Hitler and Christianity: Some Trends in Interpretation

 

Ryan Buesnel

A question was recently put to me by a reader who was curious to hear my thoughts on whether Hitler should be considered a “Christian” or an “atheist.” What had spurred this on was this reader’s consideration of the somewhat ambiguous topic of “Positive Christianity” — the allegedly Aryanized form of Christian doctrine that was to have served as National Socialism’s official form of religion.

Issues surrounding Hitler’s views on the person of Jesus Christ and the institution of the church are frequently obscured by prior ideological or religious commitments. On the one hand are those who have sought to restore the integrity of Christianity in light of accusations that it played an important historic role in the justification for anti-Semitism. This process of reconstruction required identifying occasions where Nazi ideology was opposed to the normative framework of Christian ethics. The suggestion was that the outcomes of Nazi policy were…

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Judaism and Jewishness in 2020 America

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that many Jewish Americans participate, at least occasionally, both in some traditional religious practices – like going to a synagogue or fasting on Yom Kippur – and in some Jewish cultural activities, like making potato latkes, watching Israeli movies or reading Jewish news online.  The same could perhaps be said for European Jews.

Among young Jewish adults, however, two sharply divergent expressions of Jewishness appear to be gaining ground – one involving religion deeply enmeshed in every aspect of life, and the other involving little or no religion at all.

For Europeans it might be strange that overall, about a quarter of U.S. Jewish adults (27%) do not identify with the Jewish religion. Like all over the world we can find the strong feeling of ethnicity, more than religiosity.  The 27% U.S. Jewish adults who consider themselves to be Jewish ethnically, culturally or by family background, even when they have a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish,  answer a question about their current religion by describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” rather than as Jewish. Among Jewish adults under 30, four-in-ten describe themselves this way.

The two branches of Judaism that long predominated in the U.S. have less of a hold on young Jews than on their elders.
In 2013 the Conservative movement was the second largest of the three main religious denominations within American Judaism, claiming 18 percent of American Jews. In some years in the 1950s, the movement was adding 100 new affiliate congregations annually.
In the 21st century, the movement’s long-term viability has continued to be drawn into question. The percentage of Jewish households that identified as Conservative dropped by 10 points — from 43 to 33 percent — between 1990 and 2000, according to surveys of the American Jewish population conducted in those years. By the end of the century, the movement was in serious decline, in such a way that some were fretting openly that Conservative Judaism was on the road to oblivion. About fifteen years ago Rabbi David Wolpe suggested that Conservative Judaism be rebranded as Covenantal Judaism. That name we hear also here and there in our regions, where some Jews and Jeshuaists consider themselves Covenantal Jews.
Today roughly four-in-ten Jewish adults under 30 identify with either Reform (29%) or Conservative Judaism (8%), compared with seven-in-ten Jews ages 65 and older.
Among Jews ages 18 to 29, 17% self-identify as Orthodox, compared with just 3% of Jews 65 and older. And fully one-in-ten U.S. Jewish adults under the age of 30 are Haredim (often known in English as “ultra-Orthodox.”), (11%), compared with 1% of Jews 65 and older. Approximately 1.2 million Haredim live in Israel, jealously guarding their traditions.

Strangely enough, or perhaps not, we can find several Jews who are somewhere “in-between”, themselves found to be not a believer, but who have not given up upon Jewish religious practice. some of them have even adopted more religious practices than they were ever raised with.
In the States, like in Canada and West Europe we find lots of Jews who adopted a religious Jewish lifestyle for themselves, in a similar way we have seen Christians also creating their own religious system and spiritual lifestyle.

In fora we can see that the participants who no longer believe were raised in various Orthodox communities around the world, ranging from Modern Orthodox to Yeshivish to Hassidic; and most spent their childhoods and years of their adulthoods studying in houses of Torah learning. Some were rabbis themselves, educators who dedicated years of their lives to spreading love of Torah and traditional Judaism among the Jewish people. {Why can’t I be secular?}

Remarkable is to notice that in the U.S.A. the youngest U.S. Jews count among their ranks both a relatively large share of traditionally observant, Orthodox Jews and an even larger group of people who see themselves as Jewish for cultural, ethnic or family reasons but do not identify with Judaism – as a religion – at all.  For non-Jews the difference is mostly not made, which gives a totally wrong view of Jews, them thinking all those things those civilian non-believing Jews do against Torah would be in line or acceptable to all Jews.

In the U.S., the same as in Europe, we can see that the youngsters, though not so interested to know if the food is kosher or not, still like a lot of traditional foods. As such, they like cooking traditional Jewish foods, visiting Jewish historical sites and listening to Jewish or Israeli music. Yet the survey finds that most people in the latter group (Jews of no religion) feel they have not much or nothing at all in common with the former group (Orthodox Jews). For many youngsters the Jewish traditions and lifestyle may feel outdated. Others may become unsettled because they find people in their forties searching for ways to live more in line with their ancestors, going back to the synagogue and praying again in the house. Some want to delve into the deeper meaning of Jewishness and Judaism.

It is a fact that Jews and Jeshuaists are a minority. For the U.S.A. in absolute numbers, the 2020 Jewish population estimate is approximately 7.5 million, including 5.8 million adults and 1.8 million children (rounded to the closest 100,000). The 2013 estimate was 6.7 million, including 5.3 million adults and 1.3 million children. The precision of these population estimates should not be exaggerated; they are derived from a sample of the U.S. public that is very large compared with most surveys (more than 68,000 interviews) but are still subject to sampling error and other practical difficulties that produce uncertainty. Furthermore, the size of the Jewish population greatly depends on one’s definition of who counts as Jewish.

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Find also to read

Judaism and Jeshuaism a religion of the future

Jewish Americans in 2020

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Related

1. American Conservative Judaism
2. Covenantal Judaism: Ki Tavo 5780
3. On Rosh Hashanah, a sermon to the unwelcome
4. Converting to Judaism sparks political uproar in Israel
5. Opening Israel to non-Orthodox Converts Should Have Happened Long Ago
6. A Journey of Discovery
7. Messianic Jews Say ‘Fake Rabbi’ Was Wrong Way to Reach the Ultra-Orthodox
8. Reform Jews Should Recite Qorbanot in Prayer
9. Parshat Eikev
10. Why can’t I be secular?
11. The Jewish teddy bear
12. What I’m Watching
13. Oh, come on, or: Srsly?

Christians saying Jesus is God giving food for atheists to prove there exist no God

When there are so many Christians who say Jesus is God, lots of people come to see many texts in the Bible which seem to contradict that. Many who were Trinitarian Christians and came to find many such contradictions in the Scriptures and in the writings of their pastors, left their church to become an adversary of God.

The other way round there were also several atheists who tried to prove God and Jesus did not exist, but their best reasons to doubt God actually proved He exists made them to understand that God has always existed and that Jesus is His son who only came into being a few millennia ago.

In order to construct any valid argument for atheism, the atheist has to steal tools from God’s universe because no such tools exist in the world of atheism. {Frank Turek}

”Atheists must sit in God’s lap in order to try to slap Him in the face.”

Frank Turek

Most atheists also have problems with those Christians who claim that Jesus would be eternal but also would be born on the 25th of December, whilst all the events mentioned in the Bible around the birth of Jesus did not at all happen in December at the beginning of the year 0 of the Gregorian calendar.

Most Christians atheists encounter are those who prefer to believe the many fairytales from their churchleaders. Confronting them with Biblical texts which say otherwise they mostly have no answer but saying:

It is a mystery believers have to accept.

