Tag Archives: Agape love

by Marcus Ampe | 2022/12/12 · 5:37 pm

Right wing thinking – Christian Nationalism – Extremism – Fascism – Nazism

There are people who want us to believe there is nothing wrong with Christian Nationalism. Particularly in the U.S.A. and in East Europe (Poland and Hungary) there are many who call themselves Christian, though they do not really follow the teachings of Christ and even have another god than Christ (because they do take Jesus to be God himself and worship him even before pictures and statues, which is an abomination in God’s eyes).

Those very conservative Christians often also believe Jesus Christ was a white person, though as a Palestinian he had a light brown skin. For them, Jesus had to belong to the White Race, because only the Caucasian or Europoid, as descendants of Adam, are the ones directly created and foreseen by God. The Mongoloid, and Negroid where considered the lower sort of human beings because they arrived from the sinners and as such had to bear the consequences of their sin and thus had to come to terms with the fact that, as people of colour, they were inferior human beings.

For many Americans God has given them America. According to them, it belongs to them. They forget that the Red Indians were and still are the original and rightful residents of what is now called North America or the United States of America and Canada. They also seem to forget that God has put all things under Christ’s feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:15-23) and that all people should become united in Christ. Those who call themselves Christian should as members of that body (Christ = the Church) should be as brothers and sisters, as siblings forming one body and one spirit, just as they were called to the one hope of their calling, not telling lies but speaking the truth in love, being prepared to let everybody grow and themselves also growing up in every way into Jesus Christ, him who is the head, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promoting the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:4, 15-16)

That community sphere and love of Christ is far to look for in many of those American churches, and certainly in those nationalist churches. Strangely enough, several Americans in such nationalist churches or conservative evangelical churches have forgotten their own family background, or simply do not want to acknowledge it, but others want to convince others that the land they live in, has always belonged to them and is a gift from God that they should protect against all strangers trying to come to nest in ‘their nation’.

Those nationalist Christians believe they have a heavenly calling to become immortal, coming to live in heaven. This heavenly goal is for them something which is received by grace and can only be received by the chosen people (they – and strangely not the Biblical Chosen People of Israel). According to them, the white man was created by God (they seem to forget that Adam means the ‘red man’ or ‘man from the red earth‘) to form families, clans, tribes and nations under different earthly governments. Nations and governments are, therefore, according to them, an absolute good and not merely a post-fall necessity of political systems. And that can only be accomplished by their society of white evangelicals making sure that their race and community shall not be polluted by mixing varieties, or coloured people and people thinking differently.

Stephen Wolfe defines Christian Nationalism as follows:

“Christian nationalism is nationalism modified by Christianity.

My definition of Christian nationalism is a Christianized form of nationalism or, put differently, a species of nationalism. Thus, I treat nationalism as a genus, meaning that all that is essential to generic nationalism is true of Christian nationalism.” {The Case for Christian Nationalism (p. 10). Canon Press. Kindle Edition by Stephen Wolfe}

One can wonder what he means by nationalism that would be Christianised. He explains:

My definition of nationalism is similar to that of Christian nationalism, though with less content: Nationalism refers to a totality of national action, consisting of civil laws and social customs, conducted by a nation as a nation, in order to procure for itself both earthly and heavenly good.” {The Case for Christian Nationalism (p. 10-11). Canon Press. Kindle Edition by Stephen Wolfe}

This for me gives the impression that man would be capable to produce heavenly good. Clearly he, like more Christian Americans does not know the Bible enough to work from those Scriptures. But that does not seem to him to be a shortcoming or problem at all, as he assumes that we may think further from the human mind and put everything in the light of the human relationship to the ecclesiastical relationship in order to be able to come to our place in the entirety of God’s work.

About his methodology Wolfe explains:

I assume the Reformed theological tradition ^{might he mean Calvinism}, and so I make little effort to exegete biblical text. Some readers will complain that I rarely appeal to Scripture to argue for my positions. I understand the frustration, but allow me to explain: I am neither a theologian nor a biblical scholar. I have no training in moving from scriptural interpretation to theological articulation.” {The Case for Christian Nationalism (p. 16). Canon Press. Kindle Edition by Stephen Wolfe}

He has a very strange idea about the unity of the church, but that is a general misconception of most American conservative evangelists. He writes:

Spiritual unity is inadequate for formal ecclesial unity. {The Case for Christian Nationalism (p. 200). Canon Press. Kindle Edition, by Stephen Wolfe.}

Though, ecclesial unity can only be formed by all those in the ecclesia willing to go for the same values and same beliefs. Without spiritual unity, based on Biblical Truth, no real good spiritual raster or framework can be built, nor shall the congregation be able to form one strong unity in Christ.

Not to fall far the trap of Christian Nationalism he is right to say

People do not suddenly speak some Gospel language and then assume a Gospel culture. The people’s way of life permeates the visible church, and it serves as an ancillary feature that makes possible the administration of sacred things (e.g., preaching in the vernacular). The administration of the Word and Sacraments require, at a bare minimum, a common language; and church fellowship requires at least a core culture serving as the cultural norm for social relations. Culturally distinct groups of Christians could, of course, start their own churches, and this would solve one problem. {The Case for Christian Nationalism (p. 200). Canon Press. Kindle Edition, by Stephen Wolfe.}

It is important to get a “Way of life” in line with the “Way of life of Christ”. And that is the main point where those Christian Nationalists go wrong. In Eastern Europe as well as in North America, those Nationalist Christians do not follow the teaching of Christ at all, which speaks of tolerance and unselfish love for all people, which is very wrong with those nationalists who exclude others, especially if they have a different colour or race, and do not think they belong to ‘their’ nation.

Many Christian Nationalists believe that it is impossible for people from other backgrounds and cultures to achieve a spiritual presence, especially if they do not speak the same language and / or use the same Bible. They actually exclude the power of God’s Work, and apparently do not believe that God can protect his own Word if it were not printed in their language. All too often we find King James Bible only by such conservatives, but also groups that give preference to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Apostles Bible. That last movement allows Pentecostal denominations and Charismatic movements to be considered as one spiritual unit or church unity. For them is the world under Satan, and it is the white people who have become Christians who have the authority as well as the duty to reclaim the world for God.

In Great Britain the Christian Nationalists may think like their American believers, but on the continent, they mostly are convinced that only the Roman Catholic Faith is the right faith, and all protestants should come back to the Papal Church, whilst all the unitarian or non-trinitarian believers should be done away with because they would be the hand of Satan.

Europe and the U.S.A may try to be a gathering of bigger places or states, also known as nations, which try to have common bonds in their legal system, their general culture of freedom of speech, even their religious attitudes and holidays, their sports, their food, their music, their movies, simply said to have a common culture. The main aim is to have a general line of common things that should bring different people in that ‘unit’ together. There is an understanding that the common bonds though there is a diversity of these cultural experiences would tear the connection apart or subtract from the strength of the “commonness” or “unity”. Variety should not mean that it would not go together and would mean division. But the nationalist Christians do not want to find a variety of ideas in their ranks. For them, equality in thinking is one of the main things to belong to the covenant.

Religion may traditionally been something that binds a people or nation together, but no group of people can force others to have their religion, and that its in a way what those Christian Nationalists want. They want everybody to think like them and to believe like them.

At no time was it ever Jesus idea that White Americans or any other group of people would be of more importance than the real original People of God, the Bnei Yisroel (people of Israel). God made it clear that Israel was His Chosen People. And it is not up to man to decide who is to be God’s Chosen People. Those nationalists should better delve into the Scriptures to see what it teaches us about our place in the world and how we have to relate to other human beings.

It looks like a lot of Christian Nationalists are afraid of what is further from their bed, instead of opening their horizons, they want to close their world in a time of globalisation.

Those who think God’s Word is only for a few are wrong. The Word of God is revealed to all mankind and calls all people, be them white or bronw, to self-denial and transformation and to unite with eachother, coming closer to God in unity and full of love. From the gospels we learn that strangers were to be loved, the same as the followers of Christ would love themselves. The law effectively speaks against the actions of the nations in preferring their own.

We should know that any form of extreme behaviour or way of thinking is contrary to the open mind Jesus wanted his followers to have. From the previous centuries we also can see how such extremism derailed and gave birth to movements we as lovers of God should avoid, because they are totally against the rules of love for the other.

Giving exaggerated attention to the country or belonging to one country has created currents in the world that excluded others, such as what Nazism did to Jews, gipsies and true God-loving persons who did not wish to believe in the Trinity. Such a cursing attitude that goes against the commandments of God should be avoided by every Christian.

Preceding

Evangelicals: For The Love Of Trump

Evangelicals & Seduction

Additional reading

+++

When 1 699 676 people worldwide are infected and the number of deaths had totalled 102 734 in 210 countries or territories

Thirty years old Gordon Bland who is a seminary student at Regent University, in his second year has a website called Agape Ministry on which he writes in his blogarticle Pandemic: Be Calm During the Storm:

We are living in a time that is certainly not the norm that we are used to, but is this unprecedented? If it is unprecedented, then is it totally unique or should our actions and emotions be similar to any other catastrophic event? The new Coronavirus that has spread globally, Covid-19, has caused over 13,000 deaths and over 300,000 illnesses. This is something that is affecting nearly every person in some manner, but is fear appropriate? Perhaps more importantly, is fear ever appropriate?

As of April 11, 2020, the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had been confirmed in around 210 countries or territories. The virus had infected 1,699,676 people worldwide, and the number of deaths had totalled 102,734. The most severely affected countries include the U.S., Italy, and Spain.

Lots of people have signs of anxiety and fear that unseen enemy that had not previously been identified in humans. In February 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses and the World Health Organization announced official names for both the virus and the disease it causes: SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, respectively. The name of the disease is derived from the words corona, virus, and disease, while the number 19 represents the year that it emerged.

There have been leaders of states who first downplayed or minimalised this virus as an ordinary virus resembling that of the common cold, with those infected often experiencing fever, coughing, and shortness of breath, and called it a “Chinese disease”, wanting to have people to believe it was the Chinese infecting others.

Soon that horrible virus infected the USA, where there are still people not wanting to see the importance of staying at home and when coming into public to stay far away enough from each other, on the 11th of April there were already 502 876 cases, leaving Spain far behind with its 158 273 registered infected people.
On the 11th of April over 376,339 people had recovered from the disease, while there had been 102,734 deaths.

Gordon Bland wonders:

We are living in a time that is certainly not the norm that we are used to, but is this unprecedented? If it is unprecedented, then is it totally unique or should our actions and emotions be similar to any other catastrophic event? {Pandemic: Be Calm During the Storm}

The world has had more very dangerous diseases bringing fear over this globe. One of the most devastating pandemics was the Black Death (also known as The Plague or Black Plague), which killed an estimated 75–200 million people in the 14th century. Other notable pandemics include the 1918 influenza pandemic (Spanish flu). Among the ten major virus outbreaks in the last 50 years, the Marburgvirus, genus of viruses in family Filovirida, caused severe disease in humans and other primates. One species has been described, Marburg marburgvirus (formerly Lake Victoria marburgvirus), which is represented by two viruses, Ravn virus (RAVV) and Marburg virus (MARV). The zoonotic disease that is characterized by high fever known as Marburg virus disease (MVD), with a malaise, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, and hemorrhage (bleeding) gave a fatality rate as high as 80 to 90 percent.

How the Nipah virus spreads

Nipah, a type of RNA virus in the genus Henipavirus, followed in 1986 with a fatality percentage of 77,6.

Ebola, in full Ebola virus disease, formerly called Ebola hemorrhagic fever, contagious disease caused by a virus of the family Filoviridae that is responsible for a severe and often fatal viral hemorrhagic fever.

In comparison, the recent novel coronavirus, originating from the Chinese city of Wuhan, had a fatality rate of 2.2 percent as of January 31, 2020, whilst the so much feared Ebola in 1976 had ‘only’ a fatality rate of 40,4%. As of early February 2020, the virus has spread to 24 countries with over 40 thousand confirmed cases.

The present virus came for many as a surprise. People should know it is because so many countries took such drastic measures there are no more casualties. Looking at the many deaths and so many illnesses. Bland wonders if this:

is something that is affecting nearly every person in some manner, but is fear appropriate? Perhaps more importantly, is fear ever appropriate? {Pandemic: Be Calm During the Storm}

It can be said it is normal that people are afraid for something they can not control; This time the world faces a pandemic they have a lot of difficulties to keep under control. Dangerous leaders of States, like Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, brought their own population in danger and made that we now can see more deaths than there should have been with the knowledge scientists have to battle this disease.

we should not disregard actions to preserve life such as “social distancing.” We can learn from Jesus’ concern in the boat that He knew there was no reason to fear the storm for He was aware of the Father’s plan for His life. He knew it was not the time for His death. Instead, we can see that the storm was a trial for the disciples so that their faith may be tested. Jesus, with His sovereign control over all, controlled the storm and used it as a teaching moment regarding faith. {Pandemic: Be Calm During the Storm}

We all should know that it is God Who decides when our time to go comes. But we should not tempt Him by shouting we should not fear this diseases because we have God on our side. The Adonai has given the world people with brains, who can study diseases and can warn and help others to stay safe. I other people shall ignore those warnings and think all those scientists are fools they shall have to bear the consequences.

Bland urges you to

not sin through disregarding the life the Lord has given us. Do not take actions that cause you to endanger others, but instead, do what you can to ensure others are safe and provided for. We are to love our neighbor (Mark 12:31), so live your lives as such. It is not loving to needlessly risk other’s health for the sake of vain pleasure. Similarly, to disregard your own health is to sin against the Lord. If God gave us the gift of life, how foolish are we to live in a way to put it in danger? If a child is given a gift, is it not disrespectful to the giver of the gift to destroy it? How much more disrespect do we show to the Creator of life if we treat it as something to disregard. {Pandemic: Be Calm During the Storm}

Two days ago we could see how in White Rusland (White Russia) or Belarus, formerly known by its Russian name Byelorussia or Belorussia, for Good Friday people all gathered in churches and came to kiss a grand cross lying in the aisle. An ideal way for the virus to transmit from one person to another. Other pictures also entered in our living room from the United States of America, where so-called Christians said they had nothing to worry because they are Christians and God is with them, protecting them, and if their time would be there to die than it would be so. According to Pew Most White Evangelicals Don’t Think COVID-19 is a Medical Crisis. Several Protestants and Roman Catholics were calling their members to ignore the request for distancing and to come to the Easter celebrations. Also in Europe there are people who find the Easter egg hunt such an important family tradition that families should come together with their children in the houses of their grandparents to search for eggs. (Naturally one can wonder what eggs have to do with the death and resurrection of Christ!?!)
Such people ignoring the scientists their advice to stay at home and to avoid contact with others, are bringing other people in danger, but also themselves.

