When reading the Bible

Foto door Rodolfo Quiru00f3s op Pexels.com

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

When reading the Bible you should ask yourself some questions:

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

 

August 28, 2023 Verse Of The Day

Most people try to earn as much money as the can. They have put their hope on financial wealth. But that shall have no value in the end. Nobody shall be able to do something with it in the grave.

One is better to feed oneself with the more important spiritual bread. The Voice of God to guide to a much better life.

August 28, 2023 Verse Of The Day

If the Bible tells us not to lean upon our own understanding, are preachers, and Bible professors, leaning upon the theirs’?

In our world, there are lots of people who consider themselves the only appropriate people to talk about the Bible, because they have studied at the university of theology and/or philosophy. The clergy with their priests and pastors in a variety of denominations all try to convince those coming into their church, that their church is the only true one.

Though we can find lots of denominations in Christendom, of which there are many where the clergy are not exactly behaving like Christ Jesus instructed. In Why there are so many denominations in Christendom we tried to give a short answer to a question many times posed. What is striking about many denominations in Christianity (or better: in Christendom) is that often not much attention is paid to the biblical texts. It is as if the Bible is only a small faits divers within religion.

The absence or minimisation of biblical content means that by paying more attention to human doctrines, more conflicts have also arisen, leading to splits in groups and thus to the emergence of multiple denominations.

So the question may be asked, why is it that the clergy of these denominations do not resort to the Book of Books, which can indeed give them the best information and teachings?

At the question:

If the Bible tells us not to lean upon our own understanding, are preachers, and Bible professors, leaning upon the theirs’?

We think that is the whole problem in Christendom, people leaning upon their own understanding, following more the philosophical and theoretical theologian writings of human beings instead of going by what is written black on white in the Holy Scriptures.

D. Paul Walker, An Elder with many years in the faith, writes

Many reject the teaching of the Bible based on their own faulty belief such as that something is impossible when the Bible says there is nothing impossible for God.

According to Theodore Tsistinas

the understanding of the bible is plain to those who read it with the purpose of not challenging it. That’s why the language has been changed from time to time because people wanted their own opinion to be expressed. The entire bible is the history of the people of God from the Jews to the Christians. There is one god spoken of in the bible. Its people and their personal interpretation that has challenge the understanding spoken very clearly in scripture. But then stupid is what stupid does and the mass of humanity would rather listen to the opinions of men rather that the wisdom of God.

Michael Ballai writes

There’s a certain amount of, hopefully, Biblical understanding that a student of the Bible can readily bring to a given text of scripture or how the Bible explains an appropriate worldview. I know stuff after more than three decades that are bedrock to the Bible and I have no intention of putting my personal two cents in on what God says.I revisit passages regularly and seek to consider them afresh each time because I know there is more in there than I have seen previously. People who are lazy simply deprive themselves of the depth of treasure.God is perfectly ok with how an individual preacher chooses to explain something in their own style as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the message.A preacher is called to cut it straight. It lines up with God’s understanding. The reason we do it is to tell it according to the way God sees it. And that is how God wants to sanctify us in getting us to line up our understanding with Him.

Scott Bissell sees one of the difficulties in what we think is a major issue in many churches, namely when they quote half a verse, or as we would add, take just part of a verse and use it out of context. In case people would check more what is taught at their church with was is written in the Bible, more people would grow closer to a unity of Bible-reading people.We may not forget that the attitude to the Bible is of paramount importance.Robert Hoge reacts to this by writing

Scripture is subject to endless interpretation, some of which is purely tendentious. I recently got a comment from someone who was gushing over the Bible as the greatest collection of symbolism in the world, or something to that effect. My own principle when reading and teaching the Bible comes out of a book I read long ago but no longer own:“When the literal meaning makes sense, seek no other meaning.”Not only does this save a lot of effort, it also ensures that we don’t add or take away anything. Rev. 22:18–19 says,“18 I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,19 and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”For all I’m concerned, these last words of the Bible apply to the whole of the Bible, not just to its last book, Revelation.

That warning may make it very difficult to teachers of the Word of God, preachers and/or pastors, having them to be very careful what they say and how they say it. They always should control if their teaching is in accordance with the teaching of the Bible.For those who read the Scriptures, there is the danger that they got into the trap of their church to which they belong and that they cannot do away of their own indoctrinations or doctrines of their own church. They are so used to think in the same way as their church teaches that it has become very difficult to read the words like they are written in the Bible. For example when there is written in the bible about Jesus “the son of God“, many read “god the son“, which is something totally different from what there is written and from what God said on several occasions when He declared Jesus to be His only begotten beloved son.According Michael Abernathy

most people approach the Scripture with a certain bias. Before they even open their Bible, they have creeds and denominational positions that they force upon a text. On the other hand, most of the preachers I know spend a great deal of time searching the Scripture and praying for God’s enlightenment. Yes, they use their minds to help them understand what God has written. But anyone who says they don’t do that is either lying or deluded.

Matthew Heady likes to extend the above question and asks

Does not everyone, including the questioner “lean” on others? Why restrict the question to just preachers and professors?What the biblical teaching refers to is not facts and conclusions which are known to or drawn from the minds of humans. The biblical teaching refers to how a person is actually informed about the Triune God of the Bible.

Here in his answer already gives a big sign of how he himself fell for the human doctrinal teaching, because in the Bible there is no such information on a Trinity, though there is a clear teaching we may have no other gods than the Divine Creator God, Who is a Singular eternal (= having no birth + no death) all-knowing Spirit Being Who is the Almighty God above all gods.Heady continues

There is nothing a sinful human being with a corrupt (and limited) understanding and reason of all things may do. There is not any thought, word, or action, that will allow a person to recognize the Triune God, they may only realize that a god is, but not the Triune God.

People when willing to give their full attention to the Words of the Bible, shall come to see clear and understand that there is no such thing to worship as a three-headed god. There may be many gods in the world but people should only keep to that Only One True God God of gods of the Bible, Jehovah, Who is the God of Israel.

It is this knowledge of God, revealed in His Word, the Holy Scriptures, that is what a person must “lean” on. Not the thought and practices of humans. They will get us nowhere. Our minds come into play after we are gifted by faith in Christ and are then able to properly understand and explain to others Biblical teaching and practices.

writes Matthew Heady.

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Continues with: Should church members question preachers about the doctrine that is not in the Holy Bible?

Preceding

Confrontation by people telling lies to force others to avoid the targetted groups

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Many opportunities given by God

Christian denominations as pots in the desert

Having to learn and benefit from other Christian denominations

Preaching as Public Speaking

Maybe it is About Me

Hitler and Christianity: Some Trends in Interpretation

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Additional reading

1. A world with or without religion
2. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
3. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
4. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
5. Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians
6. Digging in words, theories and artefacts
7. Catholicism, Anabaptism and Crisis of Christianity
8. Protestant denominations of the Low Countries and Abraham Kuyper
9. Counterfeit Gospels
10. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26
11. Religious people and painful absence of spring of living water
12. Denominationalism exists because?
13. Why the church keeps losing it’s grounds.
14. Why there are so many denominations in Christendom
15. Tri-union gods and Pagan, Christian, Muslim and Jewish views on the Creator God
16. Reading to grow and to become wise concerning the most important thing in life 1 Times of reading
17. Literalist and non-literalist views
18. From Bibles and other religious writings and those who witness for Jehovah
19. Exceptionalism and Restricting Laws
20. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
21. Pastoral discipline and dissent from papal teaching
22. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
23. Good or bad preacher
24. Many churches
25. Religion and believers #7 Independent and organised form of existence of a religion
26. Looking for a biblically sound church
27. In all circumstances preaching Christ
28. You Are The Truth
29. The Most Appropriate teacher and Scoffers in our contemporary age
30. From those preaching the Gospel and Baptism in Jesus name
31. A Book to trust #1 Background book for debate
32. Challenging claim 1 Whose word
33. Divine revelation mediated by Moshe and other selected people
34. Vital importance of reading and following the Kitvei Hakodesh
35. Reading to grow and to become wise concerning the most important thing in life 1 Times of reading
36. One of the most important Truths
37. Bible Inspired Word of God
38. Everything from the Bible is useful for humans
39. Importance to read the Bible regularly and gain understanding
40. Bible exceptional Book of books where nothing can be taken away or added
41. Bible in the first place #1/3
42. Where to learn the truth
43. Lovers of God, seekers and lovers of truth
44. Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
45. By the closing down of the Association for Biblestudy
46. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
47. Different wineskins
48. Manifests for believers #5 Christian Union
49. The Bible: is it contradictory?
50. Those willing to tarnish
51. Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian
52. Those who call the Christadelphians a cult
53. Christadelphians or Messianic Christians or Messianic Jews
54. Jeshuaists, Carrying the name of Christ
55. About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated
56. When there is secrecy involved