Sometimes it takes some years before a convert to Christendom or a brought up Christian person comes to understand it is better to keep to the Bible Words like they are written. Most of the name Christians continue to believe their churchleaders that they would be too dumb to understand the Bible. Many who came into a church for the first time or moved to another church after some years come to see that they traded one kind of false teacher for another.

It’s easy to think of all false teachers as being cut from the same cloth. For atheists they seem one and the same bunch. They all preach a “gospel” of personal fulfilment. Of creating or receiving our best life now. Many do not come to see how it is the gospel of us:

we are the solution to the problems the world, and it’s up to us to make this world what we want it to be.

People have to come to see that we are to communicate all that Scripture does: we are to instruct in the Biblical doctrine, to correct error and to encourage God’s people. We need to constantly be bringing people back to the truth of God’s Word, to confront man with himself, with our imperfections and sin.

When we have enough patience and keep to the Biblical text, we only can hope the questioning person his or her eyes shall open one day and shall one day come to believe the words like they are written in the Bible and not how they are professed by people who call themselves theologians and the only one who can understand and explain God’s Word.

God does not hide and does not make it so difficult to make His existence obvious.

“For from the creation of the world the invisible things of Him are clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” (Ro 1:20 KJ21)

Yes, people only have to open their ears and eyes to become aware of the Existence behind all the existent things.

All people are created in the image of God and as such, when people look deep in the hearts of others they may catch a glimpse of that Divine Creator. But in the Nazarene man Jeshua ben Josef, better known as Jesus Christ, people were made it much easier to see something of God, because Jesus came to declare his heavenly Father.

“Jesus said unto him, “Have I been so long a time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Joh 14:9 KJ21)

God made it clear who that man from Nazareth was.

“and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven, which said, “THOU ART MY BELOVED SON; IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED.”” (Lu 3:22 KJ21)

Jesus never claimed to be God and clearly gave to know that he could not do anything without the Power of his heavenly Father.

“28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, ‘I go away and come again unto you.’ If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice because I said, ‘I go unto the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 “Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.” (Joh 14:28-31 KJ21)

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, “Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (Joh 5:19 KJ21)

No man can see God and live, but many saw Jesus, who told that he is the right one to come closer to the Only One True God of Israel.

“And He said, “Thou canst not see My face, for there shall no man see Me and live.”” (Ex 33:20 KJ21)

“and I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts, but My face shall not be seen.”” (Ex 33:23 KJ21)

“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (Joh 1:18 KJ21)

“Jesus said unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (Joh 14:6 KJ21)

Atheist reading such verses in the Bible and hearing from Christians saying that Jesus was born and died for us, let them believe those Christians are fools to believe such stories which contradict each other. On one hand they say God is eternal and on the other hand they say Jesus or God died, which suddenly makes him not eternal. Furthermore, they say God knows everything though their god Jesus does not seem to know the thing about himself nor the things what seem to matter so much in a Christian’s life, namely the End-Times, the Last Judgement and the Kingdom of God.

For all those in doubt, we have good news! There is no such thing as the Trinity, and Jesus is the son of the Only True God Who is One (and not two or three). When you dare to read the Bible (Old and New Testament) and want to listen to the Words like they are written down in that Book of books, you shall be able to discover how to come to see and understand the existence of God. At the same time, you shall come to see how Jesus is that one promised at the beginning of the ages, and is the best person to have to become aware of God’s presence.

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Please find to read:

1. Does He exists?
2. Science and God’s existence
3. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #1
4. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #2
5. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #3
6. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #4
7. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #5
8. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #6
9. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #7
10. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #8
11. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #9
12. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #10
13. Non-religious opposing religious people
14. Trinity matter
15. Trinity – the Truth about God
16. Only One God
17. God is One

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Related articles

1. Why Believe in God’s Existence?
2. Does God exist?
3. Why Doesn’t God Just Prove His Existence?
4. Existence of God,a mere myth or an almighty power
5. The existence of God
6. The Existence of God? Aristotelian Proof: Part 1
7. Why Francis Schaeffer Matters: The Turning Point in Truth – Part 2
8. Arguments for the Existence of God (Using Coffee)
9. Reflections on the existence of God
10. Why doesn’t God make his existence more obvious?
11. Evidence for Christianity
12. Moses, Miracles and the Multiverse
13. Why A Good God Allows Bad Things To Happen (Answering Atheism)
14. Does Science Argue For or Against God? (video)
15. Video: Does God Exist?

Not missing your appointment in 2017

Soon we will turn over the page of the dark year 2016.

These past days and the coming days lots of people had very important gatherings they would not like to miss. This time of season it are days of appointments which have us looking forward to pleasant cosy being together moments.

In the new year, people shall again make and keep lots of different appointments that they would never miss. For many the people are so important, they would never cancel. The circumstance may also be so pressing that those meetings cannot be put off.

The need so urgent, we cannot afford to overlook it. The desire so great, it cannot be denied or postponed. {Don’t Trade Away God’s Help Today}

But what about the most important meeting of the year, the season or even of the day?

Lots of Christians say this is the season of the year and that they are celebrating the birth of their god. Those Christians also say the bible is the word of their god, though most of those Christians do not read that Word of God. For sure then they would perhaps not worship Jesus as their god and would not take part in the heathen Christmas events.

Many Christians far too quickly dismiss their daily appointment with the God of the universe as soon as life gets a little busy. The other appointments stack up, and our time to sit with the Most High and heavenly Father of our Saviour, seems to fade away so quickly and easily. Not many of those Christians who have Jesus as their god know his words or know the Words of his heavenly Father. Though those Words are very important and each follower of Christ should know them very well.

Perhaps it is

Arrogance, because we don’t think we need God’s help and wisdom enough to consistently ask him for it (James 1:5). Apathy, because we’ve let other things drown out the call to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). {Don’t Trade Away God’s Help Today}

Not many people do know why and how important it is to come to read the Bible. Many have no idea how to start doing it. At my first series I look on this matter “Reading the Holy Scriptures“. In it I try to show how reading the Bible is a way of  hearing God’s Word and a way to let us be strengthened. It is a way to allow ourselves to grow whilst we are guided by the One Who knows everything. He is the Omnipotent Who is pervasive, extensive, omnipresent and willing to help us at any moment of the day and night.  He is the Most Trustworthy Supreme Being Who is prepared to be there for us whenever we need Him. He is the One Who can tell us how to prepare for life and is willing to show us what to do and how to serve Him. We can turn to the Bible in times of sadness, joy, worry or bereavement and receive comfort from Gods word.

Too many are not aware how easy it is to have the most super guidebook in the world and the most intense appointment with the Most High Person in this world. We may wonder why so many Christians miss such an appointment regularly. Because their God has asked them to remember Him and to take time for Him. He told them to take a Sabbath, a day of rest to give and share it with Him. But we do not see many accepting that invitation or going to that appointment.

Many Christian churches are running empty today. There are not many worship places where Christians are really worshipping the Most High Elohim. We may find lots of churches where false gods are worshipped, but also they are having difficulties to keep their members. Many Christian even have no place for God on the day that they say would be especially for Him. At Christmas most energy is put in the cooking and preparing for the festivities and the presents. But there is no place for many Christians and not much thought about the Most High Present, namely the Saviour Jesus Christ. That child in the mangler is mostly forgotten or a detail in their life which is consumed by all the material things around them.

Moshe had given a task, like Jeshua also has given a task to his followers. They told the task of the leader is to remove that Din and bring everlasting Chesed and Rachamim to us. We should do away with all wrong traditions, all heathen connections. Believers in, and lovers of God should be different than atheists. Their way of life should be pure and according to the wishes of the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, and to know those wishes God has given the best manual for life: the Bible, the Book of books. We should read it, making time to have close and fine words with the One who we should love and honour as the most Important One.