Many people are indeed showing respect for life by taking measures to protect the elderly and immune-compromised. This type of concern is something demonstrating how to love our neighbor, but how much more important that we show the same love for the unborn, who are but at the beginning of life. {Pandemic: Be Calm During the Storm}

We should not forget

The church has survived many pandemics like Covid-19. In fact, some were much worse, like the Black Death that killed 75 million deaths in Europe in the 14th Century. In 1918, the church saw the Spanish Flu ravage the world population, yet we are still here today. I will not say we should not have some concern, because we have a duty to both ourselves and others, but we shall not live in fear. Trust upon the Lord for his provision and protection. We will get through this together, all the whilst praising the Lord. ~~If not, I’ll see you in Heaven, and we will praise the Lord!~~ No matter what happens, we can have everlasting joy because of Jesus Christ, so that we may praise the Lord. I pray everybody will remain in good health, or recover quickly. God bless you all. {Pandemic: Be Calm During the Storm}

Preceding

CoViD-19 warnings

Anxiety Management During Pandemic Days~

Hope on the Horizon: Pandemic Anxiety Management II~

Pandemic Anxiety Busters~

Mel Brooks saying “go home” to Max Brooks

Christian Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic

So many being afraid – reason enough to step in the boat with Christ

“In The Midst Of The Storm”

Love in the Time of Corona

Why are you afraid?

Fear in your own heart or outside of it

Our life depending on faith

If you keep your faith and trust in God

Find also to read

+++

Further Related

11 Comments

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Being and Feeling, Crimes & Atrocities, Headlines - News, Health affairs, Lifestyle, Religious affairs, Social affairs, Welfare matters

Tagged as Agape love, Belarus = Republic of Belaru (form. Byelorussia or Belorussia), Black Death = Black Plague or The Plague, China, Coronavirus, CoViD-19, CoViD-19 pandemic, Easter, Easter Egg hunt, Ebola, Europe, Filovirida, Genuine love for others, God, Good Friday, Gordon Bland, Italy, Marburg marburgvirus (formerly Lake Victoria marburgvirus), Marburg virus (MARV), Marburg virus disease (MVD), Neighbours, Nipah virus, Ravn virus (RAVV), RNA virus, Sars-CoV-2 or CoViD-19, Social distancing, Spain, Spanish flu (influenza pandemic of 1918–19), to Disregard health measures, to Endanger others, United States of America

by Guestspeaker | 2019/05/07 · 1:15 pm

Looking forward to a year full of Kindness

Christine Greenwood is an author, health consultant and business entrepreneur, who finds New years time to be a time for reflection of the past year and goal setting for the coming year. She is also a huge believer in reflection of the year past, distilling the wisdom of lessons learned and a big believer in prayerfully setting annual goals for the year to come and practical strategies of how to get there. {2019 – Our Year of Kindness}

One of the goals she likes to set are character goals, things that she would like to concentrate on her life for that year. For 2019 one she wants to share is Kindness. She writes

I have discovered that every person that I deeply respect and love have has a common attribute. They are Kind. Deeply, consistently, and unapologetically Kind. {2019 – Our Year of Kindness}

Lovely to hear that those people around her have that common attribute. That is not so obvious or normal as many would hope for. Kindness becomes a rare aspect of our materialist world. Not many people are having empathy with others or are willing to show their good heart for them. Kindness is missing in a lot of discussions and talks on the social media. Over-there we can see a lot of ugly words and calling names. The way people talk today says a lot of the wrong going of our society. We have to admit in the so called civilised countries the way they treat people is not always better than in the uncivilised countries.

When Christine Greenwood tries to define kindness, she admits to falter.

If we would know her husband we, according to her, would know that he is gentleness and kindness personified in public. She tells us

I can assure you he is even kinder behind closed doors. It can be mildly infuriating, especially when I am feeling impatient or entitled. {2019 – Our Year of Kindness}

When looking at a person his or her “kindness” we can notice this in the reflection of the way a person acts and reacts. Often kindness shows up before we have to ask for something.

I feel loved with acts of service. Knowing this he cleans every week till the house shines. Even when I am home from work, or on holidays. He does it as though it is his sole joy. He always takes the clothes out of the dryer and off the line and folds them as I also hate this job. These small things mean the world to me. {2019 – Our Year of Kindness}

And perhaps it is in the many small things that we can discover the pure and real love and kindness. It might be difficult to describe or define, yet kindness is easy to recognise in people around us.

If we all think about kindness a person in our lives will always spring to mind as someone who is innately kind. {2019 – Our Year of Kindness}

Kindness is an underrated quality that Mrs. Greenwood is seeking after in her life.

Before we can be kind to others we should be kind to ourselves. To do so we also have to know ourself and love ourself. Practice ‘Kindness’ to yourself is an essential part for making a good life for yourself but also for the others around you. As such a person has to learn to be kind for when he or she feels tired or sad, give himself or herself permission to stop to feel that there are others who care about him or her. Most important is it when the person comes to see how we have a much Greater Being that cares for us. It is when we start feeling and knowing that we have a heavenly Father Who knows our heart and Who is close to the broken hearted and loves to comfort us in our grief. {Kindness In 2019 – Continued}

Christine Greenwood promises

I am going to practice Kindness and release myself from a drive to provide for our family and know that God is our provider and I need not strive for with the motivation of financial resource but rather the Kingdom and let God in his Kindness be our Provider.

I will practice Kindness to myself in everything I do, I refuse to compare myself to others. For I am unique and nobody can do what I can do. {Kindness In 2019 – Continued}

We should remember to

Practice Kindness and do not force yourself to do anything that you do not enjoy or that you cannot maintain. Find something that you love to do. That you would do for Fun. Whether it is walking, dancing, running or surfing and make time to do it. For it is being Kind to yourself. {Kindness In 2019 – Continued}

Big problem in our society of social media is that lots of people want to shine in front of others and dare not to show their real “me”. Many people let their expectations about you known by presenting themselves better than they are or by pushing you should also have this or that, or wear this or that.

Practice Kindness to your body by giving your body permission to be whatever it decides to be and celebrate it. No one else cares about the muffin top over your jeans more than you. No one notices it. You are glorious.

Practice Kindness and wear what makes you feel beautiful and comfortable at the same time. Who cares about what the latest trend is. You dance to the beat of your own drum. No need to conform to anyone around you. Find your own style and flaunt it! {Kindness In 2019 – Continued}

In all this, what surrounds us, we should place ourself as we want to be ourself. We also should remember that kindness is our greatest commodity and is life changing. Though it’s definition may be hard to profess.

Kindness is in the small things {Kindness – Our Greatest Commodity – A Poem}

Kindness is the outworking of the love one has for an other. It is taking time for the other and showing gratitude. Kindness also shows when a person is willing to show his dedication to the other and willingness for doing the unexpected things to help others or to be there for others, showing the agape love.

Kindness shows also by the way a person communicates with the other and by the way he or she chooses words and speaks with patience and love.

The best way to bring and show kindness is to give out kindness and friendship without expecting something in return. It starts by showing respect, compassion, positivity, and love. Kindness can come around when we treat everyone as we would like to be treated ourselves.

Preceding

Inspiration to Boost your Karma in the New Year

don’t look at me in that tone of voice!

When remaining angry

High time to show the way to peace

Tunnel under resentment

Additional reading

+++

1 Comment

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Positive thoughts, Social affairs, Welfare matters

Tagged as Agape love, Brotherly-love, Christine Greenwood, Kindness, Love of one's fellow men, Motivation, Patience, Provider God, Taking time for the other, the Self, to be Kind, to Communicate, to Compare oneself to others

by Marcus Ampe | 2018/03/03 · 5:33 pm

It’s Time real lovers of God to Stand and Speak Out!

On one article we reblogged over here (and as such did not write it ourselves) and in which there were used popular words by youngsters, somebody felt offended. It looks like she could not feel any empathy with the generation we and the author of the original article were talking about and brought herself calling us stupid people, though missing the whole point of that article and the discussion around it.

Extended Coloured family from South Africa showing some spectrum of human skin colouration

In our world we see still too many people who want to differentiate between skin colour and race. They continue to demand that there would be called or named the differences between people who live at the same place, instead of accepting everybody who lives there for what he is and for how he looks like. They insist that people who live already for many generations in a certain country or area would still have a referral to that long ago place of origin as if that place of origin of so many generations ago brought a blemish on that person. It looks like many do want that lots of people keep running around with the stain of their past and long death ancestors.

Today we see again a movement going on to put on all people labels, like Moroco, Turkish, Arabic, Berber, Afro-American, etc.. Though those people may already live here for the 3rd, 4th or even 5th generation. As we spoke about the trend the Dutch Press requesting not to use the word ‘blank’ (fair) but now to use ‘wit’ (white) opposite ‘zwart’ (black) instead of ‘kleurling (coloured). Whilst certain newspapers still shall continue words as ‘blank’ and ‘kleurling’ (coloured) not looking at the different skin colour as something negative. Clearly the colour of the skin has become again a point of discussion and we are back to the way of return and pre-Martin Luther King-times, or the time of racial segregation with Apartheid.

Iranian-Belgian human rights activist Darya Safai playtoy of the rightwing political parties trying to limit the freedom of expression and freedom of religion

Several politicians are doing their best to come back to such a time and many migrants are helping them without them having a proper knowledge of what is happening. As such we may find the Iranian dentist Darya Safai who is used as a plaything by the Flemish Nationalists and/or right-wing political parties. The Iranian-Belgian human rights activist grew up in the Islamic Republic of Iran after the revolution of 1979. We can clearly see how she got traumatised with her experiences in Iran. There she experienced at first hand how it was to live as an oppressed woman in a religious dictatorship. But now she thinks this would also be so in Belgium or the countries around us. She insist that parents would have no say on the religious education they want to give at home and want to prohibit any person in our country to wear religious symbols or to have traditional attire. She finds the schools must prohibit any religious dress-code. By doing so she wants the freedom of religion, the freedom of expression and the freedom of clothing restricted. By doing so see also endangers our democratic freedom.

After she was temporarily released on bail, she decided to flee Iran together with husband via Turkey to Belgium. Instead of seeing that we want to be a free country where everybody should be able to live next to each other she now wants to create an other Iran where she shall be on the side of the dictators or decision makers. Though she says she wants to fight against discrimination she tries to bring in discriminating measures, having children nor their parents the right to choose their own religion and how they want to be religious.

In December 2016, Darya Safai was awarded the title ‘Women Of Peace’ by the Belgian Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities at the Belgian Senate, for her fight for women’s rights, though at that time it was already clear she had a more unpleasant agenda.

Last week when a state school was ordered to let 11 young girls (age 12) to wear their hijab to school inspite their ban on all religious symbols Safai went into heavy reaction again helping to have a growing stir in the debate

because when a judge rules that specific people can ignore a rule that counts for everyone, it will cause more division.

It is true that now other Muslim, Sikh, Jewish parents can go to court and achieve the same override for their kid. On the other hand by Safai her actions to forbid head-covering we now have Sikh kids in Sint-Truiden (Haspengouw Hesbaye), who cannot go any more to a state- or to a Catholic school because they are not allowed in with their head covering. For them and for those who want to wear a head-covering the only solution is to go to a private school. Safai forgets that this would cost the parents a lot more and that such private schools of a certain religion endangers our society more, because than there is no control by the school directorate and then the way to indoctrination is totally free and would be unnoticed. We also could see what happened already in one of the Antwerp Jewish schools a few weeks ago. We must be very careful with an overprotection and giving the opportunity to have youngsters drifting away.

Safai seems to think the same rules count over here as in her birthplace. She argues that the choice to wear a headscarf is not made by girls themselves. By this she underestimate the strong will of many Belgian girls. She says

“It’s not a free choice, when I see six-year-old girls wearing headscarves, I really wonder how they could decide that for themselves-it’s imposed on you and you live with them.”

For Safai the girls their head-covering is indeed a symbol of oppression.

“Men do not wear headscarves, that’s the best proof,”

Orthodox Christian pilgrim

said Safai, to which Vanhecke replied

“With Jews, only the men wear a yarmulke, and that is not seen as a symbol of oppression,”

Safai also forgets or probably does not know that in West Europe all kids from the 1940ies to 1960ies have had to cover their head as girls and we as boys had to cover (like the girls also) our limbs. No bare arms or are knees where to be seen and women at to sit on the left side of the church. It is all still clear in our head also, how our parents and when we went swimming in the sea we had to cover most of our body. (Later, as hippies we went against those restrictions and ran even naked in nature.) And now a few years later what had to happen then suddenly should not be allowed any more. She also does it as if the head-covering is only a Muslim matter, forgetting that still today many religious Christian groups prescribe head-covering for their members.

Roman Catholic nuns – Roman Catholic nuns singing in choir. – Smith2006

Throughout the centuries of Church history, women have worn head coverings during the meetings of the church – that is, when “praying or prophesying” take place. In Europe the wearing of fabric head coverings in worship was also universally the practice of Christian women until the twentieth century and in several Reformed churches, Baptists, Christadelphian, Brethren and various Mennonites it is still the custom for young and old. In the South of Europe we may find lots of nuns of the Roman Catholic churches with a covering of their heads, whilst many women in the South (like Spain and Italy) still often have the head covering by means of a headscarf. In Eastern Orthodox churches, all women still cover their heads. With the old believers this may only be a headscarf, with the other Eastern Orthodox it may also be a veil.

Vanhecke, with good reason, thinks girls are also oppressed if they are not allowed to wear the headscarf.

“A religion obliges the headscarf, a society forbids it, that is the same principle.”

“You interfere in a fundamental right of parents to make choices for their children,”

says Vanhecke.

That what Safai tries to avoid she helps to create. One should avoid that we get such private religious schools as only possibility for religious people to give their kids an education. When we would have such specific Jewish, Hindu and/or Islam schools we make it much easier to have them a specific religious education or indoctrination and creating a generation which would be less adapted in our culture than those who grow up together with all sorts of kids from different nationalities and different religions. Instead of integrating them in a multicultural society Safai shall help to create a divided society with lots of racism.

So needless to say this situation actually causes the very religious division that the ban on head-covering tries to avoid.

Mieke Vanhecke (CD & V), ex-top woman of Catholic education, pleaded in Terzake for the right to wear a headscarf at school. Darya Safai (N-VA) continues to see it as a symbol of oppression. Vanhecke argues that not only Muslims are victims of the headscarf debate.

“A ban on headgear not only affects Muslims,”

says Vanhecke.

“In Sint-Truiden there were never any problems, the Sikh boys came to school with a turban, because of the ban they no longer have access to our school.”

Safia is convinced that children and young women can not make up their own mind what to wear. For her children nor women who wear the hijab impossibly can do that of their own will and impossibly can be happy clothing themself that way. Many like her she see misogyny and are convinced that they must be under dictation of a male dictator or male bully. Often we hear voices like

‘Her husband must have forced her’

‘Poor girl, she may not dress like she wants’

Safia like many right wing people can only think of suppression, seeing men’s orders and their power over women. Others love to shout

‘Unveil yourself’,

‘Hide not yourself”

‘Let us see your beauty’

Why should they have such a need to see the beauty of that woman? Why can they not respect that woman like she wants to dress herself?

Those people thinking women or girls who like to wear a head scarf of hijab are pushed by their family, do forget that there are enough strong women in Belgium who can make up their mind themselves. They do not need their fathers or their male partner to dictate what they should wear but even less should they have others to dictate what they should wear or may not wear. That last bit is what Darya Safai and many Nationalists and Neo-Nazis love to do.

