When reading the Bible

Foto door Rodolfo Quiru00f3s op Pexels.com

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

When reading the Bible you should ask yourself some questions:

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

 

How to Start (and Keep) Good Habits

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

I did not know.

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

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

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

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

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

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

+

Preceding

“I want to draw closer to God, but…”

++

Find also to read

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

As near to God as you want Him to be

In the Three basic commands, you could read about three basic commands a Christian has to keep. For a Christian the fundamentals of his faith are to

1. 1. Obey God’s and Christ’s commands
   2. Not to test God
   3. Only to worship One God and to have no other gods before Him

A real Christian follows Christ Jesus and would love to become like him and do like him. In such way a Christian would devote his life to the same God Jesus devoted his life. Jesus always wanted to do the Will of God. His intention was also to let others know God. Jesus, who also could not do anything by his own, also wanted people not to look for what he wanted to do, but for what his heavenly Father, the Only One True God, Who had sent him wanted.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30, NRKJV)

34 Yahushua saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34, NRKJV)

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. (John 5:36, NRKJV)

The apostle John in one of his letters asks his readers to think about which way they want to go and what they want to believe.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of יהוה is greater: for this is the witness of יהוה which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of יהוה hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not יהוה hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that יהוה gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that יהוה hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of יהוה hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of יהוה; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of יהוה. (1John 5:9-13, NRKJV)

Real Christians, who believe they can get life in the son of God, should go by the Words of the Book of books, the Bible and not follow human dogma’s.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1John 5:14-15, NRKJV)

The insurance that Jesus is not God but the mediator between God and man, gives us no reason to be afraid to pray in his name and to go up to Jesus his heavenly Father, Whom we, thanks to Jesus Christ, also can call our heavenly Father.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of יהוה our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one Elohim, and one mediator between Elohim and men, the man Yahushua the Messiah; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in the Messiah, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1Tim 2:3-8, NRKJV)

It is our faith in Jesus which brings us to come close to his heavenly Father, willing to have Him also as our heavenly Father. It is in such way that Jesus also taught people to pray to his God not as hypocrites.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matt 6:5-10, NRKJV)

Jesus not being God, believed in the God of Israel and trusted Him. He believed that Jehovah God was with him and would take him up in His reign.

17 Yahushua saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my Elohim, and your Elohim. (John 20:17, NRKJV)

For Jesus, it was clear that his Father was also the Father of all others, and His God was and is also The God of others (but not of all, because many do not accept Jehovah as their Most High Elohim or God).

Before Jesus was taken into heaven he showed his wounds proving that he was not a ghost or spirit like his heavenly Father, Who is an unseen Singular Spirit Being. As such the disciple could be a witness that there stood the real son of man Jesus, who was their master.

36 And as they thus spake, Yahushua himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Messiah to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
gives them a charge
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
promises the Holy Ghost
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
and so ascends into heaven
50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Now Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God and not on God’s throne, but on his throne as chosen one from God and as a high priest for God.

63 But Yahushua held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living Elohim, that thou tell us whether thou be the Messiah, the Son of the Almighty. 64 Yahushua saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matt 26:63-64, NRKJV)

62 And Yahushua said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Mark 14:62, NRKJV)

19 So then after Yahushua had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of יהוה. (Mark 16:19, NRKJV)

55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of יהוה, and Yahushua standing on the right hand of the Most High, (Acts 7:55, NRKJV)

Heb 1
1 Elohim, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Heb 1:1-3, NRKJV)

God want us in a relationship with Him through Christ. And God wants us to trust him completely. Christians should be people who trust God in the same way Jesus trusted his God. Jesus dared to give his life, trusting in his heavenly Father. God can not die, but Jesus died and went into the grave. For three days Jesus was in hell (sheol – hades  = the grave).

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that יהוה had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Messiah to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of the Messiah, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Yahushua hath יהוה raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of יהוה exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, יהוה said unto my master, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that יהוה hath made that same Yahushua, whom ye have crucified, both King and Messiah. (Acts 2:30-36, NRKJV)

That is today our assurance and hope. Jesus by God exalted to be our Saviour or Christ, being the Messiah. We should understand the words of Jesus and recognise the God of Jesus also as our God and our Father.

42 Yahushua said unto them, If Elohim were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from Elohim; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of יהוה heareth יהוה’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of יהוה. (John 8:42-47, NRKJV)

Christians should hear Jesus and believe him and in the same way as Jesus believed his heavenly Father, the Only One True God, Christians also should believe that God of Israel. The same as Jesus did not wait until it was too late, we should not wait before trying to have such a good relationship with God as Jesus had.

