Important to deal With then the Criticism itself.
3. Special Sundays!~Matthew 7:7~
4. Which Story Do You Want To Live?
5. Share Jesus
6. Are you judging people by what they look like?
7. Do to others…
8. There is a wolf nipping at your soul
9. “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.” ~Jesus
10. Matthew 9 – Stepping forth in courage
11. Matthew 11 – Praise and trust
12. Matthew 14 – Prayer, Faith & Action
13. By His Grace
14. The Journey of Love and Commitment 
15. Strengthen Yourself In Your God
16. “Following Jesus” (Matthew 4:18-22 sermon)
17. “What We Have Seen … We Proclaim”
18. “Reaching, Teaching, Caring: Following the Footsteps of Jesus” (Matthew 4:23 sermon)
19. A Day in the Park
20. The Goodness of God
21. Count Your Blessings
22. The call to serve
23. See you next time
24. Christianity is a Learned Experience
25. Biblical Application
26. Biblical Revelation Knowledge On Spiritual Warfare
27. The Gospel of The Kingdom
28. Do We Really Know God?
29. Bible Study: Insights on the Sermon on the Mount: The Contrasts
30. Awaken
31. 8. Doors and Destinations
32. Meditation – Choices
33. The Path of Love
34. Life’s Narrow and Wide Gates
35. Love, Entering the Narrow Gate.
36. The Narrow Way
37. Religious Theology – The wide gate!
38. Shifting Sand
39. Exodus 10, Job 28, Luke 13, 1 Corinthians 14
40. How to choose between the wide and the narrow
41. The Narrow Gate
42. against the stream
43. Taking responsibility – the narrow gate that leads to life
44. How to choose between the wide and the narrow:part 3
45. Difficult is the Way that Leads to Life
46. Those Who Find It Are Few.
47. Guard My Feet Lord ~
48. Two Gates
49. The Narrow Gate
50. The Protestant – Catholic divide – The Narrow and the Wide Gates
51. The Crumb That Turns Stale With Time
52. Only dead fish swim with the stream
53. The narrow gate and the postmillennial hope
54. The Grand Reception
55. Lord, will only few people be saved?

+++

 

Related articles

• What is a cult?
• Get ready for God’s restoration
• The Growing Hatred Against Biblical Christianity
• Dreisbach: Founders drew on Bible in quest for independence
• How should a Christian view climate change?
• New Flemish tryptich for those who want to know more about God
• Do you purpose that your mouth will not transgress
• Asking the Most High for forgiveness of sins and ignorance

Proverbs 14:23 Work Versus Talk

In life we have to work to get things done. We have to study and later that study hopefully can lead to a job. But once finished  schooling and gone working and earning money studying and working does not stop and does not always satisfies us. In case we believe in god we also want to work at our spiritual life.

During the time of training it does not always feel good or fun. It will be hard work. It takes a sharp focus and dedication. God is training you to be the best you can be in Jesus. He wants you to be just like Jesus. Jesus lived His life for God and for all people, not for Himself. God uses hardships to keep your focus on Him at all times. Hardships will cause you to lean on God and trust in Him and in Him alone. The world will let you down, God will not. {Hebrews 12:7 Hardship Equals Discipline}

writes Tom, who is happily married for 23 years to his wife Cammie and has worked as a children’s pastor, senior pastor, and many times (and currently) as a Sunday School Teacher..

In case we do have a job we may count ourselves by the lucky ones who can earn their living with it, if we can.

There are people in this world that cannot get a job to earn the needed money for food, clothing or housing. They would love to have a job. If you have a job, count it a blessing and a privilege.

No matter what your job is, your ultimate job is the one for God, to be His witness in this world. This can be done first by being a good hard worker for your boss. You must do the work required with the best of your abilities. You then must be willing to talk to others about Jesus. {Labor Day}

The work we are doing can bring profit to more than one person.

It can be easily seen that hard work will usually bring about a profit for a person. Being dedicated to the job and getting the job done in the best way possible, will allow a person to get promoted to a better position with better pay.