Lots of those who call themselves Christian but oppose the freedom of other lovers of God, do forget that by doing so they go in against the Law of God. Their strong actions against Muslims and Jews also clearly show that they do not bear Jesus his teachings of love in their heart. Lots of them also do not understand that wearing a covering on the head may represent an ordainment from God and a submitting to the Most High. There are enough places in Scriptures which talk about such covering and reasons why and when to do it.

Those who are an atheist or do not believe in the One True God should not try to put their law above the Laws of God nor should they urge all others to live like them and to dress like them.

Many also do forget the use of a head-covering can just mean those women liberated themselves from the world and its attitudes. For many believers in the One True God it can mean just empowerment, liberation and freedom. Too many underestimate the European female and think they would be like the women in the Middle East used as slaves by the male figures around them. But we can see strong women who have made up their own mind and by their own choice and by their own intentions they dare to show their faith to others and are not afraid to be mocked at or to be looked at as of ‘not of this world’. They do not want to be of this world but of the world of God. For them that is more important than being a slave of this world where every body assumes he or she is free when they can have sex with as many as they can or drink as much as they want to do all the funniest things one can think of.

Mrs. Safai does as if those girls, when they would wear a head dress, never would be able to integrate in our society or would never be able to get work. When they would not get work because they wear a head covering, does that not tell more about the party who does not want to give her work? And does that not show how certain people do not want others to integrate in our community?

By the way, lots of right wing people do as if those Muslim girls who want to cover their head are foreigners, but a lot are girls and ladies who were before ‘white Belgian citizens’ and even belonging to Catholic families.

That many people are so much afraid that there would be so many converts to Mohammedanism tells also a lot about the weakness of most members of that faith. Lots of Roman Catholics and Protestants even not knowing the Name of God and never having read the Bible. If they would be standing strong in the faith we see no reason why they and others should be so afraid. The other way, Christians should come out and proclaim their faith to those who are no Christian. They should show people that Jesus is the way and show that Jesus his teaching is one of love and of comprehension and compassion. But most Belgians, Dutch and French people just show the opposite, showing their hate against immigrants and people who are different than they or who think differently than they.

Lots of people seem to have forgotten how we and our parents had to cover our body a few decades ago. Lots of them also forget that just because their western values don’t fit with a woman covering her hair and beauty, it still could be a personal choice for that person covering herself. Many do forget that their Western values are way out from our Christian Western values and norms.

Today so many oppose people who have an other opinion. We also see the right wing people wanting so much that every body would dance to their will.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said,

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

These days we are going backwards because several people want to push their will unto others. They want an exclusive white state for themselves with only believers in that what they believe and in that what they call Christian values, but are not at all Christian values.

In Belgium we can find more and more Muslim children in community education, especially with regard to other educational networks we may find a larger influx of students from other cultures in general in the state schools. When these children want to show their own faith in the form of clothing, they often do so out of their own convictions, but because these young people are not yet adults, they often take over the prevailing morality of their immediate environment and of society. If we compare this with the Flemish youths of indigenous origin, we notice a big difference, but according to us that is easy to explain. After all, with many Flemish young people there is a great ignorance of the church, while the Muslim children are more often socialized in their ideology.
The total banning of religious signs would thus be a violation of religious freedom. We should resist such a thing.
That a lot of inhabitants of Belgium, Holland and France do not want to stand open for other cultures we should try to avoid in the next generations by introducing the various cultures from the early years in childhood.

Dyab Abou Jahjah in 2008.

The Belgian-Lebanese Arab political activist and writer Dyab Abou Jahjah, claims that

‘hatred in Flanders is mainstream’

and

‘racism determines the agenda’.

When you follow certain reactions and talks it gives the impression not enough people want to react against that dangerous trend.

Christian people should let others know that all people have the same value because we are created by the same One True God. We all are being allowed to live on this globe and are given talents which can be used to help others. All people in a community have to complement each other.
Each person should know that racism devalues people. Non believers should come to see that Christ has broken down racial doors and overcomes divisive thinking by creating for himself a new nation through his death and resurrection. Every Christian should help to build a loving world by showing his love for others, be them of no believe or any other believe than Christianity.
When the politicians are not doing their job properly to build a multicultural peaceful state, the Christians needs to lead the way.
When you are a Christian do not wait until it is too late!

Let your voice be heard and speak up for the weaker ones in our society and for those who humiliated and shut out.

Preceding articles

What is important?

Enough with the Clothes Shaming of Muslim Women

Anti-Semitic pressure driving Jews out of Europe

The Mountain: Radical Love

Additional reading

+++

19 Comments

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Being and Feeling, Crimes & Atrocities, Cultural affairs, Educational affairs, Fashion - Trends, Headlines - News, History, Juridical matters, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Political affairs, Religious affairs, Social affairs, Welfare matters, World affairs

Tagged as Agape love, Apartheid (racial segregation), Ban on all religious symbols, Baptists, Belgian girls, Belgian Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities, Belgian women, Belgium, Brethren, Brotherly-love, Christadelphian, Darya Safai, Democratic freedoms, Discriminating measures, Discrimination, Dutch Press, Dyab Abou Jahjah, Ethnoreligious groups, European female, Flemish Nationalists, Freedom, Freedom of clothing, Freedom of expression, Freedom of religion, Head-covering, Hijab, Human rights activist, Indoctrination, Informal attire, Jews, Judeo-Christian values, Law of God, Mennonites, Mieke Vanhecke, Migrants, Muslims, Nationalists, Neo-nazis, Oppressed women, Oppression, Overprotection, Private schools, Protestants, Race, Racism, Reformed churches, Religious Christian groups, Religious division, Religious dress-code, Religious education, Respect, Right-wing political parties, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholics, Showing faith, Sikhs, Sint-Truiden, Skin colour, South of Europe, Standing strong in the faith, Submitting to God, Suppression, to Wear religious symbols, to Wear traditional attire, Turban, West Europe, Yarmulke

by Christadelphians | 2018/02/03 · 2:16 pm

Preach

Too many people who call themselves Christian do forget who Jesus really was and which tasks he had given to his followers. Today true Christians still should follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and should proclaim the hopeful message of the coming Kingdom.

Real Christians should be heralds of the Gospel, eager to tell the people about the Good News, of salvation and about the hope for mankind given by the Grace of God.

As forerunner or herald Christians should be portent or indicators of something important or calamitous about to occur, perhaps an omen in the eyes of many, but for others an insurmountable event to look forward even when it might bring lots of suffering and an incredible violence. therefore we should warn the people of that last and third world war which is insuperable.

By sharing the agape love and bringing more people to see that Jesus is the way to God and the way to life, the Christian herald shall be able to make many stronger and secured against the coming disaster. Out of love for others we should tell others about the love of God, about what Jesus has done, but also about the return of Jesus and what to expect of that time of his return.

+

To remember

Greek word most often translated as ‘preach’ is κηρύσσω – kérussó (Strong’s 2784) = Koine = ‘to be or act like a herald’ or ‘to proclaim’.

role of a herald or Old French heraut from Frankish via herewald, literally ‘war-ruler’, > martial or commander > 3 distinct contemporary meanings:

A messenger

A harbinger

A steward (of heraldry -a rank/position at the College of Arms)

‘preacher’ of the Gospel, = entrusted (stewardship) with a message of coming of the Kingdom of God.

‘to herald’ = ‘sing the praises of’

idea that a Christian should ‘preach the Gospel’= frowned upon. > conjures images of street corner evangelists ranting at passing ‘sinners’

Christian organisations involved in social action ministry > running night shelters, to discourage volunteers from speaking about Jesus – some even require a signed commitment to not proactively mention the Gospel.

What has gone wrong? To paraphrase Peter (Acts 5:3), how has Satan so filled the hearts of Christians? How is it that Christians feel confident enough to defy God and disobey the Great Commission?

Go into all the world and proclaim (kérussó) the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15)

‘preach’ is not:

convicting people of their sin and telling them they are bound for hell

talking down to people from a position of self-righteousness

a slick presentation, a hectoring declamation or a well-honed argument.

Preaching = heralding = speaking joyfully of Jesus, singing his praises; telling people of how people are transformed in Christ, and how they can be also, through faith.

best witnesses to Christ = demonstrate love + speak of its origin, which is Jesus; perhaps the Great Commission was given as command because Jesus knew that it would be challenging.

If witness speaks from love about hope + declares that Jesus = source of hope => herald will have done his work faithfully.

++

Additional reading

Two new encyclopaedic articles

Breathing to teach

“I Die Daily”

To create a great journey

+++

Related

What is meant by awareness, or witnessing?

Witnessing the Destruction of Nature around the Planet.

Man I sure wish I would’ve had one of my witnessing cards just now to send with a man.

A witnessing prayer

Witnessing the Secret Creator

” Witnessing “

As the clock strikes 12…

Hope is an anchor

Reject And Correct Christian propaganda

Families embrace their community for the gospel

Bold to Witness

Being a One Talent Church

Come and see…

Hold Up The Light

Are You An Ambassador For Christ?

Are You Ready for the Harvest?

First Things First

Talking About Jesus

You Are Ready To Go – By Laurence Torr

Christianity’s Most Essential Verse

God Breathed Words

raffaello-sanzio-da-urbino-st-paul-preaching-at-athens-cartoon-for-the-sistine-chapel.jpg Raphael’s depiction of Paul preaching in Athens

Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. (1 Thessalonians 2:9)

The Greek word that is most often translated as ‘preach’ is κηρύσσω – kérussó (Strong’s 2784). The word in the Koine

View original post 648 more words

14 Comments

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs, Welfare matters

Tagged as Agape love, Being Christian, Biblical message, Bringing Good News, Christian, Christian herald, Followers of Christ, Forerunner, Genuine love for others, Harbinger, Herald, Heraut, Herewald, Hope, Hope for the future, Indicator, Insurmountable event, Kingdom of God, Message of hope, Message of Jesus, Message of love, Messenger, Preaching, Proclaiming Good News, Real Christians, Social action ministry, Steward, Stewardship, Street corner evangelists, to Preach, True Christians, Witness for Christ, Witnessing, World War III

by Guestspeaker | 2017/11/02 · 2:00 pm

A New Reformation

Lots of American churches have been caught by the American individuals aiming for capitalism and having their own self enjoying it as much as they can in as much wealth they can get.

The American people have forgotten where their ancestors came from and that they too are people which only can live in that wealth because their ancestors where finding themselves a place where they were not considered as unwanted immigrants.

Lots of Americans still do not see that their family has taken the ground of the indigenous people, the ones who lived on the pastures. Lots of Americans also have forgotten the main message of sharing agape love.They may be members of mega-churches, but those churches have nothing in common with the first ecclesiae or meeting places of the first followers of Jesus Christ.

The majority of Christians in the United States of America still do not understand how the devote Jew Saul (better known as Paul today) used also harsh language in denouncing the way the face of Christ was distorted by both false teaching and behaviour inconsistent with the Gospel. Today it is not better than in his time. Most people having taken Jesus as their god and also having made graven images of their gods. The majority has come to live like Roman Catholics not reading the bible any more and just hearing some verses often taken out of context.

All over the world we can see that the majority of people with their lifestyle are far off the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. Already for that reason it is high time we shall get some awakening again.

*

To remember

American (Eastern Orthodox) theologian David Bentley Hart raises some thought-provoking questions about the American church that if raised by others would immediately be brushed aside as symptomatic of “anti-Americanism”.

open + troubling question whether American religiosity has resources to help sustain a culture as a culture >to create a meaningful future, or can only prepare for the end times.

can it cultivate kind of moral intelligence necessary to live in eternity and in historical time simultaneously, without contradiction?

American Christian Fundamentalism (ACF) made deep inroads into churches all over the world since the Second World War => influence magnified with rise of satellite TV + Internet.

decline of old-style European theological liberalism, ACF poses far bigger threat to global church than Islamist fundamentalism.

(1) ACF promotes religious hypocrisy > baptising consumerist “American dream” + right-wing political agendas

(2) ACF promotes mindlessness > demonizes whatever it doesn’t understand = Secularism, Evolution, Feminism, Islam + ancient Asian religions.

(3) ACF promotes divisiveness > preaching a private, individualistic “Gospel”, blinding its followers to scandal of Christian fragmentation, rivalry + separation. + encourages “personality cults” disguised as “doctrinal distinctives.”

(4) ACF promotes Zionist views re the Middle East, reinforcing the apartheid practices of the Israeli state.

=> need a new Reformation among evangelical Protestants.

++

Find also to read: Followers, protestors and reformers

+++

Related articles

Stevie Wonder performed the national anthem on his knees

John Kelly backtracks after saying that he runs the country

Russian internet trolls studied US politics by watching House of Cards

Obesere signs multi-million dollars deal with US record label, Freeworld Music

Ravi Persaud takes top spot in Banks DIH/Citizens Bank golf tourney

Vinoth Ramachandra

The American (Eastern Orthodox) theologian David Bentley Hart raises some thought-provoking questions about the American church that if raised by others would immediately be brushed aside as symptomatic of “anti-Americanism”. In an article (“The Angels of Sacré-Coeur”) first published in 2011, Hart writes:

“It is very much an open and troubling question whether American religiosity has the resources to help sustain a culture as a culture- whether, that is, it can create a meaningful future, or whether it can only prepare for the end times. Is the American religious temperament so apocalyptic as to be incapable of culture in any but the most local and ephemeral sense? Does it know of any city other than Babylon the Great or the New Jerusalem? For all the moral will it engenders in persons and communities, can it cultivate the kind of moral intelligence necessary to live in eternity and in historical time…

View original post 778 more words

9 Comments

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

Tagged as Agape love, American Christian Fundamentalism (ACF), American churches, American people, American religious temperament, Americans, anti-Americanism, Awakening, Christians, Consumerist “American dream”, David Bentley Hart, European Christendom, European theological liberalism, Evangelical Protestants, False behaviour, False teachings, Followers of Christ, Immigrants, Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Last Days, Mega-churches, Personality cults, Roman Catholics, United States of America, Zionism

by Guestspeaker | 2017/08/04 · 12:42 pm

Preaching as Public Speaking

Jesus has given his followers the task to go out into the word to preach the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.

2020 years after the master teacher his birth the Church has gone fare away from his teachings. In many church-groups or denominations we can find that human doctrines have won and that the people in the congregation or church community prefer to keep to human tradition instead of holding to the biblical teachings and Godly holy days.

“I want to preach a sermon. . .” – NARA – 514567 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Disappointed by the many contradicting teachings, ideas and having seen so many pastors, ministers and priests not living according to the Law of God and the law of human decency, lots of people got enough of the hypocrisy of those churches. Today we can only see (nearly) empty churches all over West Europe.

For sure the Body of Christ needs some fresh blood and some good ‘Punch’. Anno 2017 it looks like the church is gone ‘pubering’ again and in need of some acné products, trying to get rid of the puperal pimples or the sickness of the capitalist world where man has increased his position to godly status, so many thinking they are god themselves and play for god.

This world need preachers or speakers who are not afraid to give those immature consumers a tick on their bum. some even can use some figurative slap in the face to wake them up.