Today lots of people calling themselves Christian want to be befriended with the world and keep to their feasts. Such love for the world gives fog to their thoughts, not able to see the Biblical Truth because preferring to keep to human teachings. But God requires faithful love and worship.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with יהוה? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of יהוה. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more favour. Wherefore he saith, יהוה resisteth the proud, but giveth favour unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to יהוה. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to יהוה, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of יהוה, and he shall lift you up. (Jas 4:4-10, NRKJV)

We should not be double-minded and not twist words of the Scriptures so that they’ll suit a lot of people who would love to belong to the majority instead of choosing for the path of God and narrow gate to the kingdom of God. Following Christ means going for him and doing as he and God want it.

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matt 7:14, NRKJV)

24 Then said Yahushua unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Matt 16:24-28, NRKJV)

Those who accept Christ as their saviour can pray in his Name, but:

Prayer should be nothing less than stepping into the throne room of heaven and drawing near to a holy and majestic God.

When your life is a prayer, the Lord will always be near you. “Make your life a prayer” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 TPT).

We are meant to be near to the Lord, and prayer is how we get there. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18 NKJV). {In the Presence of God}

writes Paul Balius.

The ransom offer of Jesus cleansed us from our sins, in the way that we do not have to hide any more, because God knows our weaknesses. Knowing Jesus died for us we still have to really get clean. Our faith in Jesus requires several works. One of those works is to repent.

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of יהוה; 20 And he shall send Yahushua the Messiah, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which יהוה hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21, NRKJV)

At the same time, we may not forget Who accepted the sacrificial offering of that son of man, and wants us to become His children.

You learn about the things of God through your adult intellect, but you must come to Christ as a child. You can go far in your knowledge of the truth but still be distant from the Lord Jesus, who is truth. You don’t get nearer to God through your intellect but through your heart.

Drawing near to the Lord is an act of the heart and not of the mind, because intimacy is founded on love. “Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7 NKJV). {In the Presence of God}

Like Jesus very well knew his heavenly Father, his God, we too as followers of Christ, or Christians should draw near to the same God of Christ, having written His Laws in our heart, so that He can be our God and heavenly Father, and we can be His child.

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith יהוה, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. (Jer 31:33, NRKJV)

As followers of Christ we should clean ourselves and put on a new heart so that God can place a new spirit in us.

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: (Ezek 11:19, NRKJV)

At the moment there are still many who call themselves Christian, but have a heart of stone and not showing the love of Christ to others. But when time progresses to the Last Days, it shall change. Many more shall find that Jesus is the way to god and shall be willing to follow him so that their stony heart shall be taken away to be renewed.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (Ezek 36:26, NRKJV)

At the moment many are still in the darkness which “avoids the light lest it be ruined”. In the same way, their sin separates them from God so long as they choose to hold onto it and as long as they want to hold on false teachings, instead of accepting the Words of God.

It is not that God cannot forgive you, but you must be willing to let Him. Don’t squander the treasures of heaven by holding onto the filth of this world. {In the Presence of God}

People should know they have come to do the same as Christ, stepping in the light of God, willing to live according to the Will of God, following His ordinances. The apostles had seen and heard the son of God and announced him to others, so that they, too, may have fellowship with them, and so that the apostles their fellowship with the fellowship of all followers of the real Christ may be with the Father and with His Son Jesus who is the Anointed of God.

3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Yahushua the Messiah. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that יהוה is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yahushua the Messiah His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1John 1:3-7, NRKJV)

Therefore, let us be fully aware that those who recognise not the son or denies his sonship, shall not be able to draw close to God, because one has to confess the son of God to have the Father. As real followers of Christ, we have to accept Jesus as our lord and be cleansed to walk in the light, turning to God, drawing close to Him, so that He can draw us close to His Throne of Glory. Real Christians do not deny that Jesus is the son of man, son of God and the Kristos or Christ.

23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1John 2:23, NRKJV)

If we claim that we have fellowship with Christ and his God, and yet we do not accept the words Jesus said or the words his Father said, we walk in darkness, and as such we hear a lot of people who call themselves Christian, but who are not telling the truth.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (1John 1:6, NRKJV)

Real Christians can not deny the Son. This is fundamental to have the Father. Without confessing the son, there is no way to have the Father.