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Related

1. The process of non-thinking called faith
2. What is faith and is it the only thing required
3. What Do We Mean by the Word Christian?
4. Variations of Christianity
5. Religious Population Is Growing
6. The Problem with Christianity
7. One Body
8. TRUTH – I believe that God’s greatest disappointment in the Christian Church is our lack of solid unity
9. Catechesis 101 | Church: Did Jesus intend one Church or many denominations?
10. Which Church Would Jesus Choose?
11. A Call for Unity
12. Unity
13. This is Church Unity?
14. Simple Difference
15. About the different denominations
16. Division Among Christians
17. From One Religion To Another
18. Christian denominations (sects)
19. Denominations 2 We are divided on the question of authority
20. Denominations 3 It seems there are some Catholics who feel free to discard the teachings of their Church when they conflict with their lifestyle.
21. Denominations Part 1
22. Denominations Part 2
23. Denominations Part 3.
24. Denominations part 4
25. Denomination’s 5..Jehovah’s Witnesses.
26. The Difference in Denominations
27. Are Different Denominations Okay?
28. Do Denominations Divide Us?
29. Are denominational differences a blot on the church?
30. Does Denominationalism Blind You to the Truth?
31. Denominational ABC’s: Advantages, Burdens and Controls (Part One)
32. Putting Denominational Disagreements in Perspective for the World and the Church
33. Denominational Dialogue
34. Denominations Losing Internal Influence
35. Bethel, the BGC, and the Decline of Denominational Financial Support for Christian Higher Education
36. We’re All Heretics Now
37. Roger Olson on Denominations and Christian Unity
38. Faith/Belief
39. Is religious faith madness?
40. Declining Denominational Support for Evangelical Colleges?
41. Charlottesville and storms
42. thoughts on the death of the Church
43. By What Authority? – A Non-Denominational Response
44. Rethinking Scripture
45. Researching outside of the Bible – is it safe
46. Please don’t call me a Christian
47. There is no other identity needed, Only Christ.
48. Why My Family Is Changing Churches (and Denominations)
49. Are Pastors Lying to You?
50. There are many Trinities!
51. Christianity vs. Catholicism
52. Baptists, Catholics, and the Protestants
53. Are you a “hypenated-Christian”?
54. Embrace diversity by embracing tribalism. It’s okay to be different
55. Being Religious Is Not The Way
56. Deceived
57. Can Christians now remain in the Methodist Church?
58. Why are there so many splits in the Presbyterian Church? Here’s an Explanation
59. Self Deception Part III – Wolves Among Us
60. On the Intersection of Differences and Unity in the Body of Christ
61. Throwing Away The Wrong Thing
62. Christianize Christianity (6)
63. Isolation of the Church
64. My church History (Part 2)
65. Is There Life After Leaving Church?
66. If I Were Starting A Denomination From Scratch
67. Nuanced beliefs
68. Many Christians Are Known for What They Are Against…Unfortunately
69. The Holy Struggle
70. Brand Ambassador or Christ’s Ambassador?
71. Can I attend an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship instead of a church while at college?
72. What Does It Mean To Be Non-Denominational?
73. Am I angry at Christianity?
74. Letter to a Friend (2o3)
75. How to Avoid Being a Lazy, Arrogant Christian
76. After I was lost in sin, I was lost in church…
77. Experiencing More of the Church
78. I Am Not A Denomination – Episode #101
79. Can you find your religious practices in the Bible?
80. How Many Gods?
81. Swiss Cheese Theology
82. Unity (Ephesians 4:1-10)
83. On belongingSo whose right?
84. Warning! Get Out of Her – My People!
85. The American Gospel

Sudha Mehta looking at prophesies, False Prophets and Teachers #1 Counterfeits

When reading the Bible we can see how already at the times of the apostle certain men entered the community with false teachings. (Jude 1:4)

Though Sudha Mehta knows

Once you are born again, and have some knowledge of the Word, even a little, you have some sense how to avoid certain things. It is easy, for instance to spot a false leader… {Wolves and Sheep}

though he himself still seems to keep to pagan holidays like Christmas (that at the side). but he recognises that the ones that are difficult to spot are the ones that are based in a “Church.” And it is in the main churches we see a lot of teachings that are not according to the Holy Scriptures. In many churches, we may find preachers and leaders who walk and talk like Christians, and mingle in with congregations, or may even be important leaders in the church.

Jim Jones, a false leader from Ozy.com

That is where it becomes important for a Christian to know the Bible, and for a new Christian to be sure he/she is in a Bible believing church where the teachings of the Bible are not regarded as mere suggestions but a code to live by. {Wolves and Sheep}

Mr. Mehta writes, in the knowledge that

other religions and gods were not to be followed anyway, God had made that abundantly clear in the Old Testament again and again, so the disciples already knew that. Hence it wasn’t necessary to instruct them again about other gods. The disciples had asked what signs to look for that would indicate His coming, not any other god’s. {Wolves and Sheep}

With the knowledge that the Bible is as relevant today as it was 2000 years and more ago, he tries to look at the prophecies given in that Book of books.

We should know that we shall have to examine all things that happen around us. Jesus also warned his disciples to watch out that no one would deceive them. He let them know that it would not be abnormal that there would come more people saying that they would be the Messiah and that they will deceive many. (Matthew 24: 4; Mark 13: 5; Luke 21: 8) Therefore we should seriously consider everything that we hear around us, so that we take care that we would not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among us (Jeremiah 29:8).

Today we also should be looking at the signs that Jesus said we are to watch for in the end times. Just before his return, these would indicate to us that his return is imminent. Strangely enough, he takes Jesus as his god in certain messages, though he himself also writes:

The very first sign Jesus speaks of is that there will be many fake christs, and many fake teachers. Interesting, isn’t it?! One of the things that Satan is known for doing well is creating counterfeits to mislead humans. Understand that Satan is not and never will be a “creator” of anything. God is the ONLY Creator who Created something from nothing. All Satan can do is use what exists and make a counterfeit. The only reason to make a counterfeit of anything is that the real is so good and wonderful, that people would be eager to get it. {False Prophets and Teachers}

The Korean religious leader, also known for his business ventures and support for political causes, Sun Myung Moon, who claimed to be the returned Jesus Christ. His teachings viewed the Cold War between democracy and communism as the final conflict between God and Satan, with divided Korea as its primary front line. In 1954, Moon formally founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in Seoul.

It is the primal and most important lesson we should never forget, that there is only One True God (God above all gods) Who is One and Who is the Eternal Creator. Concerning the many messiahs, we can see many people who claim to be ‘the messiah’ or even ‘the Christ’ as well as who claimed already to be ‘Jesus Christ’ (like Mr.Moon did).

Mehta writes

Counterfeits are dangerous when it comes to God, and His Word. In material and earthly things the choice is of less consequence. In the matter of spiritual decisions your choice determines  your eternal destination. You pick wrong and you end up damning your own soul. Follow the wrong god or the wrong leader teaching heresy and you end up in the wrong place. The apostle Paul found people in Galatia were very easily being led away into false teachings. He warns them saying:

Galatians 1: 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!(CSB)

…

To discern the truth one needs to know the truth. You do not have to study all the counterfeits, only the one real. {False Prophets and Teachers}

False messiah Sun Myung Moon and his wife from ucmdi

There are also false teachers who claim they have special anointings that really are not given by the Holy Spirit, but the unuspecting and undiscerning get swept by emotion and led away as dumb sheep.