We as Christians should always try to do our best and be an example for others. In our work we should be a copy of the master teacher we are following. and with our work we also should honour the One Who has given all those capabilities to that work and Who allow us to enjoy life here on earth.

When doing our worldly job we  may never forget to do the work for God. We also have continually to grow and mature in Jesus Christ. Our guestwriter also knows that this may be something that takes hard work and dedication, but shows also that the bible gives us ways to have the work light.

+++

Related articles

• Always Stand For Truth, Osinbajo Charges Nigerians
• We are the Ones Who are Logical
• Primary school teacher exchanged sexual texts with parent of pupil who was his ‘teacher’s pet’
• Sunday reflection: John 14:15 – 21
• Power is available to us to bring our spiritually dead selves back to life
• Turn the Other Cheek? Peace!
• Resist And Replace Negative Thoughts
• Daily Mass: Christ teaches us loving service. Catholic Inspiration
• Daily Mass: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Catholic Inspiration
• The Ground Floor: Bible study and a glass of wine

Insights From Tom

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23

It can be easily seen that hard work will usually bring about a profit for a person. Being dedicated to the job and getting the job done in the best way possible, will allow a person to get promoted to a better position with better pay.

Those who do not work or do not work hard, fall into poverty. This will include people who do work, but do the absolute minimum work possible. They try to cut the corners to get out of working hard. Doing this will keep the employer from giving any pay raises or promotions and will keep them in poverty. They only talk the talk.

Looking at hard work and the rate of pay is the most common way to look at this verse. However there is the spiritual realm of…

View original post 304 more words

Spiritual Freedom and the Losing Legacy of Traditional Christianity

Being used as a textbook in a Christian college in Georgia, Real Christianity became the object of controversy. The teacher, upon the class having serious questions about a certain subject in the book that few agreed with, assigned each student to write a paper about the subject without telling anyone else his or her findings. When the papers were turned in (as part of the grade), every student had changed their opinion based on their own research and agreed that the author was correct. This has happened many times. so we can wonder if the writer of “Real Christianity” and the writer of the blog we are re-blogging are real partakers of that real Christianity and not part of Christendom and the mainstream trinitarians, who worship an other God than Jesus Christ.

Expansion of christianity (public domain map) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All over the capitalist world we see how people further wander far away from the God of the Bible. Lots of people have made contemporary gods, like money, sports and entertainment idols. The traditional churches, with their false doctrines and their greed to power and hope to keep people in their community by making them afraid by the false teachings of hellfire, loose their grip, because lots of people can see how they have contradicting teachings to the biblical teachings and how their clergy themselves do not live up to what they demand from their flock.

From a look at other postings of today’s guest-writer we can see that probably he would not be pleased with our reposting his article, because at other pages we can clearly see that RJ Dawson is a strong believer in the trinity, who strangely believes that Roman Catholics would not believe that Jesus is God. This can well be that he, like us, may find lots of Catholics who really believe that Jesus is not God, but the son of God, contradictory to their main church who keeps to the Trinity-doctrine. {Is God Three People? Jesus Is YHWH (4)}

Our guestwriter opens his article with

Having squandered its influence within society, traditional Christianity no longer has much effect on the culture.

Looking at our contemporary world, in most capitalist countries we can see that religions is not any more the thriving and guiding element in society. Ethics and moral is not given in any more by the religious feeling of people. Lots of people also have lost their hope in the church which seem to have lied and betrayed them.

We would never have thought there was a great strength and power of Real Christianity, because the majority of the past times people always have let themselves being influenced by the pagan rites and heathen tradition and came under influence of the dogmatic Church. In the main church – the one of the trinitarian dogma – the church had to turn or twist themselves in all kinds of curvature to accomplish their human doctrines. To keep enough people in their building they also often adapted to the popularity of the day, making that in the end people came to see how the church could change her rules is removed and virtually relegated to the sidelines. The Truth has been systematically retracted and replaced with false notions borne by dead religionists without a clue. This process continued to replicate itself for years, having made the reality of that which the Lord Jesus brought forth in the beginning the object of ridicule and thus rejection.