22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Yahushua is the Messiah? He is antiMessiah who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1John 2:22-24, NRKJV)

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yahushua the Messiah His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1John 1:7, NRKJV)

Those who do not accept the Words of God and the words of Christ are often compared to “adulterers” , certainly those who prefer to keep to the false human teachings or human dogmas. They should know that the friendship of this world is hostile to God. Therefore, whoever has chosen to go above the Words of Scripture and to be a friend of this world, have chosen to stay in the dark, but worse have made themselves into a satan (an adversary of God) or an enemy of God. Those not willing to accept the words in Scripture like they are written are considered “the arrogant”. Real Christians should be humble and accept the words like they are written in the Bible and be subject to God, drawing near to God, so that He will draw near to them.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with יהוה? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of יהוה. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more favour. Wherefore he saith, יהוה resisteth the proud, but giveth favour unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to יהוה. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to יהוה, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of יהוה, and he shall lift you up. (Jas 4:4-10, NRKJV)

Let us be humble and accept what God says about the one He sent to the world:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying,

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matt 3:17, NRKJV)

+

Preceding

Do you really know what you say you believe in?

Not About The Name Of The Godhead Of Jesus

Rhetoric and Biblical Truth

Religion and the essence of devotion

Three basic commands

The false prophets in the present world

O God, How Long? ~ Psalm 74

++

Additional reading

1. A Book to trust #2 Book of Truth
2. Human & Biblical teachings
3. God spoke to our forefathers and speaks to us
4. False opposite true worship which exalts the God of Israel
5. Today’s thought “On the eternity of God” (December 17)
6. El-Shaddai God Almighty Who no-one may see and live
7. A 1st reply to the 4th Question Who is God 2 A Singular Supreme Spirit Being
8. Standing within proximity of the glory of God
9. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.
10. Authority from the One God to one mediator between God and men
11. Recognising Jehovah’s sovereignty
12. The New Covenant Victim and Mediator
13. The New Covenant Intercessor
14. Demanding signs or denying yourself
15. Faith and works
16. Worship

+++

Related articles

1. What Does It Mean to be a True Christian?
2. the high cost of not trusting God
3. Seeing Clearly – Br. James Koester
4. Running and pausing with Jesus – Br. Todd Blackham
5. God Does Not Love You Just as You Are
6. It’s a privilege
7. What Does It Mean to be a True Christian?
8. Being A Cultural Christian Is Not Enough
9. Being Christian
10. Effective Christianity
11. Progressive Christianity
12. They Will Know We Are Christians By…What?
13. The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven
14. Lamps Bright with a Wise Anticipation – Br. Sean Glenn
15. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith

For beginners to the Bible to help them to access its message

For many, the Bible seems a very old book with such an old language that it can not be pleasant to read. Lots of people think it is too difficult to grasp.

Can it be that the present generation have a too limited view of that Old Book of books? Perhaps lots of people have no idea why it could become such a Bestseller of all times. They consider it a book that is not worth getting out of the dust.

However, they might be amazed at what the Book of Books has to say and what it can offer us today for interesting things or valuable subject matter.

If you think the Bible is just too hard to grasp, we can advise you “Telling it simply: the stories of the Bible” which can shed some light on the content of that library of books. If you think the Bible is only for old out of date boring conservative people, you might be surprised what that Library has been presenting already for ages but not so many came to see and understand.

Hilary Higgins may be a helping hand to uncover the secrets of that mysterious book. A woman standing with both her feet on the soil of the 21st century does not mind shedding some light on stories of thousands of years ago, showing that they are still relevant today.

In today’s language, you might come to know more about so many characters of the many Bible stories. Why not tackle that Bestseller with Mrs. Higgins her book at your side?

If you are new to the Bible and need to get to grips with what it says but are finding it just too big this is the ideal book to help you become the Bible expert you would like to be. Telling It Simply contains virtually all the stories in the Bible in fun and easy to read chunks.
You will quickly find out who is who and what they are doing. You can use it as a reference together with your Bible in study groups to keep up with the flow.

* Did you know Noah had a vineyard as well as an Ark? And the trouble it got him into? * Or why Balaam’s donkey suddenly turned round and started talking to him? * What part Nebuchadnezzar played in God’s plan and why God made him eat grass? * Jael’s murderous activities with a tent peg? * Paul and the runaway slave? * How Jesus paid his Temple tax bill?

Armed with this book you will quickly grasp the key facts that others are debating enthusiastically round you. Now you can join in. And even put them straight! More importantly, this book will enable you to read the Bible itself easily. To understand God’s vital message for you, for life, for ever.

Publisher: The Choir Press
ISBN: 9781789630893
Number of pages: 600
Weight: 793 g
Dimensions: 229 x 152 x 31 mm

Please ask for her book in your bookstore or find it in a Christadelphian bookstore and/or ecclesia.