The adversaries of God (Satan or the Devil) do feel when their time is coming to an end, and that is what we should see happening as well. The world going bazurk and lots of things going wrong, with even religious people fighting against other religious people.

Even when we do not know when exactly those “Last days” shall come we can be on the watch out of the signs coming with such times.

³² But of that day or that hour not a [single] person knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

³³ Be on your guard [constantly alert], and watch ^[a]and pray; for you do not know when the time will come. (Mark 13:32-33 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

The Book f books warns us that we should be careful, when living in this world there may be many traps in front of us. We should always on the watch, and pray that we may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man, the beloved son of God, the Kristos or Christ.

³⁴ But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the ^[a]giddiness and headache and ^[b]nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [the ^[c]business of] this life, and [lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose;

³⁵ For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth.

³⁶ Keep awake then and watch at all times [be discreet, attentive, and ready], praying that you may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all these things [taken together] that will take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man. (Luke 21:34-36 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

Mr. Mehta reminds us the words of Jesus Christ were he warns us that there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among the apostles but also among ourselves. We have to be careful to dismantle them and their secretly introduced destructive heresies or heretical doctrines, even denying and disowning the Master who bought them —bringing swift destruction on themselves.

As Jesus instructed, the disciples took note and warned others.

2 Peter 2: 1There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them. 3They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.(NASB) {False Prophets and Teachers}

Mr. Mehta continues

I can assure you the church at large has plenty of false teachers who have infiltrated the folds like wolves in sheep’s clothing who can and do devour many dumb sheep.

What can you do?

Don’t be dumb!!

Matthew 7: 15“Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit.(CSB)

I have heard this many times,

“The church is full of hypicrites so I don’t want to go.” {False Prophets and Teachers}

According to us, that is the easiest excuse many people give. The article writer we are discussing here writes:

I have news: there are many more hypocrites outside the church than in the church! If that is your reason (or excuse) for not going, check your own self, you don’t want to be a hypocrite yourself . . . do you?!

You should go to a good Bible believing, and Bible preaching/teaching church where there is good fellowship among believers. You will find a wonderful family to be a part of! {False Prophets and Teachers}

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Preceding

Christians at War? Christians using violence?

A book of life and a man born more than two thousand years ago

Seeds and weeds for being the greatest nation

Americans their stars, pretension, God, Allah and end of times signs #3 Cyberwars and prophesy

2020 Talking Points – Stuck with polemics, histrionics, and ad hominem denunciation

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Additional reading

1. Creator and Blogger God 8 A Blog of a Book 2 Holy One making Scriptures HolyA Book to trust #20 Available in many languages #3
2. The Prophets Inquire into and Testify About Salvation
3. Atonement And Fellowship 6/8
4. Sayings of Jesus, what to believe and being or not of the devil
5. 2015 the year of ISIS
6. Thought for June 10 to Establish the hearts
7. Today’s thought “Rise and have no fear” (July 16)
8. Zion for whom no one cares
9. Hamas the modern Philistines
10. Prophecies over coming days
11. Looking into the Future
12. Will There Ever be Peace on Earth?
13. As you see the Day approaching
14. Devotees and spotters
15. God’s Plan, Purpose and teachings
16. The Coining of the Lord Draweth Nigh
17. Christ’s Appearing: Public or Private?
18. Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan
19. Back from gone #1 Aim of ungodly people
20. Back from gone #4 Your inner feelings and actions
21. To be prepared and very well oiled
22. Today’s thought “Disaster after disaster: behold it comes” (September 11)
23. Signs of the Last Days
24. Signs of the last days when difficult times will come
25. Sign of the Times and the Last Days #2 Wars, natural disasters, famine and false Messiahs
26. Armageddon – City of Megiddo
27. Towards a Third World War or not
28. Nazarene Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2 v14-20 Pentecostal Sermon
29. Matthew 24 about temples or Houses of God and the end of the age
30. Matthew 24:4-8 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The Answer: Part One – Beware Being Misled
31. Matthew 24:29-35 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The Answer Part Two – Sign 2: The Parousia. A Sign after the Great Oppression
32. Matthew 24:42-51 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Stay Awake!
33. Only once and with consequences
34. Christian in Christendom or in Christianity
35. Religion and believers #9 Old and new cults
36. From house to house #1: Not ceasing to Preach daily in the temple and in every house
37. Evangelizing in the “Time of the End”
38. Making sure to be ready and to belong to the escaped ones
39. Helping others in times of trouble
40. Today’s thought “His goodness in the latter days” (November 6)
41. Jesus … will come in the same way as you saw him go
42. Helping websites to prepare for the last days

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Related

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2. The dragon and the two beasts in the Book of Revelation
3. The Salvation Of Israel
4. The Final Showdown | Pastor John Lomacang
5. Familiar Spirits, Wizards That Peep and Mutter
6. False Christs, False Prophets
7. The Mark
8. #8. Confluence & Confusion
9. How Great Shall be Your Joy
10. Approaching Armageddon Interview with Rabbi Eric Walker
11. Do You Know What the Holy Spirit is Saying to “Us”?
12. Purging Liberal Christians From Our Midst
13. Satan’s Day’s Are Numbered
14. 1 Major Sign that we are living in the Last Days!
15. The Two Witnesses Are Coming and The Job Of The Messengers Is Over
16. A “Good” Father…
17. Already In The World
18. #9 The Angel Gabriel was Always Right
19. Pre-Flight Check
20. These Days
21. 2022 The Test Of Our Faith
22. Truth
23. KTF News – China plans to have 1,000 nuclear weapons within 10 years

a Multidimensional document with layers of meaning

The Holy Word is a multidimensional document with layers of meaning that are abstracted from any involvement with time and space. These rarefied narratives transcend the spatio-temporal arena and describe events taking place in the psycho-scape of the human heart and mind. In other words, they refer to spiritual realities creatively concealed within our ordinary language.

~ The Second Coming Is NOW! by havau22

Intimately worded by looking at a Ragged Bible

A lot of events in our life may surprise us, being very weird, good weird. Life might be throwing us about swiftly and profoundly in so many different ways. Having us continue to pull our hopeful heart together with slippery fingers.

What we want isn’t always what it seems no matter how conscientious we might be.

A mother of 4, writes:

I am learning to move forward with all that I am and that incudes: authenticity, truth, grace and love. I am doing well in my wait. I remind myself that my self-work gives tremendous value to my self-worth. #BeAWholeMovement #FreedSoul Singleness Relationships His plans.

Writing is her muse, her love:

my Me. You are privy to seeing my soul. My hopeful, encouraging soul. I think with all the uncertainty in this world you should be encouraged. It is a necessity of life—to encourage one other. You are amazing by choice; Continue to be! {Me,Intimately worded / About me}

When looking at her life she also noticed her Bible.

As I sit here meditating, reading the word, and other reading tools that help me go deeper into God’s word I notice my Bible. I notice how worn it is, how the tears, nicks and picks have crept in over the years. I notice how the binder has completely ripped and the back of my Bible, my ragged Bible is falling apart. I notice how the faces of the women appear bubbled, out of focus and I smile. Well I tear up and smile. {My Ragged Bible}

For us that looks a good sign. In our lifetime we shall need more than one Bible book. The “Book of books” in our hand, should be used so regularly that, yes, it shall show cracks ….
It might well be that the appearance of your Bible shall be a replica of your worn-torn, war –wearied, heartbroken-heart and healed/healing soul.