Most important to come over as some one sincere and credible is that the one who wants to speak for God he or she, himself or herself beliefs in the Most High and in His only begotten son. In the preacher has to burn the light of faith before he can go to others for trying to convince them to see that light in the darkness.
First there has to be conviction and persuasion in the preacher’s heart, glowing very strongly, to have the fire in the eyes, with such a kind and sweet heart that people would become eager to taste that sweetness and listen to what that person has to tell.

With the hate and vile language we can find lots of Christians spreading today on the internet and in common speech on the streets, they shall not be able to attract others to love them or to love what they tell.

Today we also find lots of Christians who preach there has a war started by the Muslims against the Christians. They forget that lots of Christians are setting themselves against the Islam. They do not see they have fallen in the trap of the false Muslims who not only have done a lot of damage to Islam but also want to destabilise the whole world.

It is up to the preachers who call themselves Christian to show the love of Christ and to share that agape love with all people around them, atheists, other believers (be them Muslims or from an other faith).

Without the love of Christ and without the burning fire of faith in the own heart, the preacher his gained ‘technique’ shall be quickly uncovered by the truth, so let him first get to the core of the Bible and teach that biblical Truth instead of human doctrines, and let he or she be unbiased, open to all people and not to just a few of a certain race or group.

*

To remember

preaching = divine task + form of public speaking

preaching involves spiritual dynamics + oratory skills = technical aspect of preaching < form of public speaking => skills revolving around use + proper utilization + creative use of voice, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures + movements.

no methodology holy

Only written words of God in Bible are holy

+

Preceding articles

Several Christians fail to recognise the Chosen ones of God and are not taking on a Christian attitude

To proclaim the day of vengeance

What makes you following Christ and Facebook Groups

++

Additional reading

The business of this life

The task given to us to love each other

Parish, local church community – Parochie, plaatselijke kerkgemeenschap

People who know how to pray to move God to take hold of our affairs in a mighty way

Pulpit reserved for the pastor

Notification and news feed for Facebook users

Bring praise to the Creator

The essence of church

+++

Further reading

Why are Christians so nosey about other peoples affairs

What, we agree? Compatible issues in a disagreeable world

Is a Religious War in Europe Imminent?

Bias, and Disagreeing with Something

Can we not be civil and simply disagree?

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give”

Are you ready for this?

You Summon and Send Us, three prayers based on Matthew 10

Bearing Witness

On the Power of Hospitality…

“When I Could Stand it No Longer….”

Being A Witness for Christ

Proclaim

Politics and Preaching

Good enough for ministry?

What builds the Church?

Back to Baby Steps

Book Blurb: Biblical Preaching

3 Steps to Make the Message Stick

5 Lessons from the Mission Field

Owen on Preaching, Sinclair on Children and Christ

Speech

Finding My Voice

The Foolishness of Preaching

Jonah — Belief Contradicted by Behavior! (Part 3)

Calvin: Ministers Ought Not to Steal

J.C. Ryle on “Jelly-Fish” Sermons

Unfurling the Word

Let’s keep our message offensive

Let’s keep our message offensive, part two

Preaching to the Late Modern Mind: Five Cultural Narratives to Know

Preparing to Preach

Preaching and Faithfulness

The Courage to Preach

Pastoral Theology

Reflections

Care for Others

Faithful Congregations Share the Good News

Charles Spurgeon on Spiritual Gleaning

The Dispensation of Grace

Stirring the Pot with Grace…

Psalm 64:9 Pondering God’s Work

How to Have a Successful Ministry

+++

Related articles

Demon Possessed Hindus Riot Across India, Beat And Murder Christians For Claims Of Eating Beef

Muslim radio host says gay people have a right to be angry at Islam: “Don’t try and tell me that our religion doesn’t have a history of homophobia”

Attack On Ndigbo In the North Is An Attack On All Christians, Say Arewa Christians

It makes no sense to compare religious majoritarianism in India and Pakistan – Publications – AEI

Tillerson is now calling ISIS slaughter of Iraqi religious minorities ‘genocide’

Anti-immigrant group confuses bus seats for women wearing burkas

Muslim Terrorists Butcher Two Chinese Christians For Preaching The Gospel To Muslims

BELLWETHER: Now he’s sorry! California imam preaches sound bites of hate

Exclusive: Islamist preacher who cited a Nazi comparison of Jews to ‘fleas’ to speak at Palestine Expo event in government building

You may not understand His plans, but the results will prove that His way is right

Worship and the Christian Life

True, preaching is a divine task, yet basically it is also a form of public speaking. A true preacher will eventually realise that as much as preaching involves spiritual dynamics, it also certainly includes oratory skills. These oratory skills constitute the technical aspect of preaching.

Before I tell about this technical aspect of preaching, or the oratory skills, which make us realise that preaching is a form of public speaking, let me tell first some important points to consider.

The first point is that though the technical side of preaching is important, still the spiritual side is more important. Preaching is firstly divine, then secondly it is public speaking. Preaching achieves eternal spiritual fruits, something that ordinary public speaking can never produce.

The second point to consider is that no methodology is holy, no matter how helpful it is in preaching. The techniques of delivering a sermon are never holy…

View original post 1,674 more words

21 Comments

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs, Social affairs, World affairs

Tagged as Agape love, Body of Christ, Bringing Good News, Christian denominations, Christian preachers, Christians, Church community, Church-groups, Congregation, Congregations, Contradicting teachings, Denominations, Eye contact, Facial expressions, Fire of faith, Gestures, Holy Spirit, Human decency, Human doctrines, Light, Light of life, Love of Christ, Ministers, Muslims, Oratory skills, Other believers, Pastors, Playing for God, Prayer, Preacher, Preachers, Preaching, Priests, Proclaiming Good News, Public speaking, Sharing Good News, Spreading Good News, to Preach, to share Good News, Vile language, West Europe, Word of God

by Immanuel Verbondskind | 2017/02/03 · 6:41 pm

Seeds from the world creating division and separation from God

These days we can find more than one politician trying to sow division in his own country and in the world. The are very handy bullies who can keep their outlook unchanged like a good strong high quality wig. their periwig may be their trade mark, hiding what is underneath that peruke. Like postiches are fake people may not forget those words spoken by such politicians may also be fake.

We can hear those politicians, which claim to be Christians, picking on Jews, Muslims and immigrants, trying to hide the internal more important matters, and trying to please the people their tickling ears, who want to find a scapegoat for all the problems of their own country. The last few years our Jewish community already felt the pressure, having to face an increase of bullying, making that several Jews decided to leave Belgium and to go to Israel, where the violence seems to frighten them less than here in Belgium.

Shoebat asks why Christians, before they start ‘picking on Jewish, Muslim or immigrant dumpsters, are joining another dumpster instead of cleaning up the growing neopaganism in their own backyard?’

Fact is, so many, be they Catholic, Orthodox or Evangelical, are looking the other way, that for the sake of being anti-immigrant, they support the heathen. {The Greatest Abandonment Of Christianity In The West Is Happening And The Whole World Is Being Plunged Into Paganism As Biblical Prophecies Reveal}

He should know, like the whole world should know, that at this present day satan, the adversary of God, is throwing a lot of seeds on this globe which shall infect many other seeds wanting to grow up on this earth which is warming up for a less pleasant climate change and for bad times to come.

It are those seeds sown by the adversary of God, which are clearly no seeds of love, or seeds of peace, who by growing up, getting bigger than the slower growing seeds of godly people, that want to convince those who believe in the True God, that they are wrong and that they should believe in the god of the world, making that they shall have it much better than now as believing naive guys.

Those contemporary seeds want those who believe those very old books to come to see that the symbols they are carrying are the signs for better times. They are proud of their tattoos which should be a sign for the world that the world belongs to them. In a way, they are right. The world belongs to them. God has given the world in the hands of man. The adversary of God already for some time has the right to proof to the Divine Maker he can do it better than the Creator Himself.

In ancient times there where the idols of Egypt and it looks like we are gone back to them. We can see many carrying again those very well known symbols of the sun and pagan elements.

Europe and many of the slavs are veering away from Christ’s church returning back in masse to pre-Christian paganism, all with deities that honor “the sun” just as John predicted in Revelations. {The Greatest Abandonment Of Christianity In The West Is Happening And The Whole World Is Being Plunged Into Paganism As Biblical Prophecies Reveal}

At the closing times there will be division. People shall come to fight each other for many reasons, one of which religion shall taken as a point of discussion. The different religious groups fighting against each other, even Christians forgetting the agapé love of the preaching of Christ and his apostles, not willing to be open minded for people who have an other faith or come from other nations.

Isaiah 19 speaks of neopaganism spread from Egyptian mythology which will be the hallmark of the world prior to Christ’s coming. The ultra-nationalist movements from Europe all the way to slavic nations derive from Thor, the sun god in Norse mythology was also the Egyptian Osiris and Kneph, the Phœnician Bel or Baal, and it is accepted freely when slavic neopagans call upon the same God when they invoke Perun.

The American and European Alt-Right’s obsession with a mythical ancient Egyptian deity, Kek, is also Egyptian, while “the Hindus, Persians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Celts have all yielded striking comparisons [to each other], and the Norse Gods display significant resemblances to members of other pantheons” (A History of the Vikings, Oxford University Press, P.p, 319). {The Greatest Abandonment Of Christianity In The West Is Happening And The Whole World Is Being Plunged Into Paganism As Biblical Prophecies Reveal}

In the previous years we could feel how the right wing movements became more into the light, not hiding any more, but shouting loud, wanting to get rid of Jews and Muslims. Again Christian churches where silent, in the same way a mosques did not come out to tell people ISIS and other Muslim fundamentalists where not real Muslims but bringers of hate, not acting like a Muslim should do.

All over Europe we can see the right wing parties getting stronger, making people afraid of the Muslims, Jews and of those who come to look for refuge. The refugees and immigrants are not welcome for them. There is no place in their heart to foster for those in need or fleeing from the war regions in the East or South.

The Lambda. The symbol of identitarians and many neo-Nazis

Shoebat writes

The devil will use antisemitism, stupid, where every evil is blamed on the Jews. And this is currently brewing like never before since WWII. While critiquing Jews is valid, the evil is this unbalanced view that is sweeping western nations like a storm accusing Jews to supersede gentiles in doing mischief. And its coming from claiming Christians who do not consider that antisemitism in Christianity is a heresy, condemned by the church as mortal sin since it stems from ultra-nationalists leading their nations to commit genocide. Today, there is a tremendous rise in antisemitism. It has become a silent reality getting us ever closer to fulfilling Zechariah 12. {A Horrific Storm Of Evil Is Rising Up And Is Sweeping The World, It Is Leading Europe Into The Hands Of The Antichrist}

According to him

Saddam Hussein, also spelled Ṣaddām Ḥusayn, in full Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti whose brutal rule was marked by costly and unsuccessful wars against neighbouring countries.

The first phase began around three decades ago when the West declared war hailing Saddam Hussein as the major threat to the world. And when the true prophets warned “this is a bad idea” the prophets were burned alive. Then it took a decade or two to recognize the prophets were right all along.

Then the next evil phase began when a new spring gushed forth out of the bottomless pit declaring that Middle East dictators are the major threat to the world. The false prophets declare it “an Arab Spring” and they blessed it. And when the true prophets said “this too is wickedness” more true prophets were burned alive. The west then went full-throttle on pumping this Arab Spring to gush forth the waters which became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

The west, as it turns out, commenced an evil plan. Germany aided the Islamist evil dragon Turkey which spewed a flood of Muslim immigrants, locusts if you will, into the heartland of Europe. Now the European masters did not have to convince the masses to aid in the ultimate evil plan, the third phase. Instead the masses on their own declared and complained to their masters that aided and abetted this wormwood shouting that the Muslim immigration is the ultimate major threat to the world. {A Horrific Storm Of Evil Is Rising Up And Is Sweeping The World, It Is Leading Europe Into The Hands Of The Antichrist}

We can clearly see how anti-Semitism was growing in Europe and now has reached the United States of America as well. It is stemming not just from the typical anti-Israel liberals, but according to Shoebath from western conservatives who do not heed Zechariah’s warning.

Today the rise of neopaganism reveals a disturbing trend becoming the fastest growing religion globally and is also virulently antisemitic and contra-believers of God, be it Jews, real or non-trinitarian Christians or real Muslims. We should be alert that there are also groups who may see what is happening to the Jews but want to blame the followers of the prophet Mohammed, making people afraid of those believers of One God.

We must be careful, for those who are trying to frighten people for the worshippers of Allah. First of all those making others afraid of the worshippers of Allah, is that they forget ‘Allah’ is a title which denotes a god and the God. In Belgium and many other countries ‘Allah’ does not pose so many problems because it is a general title being used to denote a god or God, Who gets also other titles over here like ‘Ene’ or ‘Enige’ (‘One’ or ‘Only One’), Elohim, Dieu and Gott, el (not for the girl of female ‘el’) and El Shadai. I got the impression on the net (for the short time I’m presenting there my own ‘Immanuel site’ or blog) that English speaking people want all others to use the same word for God as they do and how many say the Jews killed Jesus and therefore should be punished and done with. (It would be the same as Jews now saying to a Caucasian “you killed my forefathers so I have to kill you’, though perhaps it could well be that this Caucasian’s father or grand parent really has Jewish blood on his hands, though Christ was long ago put to death not by Jews but by the Romans, which many Christians seem to forget.). Some even want that we all would speak English and use what is according to them the only valuable Bible ‘The King James Version’ as if God would only want to reach His people in English. The other-way round in some Muslim countries there are leaders wanting to forbid Catholics and protestants to use the general term for god or God ‘allah’ because they claim ‘Allah’ is only the God of Muslims. Both should know that Allah is the God of all. They also should know that Allah or God has a name which is even Holy or set-apart, and which should be known all over the world. That Holy Name is Jehovah and is the Name given to the Most High Almighty God of gods, Who is a Spirit and not a human being or a being of flesh, blood and bones, like Jesus Christ was. He is also a singular God and Being One He wants all to worship Him alone and not having people bowing down in front of graven images or making any pictures or sculptures of Him or any other gods.

ps-copy

Today we can see that the pagan rituals are very much increasing again and that lots of people prefer to take part in those human rituals and pagan festivals, instead of holding to the festivals the Most High Elohim has given or demands His people to keep.

By having gone so far away from the mitzvah or commandments of God, man became ‘bewildered’ and has lost the North. Not having a good compass any more man has chosen for the wrong and more attractive paths.