Taking up the Bible is taking up and keeping your appointment with God. Do not forget to meet Him and His Word in 2017.

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Please come to find following articles on Immanuel Verbondskind:

• Best to read and study the Bible
• How to Read the Bible
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 1)
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 2)
• Making time for God is crucial
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 3)
• and find sequels 4 and 5 later, in the New Year

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Wishing you a happy and blessed spiritual New Year

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Did you come to read already our Vision and mission. Have a look at our page: Our Vision and mission.

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Find additionally

1. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
2. Walking alone?
3. Try driving forward instead of backwards
4. Gathering or meeting of believers
5. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
6. God has not destined us for wrath
7. Hearing words to accept
8. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #3 A voice to be taken Seriously
9. Witnessing because we love

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Further reading

1. The Ten: Lesson 1
2. Summaries of Catholic Teaching Topic 31: The first commandment
3. Ethical Implications in the Ten Commandment
4. God of Our Relationships
5. The Loving Lawgiver
6. Better late than never
7. Never Can Say Goodbye
8. No Appointment Necessary
9. When will it be Your day?
10. Will I make the appointment? 
11. 10 reasons why I love my hospital appointments
12. Are You Engaged?
13. Calm the shit down 
14. Monday Morning Thoughts
15. I Am Alive
16. Measuring Time
17. I’m Getting What I Want and Now I’m a Little Scared
18. God’s Appointment
19. Sunday Appointment Pimpama
20. Our daily grateful post
21. The first appointment
22. Out of Eden
23. Happy New Year!
24. How Wide is the Saviour’s Catchment?
25. Repeat The Sounding Joy…All Year Long!
26. Teaching the Crowds, Instructing His Disciples
27. His Name Is…Prince Of Peace
28. Christmas Day At My Church
29. Light and Life to All He Brings
30. Five Ways To Revive Evangelism In Your Church
31. Repeat The Sounding Joy…All Year Round! Finale
32. My year long Bible adventure
33. Reading On Faith
34. Like John Taught His Disciples
35. Job 28:28 Wisdom And Understanding (Part 2)
36. How to Read the Bible
37. Healthy Leaders Can’t Lead On Empty

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Save

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• Faith In action ‘Time To Reflect’
• Jesus Christ: Jewish radical or bathrobe Republican? The “reason for the season” remains an enigma after 2,000 years
• Celebrating Christmas in the Midst of Islamic Domination
• Christmas: Let`s renew our hope in God – Fayose
• How Long Can You Keep Christmas Decor Up?

Arguments about believe and About Christianity versus Atheism

If Christians believe God loves everyone, they shouldn’t argue with atheists. If atheists don’t believe in God, what’s the point of insulting Christians?

is what can be found at a voting for

Top Ten Reasons Not to Argue About Christianity vs Atheism

A diagram showing the relationship between weak/strong and implicit/explicit atheism. Strong atheism is always explicit, and implicit atheism is always weak. Explicit atheism can be either “weak” or “strong”. Based on a previous chart by User:FrostyBytes, in turn based on a previous chart by User:Silence. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Naturally you could think a Christian would not make such a list, but because humankind belongs to the weak beings such things happen. No matter what people might think, as long as we are in this time system, and as long the End of Days or Last Days shall not have taken place and the Kingdom of God having become a reality, man shall stay arguing about such matters.

Christians who would call other people who do not agree with them “demons” proof that they did not understand yet the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself respect other thinkers and wants us also to respect those of an other opinion.

People also should be fully aware that “Not all Atheists disrespect religion” and “Not all Christians disrespect Atheists thinking”

Many Christians may choose a flowchart, like Jeremy Myers presents on his blog “3 simple words to say to an atheist who criticizes Christianity”

Preceding articles:

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do list

Genre – Playing by the Rules

The Need to Understand Genre

Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything

Great things, Voice of God and terrors

Hatred and hostility against God

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Related articles

• Atheism
• Does Christianity or atheism have the burden of proof?
• Re: /r/IAmA, /r/AskReddit and many other subreddits are private now
• Si Robertson, ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star, Says Atheists Don’t Exist
• Further Dialogues with the Christian
• Top Ten Reasons Why the List “Reasons to Not Like Atheists” Is Inaccurate
• Dumb Dynasty
• The Problem With Bold, New Thinking: Its Rather Old and Worn Out
• “I don’t have the space or knowledge to fully dissect this apparent need to feel persecuted felt by…”
• Douglas Todd: Atheist clergy should remove masks

Hatred and hostility against God

“Recently, I have had a lot of conversations with atheists.
Many express a strong hatred of God.
I have been at a loss to explain this. How can you hate someone you don’t believe in? Why the hostility?
If God does not exist, shouldn’t atheists just relax and seek a good time before they become plant food?
Why should it matter if people believe in God?
Nothing matters if atheism is true.
– Don Batten

Preceding posts:

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do lis

Genre – Playing by the Rules

The Need to Understand Genre

Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything

Great things, Voice of God and terrors

University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Related articles

• Atheism
• You Christians are worried and freaking for some reason ?
• Does Christianity or atheism have the burden of proof?
• What I Know About Atheists
• Atheist Zealots
• Ontario teacher accused of Islamophobic tweets connected to post about imposing atheist beliefs on students
• Damn Fool Atheists
• Ken Ham says even atheists know truth about God but choose not to believe it
• Russia blocks atheist webpage over ‘insulting’ believers
• The New World Order: Does It All Just Boil Down To A Battle For Your Soul?

Illusion of Separateness

Logo for the Addicted to Social Media Blog (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lots of people look for social media to feel at ease and like to be carried away by the mobile phone, television or cinema screen. On the many screens were many eyes are glued on these days everything is done to get people away from the Divine Creator. With smashing sparkling flashing lights on those screens not the light comes in the hearts but those lights blind the many searchers and many are placed in the dark catacombs of the present world.

Instead of uniting with the many social media friends, people get even more isolated and lonely, forgetting also the most important relationship they should work at. That Higher Friend even get not in the mind of most human beings.

Instead of gaining power those caught up by social media and those falling in the trap of the growing number of atheists get more reasons (they think) to be afraid and start fearing people who seem to be different than them, though often they are not so different as they are thought of to be. The clam of the world brings the darkness of the torture rooms of the dark ages. History keeps repeating.

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To remember:

• some humans want to keep other humans in darkness
• cutting off from awareness of our full potential, cutting us off from true connection with our Creator
• creating reasons for us to feel separate from our fellows
• feeding idea of winners + losers > right + wrong.
• feed fear => cannot come together to create a real evolution of consciousness
• more easily controlled when feeling afraid, isolated
• Everyday on television, internet + radio news = fed lies to distract us +> dish out fear
• truth = all are one, connected by a single consciousness => when we harm another we actually harm ourselves +  when we judge another we are judging ourselves =>  plug into our divine creator and perform miracles on planet
• => Open your eyes and rise above the illusion.

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Preceding articles:

1. Putting your feelings into words and sharing them
2. Lonely in the crowd
3. Less… is still enough
4. Less for more
5. The Art of Doing Less – Your Time is Finite
6. How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace
7. Fear, struggles, sadness, bad feelings and depression
8. Thought of the day: We want more, i want more, but why is that?
9. Of old and new ideas to sustain power and to feel good by loving to be connected and worship something

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Additional reading:

1. Walking alone?
2. What Are You Seeking?
3. What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?
4. Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities
5. Be realistic, do not pretend
6. Disscusion Questions
7. Gender connections
8. Companionship
9. Subcutaneous power for humanity 5 Loneliness, Virtual and real friends
10. Dealing with worries in our lives
11. Migrants to the West #7 Religions
12. Subcutaneous power for humanity 1 1940-1960 Influenced by horrors of the century
13. Subcutaneous power for humanity 3 Facing changing attitudes
14. Subcutaneous power for humanity 5 Loneliness, Virtual and real friends
15. Journal for and from bothered citizens
16. Faith because of the questions
17. Religion, fundamentalism and murder
18. Let us not forget it was God who chose us
19. 2013 insecurity
20. 2014 Social contacts
21. Americans wrongly informed about situation in Europe
22. A little ray of sunshine.