For the writer we present today, admits:

God has watched over me. God has pushed me; He has talked to me and He has loved me because He promised He would. His capacity to love us without the pull of guilt or you owe keeps me hinged to Him. God gives value to our souls. {My Ragged Bible}

…

my ragged Bible, this ragged Bible, my, “Aspire, the new Women of Color Study Bible.” My ragged Bible is in pieces, tattered, pages bent, filled with love notes written by my kids; highlighted words that hem my heart…written for purpose of guidance, written for purpose to encourage, written for the purpose to build, written for the purpose to heal…my ragged Bible, is written for the purpose to initiate and cultivate purpose.

Our need, our individual want to prosper, to be better in life, to live brighter than yesterday cannot be done without Him. I encourage you to find your niche and allow God to incorporate the work, the journey; the balance required to live your greatest life. Again, I write,

“To understand God, you have to spend time with God.” {My Ragged Bible}

Often it might take some long time, but we get there, to come to see …

With all that comes with gaining a trauma victim’s trust it has been my intimacy with God that carries me through each session. At times, the science and the spiritual do not mesh and then there are times you cannot have one without the other. There are different paths that lead to healing. I marvel at these concepts and therapeutic techniques. I love Counseling! I do.

My life has by far been a complete God-experience; He has kept me when I did not recognize how He keeps. I could not have identified my professional identity without my spiritual journey. My first day begins after Thanksgiving.

Remain grateful, hopeful and I beg you to, choose the larger life.

“The beginning is most important part of the work.” –Plato  {Promises, Hope and my Heart}

For a close relationship with God

I love Jehovah because he hears my voice, my pleas for help.​—Ps. 116:1.

One way to respond to Jehovah’s love is by talking to him in prayer. Your love for God will grow as you tell him about your concerns and thank him for all that he does for you. And the bond between you and Jehovah will be strengthened as you see how he answers your prayers. You will become convinced that he understands you.

But to grow close to Jehovah, you need to understand his way of thinking. And you need to know what he wants from you. The only way you will gain that knowledge is by studying his Word, the Bible. So learn to appreciate it.
Only the Bible contains the truth about Jehovah and his purpose for you. You show that you appreciate the Bible by reading it each day, by preparing for your personal Bible study session, and by applying what you learn.

97 How I do love your law!+ I ponder over* it all day long.+
…

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,+ Because I ponder over* your reminders.

(Ps. 119:97, 99)

17 Sanctify them by means of the truth;+ your word is truth.+(John 17:17)

Do you have a personal Bible reading schedule? Do you follow that schedule, making sure that you read the Bible each day?

w20.03 5 ¶8-9

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Additional reading

1. Word of God
2. Gospel or Good News
3. A Book to trust #18 Available in many languages #1
4. A Book to trust #28 A Collection of words showing and teaching us about the beginnings to the end
5. A Book to trust #29 God His Book, God-breathed profitable for doctrine, for reproof and for correction
6. Old and newer King James Versions and other translations #12 God Himself masters His Own Word
7. Studying the Bible
8. Demanding signs or denying yourself
9. Inner voice inside the soul of man
10. A Sound Mind: Theory and practice
11. Brian Rosner on “What Makes a Good Biblical Scholar?”
12. The faithful God
13. Christian growth a team event
14. How to Study the Bible: We Are in This Together
15. On the Affirmation of Scripture
16. Summer time to spend some more time at the growing process of your faith

La nécessité d’un guide

Quand nous visitons un endroit inconnu, nous avons besoin d’un guide. Peut-être achetons-nous une carte ou un livre. Peut-être demandons-nous à un ami qui peut nous renseigner ce qui nous est utile. De toute façon il nous faut un guide.

Ainsi, pour voyager à travers la vie, il nous faut un guide. Il nous faut connaître le but de la vie et comment nous devons vivre jour après jour. La Bible répond à toutes nos questions à ce sujet.

Quand nous considérons les merveilles du monde qui nous, entoure et la merveille que représente notre propre corps, nous avons la certitude que c’est là l’œuvre d’un Créateur. Mais comment pouvons-nous obtenir des explications à ce sujet et savoir ce que nous devons faire?

La réponse, naturellement, est dans la Bible. Dieu, le grand Créateur de toutes choses, nous l’a donnée comme guide; c’est d’elle que nous avons besoin. Si nous voulons plaire à Dieu, il nous faut lire ce guide, (‘étudier, le méditer jour après jour.)

“Wisdom” and Wisdom (1 Cor 1:19,21)

When we call ourselves Christian it is very important that we keep an attitude a follower of Christ worthy and that we try to find godly wisdom.

We have to show the world that it is more important to go by godly than by worldly wisdom and that we should not cling to heathen festivals (like the in this article mentioned Christmas) but should keep to the holy or sacred days given by God.

We should get our wisdom from the Book of books, the Bible and show others how this Grand Work can enrich our ways of life.

Let us remember:

“16 All Scripture is God-breathed and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for readjusting everything, for disciplining in righteousness. 17 Thus, the man of God may be completely prepared for every good work.” (2Ti 3:16-17 mhm)

and

“For the world-order of humanity is going its way and its desire with it, but the person doing the will of The God will remain throughout that new Age to come.” (1Jo 2:17 mhm)

“Also, do not be conformed to this period of time, but rather, be transformed, by the renewing of your mind, proving to yourselves the good, acceptable and perfect will of The God.” (Ro 12:2 mhm)

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Preceding

Wisdom not hard to find nor hiding in remote places

Several quotes about wisdom

Truth, doubt or blindness

The Need to Understand Genre

On the Edge of Believing

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Find also to read

1. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
2. Not staying alone in your search for truth
3. Blindness in the Christian world
4. We may not be ignorant to get wisdom
5. Answering a fool according to his folly
6. Fools despise wisdom and instruction
7. Looking for wisdom not departing from God’s Word
8. Wisdom lies deep
9. Increased in wisdom in favour with God
10. Loving the Word
11. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #5 To meditate and Transform
12. Attitude of a Christian
13. Attitude to others important for reaching them
14. God’s Blog recorded in a Book
15. Bible
16. Bible, helmet of health, salvation and sword of the spirit
17. Bible in the first place #1/3
18. Bible in the first place #2/3
19. Bible in the first place #3/3
20. Creator and Blogger God 10 A Blog of a Book 4 Listening to the Blogger
21. Words to inspire and to give wisdom
22. An anarchistic reading of the Bible—(1) Approaching the Bible
23. Thomas Aquinas on Wisdom by Robert M. Woods
24. Happy who’s delight is only in the law of Jehovah
25. Deliberately making choices
26. Sharing the depth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge
27. Actions to be a reflection of openness of heart
28. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
29. Today’s thought “A Perfect World” (January 02)
30. Today’s thought “That you be united in the same mind” (February 20)
31. Today’s thought “In wisdom you have made them all” (February 28)
32. Today’s thought “Fools despise wisdom” (March 23)
33. Today’s thought “If you receive my words …” (March 24)
34. Today’s thought “And the LORD heard it” (March 30)
35. Today’s thought “Look carefully” (April 7)
36. Today’s thought “The eyes of man are never satisfied” (April 17)
37. Today’s thought “Worthy to suffer dishonour” (April 28)
38. Today’s thought “It cannot be bought for gold” (December 21)
39. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
40. This was my reward
41. When having found faith through the study of the Bible we do need to do works of faith
42. Memorizing wonderfully 2 Biblical Reasons to Memorize Scripture
43. Memorizing wonderfully 4 Starter verses
44. Memorizing wonderfully 18 Proverbs – Fear of God, Wisdom and instruction
45. Memorizing wonderfully 19 Seasons and purpose Fearing God
46. Preparation for unity
47. Christians having the right heart to call others to go to God
48. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it

Study like a Berean!

A dear sister in Uganda sent the above pic. of Zirobwe town, and also sent a number of verses and encouraging thoughts to me this morning and again this evening, regarding God’s love for His children and our responsibility to Him; As well as the joy of reading of the focus which she encouraged to consider, my attention was taken by a word in the verses: “wisdom”.

1 Corinthians 1:19”For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”… 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.”