Walid Shoebat seems not to believe that his American compatriots are also infested with the same pesticide as the European evangelicals. He writes

Most Americans think that Evangelicals are the same universality, believing that these are ‘Israel flag wavers’ just like them. The American evangelical being unique is the most ill-informed. When it comes to this issue, they do not realize that the bulk of what identifies itself as European Evangelicals are quite the different breed. Germany is exploding with Odin worship with a church in kahoot with it, while in the U.S. Evangelicals don’t say much fearing to appear as pro-immigrant. {The Greatest Abandonment Of Christianity In The West Is Happening And The Whole World Is Being Plunged Into Paganism As Biblical Prophecies Reveal}

and continues

While westerners are made to focus on “creeping Sharia,” they forget how Christians in Germany welcomed “creeping Nazism”. The rise of Nazism in 1933 upheld “Christian values”. Just as the Next News Network, Gary Franchi Jr, the Evangelical supporting the Soldiers of Odin for their good deeds, likewise, during Nazi Germany, Germans were persuaded by the statement on “positive Christianity”:

“We demand the freedom of all religious confessions in the state, insofar as they do not jeopardize the state’s existence or conflict with the manners and moral sentiments of the Germanic race. The Party as such upholds the point of view of a positive Christianity without tying itself confessionally to any one confession. It combats the Jewish-materialistic spirit at home and abroad and is convinced that a permanent recovery of our people can only be achieved from within on the basis of the common good before individual good.” (from Article 24, 1920 Nazi Party Platform)

And just as these deceived Europeans during Nazism, they are doing it again. Everything repeats, there is nothing new under the sun.

And just as it was in WWII, what they all have in common is “antisemitism” “ultra-nationalism,” and a “racialized” understanding of morality.

Kirchenratswahlen am 23. Juli 1933: Wahlpropaganda mit SA-Unterstützung vor der St.-Marien-Kirche am Neuen Markt in Berlin

And if one thinks it is the Catholic, or the Orthodox who were the main players, I remind, it was the Evangelicals in Germany who were the bulk of the masses deceiving while being deceived in the 1930s. These comprised of 28 regional churches or Landeskirchen, the bulk of German churches, that included the three major theological traditions that had emerged from the Reformation: Lutheran, Reformed, and United. Most, the bulk majority, of Germany’s 40 million Protestants, were members of this church, although there were smaller so-called “free” Protestant churches, such as Methodist and Baptist churches that withstood Nazism.

Flag of the Deutsche Christen or German Christians 1934

During the 1920s, a movement emerged within the German Evangelical Church called the Deutsche Christen, or “German Christians.” The “German Christians” embraced many of the nationalistic and racial aspects of Nazi ideology, which is exactly what we see rising today. Once the Nazis came to power, this group sought the creation of a national “Reich Church” and supported a “nazified” paganized version of Christianity.

{The Greatest Abandonment Of Christianity In The West Is Happening And The Whole World Is Being Plunged Into Paganism As Biblical Prophecies Reveal}

Wandlung der DC-Embleme 1932 – 1935 – 1937

It is very clear for us in West-Europe that we can see a very similar situation as in the 1920ies –1930ies and that we similar dictatorial right wing figures rising up and misleading the citizens of their country. America being the first country in the series where the right wing weapon lobby has won and is going to do everything to get other coloured and other believers out of ‘their nation’. Soon we might see Wilders in the Netherlands and Marine Le Pen following in the footsteps of the new dictator Donald Trump, who shall take care that all those who do not agree with him shall disappear from the stage of his theatre.

Europe and other countries should be aware how they should be careful not to fall in the trap of those bad seed, the weeds being sown all over America and Europe, not to become infested with a dangerous virus, which not only shall kill many of the ones not like by many, but worst of all, killing lots of innocent people and bringing horror all over the world.

We should be warned and better know our real enemy.

Preceding

Seeds to be planted soon

Seeds of promise

Seeds, weeds and kingdoms

Unbelief, faith and mustard seed

Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities

Solstice, Saturnalia and Christmas-stress

Additional reading

+++

Further related articles

+++

Save

31 Comments

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Crimes & Atrocities, Headlines - News, History, Political affairs, Religious affairs, Spiritual affairs, World affairs

Tagged as 1920s, 1930s, Adversary of God, Agape love, Allah, Alt-right, American evangelicals, Ancient times, Anti-immigrant parties, Anti-Semitism, Arab Spring, Being anti-immigrant, Belgium, Believers in Allah, Catholics, Christians, Climate change, Deutsche Christen (German Christians), Donald Trump, Egyptian mythology, Elohim Hashem Jehovah, Europe, European evangelicals, Gary Franchi Jr, Geert Wilders, Germany, god of the world, Godly people, gods, Holy Name of God, Human rituals, Idols, Immigrants, Immigration, Jehovah, Jewish community, Jews, Kek (Egyptian deity), Kneph (winged egg), Landeskirchen, Lovers of Allah, Marine Le Pen, Middle East dictators, Muslim countries, Muslim fundamentalists, Muslim immigrants, Muslims, Nazism, Osiris, Pagan elements, Pagan festivals, Pagan rituals, Pagan symbols, Perun (Slavic superior god), Politicians, Preaching of Jesus, Protestants, Refugees, Religious groups, Return of Christ Jesus, Saddam Hussein, Scapegoat, Seed, Seeds, Soldiers of Odin, Thor (Germanic deity), Ultra-nationalism, Ultra-nationalist movements, Walid Shoebat, Weapon lobby, Weed, Weeds, West Europe, Worshippers of Allah, Wotan (Wodan/Woden/Odin)

by Bijbelvorsers | 2016/07/27 · 7:38 pm

Leaders in disguise

Aiming for leadership

Many people love to have the power over others and would do everything to get the leadership.

This world has developed plenty of so called helpers who would bring the best to the nation. Many promised lots of things to the people who fell in their trap, but afterwards were silenced and disillusioned, only had to live with many sorrows and lots of pain.

The world has seen many who said they would deliver their people from all the misery. They wanted their followers to believe they were the saviour or messiah. In this way the world also got to see several imposter Jesuses that feed into the world’s selfish desires — Guru Jesus, Braveheart Jesus, Dr. Phil Jesus, Free-Range Jesus. The problem is, they don’t have the power to save us or transform us into new creations. But also the other imposters, the bullies or bugaboos, who tickle the ears of their listeners and get lots of misguided followers who all seem to believe the lies which seem to be true because it would be strange in case such crazy stories would not be true. How bigger the lies how more acceptable, it seems. As such the world could find a.o. Victor Lustig, who sold the Eiffel Tower, the false princess Mary Carleton, Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the throne of England and many others. America stayed not without them and saw a.o. James Reavis, who claimed he owned Arizona.

No knowledge of Basic Guide for life

Most people — most Christians, even — don’t have a basic working knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, be it the Torah, Tanakh, Hebrew or Christian/Messianic Bible Kethuvim Bet or the Quran. Because of that, so many can tell lies about what is written in those scriptures and many do believe those lies. In such way there are many who can use that unknown element to have others believe that they are right. As such there are people who try to terrorise others with lies about a religion which in its fundamentals should bring salam or peace.

In this world of deceit, the ones with the biggest mouth, are able to get enough followers to irritate the rest of the world. We see that with religious groups like Daesh and Boko Haram, but also with certain politicians, like Donald Trump.

The Boxing ring

For certain politicians it is a sport to blacken others and to spit on others. Many people area afraid if they do not walk with a bully they would be bullied as well and therefore go with him and do if they like him. They are afraid to show their dis-likeness in some case or do think they do have to show that they agree with everything he says, though they do not.

In this world we have lots of people who love to be a master in having the highest quality of being deceitful or having as much falseness as it can be without others noticing it.

Those who say they know the Scriptures should be careful who they want to support or who they want to follow. They should come to see the disguised misleader. They should warn others not to take in the wolf or the Trojan horse before it is to late.

Being Christian

Christians should demand from their leaders to have integrity and to show compassion with others. Christians (believing people in Christ) should take themselves the clothing of Christ and do everything to take on the right attitude, the attitude of Jesus Christ, who loved his enemies and all those who were not mainstream.

In this diversified world it might not be easy always to accept all people around you. There may be many who act in a way you not like. Many people may be around you of whom you disapprove.

As a Christian you should always keep an open mind and treat the others as if they are your brother and sister who you want to give all your love. Yes you should also love the ones who you do not like. What would be the difference between you, as a Christian, and the unbeliever who has an open mind and is generous to those around him or her?

As a Christian you should others to show the way to the Agapè love and to Christ his world, where peace shall reign for ever. When you know the stories of Scripture you should learn from them and they should not only help you know what you believe and why you believe it, but should also help others to come to believe.

You should help others to see who might be a justified leader in the time being and who may bring the nation some things good. But you also should show others the dangers of those who could bring badness to the nation by excluding some people or by wishing to expand their own power or being part of more serious and dangerous institutions who look for their own economical gain (like the weapon industry).

Always deliberate the good and the bad and try to go for the least bad one or the safest one for all, and therefore not always the most profitable for yourself.

Make an honest choice for the community, safeguarding all who have to find a good place to live in.

Preceding articles

Children of Men

Hillary Clinton Says Religious Beliefs About Abortion Have to be Changed

Mountains of information, disinformation and breaking away

American Christians have to think twice before going to vote

Max Lucado: I Had a Dream That Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Reached a Truce

Not making yourselves abominable

Not following the tradition of man

Additional reading

+++

Christianity like Judaism God’s call to human responsibility

The season of Pesach (Passover) is a time for reflection for many people.

Shimon Zachary Klein finds that the relevance of Pesach as a festival of freedom is lost for many reasons. He writes

It is a festival that conjures up obsessions for the “Kosher for Pesach” foods that result in the annual hair-splitting arguments between the secular and religious. The losers are inevitably the secular who have to kowtow to the whims of the religious who have the law on their side. What is free about that? Religious coercion reaches a climax during the Pesach week.Another aspect and one that very few people give a thought is the plight of the Palestinians under occupation. Their limited freedom is even further curtailed. Road-blocks, closures and checkpoints are stricter. The reason is always security. However, the difficulties that innocent Palestinians have to endure are further increased by this “Festival of Freedom”. The Israeli soldiers who are on duty in the occupied territories are even more abusive and insensitive to Palestinians to ensure that the “Festival of Freedom” is not “interrupted” by Palestinians.

It is difficult and even hypocritical to celebrate a festival of freedom while denying another people basic human rights. The settlers in the occupied territories show their presence during this “Festival of Freedom” when they trespass on Palestinian lands. At the same time the Israeli government is still expanding settlements on Palestinian land. Racist rabbis continue their anti-Arab diatribes and this does have much influence for the celebration of Pesach. {Pesach (Passover) – the Festival of “Freedom”}

Today, having a holy week and having listened to the stories how God liberated His people, we in these days of particular times, showing that we are coming closer to the end times, it should be a challenge to all of us as lovers of God to seek new meanings and learning new lessons as to how relevant Pesach remains today.

From the previous writings you could find that it is not enough to celebrate the liberation of the Israelites, who to all intents and purposes, are our ancestors. It is also not enough just to think about the Jewish rabbi who called his disciples together to speak about a new covenant.

English: Omer ceremony – Pesach 2007 , Jewish holidays עברית: חגיגת אנשי אילות לקראת סדר פסח בדשא חדר האכילה.ריקוד אמהות וילדים:שיבולת בשדה., Original Image Name:טקס העומר-פסח 2007, Location:אילות (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many Jews still come together in a very traditional way and even may perform what others consider out dated rituals as to what is Kosher for Pesach and what is not. The religious hair-splitting explanation over what is “kitniot” –“legumes” that are forbidden to be eaten by religious Ashkenazim.

Rabbi John Rosove, J Street Rabbinic Cabinet, Co-Chair brought following message

“As the festival of Passover approaches, we are all challenged, this year even more than most years, to reflect and act on the universal message it conveys — especially in the light of very disturbing trends both in the United States and Israel.

A page from the Haggadah of Pesach printed in Prague, 1527 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The overriding message conveyed through the Haggadah is that it is our duty to experience the story of our liberation from Egypt as if it happened to us personally — and not just a story that happened to our ancestors countless generations ago. As former slaves, our tradition teaches us to be sensitive to the plight of the oppressed throughout history and in our own time. Accepting our role as active participants in that drama, we realize that we have a hand in forging our own destiny and cannot allow ourselves to become mere bystanders.

“We’re taught as Jews despite cruelty leveled against us not to become cruel and hard-hearted ourselves. That is the key lesson of Pesach, and we ignore it at our moral and spiritual peril.”

We are sensitive even to the pain of our enemies, taking a drop of wine out of our glasses for each of the ten plagues visited on the Egyptians, lessening our joy as we recall their suffering.

As our sages have noted, the one commandment in the Torah reiterated more than any other is to care for and love the stranger — for we ourselves were strangers in Egypt. It is repeated no fewer than 36 times.

Perhaps the repetition is necessary because this commandment tells us to do something that is both counterintuitive and very hard to do. It goes against something that is very deep and fundamental within us. We’re hardwired to be loyal to our own tribe and to be suspicious of and hostile to “the other.” When we’re hurting or in distress, some of us blame strangers and pour out our rage on them. It’s happening again, right now, in Syria, Iraq and in sectors of America.

He is not the only one who looks at what is going on at the 2016 presidential campaign in the United states of America where some of the leading candidates have built their campaigns by exploiting the fears and anxieties of fellow Americans. Also on several religious websites, mainly fundamentalist Christian or American right wing Evangelist sites everything is done to bring people against each other and to downgrade one or an other faith-group.

The rabbi rigthly remarks:

They have cynically fomented an anti-immigrant, xenophobic, nativist feeling against Muslims, Hispanics and others.

and sees the same problematic matter in Israel

we see the same phenomenon in the very disturbing recent polls showing that a sizeable proportion of the Jewish population would favor depriving Arab Israelis of their democratic rights or even expelling them from the country. And tragically, Israelis and Palestinians have become strangers to each other, meeting in fewer and fewer places and not currently engaged around the negotiating table.

Yes, Israelis have been subjected to heinous terrorist attacks, rockets, missiles and constant psychological pressure — and we must stand with them in upholding their right to defend themselves and our Jewish homeland — but returning hatred with hatred is not the response our tradition teaches. We’re taught as Jews despite cruelty leveled against us not to become cruel and hard-hearted ourselves. That is the key lesson of Pesach, and we ignore it at our moral and spiritual peril.

This is not who we are as Jews — nor who we can be and should be.

As individuals and collectively, working through organizations like J Street and its many American-Jewish, Israeli and Palestinian allies, we need to change this. We are called upon by tradition to pursue peace and justice and to love compassion. We must see that our neighbors are fellow humans with the same desires and aspirations as us — and we must never abandon our goal of reaching a two-state solution to end the conflict.

That is the great challenge of our time and it is deserving of particular reflection this festival season.

English: Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of th...

Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the UK, at National Poverty Hearing 2006 at Westminster, London. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As the former Chief Rabbi of Britain, Jonathan Sacks, has noted,

“Judaism is God’s call to human responsibility. From this call you can’t hide, as Adam and Eve discovered when they tried, and you can’t escape, as Jonah learnt in the belly of a fish. The first humans lost paradise when they sought to hide from responsibility. We will only ever regain it if we accept responsibility and become a nation of leaders, each respecting and making space for those not like us.”

Also for those who want to call themselves Christian should ring the same bell. Jeshua asked his followers to be messengers of peace. We can not permit it that we again would loose the paradise. It is promised to us, but we can go along the wrong paths and miss that important entrance or small gate to the Kingdom of God.

Christians should take up their responsibility to preach the Good News and to show the right attitude of a lover of God, keeping to the golden Rule of the Agape love.