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• How to Get Any Work Done (When Connecting Is Your Job)
• The Impact of Social Media
• Best Practices in Recovering From a Social Media Mistake
• Vayikra after its opening word וַיִּקְרָא, which means and He called
• Can A Moral Revival Happen Where God Is Dead?
• 9 Ways to Humanize Your Brand With Social Media
• Can a moral revival happen where God is dead?
• The Pharisees and The One Who Knows My Heart
• Douglas Rushkoff | Program or Be Programmed | Smells Like Human Spirit Podcast

Finding My Authentic Self

There are some humans that want to keep other humans in the darkness, cutting us off from the awareness of our full potential, cutting us off from true connection with our creator.

Make no mistake, they benefit from creating reasons for us to feel separate from our fellows, feeding the idea of winners and losers, that there are those who are right and those who are wrong.

They feed us with reasons we should fear each other, different races, religions, countries, so that we cannot come together to create a real evolution of consciousness.

We are more easily controlled when we feel afraid, isolated, separate from one another and alone.

Everyday on the television, internet and radio news we are fed lies to distract us and they dish out fear, fear and more fear.

If we all knew the truth, that we truly all are one, connected by a single…

View original post 40 more words

Of old and new ideas to sustain power and to feel good by loving to be connected and worship something

Of old, people have been looking for reasons of their existence and how everything came into being. Because there were and are so many things people could not understand they created themselves super beings, called gods, overlooking to go beyond a manifold of gods finding the Most High Supreme Being.

Religion – composition old bible books from Hungary (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Creating mysterious stories could sooth many minds. Many creation myths can be found and other gods than creating ones were also thought of by man. Around the worshipping of those gods came into existence that what we call religion. For many those religions gave some answers, although somewhat inaccurately and told people how to live and work, and they provided for many a nice and easy way for getting control over people by the stories they fabricated. As such we also find in Christendom leaders who love to control their God-fearing population.

Throughout history we can see that the worship system was used to control people and to create reasons to go against other people. Though to say

“religion has been the leading cause of war and death throughout human history.” {What has religion done for us?}

would be taking it to far. (Much more than one bridge too far.)

In this time several people also get a wrong idea about certain old books. There are even people who think the bible is only 2000 years old, like ‘counter creationist‘ gives the impression in his article “Why? just why?”. The biggest part of the book he is referring to (The Bible) is much older then the two millennia. He also seems to be very confused about the Nazarene man spoken in those books. He considers that man to be a god-man according to those books, which is contrary to everything what is written in that Book of books and Best-seller of all times, about that person, though he is called son of man and son of God. But “son of God” is totally something different than “god son“. We do agree many made that man into their god and made statues of him, where in front of them, they bow before and in certain countries is even food and clothes given to him and to his mother-statues in little chapels along the road.

In certain countries it even has become very dangerously around those religions; In that Old Book of books this is even prophesied. In it we can find it as one of the signs that the third and last World War will be coming. There is written that earthquakes and tsunamis would be more frequent and after children would rise against their parents, religions would come up against each other. Clearly we can see many religions fighting against other religions and in each religious group we can find many subdivisions which go against each other and even are prepared to kill for it.

1 September 2010. During Middle East negotiations, Mubarak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel look at their watches to see if it is officially sunset; during Ramadan, Muslims fast until sunset. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To say it is religion that causes the killing is totally wrong and goes beyond reality. To give one example, just for one country because we know those official cyphers, in Belgium in 2013 there were about 756 terrorist attacks. Of them there were only three by religious people. Of those religious people there was only one attack made on religious grounds, by a fundamentalist (by coincidence a Muslim fundamentalist). This means the majority was made on non-religious grounds by non-religious or atheist people. To generalise that all atheist would be terrorists would be the most stupid fault. Though we see such a thing happening in several countries, like in the United States where everybody shouts that all Muslims are terrorist and bad people.  In the same state we can see that certain people go very strongly, aggressively against people of an other faith or who do not believe the same than they. Several openly agree that they are willing to kill the other if he does not convert. The same aggression and oppression of threat for converting we see in the Middle East, but than for the Muslims.

This growing attitude

“when people disagree you have to either convert or kill them”

is an aggressive approach what led to many their wars, but when we look more closely we see that the main reason of such wars we more to have the power over people, to gain more wealth for oneself, to have a much bigger area or to create a bigger state. We can see that by the present fundamentalist groups like ISIS who do not mind burning symbols which by most Muslims are considered holy, like the Quran or mosques. Though they may not be burned ISIS does not hesitate to put fire on them.

Very few religions say: “you can believe what you want, but I think this is true”. No, they say: “believe what I do or burn for eternity.” This approach allowed rulers to keep control over their population, using the fear of punishment and the assertion that they are right and no-one else is. {What has religion done for us?}

Too many people forget that often religion is just an excuse to bring problems to others or to press ones own power unto others.

The times when people are shunned from families and relationships for having different beliefs. {What has religion done for us?}

is not what cause the majority of problems in relationships with family members or friends. Most problems of bringing cuts in family relations have nothing to do with religion. Just have a look at the many divorces. Where would you think you can find most divorces? In religious families or in families where there is no interest in God or in ethical laws? In what sort of schools can you find most problematic asocial behaviour? In religious or in non-religious state schools?

We can agree that the same as by atheist many may have found delusion, oppression and false hope in that what they believed. And please do not forget that atheists also believe a lot of things. And also by atheists there is much discussion and fighting going on about what they believe. Just have  a look at how atheists professors and scientist often go in heavy debates. In Belgium we can see that very much in the ones who believe in alternative medicine and those who say that is just bullshit and rubbish. Last week we could also see two medical groups in a television documentary about the illness of Lyme going against each other and calling each other names (really not worthy for decent educated people). Very often we can find ignorance by lots of people and mostly by persons who do not want to believe in a Higher Supreme Being. Today we also must say most people are not at all interested in the Most High God of gods and have their other gods from the sports world (mainly football and soccer) and from the moving pictures and television screen. But most of all the new god has become that more tiny screen which brings a majority of youngsters on their own created island of isolation. When you look around on the streets, you can see them walking by thousands, with their heads down and fingers (mostly dumb) going crazily fast from one side to the other of that little electronic tool.

Stephen Shaw captured it so nicely in one of his photographs and his article Format 15 were he writes:

Life is a constant war we are doomed to lose . Thus we worship  science and technology and strive towards new ways of enjoying and prolonging our life ( Cryogenics ,  vitamins , health and fitness , resurrection and downloading our souls ). The mobile phone is like the new Deity people staring into its virtual light on a daily basis like they are memorised by a newfound idol. all reality and dullness of their real life is forgotten as they live their ideal fantasy life through this ever satisfying god who grants their every wish , albeit it be only in their minds. {Format 15}

As usual we can find people looking for ways to escape the earth-life reality and to create for themselves a better life than they really have; As such you may find many presenting themselves very differently on Facebook than they really are in really life. though many want to find more friends at the social media they also seem to get the same illusion like the other religions and finding themselves even more isolated and lonely than those believers in The God and who have their church community.