God’s wisdom and His ways aren’t in any way like man’s earthly “wisdom”, which is foolishness, just as their ways are; God’s children should trust, rest and live…

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Un Nouveau Testament comme vous ne l’avez jamais lu

La Bible n’est pas qu’un livre qui se lit. C’est un livre qui se vit et dont on fait l’expérience. Grâce à de sublimes photographies provenant des quatre coins du monde, découvrez les évangiles retranscrits de manière unique et moderne afin de partager la vie, le message et la pertinence de Jésus pour le monde d’aujourd’hui.

Car la Bible n’est pas qu’un livre qui se lit, c’est un livre identitaire et singulier Qui Se Vit et dont on fait l’expérience.’

*

Les 4 évangiles dans un seul volume, illustrés de photos et comprenant des pages thématiques. Le Nouveau Testament comme vous ne l’avez jamais vu, vous aidera à visualiser, à vous rappeler et à vous connectez avec les récits, les mots et les thèmes de la Bible pour grandir dans votre relation à Jésus et à son Église. Utilisant la traduction Parole de Vie et des photographie pour donner vie aux personnages et aux récits principaux, cette Bible moderne et immersive est une ressource de qualité pour les croyants et pour les responsables des églises locales. C’est un outil pour équiper la jeunesse de l’Église et les nouveaux chrétiens d’une plus grande compréhension de la vie et des enseignements de Jésus.

**

Date de parution : octobre 2019
Auteur(s) : Collectif
Traduction : La Bible Parole de Vie

320 pages, 18,9 x 24,6 cm, 500 g
ISBN : 9782375590072
Editeur : Editions Scriptura

Conférence autour des textes bibliques Bruxelles

Qu’est-ce que la Bible ? Comment choisir sa Bible ? Pourquoi existe-t-il différentes versions ?

Rencontres, ateliers, conférences et animations, le passionnant qui-quoi-qu’est-ce de LA BIBLE c’est en mars !

Pendant tout un mois, votre libraire préféré sera votre ami et votre conseiller !

Tout un mois pour (re)découvrir la fascinant langage de la Bible !

***

L’ Alliance biblique française ainsi que le Syndicat des Libraires de Littérature Religieuse sont heureux de vous présenter le Mois de la Bible, un événement d’envergure nationale.

En effet, pendant tout le mois de mars, la Bible sera mise à l’honneur dans de nombreuses librairies chrétiennes participantes à l’opération.

Votre libraire se fera (évidemment) une joie de répondre à toutes vos questions concernant la Bible. Car nous savons qu’il n’est pas si facile de bien choisir une Bible et que de nombreux questionnements restent parfois sans réponse. C’est pourquoi, votre libraire vous orientera vers la Bible la plus adaptée à vos besoins ou aux besoins de votre entourage. Il vous remettra pour l’occasion :

• un marque page

• un livret pédagogique sur la Bible dans lequel vous trouverez les réponses aux questions suivantes :

De nombreuses animations autour de la Bible auront également lieu chez votre libraire du 1er au 31 mars 2020.

Pour retrouver la liste des librairies participantes : cliquez ici. 

• Librairie UOPC (carte) 3 Mars 18.00h

Dans le cadre du Mois de la Bible 2020, la librairie UOPC accueillera le Fr. R. Ferdinand Poswisk osb pour parler Knowhowsphere. Il s’agit d’un moteur de recherche autour de la Bible de Maredsous et des titres de la Bibliothèque de l’Abbaye de Maredsous.

4 Mars

Comment lire et bien comprendre le texte biblique

• Eglise Chrétienne Evangélique (carte) 4 Mars 19.00 h

Pour le Mois de la Bible, le directeur de la Société Biblique francophone de Belgique animera 1 soirée à l’Eglise Chrétienne Evangélique à La Louvière. Au programme, un module interactif adultes & enfants pour nous aider à lire et bien comprendre le texte biblique. En partenariat avec la Société Biblique Francophone de Belgique.

5 Mars

Sandwich – débat sur la traduction de la Bible

• Institut Protestant de Théologie (carte) 5 Mars 12.00 h

Mme Katie BADIE (directrice éditoriale des Éditions Bibli’O et Bibliste) interviendra sur le travail de traduction de la Bible, le 5 mars à l’Institut Protestant de Théologie à Paris.

5 Mars

Comment la Bible est parvenu jusqu’à nous ?

• Librairie Chrétienne CLC Paris (carte)

La librairie CLC Paris vous invite pour un atelier autour de la Bible préparé par Williane Edel, chef de projet et Bibliste au sein de l’Alliance Biblique Française.

 >

Suivez l’actu du mois de la Bible sur Facebook et Twitter

All Scripture Has Its Point of Origin In God’s Mind

No matter to which denomination a person belongs, the bible should be their first and most important Guide, trusting it is the infallible Word of God and the Source for life given by the Most Almighty, showing us the Way to God, letting us know what went wrong with mankind and showing God’s Plan and His solution for this world.

The Bible should be are Daily Food, giving us the opportunity to restore the relationship between us and God.

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Additional reading

1. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
2. We may not be ignorant to get wisdom
3. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #2 Instructions and Laws
4. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #3 A voice to be taken Seriously
5. May reading the Bible provoke us into action to set our feet on the narrow way
6. Bible, God’s Word to edify (ERV)
7. True God giving His Word for getting wisdom
8. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
9. We should use the Bible every day
10. Feed Your Faith Daily
11. Daily portion of heavenly food
12. Memorizing wonderfully 4 Starter verses
13. Memorizing wonderfully 19 Seasons and purpose Fearing God
14. Summer time to spend some more time at the growing process of your faith

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Further related

1. God’s how to manual
2. All Scripture
3. The Bible
4. Use Your Bible
5. Choosing to Set our Focus on Things Above
6. Chewing on the Word
7. The Sufficiency of Scripture
8. Bread of Life Discourse
9. Faithfulness.
10. For this purpose
11. when you really want to change
12. Thoroughly Equipped
13. The Written Word
14. What Is God’s Breath?
15. Enter In
16. Equipped For Good Work
17. Scripture Alone (2 Timothy 3:14-17), The Solas of the Reformation, Part 1
18. God’s Longing for Your Life Will be Fulfilled
19. By Scripture Alone
20. Can We Really Trust the Gospels?
21. Inspired!
22. 50 Verses To Memorize
23. The “Write” Kind of Scribe

Christianity 201

Today we’re looking at 2 Timothy 3:16
Today’s New International Version (TNIV)

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for

• teaching
• rebuking
• correcting…
• training in righteousness

The Message

Every part of scripture is God-breathed and is useful one way or another —

• showing us truth
• exposing our rebellion
• correcting our mistakes
• training us to live God’s way

New Living Translation (NLT)

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to

• teach us what is true…
• make us realize what is wrong in our lives…
• correct us when we are wrong…
• teach us to do what is right

My very loose paraphrase

All scripture has its point of origin in God’s mind, and

• shows us the path God would have us walk
• highlights when and where we’ve gotten off the path
• points the way back to the path
• gives us the advice we need to keep from wandering off the…

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Great need of the church today is to feed the flock and get our people into the word of God

Grant R. Osborne, professor emeritus of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, author of numerous books, including The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, and multiple commentary volumes, including the Osborne New Testament Commentaries (Lexham Press) says

one of the great needs of the church today is to feed the flock and get our people into the word of God. It seems there is less and less of the Bible in church life. Some pastors even believe down deep that the Bible is somewhat boring, and that expository messages don’t cut it. I want to show in my classroom that this isn’t true, and that God’s word preached correctly is scintillating and meaningful.

The Reformation shows us why we need expository preaching

In Christianity pastors or preachers should be followers of Christ Jesus and spread the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God. Their first and most important book in their preaching should be the Greatest Book of all, the Bible.

It is not bad to look back at the several people who also tried to be a servant of Christ or to be a servant of God. But the main focus of the preaching may not be on the words of those previous preachers, but always should focus on the Words of God. Too often that is forgotten in several churches, where they shout only a few quotes from Scriptures and fill the main service with their own words and with music, in the hope to entertain the people in their church.