Please do read also: Relevance of Observing Pesach Today

+++

7 Comments

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Being and Feeling, Crimes & Atrocities, Food, Lifestyle, Religious affairs

Tagged as Agape love, Anti-immigrant parties, Arab Israelis, Ashkenazim, Christianity, Democratic rights, Escape from Egypt, Festival of Freedom, Haggadah, Hispanics, Human rights, Israel, Jews, John Rosove, Jonathan Sacks, Judaism, Kitniot (category of foods that may not be eaten during Passover), Kosher, Liberation, Muslims, Palestinians, Pasach (Passover), Presidential campaign, Religious coercion, Stranger(s), United States of America

by Guestspeaker | 2016/02/25 · 12:15 pm

Mishmash of a legal code but importance of mitzvah or commandments

Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild, working in England, writes

Interestingly while Judaism teaches that mitzvot are divinely ordained and therefore not to be questioned or even necessarily understood, it does at the same time try to explain them as a rational force, and many commentators suggest reasons for our doing them.

We are told: – “The essential reason for the commandments is to make the human heart upright” ( ibn Ezra on Deut 5:18); or “Each commandment adds holiness to the people of Israel.” (Issi ben Akavia, Mechilta on Ex 22:30); or even that “The purpose of the mitzvot is…to promote compassion, loving kindness and peace in the world” (Maimonides, yad, Shabbat) {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

The Covenant Confirmed, by John Steeple Davis (1844-1917), as in Exodus 24 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Those who believe in the God of Abraham, should know that this God of gods has given the many commandments to help man find his way in this universe and to live in a proper peaceful relation with God’s creation.

The world has been given Mishpatim, which we may consider judgements by ‘laws’ or ‘rulings’ and they will govern the community who agree to accept them. But not all humans will accept them, that’s a fact. Also in the previous times people of God did not have it easy at all times with those Mishpatim, though just after Moses has finished relating all the various laws to the Children of Israel, we can see in the Old Testament how often those People of God went astray.

Moses Showing the Ten Commandments, by Gustave Doré (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Real lovers of God should agree “to do all the things that God has spoken” (Exodus 24:3). They should cling to the Word of God as the only Perfect Rule Giver and should go for keeping “miẓwah”, the divinely instituted rule of conduct. As such, the divine commandments are divided into (1) mandatory laws known as , and (2) those of a prohibitory character, the . This terminology rests on the theological construction that God’s will is the source of and authority for every moral and religious duty. Many of the old laws were given to and concerned only special classes of people, such as kings or priesthood, Levites or Nazarites, or are conditioned by local or temporary circumstances of the Jewish nation, as, for instance, the agricultural, sacrificial, and Levitical laws.

For us today some rules may be curious, and that is why at a certain moment in time some changes were allowed. It was not God Who changed, but the people who changed and God came closer to them by adapting His rulings. As such we may now face other food laws and about sanitation than at the early beginning, plus about how to relate to others, because certain concepts changed, like the position of slaves.

Torah scroll and silver pointer (yad) used in reading

Of the more than fifty mitzvot to be found in the sidra, we have some that deal with the treatment of slaves, with the crimes of murder and kidnap, with personal injury and with civil damages through neglect or theft. There are rules about witchcraft and idolatry, about oppression and unfair business practise, about applying legal codes in a prejudiced fashion and not giving false testimony; laws about not mistreating widows and orphans, and about care for animals. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

When we look at those laws and regulations we may not forget that many still keep going and should be fulfilled by a lover of God. It is not because we have Jesus as our Messiah who liberated us from the curse of Law that the Law has ended. No, not at all. The Law still counts. Even now we have received a New Covenant, should we keep to those law covered in that covenant.

Too many Christians commit a mistake by thinking they do not have to do any works any-more. We still have to keep the works of faith, keeping to God’s Commandments.

In parshat Mishpatim, the Israelites learn that accepting the commandments is a 24/7 job. {Parenting by the Parshah – Mishpatim}

We also must be fully aware of the most frequent mitzvah in Torah, given at least 37 different times in the text,which is repeated in the Mishpatim too –

“you shall not wrong a stranger or oppress them, for you were strangers in the land of Israel.”

It is a mishmash of a legal code but what comes through loud and clear to the reader is the importance to the Jewish people of mitzvot, commandments.

From Torah we see that for the ancient people there were particular reasons for observing the mitzvot – firstly and most importantly because God tells us to. Secondly there was in the ancient understanding an idea that people who obeyed them would be rewarded, and people who disobeyed risked punishment. Then there were two different types of reason given in Torah – that the mitzvot were intrinsically imbued with divine wisdom, and that they would lead us to achieving holiness. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

Each person who wants to become a Child of God, or to belong to God’s People shall have to resign oneself to the Will of God. But none can belong to the children of God when they do not accept others to be their brethren and sisters, and loving them as their siblings. The agape love for the others is a indispensible necessary part of belonging to God’s family.

In Judaism as in Christianity too there might be a tension in their tradition

– do we do the commandments (mitzvot) simply because there is a Commander (metzaveh) who told us to do this and this should be enough, or do we search out a meaning behind each mitzvah? And if we do the latter, what happens if we cannot find a suitable reason and meaning? Do we abandon the mitzvah as unreasonable or pointless? Or do we continue to do it in the hope that meaning will emerge? After all, at Sinai the people famously answered “na’aseh ve’nishma, [first] we will do it and [subsequently] we will understand”. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

The tension and balancing between holding a religious belief and a rationalist position was as great in the ancient world as it is today. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

For those who love God ‘blind faith’ was never a prerequisite, neither of a Jewish life nor of a Christian life.

Judaism tends to the position of na’aseh ve’nishma – doing in order to understand, blending faith and reason and giving neither the upper hand, but instead knowing that if we behave “as if” we believe, if we follow the way of mitzvot, then further understanding may come. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

From Scriptures we should come to understand there is no way of doing “as if” because God sees the heart and He does knows each of us. We can not hide anything from Him.

1 Samuel 16:7 The Scriptures 1998+ (7) But יהוה {Jehovah} said to Shemu’ĕl, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him, for not as man sees, for man looks at the eyes, but יהוה {Jehovah} looks at the heart.”

Jeremiah 17:10 The Scriptures 1998+ (10) “I, יהוה {Jehovah}, search the heart, I try the kidneys, and give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.

Moses with the Two New Tables of Stone (illustration from the 1897 Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us by Charles Foster) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our hearts may not be removed from God and by our way of living we should show to others how God is in our heart. Our heart, our feelings but also how we act should always be pure, full of love for God and His commandments. When we are willing to give ourselves into God’s Hands He will bring us where He wants us to be.

Proverbs 21:1-3 The Scriptures 1998+ (1) The sovereign’s heart is as channels of water In the hand of יהוה {Jehovah}; He turns it wherever He wishes. (2) All a man’s ways are right in his own eyes, But יהוה {Jehovah} weighs the hearts. (3) To do righteousness and right-ruling Is more acceptable to יהוה {Jehovah} than a slaughtering.

Each day we have to work at ourself taking care we keep to the commandments of God.

Meanwhile we are impacting on ourselves and on our world in a positive way as we are directed to behaviour that may not be our first instinct – to support the poor and downtrodden, to value life, to respect the boundaries of others, to rein in our own power and desires so as not to trample over the lives of others. The list goes on. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

As tradition says again and again in different words, the same message: “the commandments were given only to refine God’s creatures…”(Midrash Tanchuma). They change us, they cause us to think about what we are doing and not to act out of immediate self interest, they shape our behaviour and ultimately they may help us to bring holiness into our world. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

Preceding

When believing in God’s existence and His son, possessing a divine legislation

A Royal Rule given to followers of Christ

First man’s task still counting today

Whoopi Goldberg commandments and abortion

He who knows himself, is kind to others

Luther’s misunderstanding

January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?

Christians remaining hidden not sharing the gospel

Witnessing because we love

Leading people astray!

Crisis man needed in this world

Preaching Christ Is Not Enough

Beautiful feet of those who announce the good news

Preaching by example

A Christian has to have eyes and ears and a tongue to use in good ways

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

What Should I Preach ?

Additional reading

+++

A Royal Rule given to followers of Christ

In our series of faith and works we also want to remind the readers to Jesus sermon on the mount and on the many accounts he gave how we should behave against others.

This painting is on display at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) in Vienna, Austria (site). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week we will read in Mark 12 and must note Jesus’ comment about the second commandment

– “You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (verse 31).

In this present society it happens in places that people even do not know their neighbours. Hopefully you do talk to your neighbours. In case you believe in god, do you dare to talk about your faith?

Today many people feel ashamed of what they believe or do have the excuse to think that others would not be interested in their faith. From the gospels we get to know that rabbi Jeshua was not at all afraid to talk about his faith in the Only One True God of Israel. He asked his disciples to overcome their shyness and even to put their daily work aside to follow him and to go out into the world to preach the Kingdom Gospel.

From Jesus teachings we also get to know an other important work we have to do. Witnessing is an important task, but it has to be done properly with full seal. Each follower of Christ should, like Christ did, not putting his own will on the first place, but the Will of God. Real Christians should set their mind on the things of God.

Let us try harder to set our minds on the things of God. In doing so, we will recall that even in the Law God gave through Moses; there is the command

“’You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18 NAS)

We call it a Golden Rule or Royal Law
This has been a command for all ages. What a different world this would be if that command was carried out! And who can doubt but that it will be – by those who live in God’s kingdom.

Let us be in training for God’s kingdom now! What better way to show your love for your neighbour than by encouraging them to believe in the words of Jesus! We must try to speak to them in the spirit of love, a desire to share something precious; the pearl of great price!

This will be reflected in our attitude as well as in the words that we use, for we ‘communicate’ as much by what we do – as by what we say. The world has a word for it, “body language”. We must seek wisdom from above as we set ourselves to do this. Remember what James wrote,

“the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (3:17).

Preceding

Letter to a Non-Christian Nation

The Mountain: Radical Love

The Mountain: Radical Obedience

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

He who knows himself, is kind to others

Our life depending on faith

Please find also to read:

+++

8 Comments

Filed under Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Religious affairs

Tagged as 2° commandment, Agape love, Attitude, Body language, Brotherly-love, Faith, Faith and works, God's Kingdom, Love, Mountain sermon, Neighbours, Royal law, Spirit of love, to Seek wisdom, to Share, Words, Works of faith

by Guestspeaker | 2016/02/02 · 2:38 pm

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

“1 My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality. 2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in; 3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, “Sit here in a good place”; but you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”; 4 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:1-4 NHEB)

“But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?” (James 2:6 NHEB)

“But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2:9 NHEB)

“For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13 NHEB)

“What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14 NHEB)

“17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. 18 Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But do you want to know, foolish man, that faith apart from works is useless?

21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In like manner was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:17-26 NHEB)

***

The Works (Faith No More album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Christadelphian Agora comments:

“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did” (James 2:22).

“An old Scotsman operated a little rowboat for transporting passengers. One day a passenger noticed that the good old man had carved on one oar the word ‘Faith’, and on the other oar the word ‘Works’. Curiosity led him to ask the meaning of this. The old man, being a well-balanced believer in Christ, and glad of the opportunity for testimony, said, ‘I will show you.’ So saying, he dropped one oar and plied the other called Works, and they just went around in circles. Then he dropped that oar and began to use the oar called Faith, and the little boat just went around in circles again — this time the other way around, but still in a circle. After this demonstration the old man picked up Faith and Works and wielding both oars together, sped swiftly over the water, explaining to his inquiring passenger, ‘You see, that is the way it is in the believer’s life. Works without faith are useless, and faith without works is dead also, getting you nowhere. But faith and works pulling together make for safety, progress, and blessing’ ” (Maritta Terrell).

Peter Cresswell comments:

v.9 As a community (speaking generally) we are condemned by our inability to work out this maxim in our practical lives. There are those who genuinely are prepared to preach to anyone and accept anyone, but I think if we are honest, most of us are not happy with this teaching. A moment’s reflection on it today then will do no harm. Would we, for example, like Jesus in John 8:3-11, accept the repentance of the prostitute (which is seems this woman was) so readily? Lev.19:15

Peter Forbes comments:

2:1-4 It is said that we form an impression about someone within a few minutes of seeing them. We have not had enough time to assess their character and yet we make decisions which may colour our view for the rest of our lives. It is really clear why God does not judge by outward appearance – 1Sam 16:7 – we should emulate His approach.

2:4 So we see that partiality which starts by looking on the outward appearance – see 2:2– is in reality judging the way others think.

2:4 Partiality is a consequence of being ‘double minded’ as mentioned in James 1:8

2:5 In speaking of ‘the poor of this world’ James echoes Paul’s comment about men of faith – Heb 11:37 . One cannot but wonder how we would have reacted to some of the men and women of faith if we had seen them in the street.

2:6 Continuing thoughts on our contribution for June 8th James asks his readers to think on the realities of their experience. The very ones that they would revere were the ones who were their persecutors!

2:6 ‘despised’ <818> is translated ‘shamefully’ Luke 20:11 and ‘dishonour’ John 8:49 showing that James is reproving the brethren for denigrating the ‘poor’.

2:9 That we should show ‘no respect of persons’ draws on the Law of Moses and is seen extensively in Scripture. Here are some occasions. Leviticus 19:15 Deuteronomy 1:17 16:19 2 Samuel 14:14 2 Chronicles 19:7 Proverbs 24:23 28:21 Romans 2:11 Ephesians 6:9 Colossians 3:25 1 Peter 1:17 No matter how one dresses up the prejudice against the poor and favour toward the well dressed it is a violation of the Divine law. Actually it manifests pride. We like to identify with the rich in this world rather than the poor.

2:11 James here clearly shows that there are no degrees of sin. Sin is sin. Agreed the consequences of some sins is greater than others insofar as our actions impact upon other men. However any sin violates God’s principles.

2:13 These words of James draw upon the teaching of Jesus in Matt 7:2

2:14-17 I suppose one could summarise what James is teaching here by saying “talk is cheap”. It is ever so easy to talk about how we love and serve God. It is far harder to simply get on with doing that.

2:21-23 We notice that Abraham was “justified” in Gen 15:6. However it was many years later when he was willing to offer Isaac – Gen 22:9 – which demonstrated his faith. So, even though God saw Abraham’s faith no man could have seen the evidence of Abraham’s faith. But God knew in advance that Abraham had faith.

2:23 There are two earlier occasions when Abraham is called God’s friend – (#2Ch 20:7; Isa 41:8)

2:23 How would you like to be called ‘the friend of God’? Such is the description of faithful Abraham – he believed that God would keep His word and so acted upon that knowledge. So we know the way to friendship with God.

2:23 There were quite a number of years between the statement in Gen 15:6 that Abraham believed God and his offering of Isaac. Faith is not a ‘flash in the pan’ activity.

2:25 The inclusion of Rahab as one who was justified by faith is a powerful testimony to the truth that observance of the law of Moses is not a pre requisite for pleasing God. A powerful lesson for Jews.

Michael Parry comments:

James exhorts against favouritism in our assembly. Brothers and sisters should be treated equally in love and respect. Do we naturally gravitate towards some and find it difficult to deal with others? Of course we do. But let us remember the example of Jesus. Although He was drawn affectionately to John (John 19:26; 21:20), He still treated His betrayer Judas with love (Matt 5:44).