Those who claim that Jesus is God made of God a liar, because as omniscient and omnipotent suddenly that man says even not to know when he would be coming back. God also says He is a Spirit man can not see Him and live, whilst many saw Jesus, who showed his wounds after his resurrection out of the dead to proof he is no spirit. seeing more like these contradictions in Scripture when Jesus would be God, people lost faith in what the church is teaching them, instead of looking what the Bible really says and what those churches of Real Christianity teach.

We can only hope by time more sincere Bible researchers and Bible students shall come to show the world that Christ is the Way to God and not God himself, and that we should follow him and not the many man-made churches who prefer their own human doctrines (like the trinity).

We can only hope God’s Power shall hover over the world and guide people to the Truth,preparing them to be spiritual ready to grow in Christ, able to enter the small gate of the Kingdom of God.

*

We can find lots of people

• Neglecting the commandment of God, holding to the tradition of men.

To remember

• traditional religionists gain full control
• remove everything to do with real life
• Christians have been conditioned by pretenders to expect next to nothing from the Lord.
• fake communities not possess ability to gain benefits = they are not real = Unreal Christianity <=> not connected to the Lord.
• fake places have no Pentecost events = not Spirit-filled + don’t want to be.

+++

Further reading

1. A Christian asking an atheist asking a Christian about tragedy
2. Why are Sacred writings of every religion other than Christianity considered mythology while Christian writings are considered history?
3. Can You Trust God?
4. Bible Contradiction? Where does God dwell?
5. suffering with hope and courage, not bitterness and despair
6. Rejecting the truth (When It Hits Too Close To Home)

+++

Related articles

• Boston Archdiocese to ordain 8 new priests
• Relics of St Nicholas visited by thousands of worshipers in Moscow
• Church should lead crusade against corruption – Pastor Unoarumhi
• Pope To Elevate 5 Roman Catholic Prelates
• Irish priest to be set on path to sainthood in Dublin
• Trump targeting IRS rule on churches
• Six Millennials Choose Priesthood, Helping Serve Chicago Parishes
• I Get Tired of Excuses
• Pope Francis declares two Portuguese shepherd children saints in Fatima
• Crucifixion of Jesus Christ re-enacted in Philippines

2017 Nisan 10, uitkijkend naar 14 Nisan

Over enkele uren begint 10 Nisan en weldra mogen wij deelgenoten zijn van het belangrijkste herinneringsmoment van het jaar, 14 – 22 Nisan.

Op maandag 10 Nisan sprak Jezus in de tempel over zijn naderende dood. Hij had een goed idee van wat er hem te wachten stond. Begrijpelijk was hij hier toch ook om bezorgd. Indien hij alwetend zou geweest zijn zoals God alwetend is zou hij zich geen zorgen hebben gebaard. Ook indien hij eeuwig zou geweest zijn, zoals zijn hemelse Vader eeuwig is en aldus onsterfelijk is, moest hij zich ook geen zorgen maken. Maar nu als een gewone mens van vlees en bloed moest hij wel tegen iets aankijken waarvan hij niet wist wat daarna zou komen. Hij moest geloof hechten aan wat zijn hemelse Vader in petto had voor hem na zijn dood.

Over de uitwerking die zijn dood ging hebben op Gods naam, zei hij:

‘Vader, verhoog uw naam.’

Dan klinkt er een machtige stem uit de hemel:

‘Ik heb hem verhoogd en zal hem opnieuw verhogen’ (Johannes 12:27, 28).

Zoals Abraham geloof hechte aan God en zoals Mozes wist dat Jehovah betrouwbaar was en geloof stelde in Zijn belofte dat de eerstgeboren zoons van Egypte gedood zouden worden, moest Jezus nu geloven dat hij de eerstgeborene kon zijn van een nieuwe generatie die een nog grotere bevrijding kon krijgen dan zij die uit de slavernij van de Egyptenaren verlost werden.

Jezus die dagelijks in de tempel kwam om te onderwijzen (Luk. 19:47; 20:1) had met zijn ijver en wonderbaarlijke handelingen heel wat na-ijver veroorzaakt. Maar nu wist hij dat zijn openbare bediening tot een einde ging komen. Slechts enkele jaren kon hij zich richten tot de mensen om hen duidelijk te maken dat hij de Weg naar God is, de beloofde Messias, de gezondene van God die kwam verklaren wat God werkelijk van de mens wil.