Many today are also calling out

The Era of the Gods is Over. Face the Truth. Not even the Gods are without Flaws.

Throughout history people have looked for finding reasons of life, ways of life, ways how to behave, ways to construct a better world. Many seem to forget that in those systems there were many irreligious people presenting their system as the best one and forcing it on others; For those who did have to seem to have forgotten the Marxist and Leninist systems, we shall ask them to look into the history books. Lots of people did not survive communist camps, but today there are still enough people form the communist countries alive, so please do talk with them and question about the non-religous solution which was offered as the solution.

Funny thing is that most strong voices against religion come from the United States of America who have a horrible fear of everything that may smell even a little bit of socialism or communism, though those system do not have to be as based as they believe. You see there too we come at the word belief and faith. Those American atheist have also their faith in certain systems. they too seem to forget that they “believe” in other things than gods or the God.

The Three Creators with “The big Struggle of Creation!” thinks:

Greeks (k)*new, where our leaders meet and find solutions. They also found good names we all admire. (* k added by us)

What they did not figure out, is why these individuals became gods. It’s because, they are people with a strong will, fighting for the Good Side. They hate fighting, but have to do it, because there is no other way to stop evil. They are willing to learn from good and evil and keep on learning and fighting, until they find solutions, until they find better ways. They are not perfect, they do not even try to be perfect. They simply know what’s good. {The Era of the Gods is Over. Face the Truth. Not even the Gods are without Flaws.}

If we look at the many gods of today, like George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, just to name only of the most internationally known American actors, we can see that the media plays a very important role in creating idols and would be alike and figures were people want to dream of and have envy of. they are not any more good ones and they not have a good attitude. The opposite can be said of the stars of today. They have not what we would call an exemplary attitude, but do not mind to have an abundant life without borders and without scruples.

People of today prefer the free inhibited lifestyle were sex and fun comes in the first place and have nothing to do any more with real love. Lots of youngsters brag about the many girls they could get into their bed. Women just have become a trophy for many, but idem dito men for women, who have liberated themselves and even got solutions to have kids without the intervention of a male being, which many do not need any more.

People want to play for god themselves instead of having them be guided by something, somewhat or Some One Who they do not understand. Problem is that most people do not want to invest time to come to understand the Most High Being, Maker of haven and earth. they are fast to blame Him for everything what goes wrong in life, but to see all the good things around them and to accept God made them possible is too much asked.

Non-physical relationships can be a real pain to figure out. There aren’t any self-help books on them, and trying to get a communication style that works well can be challenging to say the least. {Gods: More Like People Than You Think}

writes Devo on Twisted Rope whose experiences have shown him that the gods man make themselves are a lot more like humans than we typically want to admit that they are. But that is just because man wants the gods to be like him and have to face the same difficulties like him.

Yeah, they may have more power in some ways than we do. But at the end of the day, they seem to have a lot of the same basic attributes that we do, and I feel like we should be taking a closer look at that. {Gods: More Like People Than You Think}

Lots of people do not feel happy because in the big world of many gods, idols, atheists, non-conformists, egoists, they feel lost and can not find any connection with their inner being nor with some outer-being. This makes them floating in the welter.

All created in the image of God have the possibility to hear the inner voice and to hear the calling of the Most High. We only have to open our ear.

And those atheists who think it are the religious who would make most war should reconsider who are the real religious people and what people would like to do when they have certain ethics and rules for a way of living. Be it Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Jews or religious of an other faith, when they are serious faithful we shall see they mostly will have a more peaceful character than those who do not want to keep to certain ethics. Luckilly by the atheists we may find also a lot of humanists and people who do find it very important to have human ethical rules and to keep to those ethic laws. They too shall try to avoid warmaking and propagate peace.

Worldreligions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Please do find additional reading:

1. Newsweek asks: How ignorant are you?
2. Atheists, deists, and sleepers
3. Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life
4. Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists
5. Epicurus’ Problem of Evil
6. Economics and Degradation
7. Evil Never Ceases
8. Caricaturing and disapproving sceptics, religious critics and figured out ethics
9. Subcutaneous power for humanity 5 Loneliness, Virtual and real friends
10. A world with or without religion
11. Being Charlie 1, Being Charlie 2, Being Charlie 3, Being Charlie 4, Being Charlie 5, Being Charlie 6,Being Charlie 7, Being Charlie 8, Being Charlie 9, Being Charlie 10, Being Charlie 11
12. It’s beautiful to watch the spread of #JeSuisCharlie across the world,Where do we stand in the backdrop of Charlie Hebdo Massacre ?, Charlie Hebdo, offensive satire and why ‘Freedom of Speech’ needs more discussion
13. Faith because of the questions
14. Religion, fundamentalism and murder
15. Religion…..why the competition?
16. Shariah and child abuse – Is there a connection?
17. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
18. Apartheid or Apartness #1 Suppression and Apartness
19. Leaving the Old World to find better pastures
20. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #2 Roots of Jewishness
21. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #3 Of the earth or of God
22. Collision course of socialist and capitalist worlds
23. Robertson: God says U.S. will accept socialism
24. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
25. The imaginational war against Christmas
26. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 4 Blasphemy and ridiculing faith in God
27. Still Hope though Power generating long train of abuses
28. Europe and much-vaunted bastions of multiculturalism becoming No God Zones
29. 112314 – A Peculiar People
30. Maker of most popular weapon asks for repentance
31. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
32. Science, 2013 word of the year, and Scepticism
33. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
34. 2014 Religion
35. Not many coming out with their community name
36. Truth, doubt or blindness
37. A Church without Faith!
38. Inequality, Injustice, Sustainability and the Free World Charter
39. Re-Creating Community
40. Daniel Guérin: Three Problems of the Revolution (1958)
41. The trigger of Aurora shooting
42. Intellectual servility a curse of mankind

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Related articles

• Denial (todayssigns.wordpress.com)
  If you wonder about the importance of evidence to secular people, think about this: A whole world full of people waits out there, lurking to pull all kinds of shenanigans to get you converted to strange beliefs and practices they uphold, or to part with your money, without any kind of demonstrable evidence. The best they have is stories some unknown talebearer told that another unknown person wrote down. You get to choose from actual thousands of those doctrines in all their variations, but most people settle for the one chosen by their family in ages past.
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  Once a person attaches dissatisfaction with faith-based beliefs to failure of their messengers to be convincing, and then sees how that failure stems from absence of any kind of real evidence, the importance of evidence becomes clear and the search for evidence-based beliefs begins.
• An imaginary interview with a Christian… (nytimes.com)
  Honestly, since so many of my friends aren’t religious or conservative, I’ve always taken for granted that being part of their lives meant accompanying them through life choices that belong to a different worldview than my own. (And I’m very grateful that they’ve accompanied and tolerated me.) My family has its share of divorces and second marriages; my friends’ romantic paths are varied; my closest friend from high school just exchanged vows with his longtime boyfriend. I’m going to a party celebrating them next month. If they asked me, I’d bring a cake.
• Acts of Terrorism Very Rare Among US Muslims, Study Finds (voanews.com)
  After the September 11, 2001, attacks and more recent efforts by militant groups in Muslim countries to radicalize and recruit Muslims living in the West, there have been fears among U.S. authorities and the public of large-scale terrorist strikes on home soil.Such fears, however, have been largely unfounded, because Muslims in the United States have overwhelmingly ignored the calls to militancy, said Charles Kurzman, a researcher with the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security in North Carolina.

  “We have not seen mass radicalization of Muslims in the United States,” he said. “That’s worth taking note of.”
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  Although comparisons are tricky, other studies suggest that right-wing violence claimed more lives in the U.S. than terrorism committed in the name of Islam.