A point about verse 19: there exist no such supernatural entities as devils (or demons). What are being alluded to here are people possessed with demons (mental disorders).
There were demoniac people who recognized God and the Lord Jesus (Mark 5:1-13, 16:9, Luke 4:40,41, 8:2).

Having scriptural knowledge, understanding, and faith means nothing unless it is translated into Godly action.

V.8 James is the only one to use the phrase royal law. Loving one’s neighbour is the second part of the greatest law (Matt 22:37-39). The first part concerns the love for God who is King over all – hence James’s royal reference.

V.12 James also talks of the law of liberty. No longer is anyone judged under the Law of Moses. But, the moral commandments under the Law are carried forward and form part of the Commandments of Jesus. It is expected that believers follow these commandments willingly. Believers will be judged on their adherence to these laws.

John Wilson comments:

V.18 James introduces a third person into his explanation of faith and how it works by love. The third person is able to give a practical demonstration of his faith. James’ humility would not permit him to set himself forth as an ideal representative of a living faith. “I will show thee my faith by my works” A practical demonstration of a motivating force that is greater than the individual himself, by which “he overcame the world” (1John 5:4).

2:25 With the example of Rahab; along with that of Abraham (V.21,23), we would suggest is used by James to show the universality of the principle of faith that he was writing of. Abraham was the Father of all the Jews; Rahab was a Gentile who was converted. She was weak and sinful, but triumphed by faith. Not unlike what Paul wrote Gal 3:28.

2:26 Faith without works is like a corpse; there is a body, the substance of which is undeniable, but it is a dead body, and unless the breath of life enters into that body, it remains inactive and ineffective. Unless faith issues forth in a practical demonstration of a way of life which is pleasing God, it is a corpse without life, and incapable of imparting it.

Roger Turner comments:

v 5 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Gospel concerns God’s Kingdom
The Gospel preached by Jesus and the Apostles concerns the Kingdom of God.
2. Invitation for men to participate
Matt 25:34, Luke 12:32, 1Thess 2:12, James 2:5, 2Tim 4:1,8, 2Pet 1:10,11, Rev 2:26,27
For more about the Gospel concerning God’s Kingdom go to Matt 4:23

Valerie Mello comments:

James 2:17

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

The apostle Paul defines faith as, “… the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Faith may be further defined as having a confident belief, value, or trustworthiness of a person, which does not necessarily rest on logical proof or material evidence.

This kind of faith requires development, and if we are not prepared to spend time in developing it, we shall not obtain the kind of faith that pleases God. The more we consider God’s actions in the past, and see His prophecies vindicated in the present, the more we come to learn to value Him, trust Him, and put our faith in Him concerning events not yet fulfilled, but promised by God.

This is a true story about a captain commanding a passenger ship who was sailing from Liverpool, England to New York. His family was on board with him. One night when everyone was sound asleep, a squall unexpectedly swept over the waters and tossed the ship violently, awakening the passengers. They were all scared, and the captain’s frightened eight-year old daughter asked, “What’s the matter?” Her mother explained that a sudden storm struck the ship. “Is father on deck?” “Yes, father is on deck,” answered the mother. On hearing this, the little girl snuggled back into bed, and in a few moments was sound asleep. The winds still blew and the waves still rolled, but her fears were calmed because her father was at the helm! Our Heavenly Father is always at the helm! It is this kind of faith the Father is looking for in His children, and despite outward appearances, without this kind of faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb 11:6).

Wes Booker comments:

James 2:12,13.

What are some practical lessons and exhortations that we should try and practice in our lives in connection with what James is stating here – especially the last part of v. 13 – “Mercy triumphs over judgment”?

In thinking about a practical application of what James is exhorting us here, it’s important to keep in mind that within the pages of the Bible there are a number of very positive references to the idea of judgment. Though we might tend to immediately think of Christ’s words – “Judge not that you be not judged” (Mat. 7:1), there are a number of times where the flip side of the concept is there in such words as “judge righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24) and Paul’s words concerning the ongoing fornication in the Corinthian ecclesia – “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you” ((1 Cor. 5:12,13).

In the example that James uses following up his statement about mercy triumphing over judgment (v. 13) – in James 2:14-17 he gives the example of a brother or sister without clothes and daily food and what should be done by the ecclesia in that situation. What he doesn’t state is the reason for them to be in such a destitute situation. Was it due to things beyond their control? Or did they do certain things that brought this dire condition on themselves? Were they able-bodied and in a position to seek employment and get themselves out of this situation without having to come to the ecclesia for help? Whatever their situation was, James states categorically that the attitude that wishes them well without providing for their physical needs is an example of faith without works being dead. So the #1 priority of the ecclesia is to provide help when they have it within their power to do so. And, of course, the same should be true for individual believers in Christ.

The person or ecclesia who has it within its power to help and chooses to not do so really needs to have a really good Scriptural reason for not helping. And if there’s ever a question as to the rightness of a course of action, then the weight should fall on the side of mercy. And so with the seesaw effect, mercy comes up as judgment goes down. I remember reading years ago in one of bro. Islip Collyer’s books – I can’t remember which one it was – what he had to say on this subject. And it was so powerful that it really stuck with me. I’m paraphrasing here –

When a tough-to-decide situation comes up ecclesially where both sides – the severe and the lenient (merciful) – both have positive things that can be said for deciding in that particular way, I, for one, will always choose the side of mercy for this one simple reason. I know that on that great day of judgment, I will need all the mercy my Lord can muster on my behalf. So how can I go the other way? If I’m going to err, it is going to be on the side of mercy.

Robert Prins comments:

Illogical Really

When James spoke about people showing faith through the things that they did, he gave two examples. One of them was Abraham as he was about to sacrifice Isaac, and the other was Rahab, as she hid the spies and sent them off in a different direction.

Neither of these actions were really common-sense logical. After all, if you had been promised that your son was to be your heir, and the door to a multitude of descendants, it would seem stupid to kill him! And in the case of Rahab, when approached by people who were planning to flatten her city, it doesn’t seem right to hide and protect them.

But, both Abraham and Rahab had their eyes on something bigger and better when they acted in faith. Abraham was so sure God’s promises would be fulfilled, that he obeyed anyway. And Rahab was so sure of God’s strength, and that God was good to those who were good to Israel, that she put her own life in peril from the authorities in Jericho to put her trust in God.

What faith opportunities do we have in our lives? What about the opportunities to let God take vengeance rather than ourselves? What about forgiving others and trusting God for the rest? Or giving money or possessions away when asked? Or speaking out about our faith in God at an appropriate time?

Faith is seen in what we do. Let’s make sure God sees it in our lives.

Rob de Jongh comments

The bird resting on the patio

From v14 to v26 James explains how faith without works is dead. It’s a difficult concept to grasp, so perhaps an analogy may help.

Last summer we were on holiday in a cottage that had large glazed patio doors leading to a patio outside where the children watched birds hopping around. One day we came back from a trip out and our little boy said,

“Mummy. Why isn’t that bird moving?”.

We suspected the bird had flown into the glass and either stunned or killed itself, but we didn’t tell the child.

“Maybe it’s resting”,

we said, while earnestly hoping that the bird was going to get up at any moment and fly away.

Here was a small child who knew nothing about death, yet he recognised from the inaction of the bird that something was wrong. Later in the day when the children were elsewhere we took the bird and buried it beneath some overgrown bushes in the garden. As grown ups we knew that if it didn’t move for a half hour, it was probably dead. It was still a bird — recognisable even by a child, but what good was that? So it is with us. Any or all of us may be called a believer, confessing that God is one (v19), but if there is no action based on faith, it’s likely that faith isn’t alive in us:

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26

But what can we do if we suspect this is so with us? The first step is to pray to God, confessing our lack of faith and asking for help. If we want to be alive, seek for it, and ask, we will have our faith revived, as promised in Luke 11:9-13.

Preceding articles:

First man’s task still counting today

He who knows himself, is kind to others

Luther’s misunderstanding

January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

Additional reading

+++

Further related articles

+++

30 Comments

Filed under Lifestyle, Religious affairs

Tagged as Abraham, Actions, Acts of faith, Agape love, Apostle James, Being at the helm, Believer in Christ, Believer's life, Body without spirit, Breath of life, Christadelphian Agora, Commandments of Christ, Conviction by the law, Death, Decision making, Demoniac people, Demons, Divine law, Example Christ Jesus, Faith, Faith and works, Faith opportunities, Faith without works, Favouritism, Forgiving to others, Friendship with God, God's friend, God's promises, God's prophecies, God's strength, God’s judgements, God’s principles, Godly action, Inaction, Isaac, Islip Collyer, Jews, John Wilson, Judgement, Justification, Justification by works, Lack of faith, Lack of faith in God, Law of liberty, Law of Moses, Love, Love for God, Making decisions, Man's Judgement, Mercy, Michael Parry, Moral commandments, Opportunities, Partiality, Participation in God's Kingdom, Peter Cresswell, Peter Forbes, Pleasing God, Principle of faith, Rahab, Respect, Rob de Jongh, Robert Prins, Roger Turner, Royal law, Sin, Talk, the Poor, the Rich, to Pray, Valerie Mello, Wes Booker, Wicked man

by Guestspeaker | 2016/01/28 · 5:38 pm

Luther’s misunderstanding

In our series looking at the faith of man and what he does with it or what faith should make him doing, it is good to look how some denominations got influenced by certain theologians who interpreted something not exactly in the right way.

.

All Christians should come to understand that though we are given the Grace of salvation for free, we shall not be free for doing works according to the faith.

In several denominations of Christendom Paul’s letter to the Romans is frequently used to support the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

.

In the articles January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works and Our life depending on faith we tried to show the importance of people having to find the way to God and once they found it how they have to act or react when they do come in the faith for God.

When we look at the many works written in Christendom we also find works which speak about the Sola fide a human doctrine of justification by faith alone. In those clergy works where is asserted that God’s pardon for guilty sinners is granted to and received through faith alone, excluding all “works” there is sand thrown in the eyes of those who look for God and want to serve Him well.

It is not because all mankind would be fallen and sinful, under the curse of God, and incapable of saving itself from God’s wrath and curse. In the previous posting you can see that certain people say God, on the basis of the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ alone (solus Christus), grants sinners judicial pardon, or justification, which is received solely through faith according to those theologians.

For them “Faith” is seen as passive, merely receiving Christ and all his benefits, among which benefits are the active and passive righteousness of Jesus Christ. Christ’s righteousness, according to the followers of “sola fide,” is imputed (or attributed) by God to the believing sinner (as opposed to infused or imparted), so that the divine verdict and pardon of the believing sinner is based not upon anything in the sinner, nor even faith itself, but upon Jesus Christ and his righteousness alone, which are received through faith alone.

.

It should be known that in Christendom there are also several believers who are convinced that such a “Justification by faith alone” is not telling the truth to people or at least is only saying half of the matter, because some of them though saying we should not do any work to be saved in other writings do speak about “other graces of salvation” and speak about things believers should take part of , which they call sacraments. They then believe in a series of conceptual steps within the Christian doctrine of salvation which is often called Ordo salutis, (Latin: “order of salvation”).

.

De Maria of CatholicBibleTalk shows us here that for him as a Catholic it is clear, from Scripture, that unless someone keeps the Commandments and does the Will of God, he will not be justified.

Having sought God‘s Face, for him it is the believer who first of all had done the work by studying to show himself approved. On the way to coming in the faith the work of prayers is already at that time necessary. We namely have to come to a prayerful relationship with God. Once having come into the faith the believer has to allow God to wash his or her soul with the washing of regeneration and renewal which is Baptism by water and the Holy Spirit.

He says

“we don’t do anything at that moment”

but agrees

“We only believe.”

Forgetting that to believe requires an act of setting our minds on God. Also coming to the baptism the person first of all has to repent, which demands action as well. Further the person has to arrange his or her baptism, which again shall demand some works to be done.

.

At our baptism we do have to give ourselves to God Who sees our faith and credits it to us as righteousness and that is why we are called the children of Abraham or Abraham’s seed (Genesis 15:6).

The Catholic writer understands that it was because Abraham obeyed God His Voice, and kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes, and His laws, all works, that made Him righteous in the eyes of God. Also we, when baptised, shall have to step in the footsteps of patriarch Abraham and have to look for continuing on the Way the Nazarene master teacher Jeshua, Jesus Christ, laid out for us. Then we do have to put on the helmet of salvation.

We have to find ways of Godly understanding by being Faithful to the listening ear.

.

De Maria his theory is that the 16th century German friar credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation, simply did not see the Sacramental Teaching which St. Paul was making when he wrote these words. He believes

that when St. Paul said, “we are justified by faith apart from works”, he was describing that justification which occurs in Baptism. But Luther was led astray. And the prophecy of 2 Peter 3:16-17 was fulfilled in him:

In Romans 4 and the Sacraments De Maria continues writing

There was no ministry of reconciliation in the Old Testament. David’s reconciliation was the exception and it was to show the blessedness to come. It was a foreshadowing of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

.

Lets not forget that love is a something that needs works. Loving is a verb. We should continually love God, which means we do have to come into an intimate position with God the Father. God also asks us to recognise His sent one, and like He is one with this person, we do have to become one with Jesus Christ.

Christianity is a love relationship and It’s love language is pursuit. Just like God has pursued us He calls us to live a life in striving to come to know God better and to become like Christ, which shall demand lots of work.

+

Preceding:

January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works

Our life depending on faith

++

Additional writings

Looking for a primary cause and a goal that can not offer philosophers existing beliefs

Souls and Religions with Nirvana and light

Between Alpha and Omega – The plan of creation

God is the strength of my heart

Creator and Blogger God 7 A Blog of a Book 1 Believing the Blogger

He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan

Finding God amid all the religious externals

Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God

People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers

People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations

People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions

People Seeking for God 4 Biblical terms

People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life

People Seeking for God 6 Strategy

People Seeking for God 7 The Lord and lords

Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God

Isaiah 55-56, Revelation 11

Al-Fatiha [The Opening] Süra 1: 4-7 Merciful Lord of the Creation to show us the right path

Marriage of Jesus 8 Wife of Yahweh

A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it

Believing in the send one and understanding that one does not live by bread alone

Being in tune with God

Faithful to the listening ear

To find ways of Godly understanding

Being Justified by faith

Obeying the King

Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word

Faith and works

Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #8 Prayer #6 Communication and manifestation

Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying

+++

Find also

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

January 25 – Clarity

Hope is Strength – It Starts with Faith

God’s Love Language: Christianity is A Love Relationship & It’s Love Language is Pursuit

21 Day Fast | Day 17- Removing Sneaky Idols & Refocusing Our Hearts

+++

Related articles

Christian NFL Player Don Carey Says Muslims Need a Reformation

Instead of Sanctification: The crossless gospel spirit

Celebrating the Reformation?

Faith of the Candidates; Interview w/ Marco Rubio (Part 1)

Quote of the Day: “Fear is the Loss of Assurance”

You need God

Reflections Before Bedtime #52

Christ as Burnt Offering

Scripture of the Day, 12/16

“O Come All Ye Faithful” Christmas Schedule

CatholicBibleTalk

I have a theory about Luther’s misunderstanding of justification, see if it makes any sense to you.