Nu was de tijd gekomen om zich voor die mens te gegeven om hen van elke soort van wetteloosheid te bevrijden en zich een volk te reinigen dat uitsluitend zijn eigendom zou zijn, ijverig voor voortreffelijke werken. (Tit. 2:14). Nu was de tijd gekomen dat de Zoon des mensen verheerlijkt moest worden. (Johannes 12:23).

Wat Jezus te wachten staat, kan niet vermeden worden.

„Niettemin”,

zegt hij,

„ben ik juist hierom tot dit uur gekomen.”

Ook al is er die angst voor het onbekende, het gebeuren na de dood, vertoont Jezus de rust in de zekerheid dat God het beste met hem voor heeft. Hij is bereid om zich ten volle aan God te geven. Voor Jezus is het duidelijk dat niet zijn wil maar de Wil van God moet geschieden. Hiertoe is hij bereid om tot aan zijn offerandelijk dood zijn daden door Gods wil te laten leiden (Johannes 12:27).

Wat een voorbeeld heeft hij ons gegeven — een voorbeeld van volledige onderwerping aan Gods wil!

Dat onderwerpen aan Gods Wil is één van de moeilijke zaken die de  mensen vandaag nog parten spelen. Nog steeds rebelleren mensen tegen God en willen velen niet leven volgens de Wil van God. Nog steeds vinden de meeste mensen het belangrijker om hun omgeving of de wereld te behagen in plaats van God. Voor hen zijn de wereldse feesten zoals Kerstmis en Pasen belangrijker dan de feesten die God heeft opgedragen aan de mensheid.

Na Jezus zijn offerdood en de aanlevering van inzicht door Gods Heilige Geest begrepen de apostelen de rol van Jezus en hoe hij de Christus,

“ons Pascha, is (…) geslacht” (1 Kor. 5:7).

Ook toen zij op 14 Nisan samen met Jezus aan tafel zaten (of lagen) begrepen zij niet goed waar hij het allemaal over had. Vreemd leek het hun ook dat hij vroeg zijn lichaam en bloed te delen, er van te eten en er van te drinken.

Over enkele dagen wordt die gebeurtenis uitvoerig herdacht en besproken in vele gemeenschappen over de gehele wereld. Al de ware gelovigen die opkijken naar het zoenoffer van Jezus Christus zullen dan die belangrijke dagen ter herinnering gedenken en diep in hun hart dragen.

Hopelijk zal u ook één van de gelovigen zijn op zulk een herinneringsmaaltijd.

Mogen wij u er verwachten?

+

Voorgaande

Neem afstand van heidense vastenperiodes

Saturnus, Janus, Zeus, Sol, donkerte, licht, eindejaarsfeesten en geschenken

++

Vindt ook

1. Messiaans Pesach 2017 en verharde harten
2. Niet gebonden door labels maar vrij in Christus
3. De god zoon, koning en zijn onderdanen
4. Een koning die zijn onderdanen wetten oplegt waarvan hij weet dat zij zich er nooit aan kunnen houden
5. Jezus laatste avondmaal
6. Belangrijkste weekend van het jaar 2016
7. Voorbereidingstijd tot een herinneringsmoment
8. Fragiliteit en actie #14 Plagen van God
9. 14 Nisan, de avond om Christus Zijn predikingswerk te herinneren
10. Rond het Paasmaal
11. Een Feestmaal en doodsherinnering
12. Donderdag 9 April = 14 Nisan en Paasviering 11 April
13. De zeven Feesten van God
14. Een Konijn dat Paaseiren legt

+++

Related articles

• Some Common Misperceptions about the Date of Pascha/Easter

• Easter versus Passover

• Guideposts for Easter Week

• My Journey to the Way – part 2

• Sermon: The Story of the Bible Leads to Jesus, Acts 7
• The Gift of Welcome
• Preparation for Passover