  There have been serious attacks, of course.  The 2009 shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas and the 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon were carried out by Muslim U.S. citizens who claimed to be avenging American military actions overseas.

  And there were also failed attempts that came close to causing massive loss of life, but the study shows that these attempts were “rare and unsophisticated.”  In 2010, an SUV with propane and gasoline canisters and fireworks, parked in New York’s Times Square, detonated but did not explode. The driver of the car, Faisal Shahzad, had received bombmaking training in Pakistan’s Waziristan region.

  Authorities say large-scale attacks have been prevented because of the extensive security apparatus that was set up nationwide in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.

• Boston Marathon bomber wanted to terrorize US (rep-am.com)
  As he planted a backpack containing a bomb near a group of children, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev made a coldblooded decision aimed at punishing America for its wars in Muslim countries, a federal prosecutor told the jury during closing arguments Monday at Tsarnaev’s death penalty trial.
• Muslim Coalition Denounces ISIS for Steven Sotloff’s Murder (pr.com)
  The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of several national and local organizations, today condemns a terrorist and anti-Islam group for a video purporting to show the gruesome beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff.The murder of innocent civilians is immoral, illegal, barbaric, and in direct contravention of the major tenets of Islam and Islamic law. No cause or purpose is served by this heinous act other than a clear manifestation of this group’s cruel and un-Islamic nature.

  “We are outraged that we once again find ourselves in the position to condemn this organization that calls itself the ‘Islamic State’, also known by the acronym ISIS, for killing Mr. Sotloff, especially so soon after its members murdered journalist James Foley,” said Oussama Jammal, USCMO secretary general.

• DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson remarks on the Quran’s ‘quintessentially American values’ (freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com)
  Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was honored by the Muslim Public Affairs Council last week for “for his dedication to and personal investment in engagement with Muslim American communities across the United States” and this happened during his post-award remarks:
• Is an independent Kurdistan still possible? (blogs.timesofisrael.com)
  We in the west might have missed a golden opportunity  to back and help establish a new democratic state in the Middle East with strong ties to America and European democracies. It could be a Muslim state set up along the same lines as Israel. Both peoples have had similar experiences with the larger Sunni and Shia populations that inhabit the Muslim world.
• Construction disputes taking longer to resolve (resene.com.au)
  Internationally, construction disputes are taking longer to resolve, according to UK-based consultancy company EC Harris.The company released the results from a study at the end of last month (May 24), which compared the trend across different regions around the world including the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia.

  Titled ‘Global construction disputes: A Longer Resolution’, the report was the third of its kind undertaken by the London consultancy with research help from ARCADIS Construction Claims Consulting.

  One of the main findings showed that construction disputes in 2012 averaged more than a year in length, which is 20 per cent longer than those in 2011.

  The average length of a dispute was 12.8 months, which was up from 10.6 months in 2011, and 9.1 months in 2010.

• The Wider Ramifications of the Ukraine Crisis (payvand.com)
  The Ukraine crisis, as well as the broader deterioration in relations between Russia on the one hand and America and Europe on the other, is not taking place in a void. Many momentous events are happening simultaneously, including growing conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere in the Muslim World, increased tension between China and several of its neighbors, and the rise of India and certain other non-Western nations. The reaction of the world outside the West and the former Soviet Union to the crisis in Ukraine has been remarkably evasive. Although Syria and Venezuela have expressed their support for Russia, many other non-Western states have adopted a more neutral stance. Several Middle Eastern governments actually seem impatient with the Ukrainian crisis for diverting Western attention from the severe crises of their region. This issue just is not as significant for them as it is for countries closer to the conflict zone. Nor do they have any desire to get dragged into it.

  Nevertheless, the Ukraine crisis may have wider ramifications. In mid-2014, Russia reacted to European moves to reduce petroleum imports from Russia by signing a deal to redirect petroleum exports to China-reportedly at a very low price. The longer the crisis between Russia and the West continues, the more likely are European-Russian economic ties likely to fray and Russia to become increasingly dependent economically-and perhaps politically-on China.

• Recognizing and promoting religious bigots against Islam and Muslims (angryarab.blogspot.com)
  It is just amazing how much Zionist US media love to promote anyone who harbors hatred for Islam and Muslims, qua Muslims.  If this woman says about Jews what she says about Muslims, she would be shunned and people would picket all her speaking engagements.  But she speaks against Islam (as a religion) and against Muslims, and that does not in any way cause people to condemn her bigotry.
• Christophobia, a gift to the Church?
  I believe many pockets of Christianity throughout America today still suffers from this illusion. But there is hope today in the very movement that many take as a grave attack on the faith. The modern day power grab for control over the culture has come dressed in the garb of Christophobia, i.e., that irrational and pervasive fear that if Christians have a voice in the public square the Constitution will burst into flames, civil liberties vanish, women made slaves, gays imprisoned, sea levels will rise, and 7-day young earth creationism will reign in every science classroom.
  +
  The Christophobia of our age is an invitation—no, a demand!—that all who would claim the name ‘Christian’ be truly conformed to the image of Christ. Those who follow Christ in this world were given the daunting promise by Christ Himself that they would suffer persecution in this world. It was a badge of honor for those apostles, prophets, martyrs and saints who came before and who faced down the challenge of their oppressors and won their own souls.

To Soar In The Spirit You Have To Be Hard Core

A problem with a lot of so called re-born Christians is that they do think they do not have to do anything any more to please God because they are saved for ever. They do not worry to sin, because they trust in that eternal salvation (according to them).

Today, many who call themselves Christian are not really followers of Christ, because they do not follow the teachings of Christ Jesus and they do not take up the task of preaching which Jesus asked his followers to do, going into the world telling the Good News.
Those so called reborn Christians are not exactly in a reborn body or are not a reborn soul. This would demand a transfiguration of their personality and the majority prefers to stay the same as they were before, keeping doing the same traditions, celebrating the same pagan holidays and doing the same pagan activities.
Of many of them it can not be said that they have taken a merciful approach to dealing with those around them who think differently. They also do not work against the enemies of the soul because they are convinced that there are no works of faith. Though they forget the essence of the parables of Christ and the warnings of the rabbi and his disciples, like the saying of the apostle James who clearly tells us that faith without works is death.

When we look at the behaviour of many Christians we cannot see any difference between a believer in Christ and in an atheist. Sometimes we see that the atheist behaves more accepting to people with other ideas than the Christian. We often see atheist who are less aggressive to others than those who call themselves Christian. We also get more aggressive talks and bad names calling from so called Christians than from atheists. Therefore no wonder when we look at the world today we can hardly make any distinction between those who are supposed to be born again and those who are dead in their sin.

Not many today are interested in putting the carnal man to death. There are even Christians who do believe they never had a carnal man in them, because they believe they never were born from a carnal birth.
Today the carnal man willing to be merciful to carnal living and preferring to compromise with the enemies of the soul rather than to destroy any connection with them makes that the filth continues to spread and children of those people do not get the right good examples of Christian living and the Jesus like attitude.

Nothing has changed much over the centuries. Today we still see the double minded, trying to serve the flesh and live spiritual at the same time.