1st: Before the advent of Martin Luther, the Father of the Protestant Revolution, some very prominent and influential Catholics also said that justification was by faith alone.

Basil of Caesarea (329-379) “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord, that Christ has been made by God for us righteousness, wisdom, justification, redemption. This is perfect and pure boasting in God, when one is not proud on account of his own righteousness but knows that he is indeed unworthy of the true righteousness and is (or has been) justified solely by faith in Christ.”
Ambrose (c. 339-97) “Therefore let no one boast of his works, because no one can be justified by his works; but he who is just receives it as a gift, because he is justified by the washing of regeneration. It…

View original post 530 more words

43 Comments

Filed under Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

Tagged as Abraham's children, Abraham's seed, Abraham’s righteousness, Agape love, Baptism, Becoming like Christ, Believer in Christ, Believer in God, Believers, Christians, Church sacraments, Commandments of God, Doing the Will of God, Faith, Faith and works, Faith without works, Fall of man, Following God's commandments, God's curse, Grace of Salvation, Helmet of salvation, Justification, Laws of God, Letter to the Romans, Love, Man's pursuit, Mankind, Martin Luther, Obeying God, One with Christ, Prayer, Pursuit, Repentance, Sola fide (doctrine of justification by faith alone), Solus Christus, Sons of Abraham, the Way to God, to Love God, to Repent

by Marcus Ampe | 2014/10/27 · 11:58 am

Time Has A Way Of Healing

Human beings are often not patient enough and do not want to give enough time to heal their body and their soul.

In case we would be willing to use the ‘cover of time‘ and the ‘cover of love‘ and understanding we would not have to worry such a long time about arguments we had and words which crossed our paths. Instead of being annoyed such a long time about arguments we had or heavy discussions, we should use the time to think about it and use meditation-time to give us some answers to heal the psychological wounds.

Often it is by lack of love for the other that so many bridges stay blown up and roads do not get repaired. To forgive is for many so difficult that they even can not cope with the thought of it. They should know it is a sort of weakness when you are not able to forgive and not able to swoop the sponge over the arguments you had.

Let us go for the better. We do not have to forget, but we should prefer to leave it as a thing in the past which we would preferred not to have happened. so why to stand still so long by it? Continue your way and reach out to the other in loving-kindness. Show the other you are strong enough to stand up again and to continue your way with him to better pastures.

With our mind we can do much more than we think. Everything is in the mind. and we should know that we do have received our minds to get to know the wonders of the world and to come to a good relationship with everything of the creation. For being able to come to a good relationship we do have to open our minds to the positive things of this life and should mend as we may need help from friends or well intentioned professionals.
“Let love and healing conquer for all of humanity”

And let us not forget:

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass

+

Find also to read:

A time for everything

Patient waiting

Allowed to heal

Your Sins Are Forgiven

Oh god, this is never going to end!

Putting your feelings into words and sharing them

See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory

Doest thou well to be Angry?

A man who cannot forgive others

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass

Growth in character

Love is like playing the piano

Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives

+++

Related articles

Living Mindfully for a Healthy Body, Mind, and Heart (goodtherapy.org)
If this were your last day on earth, how would you spend it? Would you spend it inside an office or with your loved ones? While this may seem like a drastic question, I believe it helps us put things in perspective. Instead of living from a reactive stance where we’re putting out fires, obsessing over the future, or striving to do more, we pause and shift into the present moment. As we connect to body, mind, and heart, we open to our moment-to-moment experience in a nonjudgmental manner. This pausing to intentionally connect with the present moment can be challenging, but it’s an important step toward restoring balance between body, mind, and emotions.

Anti-Confusion (avirtuousmetalk.wordpress.com)
My natural eye can only see what surrounds me. My spiritual eye when focused on God, can see that He is moving on my behalf within every aspect of my life. I no longer choose to be a mute witness or deaf believer. I want to make an alarming and resounding sound in the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere that signifies my life’s devotion as a living sacrifice to God.

Forgiveness (kadalyn.wordpress.com)
Being able to forgive those who have wronged you is a mark of spiritual strength and confidence. When you forgive, you grow, your heart begins to heal, your back straightens up, your eyes clear so you can see the road ahead.

Forgiveness vs. Restoration of Trust by Rick Warren (christianmotivations.weebly.com)
Forgiveness does not mean the instant restoration of trust. Forgiveness is instant. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Forgiveness is based on grace. Trust is built on works. You earn trust. You don’t earn forgiveness.
+
Forgiving a person does not mean you have to trust them. It means they have to earn the trust.
+
Restoration of a relationship takes far more than forgiveness. It takes repentance. It takes restitution and a rebuilding of trust. And it often takes a much longer time.

Daily Inspiration – Forgiveness is a Wonderful thing. (transformyourlife4ever.wordpress.com)
Release all your anger, fear and resentment and move forward with a positive frame of mind. Let go of the past as it is impossible to change it, you can only learn from it. When you forgive you release the ties that bind you to hurt, pain, mistakes, heartache and anything that is negative and destructive in your life. When you forgive yourself and others you create a space that allows love and hope to exist.

Jesus Heals Broken Hearts (frommyheart2u.wordpress.com)
The first step to healing is forgiveness. An emotional wound cannot heal without forgiveness. Unforgiveness and bitterness are like an infection;without removing them you will not recover.

Forgiveness: An Act of Self Love (consciouslifenews.com)
When someone that matters to us is hurtful we will naturally feel painful emotions such as anger and sadness. We may find ourselves dwelling on the injustice of the situation and holding grudges. Gradually these negative feelings overshadow the positive feelings in our lives, leaving us filled with resentment. That eventually leads to spiritual paralysis and detrimental physical destruction.
+
Forgiveness is a promise we make to ourselves to change our life. It is about releasing ourselves from the grip that hinders our well-being—the negative hold we have essentially allowed the other person to have over us.

Is Forgiveness The Key To Happiness? (lifechris.wordpress.com)
In the pursuit of true happiness, there are many stumbling blocks that the Universe likes to throw our way. If happiness is a choice, should we also choose to forgive those who have hurt and upset us in aid to achieve it?

Forgiveness (bishopcraig.com)
There’s nothing about forgiveness that implies being a doormat or placing yourself or anyone else in danger. In fact, if that’s a possibility then forgiveness is inappropriate and premature.

Thursday Phrase Night for Palace Poets

Let Us All Heal
.
In nature time has a way of healing all wounds,
Unless the wound is fatal or the only cure for certain diseases

Is death, a sad state of affairs
The white blood cells in our bodies do their job and rightfully so

Compassion for our fellow person should rule our day and
We should really care
.
Anger consumes many a soul who

Cannot find it in their hearts to forgive
The pain, the madness eating them inside making
Them bitter, no way to live
.
Of course there are some transgressions that
May be unforgivable but
We must seek out ways to cope
The hardest thing sometimes is searching one’s own soul

A worthy goal turning hate into constructive hope
.
The link between physical and spiritual should
Never be forgotten or even discounted

Our bodies for the most part have a miraculous way
Of…

View original post 2,279 more words

3 Comments

Filed under Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Social affairs

Tagged as Agape love, Argumenting, Arguments, Brotherly-love, Forgetting, Healing, Human beings, Mind, Patience, Relationship with others, Time, to Forget, to Forgive, Understanding, Worry

by Marcus Ampe | 2014/09/16 · 9:54 pm

Phil Bosmans and the Bond Zonder Naam (Union Without a Name): Movement Without a Name

Location of Mortsel in the province of Antwerp (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After long suffering the after-effects of a stroke in 1994 father Phil Bosmans, the co-founder and face of the Bond Zonder Naam (Union Without a Name), passed away in hospital in Mortsel, near Antwerp, from complications of bronchitis, at the age of 89, 17 January 2012.

Bosmans was born into a Limburg farming family in 1922 and entered a monastery in 1941. He was ordained in 1948 and sent to the Vendée in France to do missionary work in the suburbs of Tours. He subsequently became friendly with several worker-priests in Paris. He had a profound admiration for them.

In 1949 he was called back to Belgium to lead “missions to the people” and Father Loop asked him to help with the creation of the Bond Zonder Naam (BZN), an organisation that over the years has set up and run social projects for children and young people and the disadvantaged. Bosmans led the BZN until 1991, when he handed over the leadership, though he remained active in the organisation. On Saturday 2 April 1938 Henri de Greeve had launched the Bond Zonder Naam or Movement without a Name (hereafter referred to as MWN) on the NIR (Belgian National Radio Station) radio programme ‘Lichtbaken’ . Mr l’Homme and Miss Winkeler started in 1949 the Movement without a Name Flanders, which had a first candlelight action for People in Need in 1951. Their candles came in many homes, also our home. Since 1957 Phil has devoted all his energies to the Bond Zonder Naam or Movement without a Name in Flanders.

For most people in Flanders Bosmans was bestknown as the source of countless uplifting and inspiring aphorisms, later collected into books with titles like Best Wishes and Happy Together, which became best sellers in Flanders, the Netherlands and Germany. His collections were translated into 26 languages and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. As a child I grew up with his writings, having each new proverb read and discussed at dinner table and put on the cupboard good in view for everyone to be remembered. ‘Menslief, ik hou van je’ was really a best-seller for our generation, inspiring us to spread the agape love. Lannoo published it in 1972 and it was to become the most widely sold book in Flanders. It is now in its 56th impression, and has sold 800,000 copies in Flanders and the Netherlands. Currently sales in Germany stand at about 2 million copies. The positivism was something which helped me a lot throughout my life and I found important to share with more. We should keep in mind that he said:

“A good mood is infectious”

Our society loosing track of the gentle words and social feelings of sharing and agape love has a big need of a recollection of Bosmans inspirational words. Therefore I am pleased that the organisation Bond Zonder Naam, in English: Movement Without a Name allowed us to publicize some of their writings and placing some recollections of Bosmans’s fruitful thoughts.

In 2003 MWN got nominated as chairman for URI Europe. In 2007 MWN organised URI Global Council and European conference in Antwerp and started a Flemish Platform for Interfaith Dialogue.

For over 50 years, 3 generations and 200,000 families have proven that they appreciate what MWN has to offer. We are grateful we can share their beautiful work with you on this platform and do hope you shall come to know them better.

‘Without a name’ stands for the belief that people can achieve great things when they are willing to give it their all without claiming the achievements. I also do believe when a person can put himself aside he shall be able to help the others even better. May I ask you to get to know their work better and to give it your support. We also with them, encourage everyone to support the common goal without anyone claiming the results. We on our selves perhaps can do not much, but together we can do a lot. We only can try to do our best and we can try to help as much as we can wherever we can. I also believe we as creatures, allowed to live on this world, by our Divine Creator, should be thankful that we are able to live in a good environment. Not all people are so lucky. Those who are not so fortunate we should help. Each of us should be willing to give the best of themselves, which would mean that they can give enough. Consequently, you too can contribute to MWN in many different ways: you can donate time, commitment and material or financial support, which helps them to organise their initiatives.

‘Without a name’ also means that MWN stands up for ‘nameless people’ and makes certain taboo issues a subject of discussion.

And finally ‘without a name’ means that MWN is not affiliated with any political, philosophical or religious organisation. It refers unmistakeably to the free spirit MWN so deeply cherishes.

MWN is recognized by the Belgian government and is entitled to provide donation certificates. Donations over €40,00 are tax-deductible in Belgium, whether they are single contributions or plural contributions, which, combined, mount up to €40,00. MWN delivers the donation certificates in March of the subsequent year (only applicable in Belgium).

Vets Without Borders sends four bunnies on a mission (flanderstoday.eu)
Dr Meerschaert adds that DZG simultaneously works on three levels: people, animals and nature. “That’s what I find most exceptional,” she says. “Veterinary medicine is extremely important, of course, because the animals have to stay healthy. As a vet, I find the combination of healthy, sustainable livestock farming and the improvement of the standard of living of livestock farmers tremendously exciting.”
Antwerp’s ‘selfie speeding signs’ (bbc.co.uk)
Belgium already uses a system of “smiley” road signs to tell motorists whether they are speeding or not. But now citizens are invited to upload two photos of themselves, one with a happy face and another with a disapproving glare – to be flashed at errant motorists, the Belgian website Flanders News reported. As part of a joint awareness scheme by the city of Antwerp and the police, the photos will be displayed on interactive speedometers installed across the city.
Face of Flanders (flanderstoday.eu)
Phil Bosmans Father Phil Bosmans, the co-founder and face of the Bond Zonder Naam (Union Without a Name), has died in hospital in Mortsel, near Antwerp, from complications of bronchitis, at the age of 89. Father Bosmans had long suffered the after-effects of a stroke in 1994, and spent his last years living in a convent in nearby Kontich.
Belgium’s weirdest laws (deredactie.be)
Dutchman and Fans of Flanders blogger Jogchum Vrielink has been looking at some of Belgium’s most unexpected pieces of legislation. There are a lot of urban myths and no, it isn’t illegal to wear a red hat on Antwerp’s busiest shopping street – as some people apparently think. However, members of the Dutch royal family are still barred from…

1 Comment

Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Activisme & Vredeswerk, Bond Zonder Naam, Introduction, Movement Without a Name

Tagged as Agape love, Bond zonder Naam, Interfaith dialogue, Mensen in nood, Menslief, Missions to the people, Mortsel, Movement without a Name, People in Need, Phil Bosmans, Vendee, Worker-priests

	Not enough time to k… on Are you a newsflash night…
	Not enough time to k… on To Blog or Not to Blog?
	Not enough time to k… on What 2022 brought to us and lo…
	Not enough time to k… on Lots of news demanding at…
	Not enough time to k… on Invitation to the news platfor…
	Why certain people a… on Obediance 😎
	Why certain people a… on See the conquest and believe t…
	Why certain people a… on Life’s Purpose
	Why certain people d… on Institutional Racism
	Why certain people d… on One Question to Help You Pract…
	Why certain people d… on Empathy..!!
	Why certain people a… on Institutional Racism
	Why certain people a… on One Question to Help You Pract…
	Why certain people a… on Empathy..!!
	Time for this and th… on Solitude

Tag Archives: Agape love

Additional reading

Related

Share this:

Like this:

Find also to read

Further Related

Share this:

Like this:

Additional reading

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Additional reading

Related

Share this:

Like this:

Additional reading

Related

Share this:

Like this:

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Additional reading

Further reading

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Additional reading

Further related articles

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Aiming for leadership

No knowledge of Basic Guide for life

The Boxing ring

Being Christian

Additional reading

Further reading

Share this:

Like this:

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Additional reading

Further reading

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Please find also to read:

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Christadelphian Agora comments:

Peter Cresswell comments:

Peter Forbes comments:

Michael Parry comments:

John Wilson comments:

Roger Turner comments:

Valerie Mello comments:

Wes Booker comments:

Robert Prins comments:

Rob de Jongh comments

Additional reading

Further related articles

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

+

Additional writings

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Related articles

Share this:

Like this:

Related articles