Today we have to ask all those elders, presbyters, expositors to come to preach That Most Important Word. all those who hope to have some mega church running should better remember those who did their best to bring the Word of God to the people: The evangelists in the Second and First Great Awakenings and the Reformers who preached the Word, like the apostle Paul preached followed Jesus who also preached the Word, him following Isaiah, Ezra and so many man of God who where not afraid to preach the Word of God.

*

To remember

Martin Luther  = main spark to Protestant Reformation <=  95 Theses  > because the Word was unleashed.

William Tyndale, John Hus, + many others executed for translating or preaching the Word in people’s language.

Roman Catholic Church prevented Catholics from reading the Word themselves + from possessing a Bible > restricted for a thousand years.

Read word for soul’s health > solace

expository preaching > involves exposition, or comprehensive explanation, of Scripture => presenting meaning + intent of biblical text, providing commentary + examples => passage clear + understandable ==> expose meaning of the Bible, verse by verse.

 

Knowing the blood of the martyrs soaks the ground under thousands of stakes, how dare we insert our own words, opinions, fads, and stunts onto the pulpit? Men died for this Word to be preached. Jesus as the Word suffered and absorbed all God’s wrath for the elect so this word would go out and be preached.

 

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Further related

1. The Reformation shows us why we need expository preaching
2. St. Luke: An Expositional and Devotional Commentary” by William Klock
3. How Relevant is Your Church?
4. 1810 5vols The Family Expositor or A Paraphrase and Version of the New Testament
5. The Protestant Reformation and the Reformers: The Truth Restored
6. Was the Reformers’ Gospel something new?
7. A Swiss Reformer
8. The Human Reformer: Martin Luther Struggled With Depression and Nightmares
9. Scripture Alone, for the Reformers and us!

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Related articles

• Shan George tells pastors what to do with tithe
• Serve God diligently and obey the law
• Chinese House Church Leaders and Toddler Arrested After Singing in Public Park

With the 500th year anniversary of the Reformation coming upon us October 31, many people are looking to history and learning Martin Luther and his the men that came before him.

Martin Luther is generally acknowledged to have been a main spark to the Protestant Reformation. Protestant comes from the word protest, which Luther’s 95 Theses sparked against the Roman Catholic Church’s excesses of indulgences (sin absolution for hire) and other abuses.

The Reformation didn’t happen because Martin Luther put the 95 Theses on the door to Wittenberg Chapel. It happened because the Word was unleashed. ~Mark McAndrew, North Avenue Church

Here, John MacArthur explains in a 1:33 clip How unhindered access to God’s Word changed history.

William Tyndale, John Hus, and many others were executed for translating or preaching the Word in the people’s language. The Roman Catholic Church prevented the Catholics from reading the Word themselves and…

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Tyndale, the Bible and the 21st Century

The execution of William Tyndale, who translated most of the Old Testament into English, in 1536. ‘It was the translation of the Bible into the vernacular, a project at the heart of the Reformation, that opened up the stories of the Hebrew scriptures to ordinary people,’ writes Giles Fraser.

On 24 October 2017 sister Caroline Peel and brother Jan Tim went to hear at St Paul’s cathedral Melvin Bragg on the work of William Tyndale (followed by a further talk by a Jane Williams on the implications of being able to read the Bible for yourself and dying for your faith). Chaired by Canon Mark Oakley you may find the event recorded at St Paul’s Cathedral well worth a listen.

William Tyndale gave us the Bible in English, and died for it. His passion was to put the Bible into the hands of everyone so that we could read it for ourselves. Executed as a heretic in 1536 for translating the Bible, within a few years his translation was in every church in England. Melvyn Bragg, broadcaster, novelist, and biographer of Tyndale, and Jane Williams, theologian, explore what difference he made to our lives.

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Also of interest

1. Reading the Reformation
2. Reformation Heroes In 200 words: William Tyndale (1494-1536)
3. What is the Protestant Reformation? 4 Reasons and 9 Resources for Digging Into This Recovery of the Gospel
4. The Reformation shows us why we need expository preaching
5. The Mailbag: What is Reformation Day?
6. Discover Your Heroic Spiritual Ancestors  
7. “Let us never forget that the English Bible was made with blood!”
8. The Theological Backbone of William Tyndale (1494 – 1536)
9. Morning Prayer 10.6.17, William Tyndale & Miles Coverdale, Bible Translators, 1536, 1568
10. Tyndale and More – strange bedfellows….
11. article: William Tyndale
12. William Tyndale: The man who kick started the English Reformation
13. England and William Tyndale
14. William Tyndale: a brief account
15. William Tyndale (by Archaic Obsessions)
16. William Tyndale: God’s OutlawTyndale, Executed in 1536 for translating the Bible into English for Ordinary folk.
17. A sad anniversary
18. William Tyndale – Criminal or Christian martyr?
19. The One-Track Mind of William Tyndale
20. A Love Song For William Tyndale
21. Love for the Bible
22. A mysterious cargo
23. The Beauty & Glory of the Reformation: Day Two
24. William Tyndale: Answering the Call (Part 2)
25. Amoris Laetitia: a Lutheran View
26. Truth in translation
27. William Tyndale
28. Thank you William Tyndale!
29. The Most Dangerous Thing Luther Did
30. Reformation500: Reformers After Luther
31. Resources for Reading on the Reformation

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Related articles

• William Tyndale, Bible Translator into Everyday English
• The Power Of God’s Word
• Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of God

The Anti-Reformation in Todays Evangelical Church

To remember

•  500th anniversary of Reformation = faced with a clear and present danger – an anti-Reformation movement from within the evangelical church.
• Sola Scriptura turned on its head
• christians need to focus on the spirit and not the word of man and look at the bible in a more critical way to decipher what God is truly asking of us rather than blindly following the ideals human beings have injected into it.

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Read also

1. A special anniversary for the Church where Catholics and Protestants find common ground
2. Followers, protestors and reformers
3. A New Reformation
4. Trying to Get Rid of Holy Days for a Long Time
5. 8 Reasons Christian Holidays Should Not Be Observed

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Related articles

• Is there another way?
• Thursday, 21 September 2017 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (First Reading)
• The Driving Force in the Message
• The Reformation Rolls On:
• In every battle you will need faith as your shield
• Pope Francis confesses he sometimes falls asleep while praying
• I am like a preacher – Oba Ewuare 11
• Bow down to the new robot religion
• Oliver Cromwell’s war crimes, the Massacre of Drogheda in 1649
• Amway co-founder prayed his wife ‘into heaven’

TheWeeFlea.com

It was welcome back to Britain with a bang today…..lots of things to catch up on and then a most distressing and disturbing conversation on Facebook.  I share one part of it with you because to me it profoundly illustrates why the church in the UK (and probably the US) is in so much trouble…and I mean the evangelical church.

On the one hand we do have the legalists and moralists – and that is an ever-present danger – but in reaction to that we often end up with the opposite extreme – a form of evangelical liberalism which, whilst it retains all the right language about God and the Gospel, actually ends up with a different God and a different Gospel – which is, as Paul says, really no Gospel at all.

Background

A friend posted a comment about Transgender which declared his frustration and disappointment as a Christian…

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The most important translation…

A truth many should have carved deep in their heart.

Biblical Cogitations

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Choose Green: Reading and talking about your ideas leads to success.

“Selkirk reading his Bible” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From the beginning of times man has received the free will to choose. The Maker of everything also provided a solution against the rebellion of man, who thought their Maker withhold something from them. After their act of adversary their Divine Maker provide for a solution against the curse of death and was willing to guide man with His Word. That Bible Word of God, inspired and infallible, is now available in more than 2500 languages.

Mankind should give green light to that Book of books, the Bestseller of all times, which gives us an insight in the Plan of God and offers a map or guide to the entrance gate of the Kingdom of God where those who want to be children of God can find non-ending life.

Reading in that Book of books, which entrails all wisdom we do need to have, shall give us more than any other book of ordinary man.