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Preceding article:

Salvation and Righteousness

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Please read also:

1. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
2. As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
3. Myth 12: The Hyper-Grace Gospel Makes People Lazy
4. God’s wrath and sanctification
5. Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
6. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong
7. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
8. A race not to swift, nor a battle to the strong

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Related articles

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  I became a Christian, born again of The Spirit of God or as many say a ‘born again Christian‘. Whatever terminology is used I became a believer and began to understand what it meant to be a Christian. The message was quite simple, is quite simple…..We are all sinners, helpless to pay the price for those sins and we need a Saviour, someone who would pay the price for us and thereby set us free. That Saviour is Jesus. We need to repent of our sins and accept Jesus as Saviour so that we can be saved from eternal punishment.
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• With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (1956msbess.wordpress.com)
  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
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  (ed.note: the writer talks about fools who would not see who Jesus is but we do have the impression he himself is not seeing who Jesus actually is and what he rally has done. He writes ” and investigate the facts to see if Jesus was indeed God as he said he was,” but jesus never said such a thing and never claimed to be God.)
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theinscribedheart

Deuteronomy 7:2
“And when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.”
These are the instructions given to the children of Israel right before going in to possess the promise land. Take a minute and get a feel for the uncompromising mindset that Yahweh commanded them to have as they went in to possess the land. Make no deals, show no mercy, and utterly destroy.
Joshua, Moses successor, was a foreshadow of our Christ. Jesus Christ and Joshua actually were called by the same name in Hebrew, Yeshua. Understand that Yeshua leading the children of Israel into the promised land of their inheritance is a direct correlation to Yoshua, the Christ, leading the redeemed church through the salvation of the soul. The children of Israel fought Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites…

View original post 619 more words

Truth, doubt or blindness

The Jordan River and “Kfar-Hanasi” bridge (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At a certain time in history, nearly two thousand years ago there was a man preaching in the dessert. The disciples of John reported of an other preacher leaving Capernaum going into a city called Nain with several of his disciples and a great crowd went with him. In that place were also disciples of that preacher in the desert, clothed in camel hair.
Those pupils may have been astonished by the great multitude this story teller could fetch. they also witnessed how this preacher drew near to the gate of the city when there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.  they witnessed how that preacher had compassion on her, and said unto her not to weep. Unbelievable it was to see how he came nigh and touched the bier and the bearers stood still. Having said that the young man had to ‘Arise’ they also witnessed with others in the city that this young man got up and began to speak. And he gave him back to his mother.  Seeing this they were not the only ones taken by fear. Many glorified God and said that a great prophet was arisen among them.

This report of the incredible event went forth concerning that preacher in the whole of Judea, and all the region round about. And the disciples of John the Baptist told him of all these things.  John having become curious about this miracle worker called unto him two of his disciples to sent to that man to ask him if he was the one the world was looking and waiting for.

This mural, painted on the interior of the John the Baptist Church at the Jordan River, depicts Jesus’ baptism by the hand of John. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When the men were come unto him and said that John the Baptist had sent them unto him to ask if he was “he that cometh”, or if they had to look for another. that day they could see how in one hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and on many that were blind he bestowed sight. The preacher and miracle-worker from Nazareth knew his member of family and told his disciples the things which they had seen and heard; the blind receiving their sight, the lame walking again, the lepers being cleansed, and the deaf hearing again but also the dead raised up, whilst everybody could hear him preach in the name of the Only One God. Rich or poor, all had good tidings preached to them. Though we know that many doubted and still many doubt today. Then as know there are still many who find enough occasion of stumbling in him.

When the messengers of John were departed, this miracle-worker with the name Jeshua (Jesus) began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, a man clothed in soft raiment. He asked the people around him what they went out to see. A prophet?

We are told that the preaching man in the dessert and baptising people in the river Jordan was much more than a prophet.  He is the one of whom it is written,

    Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee

The people had a son of man spoken about in the old scrolls and now got to see an other son of man prophesied in the ancient Holy Writings. but who was willing to see what he did, hear what he said, and believe what he said? Then and now there are still many people who do not want to believe the words which were written down about that man who was lower than angels but made higher later on. Lots of people do forget that God is, was and always has been the Most High, and that it is Him Who gives and takes life. The Nazarene man who did those miracles never claimed to do them himself, but still today there are lots of people who want to believe that it was he himself who did it all and that he is the Most High God. They are the people Jesus is also talking about, the ones who do not want to believe the Words of God Himself Who ascribed His people, who said Who were His and who Jesus was. Though many could hear it when this son of man was standing in the river Jordan.

Luk 3:15-22 MKJV  And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts concerning John, lest perhaps he was the Christ,  (16)  John answered all, saying, I indeed baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I comes, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to loose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,  (17)  whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor and will gather the wheat into His storehouse. But He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.  (18)  And then indeed exhorting many things, he proclaimed the gospel to the people.  (19)  But Herod the tetrarch (being reproved by him on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done)  (20)  added still this above all, that he even shut John up in prison.  (21)  And it happened in the baptizing of all the people, Jesus also being baptized, and praying, and the heaven was opened.  (22)  And the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily shape, like a dove on Him. And a voice came from Heaven, which said, You are My Son, the Beloved; I am delighted in You.

After his baptism and his retreat of meditation in the dessert this son of man about Whom God had declared to be His beloved son, Jeshua (Jesus) like his cousin started preaching but went also into the villages and towns. this was when he was beginning to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) son of Joseph, son of of Heli.

Luk 7:11-35 MKJV  And it happened on the next day, He went into a city called Nain. And many of His disciples and a great crowd went with Him.  (12)  And drawing near the gate of the city, even behold, one having died was being carried out, an only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable crowd of the city was with her.  (13)  And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep.  (14)  And He came and touched the bier. And the ones who bore him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say to you, Arise!  (15)  And the one who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.  (16)  And fear came on all. And they glorified God, saying, A great prophet has risen up among us; and, God has visited His people.  (17)  And this report of Him went out in all Judea, and in all the neighborhood.  (18)  And his disciples reported all these things to John.  (19)  And John, calling near a certain two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, Are You He that should come, or do we look for another?  (20)  And coming to Him, the men said, John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, Are You He who should come, or do we look for another?  (21)  And in the same hour He cured many of infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits. And He gave sight to many who were blind.  (22)  And answering, Jesus said to them, Go and tell John what you have seen and heard; that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is proclaimed to the poor.  (23)  And blessed is he who shall not be offended in Me.  (24)  And when the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the people concerning John. What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?  (25)  But what did you go out to see? A man clothed with soft clothing? Behold, those in splendid clothing and being in luxury are in kings’ palaces.  (26)  But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet.  (27)  This is he of whom it is written, “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who shall prepare Your way before You.”  (28)  For I say to you, Among those who are born of woman there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.  (29)  And all the people and the tax-collectors who heard Him justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.  (30)  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, not being baptized by him.  (31)  And the Lord said, To what then shall I compare the men of this generation? And to what are they like?  (32)  They are like children sitting in a market and calling to one another, and saying, We have played the flute to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you did not weep.  (33)  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, He has a demon.  (34)  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!  (35)  But wisdom has been justified by all her children.

You may wonder if John was uncertain about Jesus’ identity. It is not clear that he knew the preacher to be spoken of to be Jeshua his cousin. If they would have told him his name he would have known more, but at that time the stories where still vague and very confusing, because people told about incredible things, like people standing up from the dead. Also for John the Baptist such stories should have sounded incredible and unbelievable.

Pastor Chris Linzey aks us to put ourselves in the shoes of that desert preacher John the Baptist.

It’s comforting to see that even a spiritual giant like John the Baptist can face uncertainty. John was uncertain about Jesus’ identity. Um, say what?!? Remember – John was the one who baptized Jesus! But put yourself in John’s sandals – after baptizing Jesus, John probably expected Jesus to come in power, drive out the Romans, and take charge as the true king of Israel. It was the expectation of all of the Jews that the Messiah would be this kind of savior. The crowds, the disciples, and even John didn’t expect this Messiah – one who came to save people eternally, not just politically. {When a Baptist Doubts Jesus…}

No wonder many dared to ask themselves if this son of man could perhaps be the one talked about in the prophesies they all so knew very well. Or should they keep looking?