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To remember:

• success > Read > Study = improve your mind, increase your knowledge or calm your spirit
• reading the Bible = stories of love, stories of war + specific battles, stories of family feuds, rape, adultery, stories of heart broken people, stories about egotistical kings, jealous kings and kings gone mad = lot of stuff in the Bible.
• Read something positive every day.
• Know what’s going on in the world = read international news or get it from TV, internet
• or whatever source you choose. Successful people are aware of what is going on around them.
• Read material that will help you be a better …
• reading opens window to the world = opens your mind + allows new thoughts to enter, new ideas born

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Preceding articles

Hang On!

God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace

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Additional reading

1. A voice and a Word given for wisdom
2. Bible a guide – Bijbel als gids
3. Colour-blindness and road code
4. the Bible – God’s guide for life #1 Introduction
5. the Bible – God’s guide for life #2 Needs in life
6. To create a great journey
7. Solution against curse of death
8. God Our Refuge
9. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
10. Counterfeit Gospels
11. Necessary to be known all over the earth
12. Is God behind all suffering here on earth
13. Best intimate relation to look for
14. Know Who goes with us and don’t try to control life
15. In the night His song shall be with me

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Further related

1. So Many Voices ~ So Many Lies
2. God Loving Us
3. Your Word for This Day: “Jehovah Guides Me”
4. The Battle Is the Lord
5. Find out for yourself
6. My Daily Bread –
7. Not Believing
8. Whose Fool Are You?
9. Straight Outta Context Series
10. Go on trusting in God’s future grace.
11. Lord, could I have a moment of your time, please?
12. When Christians Get it Wrong
13. More Ways Than Jesus? Of course, but…
14. Philippians 4:13
15. Bible Fun Fact
16. Master Plan #1 // Choosing Your Study
17. It is time to let churches die.

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Healing Secrets

You want to be a success? Read. Better yet, STUDY. Study anything that will improve your mind, increase your knowledge or calm your spirit. The visual in the header here is an inspirational read that may calm your spirit or encourage your soul.

I highly recommend reading the Bible; anywhere in the Old Testament is a good start. There are stories of love, stories of war and specific battles, stories of family feuds, rape, adultery, the stories of heart broken people, stories about egotistical kings, jealous kings and kings gone mad. There is a lot of stuff in the Bible.

Read something positive every day.

Know what’s going on in the world, either read international news or get it from the TV, the internet or whatever source you choose. Successful people are aware of what is going on around them.

I enjoy reading the autobiographies of successful people. I find…

View original post 353 more words

‘I try to keep my hate in check. If you can’t hate, you can’t love.’

The author of this article thinks religion has robbed us of freedom to think and listen to our inner selves, but true Christianity demands just that. The Divine Creator requests us to place ourselves in the whole universe and to go deeper in our inner being. God demands us to come to know our own “I” and to make it not a “selfish I” but to come to an acceptable relationship with those around us.

The author also ask us to imagine a life where equality existed and institutions crumbled, which “is what keeps him pushing along”.

Those who read and come to know the Bible shall not be “misguided souls who choose to work in prisons” but the opposite shall become liberated beings who are no slave any more of this world. For them they shall know that no human being can do them something very bad. Even when they would take the life or the person this would not be the worst thing, because once death all suffering shall be ended and life gone, the person having done the killing not having accomplished much more and not been liberated himself of the agonies which are bothering his mind. The opposite he (the murderer) shall have some extra worries or bad dreams “en plus”.

To the Inside-Outside Alliance group of people who claim to be trying to support the struggles of those inside (or formerly inside) Durham County jail, and their families and friends, we would advice to revise their idea about religion and ask them not to take away the dreams of a better life which really can come true when a person does find the right religion.

By pushing all religion into the corner and to consider it evil is taking away the right of the prisoner to have a hold or guidance to become a better person or for the one who is imprisoned unlawfully to see the good his imprisonment may bring to his other inmates. Because even imprisoned we can do good to others and should be doing good to others. Even when we may be literally chained we do not have to be spiritually chained and even when they would put us in an isolation cell we can be very free when we are willing to make ourselves strong enough so that the other his limitations on us do not obstruct our self-development and our own being.

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To remember

The theory of will power

cause of demoralization in prisons:  All transgressions of accepted moral standards = to lack of a strong will

majority of inmates of prisons = people who did not have sufficient strength to resist the temptations surrounding them or to control a passion which momentarily carried them away.

In prisons = monasteries = everything done to kill a man’s will => no choice between one of two acts ==> whole life regulated + ordered in advance => to swim with the current, to obey under pain of severe punishment.

will power disappears

prison = done everything to kill inner strength > make him docile tool in hands of those who control him

penal system based on the deprivation of individual liberty

 

sound of chains + steel banging all the time = enough to test the strongest will = will break you

all we can do = give advice to people +live a moral life.

Misguided hate can hurt

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Preceding articles

Remain lovingly = No path for softies

Crying is good for inner self!!

A little ray of sunshine.

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Additional reading

• Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ

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Amplify Voices Inside

Kropotkin wrote a lot on the wrongs of prisons. These two paragraphs hit the nail on the head for me. Sadly I feel these effects.

The theory of will power

“There is another important cause of demoralization in prisons. All transgressions of accepted moral standards may be ascribed to lack of a strong will. the majority of inmates of prisons are people who did not have sufficient strength to resist the temptations surrounding them or to control a passion which momentarily carried them away. In prisons as in monasteries, everything is done to kill a man’s will.

View original post 491 more words

From Guestwriters 2015 in review

From the start in 2014, April the 26th

On 2014 April 26 we started offering a readers digest to you. We wanted to have different writers presenting their selection of most interesting articles found on the net. We regret we did not find enough people interested in co-operating to create a free lifestyle magazine where people could find uplifting stories.

We started talking about the dreams we all have or have to have, because he who beams never walks in the dark, and looked at our position in this world and how positivism should enter this world more. Our invitation to you reader to share those read articles you liked is still counting. We would love to present more interesting articles people can find on the net. For this reason we started the Reblog section in 2014, when we looked if we or you have something to say or not.

At the opening of 2016 we would like to remind you that you too are invited to share with us. You too may be sharing your words with us and many more readers. You don’t have to stay in the shadow.

At this site we want to speak about feelings and started to look at the worst feeling, the one which pulls us down. Depression is when we can’t walk in the light of life any more. Our intention is to show that each of us matter in this world and that we can get fate in our change to positiveness. You and us we all can contribute and help to create a positive attitude. You have to get the right attitude of an unstoppable success, and once more we do bring a call to help to create a positive attitude.

You may consider your own journey in life but we dared to ask which kind of attitude you want to take. In 2014, when we started we asked our readers to begin their day by living their positive attitude and in started also to point out to look at the way to come to the truth. We went in defence of it. For that, we also started looking at Who should be your closest friend.

Though we may be lonely in the crowd we wanted to build up a place where many could find each other and could overcome hurt feelings. we do not ask people to be some one else, but would love to see you smiling and with a positive attitude or positive disposition.

Perhaps what we hope for is what you hope for. In September 2014 we repeated our call to come to write for us and to share what you think interesting. A year after our question what our readers are seeking we did not receive many answers. We expressed our love to find more contributors who could show ways of fulfilling our dreams. We do hope you could find inspiration here and follow your dreams.

In 2015 finishing our first year

On the first of January we, like many others looked back at the previous year and presented our first review: 2014 in review.

Our first year we got visitors from 71 countries in all. 13 countries were added in 2015 bringing the total to 84 countries in all, with most visitors again coming from The United States (2467). Netherlands (351) & United Kingdom (341) were not far behind. Based in Belgium we only could get the attention of 181 viewers in Belgium in 2015, which is not much, but which can be caused by not many writings being in Dutch, French or German. We are pleased we also got 141 viewers from Down Under.

Knowing that we need light on our path in life, near the end of 2015 we also started placing some reflections or meditations texts, which we shall continue to do. Because we did so often got questions why we referred to some ones website article, or got requests to take some listed article out of the list of “Further reading” we shall enter less references or note lesser further readings. Normally you would think people would be pleased when there is placed a link to their site, but at several of our websites we got an other impression, hearing people not being pleased they being mentioned on one of our sites. Not being appreciated we bringing others to their writings or commenting on their writings, plus they not understanding we are helping them to get more readers and to get higher on the Google ranking, whilst we take them away from our own website, we will not any more invest so much time in looking for appropriate articles worth mentioning. Therefore in the future you will find lesser links and we shall be pleased keeping you more to our own websites.

Treats, fear and discussions in 2015

2015 was again a year were many civil rights were tread under foot. The Syrian war continued for its fourth year and brought many war refugees into Europe, a region where many do not seem to know themselves very well because kindness to others seemed to be far off. Though we are born to shine, not to fear, lots of people got over-manned by fear. At a time where there is not much knowledge of the truth, but lots of doubt and/or blindness, we tried to convince that less is still enough.

While viral moments and trends or fads, that took up lots of people their time and their Twitter feeds included viral phenomenon The Dress, pizza rat, dad bods and adult coloring books we looked at the major refugee crisis in Europe as well as numerous instances of terrorism and mass shootings. Whilst July, Caitlyn Jenner made her big debut via a sexy and scantily clad Vanity Fair cover shot…and her new reality was officially underway we also look at how we human beings manage with birth, our being and our behaviour and acceptance or not of certain situations. Bringing articles around abortion and life we were pleased to have as our 5 most active commenter  Blackhorn33 who is Comanche – Irish and a half-breed that’s Full Blooded American, who with “Our Circle of Friends” met on Google and was willing to contribute about Child Abuse -The Facts, and show the world the importance of the unborn life.

A place for a Higher Being and for His Creation

“Stockholmsfyrens” ungefärliga utseende vid Ropsten med vy från hotell Forestas entréplan på Lidingö. Det runda 187 m höga tornet innehållande både bostäder och kontorslokaler är föreslaget att uppföras omkring 2014-2015. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With less for more we looked at one of the major discussed issues of the year, bringing global warming and climate change at the second place and the refugees at the first place as major topics for 2015. Pointing out that it is important that we do know that we have to find the meaning of life and reach a state of peace, of old and new ideas to sustain power and to feel good by loving to be connected and worship something, we brought to the attention that we have our duties in this world and have to take our responsibility,making the right engagement in an actual two way conversation with your deities or more important to build up a good relationship with the Only One True God, the Divine Creator.

Throughout the year on this and our other sites we wanted to bring to understanding that we do have to come in a good relationship with others and with the Most High, even when we sometimes have to deal with the silence of God.

We asked not to forget that falsehood darkens the pure knowledge of God and that we should always turn to the Book of books, the Bible, to find the truth and Guidance. But to come to know the Creator and His creatures and creation, we do have to look with our eyes and to see with our heart. Some may think “God plays hide’n seek“, but He is always around us and sees everything we do.
The Almighty God above all other gods greater than all gods has given us His infallible Word, the Bible, helmet of salvation, God’s Words put in the mouth of prophets for perfecting, to reprove and correct. Searching or overlooking God’s presence more people do have to find His Word and take up that book that is Written by inspiration of God for our admonition, to whom it shall be imputed if they believe.

2015 once more showed to the world that human beings need a lot of correction. It was good to see that in France many nations also came to conclusion we have urgently to take care of mother earth. In this world were many have to learn that stuff is just stuff, it became time that man takes his position about materialistic desires.

The terrors which came over Europe should make those who call themselves Christian to think and have them remind and hear God’s voice, bringing them into the habit of dealing with God about everything.

Statistics for 2015

In 2015, there were 295 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 525 posts. On the 12th of January in total 534 articles have been published on this site. 

The busiest day of the year was October 19th with 175 views. The most popular post that day was Whoopi Goldberg commandments and abortion. But the most commented on post in 2015 was Bible, helmet of salvation, God’s Words put in the mouth of prophets for perfecting, to reprove and correct.

For 2016

We are thankful that you came along on this site and do hope to find you more than once at this and some other of our sites. We wish you all the best for 2016 and do hope you may be like a tree planted by streams of water.

Have faith in your faith…doubt your doubts and don’t throw a curtain across tomorrow… the star of its performance just may be you !

There still has to be done a lot before we shall have sustainable, green habits as a second nature, but at this site we do hope to bring incentives to work at it.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,300 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

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Preceding: 2014 in review

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Additional reading

1. A look at materialism
2. Our you taking a step back to think
3. US must do more to protect its children
4. A year coming to its end and our Spiritual Senses
5. Summary for the year 2015 #1 Threat and fear
6. Summary for the year 2015 # 2 Strewn with corpses and refugees
7. 2015 In the Picture
8. 2015 Human rights
9. 2015 Health and Welfare
10. 2015 Ecology
11. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
12. Greenpeace demands scale up of ecological farming
13. Building a low-carbon world: the sixth industrial revolution
14. Republican member of Congress from Arizona to boycott pope’s address over climate change
15. Vatican meeting of mayors talking about global warming, human trafficking and modern-day slavery
16. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #1
17. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #2
18. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #3
19. 2015 Summit of Consciences for the Climate
20. A Miracle of Unity at COP21
21. Charlie Hebdo
22. Belgian Bible Students review of 2015
23. Bijbelvorsers Blogging annual report and 2015 in review
24. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
25. Before you blame All Muslims for the terrorist attack in Paris
26. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
27. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
28. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
29. Hidden potential for helping others
30. Only one person who has the power to cast the deciding vote that will kill your dream
31. Have faith in your faith…doubt your doubts
32. The inspiring divine spark
33. Healthy life can be found in sacred books
34. Bible, best Book of books to get to know the truth
35. Written to whom it is about to be reckoned
36. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation
37. By temptations, by signs, and by wonders we can see the Works of God
38. A Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn’t
39. A heart in the right place and brightly burning faith
40. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness
41. If you want to go far in life
42. Spread love everywhere you go
43. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
44. The truest greatness lies in being kind
45. Kindness
46. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
47. Be kinder than necessary
48. He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass
49. Taking care of mother earth
50. No curtain placed over tomorrow

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Further about what happened in 2015

1. MSN 2015 in review
2. 2015 in review: Memorable Journeys on EP
3. 2015 Wrap Up!
4. My most difficult travel moments of 2015
5. The 2015 Eternal Hunt Awards, pt. 2: The Hobbyists
6. Stay within the lines – or not!
7. coloring to de-stress; I’ve joined the craze!
8. Art and the Holidays
9. Whatever Is Lovely
10. Intuitive Coaching 101–Zen & The Art of Coloring Books
11. Adults Coloring Kaleidoscopic Creatures
12. Unique Sugar Gliders Chinchillas Reptile Adult Coloring Books
13. Adult Coloring Worldwide & Tangle With Jessica Palmers Hidden Treasures
14. What Amazon’s 2015 Bestsellers Say About Us
15. Winter 2015: The rest of the field…
16. Grandad, I can smell you …
17. Kaleidoscope of 2015
18. Reflecting on 2015
19. My 2015 In Year Review
20. 2015 In Review… (adventuretimealpacamybag)
21. 2015 In Review (ingridandjimmy)
22. 50 Things that made me smile in 2015
23. The Year That Was…2015
24. Favorite-est things from #2015
25. Be Looking at 2015 in review
26. 2015 in Review: Paradise River, Dusk
27. The Obsessive Viewer Podcast – Ep 148 – 2015 in Review – Best and Worst Movies of the Year and Viewing Stats
28. Looking Back at 2015
29. Year in Review
30. New Zealand’s 2015: the year we hid from a world in need
31. End of the Year Survey 2015!
32. 2015 in transit
33. A New Year: 2015 In Review and Plans for 2016!
34. Bye bye 2015 and welcome 2016
35. Start 2016 with a Backwards Slide
36. Let’s Commence to Coordinate our Sights
37. Flee from Idolatry

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