In previous articles we have already spoken about the doubt and how much doubt can be accepted or tolerated and could be seen as something natural in our human constitution. Every time someone in the Bible expresses doubt, the doubt moves to faith after God responds.

The same is true here with John the Baptist. He is not condemned for questioning and expressing concerns about the Messiah. In fact, Jesus commends John!{When a Baptist Doubts Jesus…} John expressed concern and doubt and Jesus says there is none greater. Not bad, getting a compliment from the Messiah! But John came with a different purpose and function than Jesus. John came to prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus affirms that he Is the Messiah. But people just won’t be pleased. {When a Baptist Doubts Jesus…}

Also today we do find people who do not want to accept that Jesus could really be a man doing God His Will. They think it to be impossible for any man to do God His Will. This is not only doubting man himself but also doubting God. Because it would indicate that God could not create a man able to follow His Wishes and keeping to His commandments He gave them. (That would also make this God in a very cruel God, putting Laws unto His creatures knowing that they can not keep to them and than terrorising them with the punishment of pain, continues suffering and death.)

When you look around you you might find lots of people who do not want to accept Jesus is really the son of man and the son of God, as the Bible tells us. Lots do not even want to accept he lived because they follow those who say Jesus is God and for them God does not exist so Jesus cannot have existed. Both are blinded by a wrong idea. The Christians who do not accept the manhood of Jesus, denying the Words of God Himself about His son, and ignoring the many remarks of Jesus about his position and relationship with his heavenly Father. And the atheists confusing with them two different characters, one a man of flesh and blood, being a historical figure and a biblical figure, whilst the other though also a biblical figure, not being a man of flesh and blood but being an eternal Spirit and Creator of heavens and earth.

For lots of people it does take a lot of time before they come to see things and it even takes much longer before they come to see the truth.

Pastor Chris Linzey is reminded of the Mark Twain quip:

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

He writes:

Eventually kids come to recognize the wisdom of their parents. And time will show that Jesus is who and what he claims to be. Time will show that Jesus IS the Messiah. And with him comes the kingdom of God – here and now, breaking through to earth.

He also thinks about the song called “Give Me Faith” which says:

I need you to open my eyes And see that you’re shaping my life All I am, I surrender Give me faith

We only can ask God that He will open the eyes of many and shall show them who the one is about Whom He said that he is His beloved son. In the coming weeks we shall be reminded of the acts this young man did, giving his life, not for himself, not to please himself, not for doing his own will, but for doing the Will of God and out of love for all people. In case Jesus is God he naturally would always have done his own will and would have known that man nor death can do nothing to him. But not being God he had to trust his heavenly Father and had to believe all the promises of his ancestors. He also had to fully believe in the One who he thought to be the God of Abraham to be the Creator of heaven and earth, willing to accept his ransom offer.

No wonder Jesus sweated blood and water, because he too had moments of doubt and worried about what could happen to him. If he was God he would not have had to worry, because God knows everything, but he as man was in a total different position. He had not to lack faith. And that is important for us as well. We may also not lack faith like Jesus trusted his heavenly Father we too should trust our heavenly Father.

This week, examine the ways and areas of your life where you might lack faith (or have weak faith). – Pray that God would expand and increase your faith! {When a Baptist Doubts Jesus…}

Many who heard about the master teacher and his miracles doubted in those stories being true. Many came to look at him just out of curiosity. Lots of people found him very entertaining and were willing to follow him in the mountains to hear his stories and to see what he would do next. Having not television this was the reality show in pure real life time, with magic beyond human understanding. Bread and fishes multiplying like nothing. People standing up after years having paralysed or being so ill they could not do much. Many could see it but still did not believe it. Today we cannot see it but are we willing to believe it?

John came to prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus affirms that he Is the Messiah. But people just won’t be pleased. {When a Baptist Doubts Jesus…} “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

The son of man of whom is said he is also the son of God, is given to humankind.  Lots is written about him. The most important things are able to be found in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. What is written in there about this rabbi people should believe. Those words we should accept like they are written down for previous, our and next generations, to come to see. Let us see and hear and finally come to believe.

At the time of Jesus non-Jews also came to believe in him. Even a centurion, one of the Roman soldiers came to see Jesus.

This is not someone who is naturally part of “God’s people.” Clearly he is friendly towards the Jews. He knows Jewish elders and helped build the local synagogue. Yet he has a level of faith that puts God-believers to shame. Not only does he ask Jesus to heal a servant, he demonstrates an understanding of Jesus’ authority that everyone else around Jesus seems to miss. {Jesus Didn’t Really Do Miracles} It’s one thing for a local healer to put hands on someone and to say some words and to bring about a healing. Here the soldier is asking Jesus to demonstrate the impossible – a distance miracle. There is no touch involved (a common element in ancient healing rituals). But as the centurion understands military authority, he believes Jesus has the same spiritual authority. {Jesus Didn’t Really Do Miracles} In all of Jesus’ healing stories, the response of the crowd is to marvel and amaze at Jesus. Here, Jesus marvels at the centurion! This truly is incredible faith, and because of the faith Jesus delivers and the servant is healed. If Jesus can heal from a distance like this, what limit is there to his ability? {Jesus Didn’t Really Do Miracles}

We understand the way of thinking of many atheists and unbelievers. It all sounds incredible. But that means not that it would not be  credible. It would not be a miracle if it would normally could happen just like that.

Are we willing to believe the Bible? Are we willing to accept that God provided the world with some one who could speak in God His Name and honour Him perfectly? Are we willing to put our doubts away and see like Pontius Pilate an innocent man brought to the slaughter, being the king of the Jews but also the perfect ransom offer, God accepting him to become the king of many, also non-Jews?

Are we willing to belong perhaps to the those underdogs who Jesus calls lucky? Though the majority of the world does not want to believe in God nor in the one sent by God, do you want to believe in that sent one from God who came to tell the world about the Good News of the  Kingdom of God? Though he may change your ideas of who and what is important in the kingdom of God and may turn the table on the people who live their best life now, are you prepared to follow his teachings and not those of certain theologians or men who claim to be man of God, but are not notated as that in the Bible?

Are you willing to open your own eyes or to blindly follow the sayings and doctrines of man?

We should go for that preacher who told that the Spirit of Jehovah God was on him, because God has anointed him to bring good news to the poor and to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of God’s favour, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn.

Let us believe in that man sent from God who ave his body for the whole world, and restored the relationship between God and man. He now is the mediator between God and man, our intercessor in whom we should put all our hope.

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Preceding article: What is the truth asked also Pontius Pilate

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Read relevant articles:

1. Christ begotten through the power of the Holy Spirit
2. Jesus begotten Son of God #3 Messiah or Anointed one
3. Jesus begotten Son of God #6 Anointed Son of God, Adam and Abraham
4. Jesus begotten Son of God #11 Existence and Genesis Raising up
5. Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary
6. Jesus Messiah
7. Jesus and his God
8. Wishing to do the will of God
9. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus
10. On the Nature of Christ
11. Servant of his Father
12. Nazarene Commentary Matthew 3:13-17 – Jesus Declared God’s Son at His Baptism
13. Nazarene Commentary Mark 1:9-11 – An Approved Son Baptized
14. On the Nature of Christ
15. Jesus is the Son of God but Not God the Son
16. A voice cries out: context
17. Days of Nisan, Pesach, Pasach, Pascha and Easter
18. Servant for the truth of God
19. Science, scepticism, doubts and beliefs
20. Doubting and going astray
21. Looking at three “I am” s
22. Let me keep to “first importance” things
23. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.

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