Or you can order it by Bol.com or Amazon

A vital question for believers

At Selah Ministries they ask

Do you believe in God, or do you believe God? {A vital question for believers}

And that is a question we should seriously take at heart. The same as atheists believe in many things we find people who say they believe in a god or believe in the God. When you question those who say they ‘believe in god’ or ‘believe in God’, we can hear many concepts or ideas about that god/God and find that several of those people believe in different gods than the others.

Lis from Selah Ministries which says it

is about bringing folks closer to God through His word and through experience, and recognising the works of satan in these days. {A vital question for believers}

brings up as next question

Do you believe what He put down in writing and preserved for two thousand years so that we could walk rightly with Him? Walking in obedience requires us to not just believe that God is real, but to believe what He says! {A vital question for believers}

When looking at Christendom, we see the great difference with those from Christianity. The majority who calls themselves Christian really do not follow Christ and even have not the God of Christ, but made Christ Jesus into their god.

Coming closer to the end-times, all people should come to know that it is getting high time that people should start thinking seriously about what they do want to follow, human doctrines or Biblical doctrines.

Perhaps it’s time to walk away from church doctrine, and to get into the word of God? He preserved His word for you so that you could know how He wants you to live. {A vital question for believers}

Many in this world are been deceived. Lots of people are caught up in the human doctrines and tangles of their church. In the Book of books, the Bible or Holy Scriptures, already in the first book (Genesis) it is explained why things are today like they are. In many of the following books is given direction why and how we may have hope for the future and for better things. In that compilation of books (hence: Library or bibliotheca = Bible) mankind is able to see how it is necessary that the Most High God shall come to be known all over the earth. Lots of people do not see how important it is for them to fear the right person and to spend more time and attention to Some One Who can not be seen but Who is a serious reality of the universe. It is Some Supreme Being Who shall be willing to draw close to you when you are willing to come to close to Him. That Most High Supreme Being has given His Word, but not many people are really interested in reading it. Though they would better  do that so that they may come to see the truth and unmask all those who are against that Biblical Truth, but also react strongly against those who proclaim that Biblical Truth. It is even told in the Bible, God’s infallible Word that close to the end-times more people would react against those lovers of God and against those who spread the Gospel.
For that reason recently there has been created a new website, to show how those adversaries of God sent all sorts of false sayings or untruths in the world. At that new website, Unmasking the anti-Jehovah people, a first series has been started to show how the Bible has all the truth in it and how we as human beings best should read those ancient books, which form perhaps the most interesting and most important Bestseller of all times. The first articles are already published, and we would kindly advice you to have a look at them ( A Book to trust #1 Background book for debate and A Book to trust #2 Book of Truth) and to follow up the coming chapters.

There are people who say

Faith can not come by hearing

and partly they are right but also partly wrong. Hearing is an important factor to come to the truth. Without willingness to hear and to see one can not come to the truth. Hearing is an essential part in the formation of faith. Without hearing the Word of God or without hearing preachers to confess how people can be saved, and without coming in contact with people who proclaim the Kingdom of God, telling the Good News and presenting the Gospel to man, it is much more difficult to come to know the Bible and to come to know the Most High God.

+

Preceding

Consider your own journey in life

May we have doubts

Hatred and hostility against God

Arguments about believe and About Christianity versus Atheism

On the Edge of Believing

Fear in your own heart or outside of it

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

Mishmash of a legal code but importance of mitzvah or commandments

++

Additional reading

1. A world with or without religion
2. How importance on religion is placed
3. Non-practicing Christians widely believing in a god or higher power
4. Gates to different belief systems in this world
5. Meet the atheist … who believes in God
6. The post-Christian world
7. Have you also been deceived
8. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
9. An openingschapter explaining why things are like they are and why we may have hope for better things
10. Fearing the right person
11. God loving people justified
12. Blinkered minds
13. Do you purpose that your mouth will not transgress
14. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
15. Necessary to be known all over the earth
16. This month’s survey question: Does God Exist?
17. Can a scientist believe in God
18. Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people
19. Back from gone #4 Your inner feelings and actions
20. Today’s thought “Man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah” (April 24)
21. Memorizing wonderfully 48 John 16:33 That you may have peace
22. Memorizing wonderfully 66: Galatians 3:8-9 Justified receiving blessing of Abraham’s faith
23. When having found faith through the study of the Bible we do need to do works of faith
24. Measuring Up
25. Some one or something to fear #6 Faith in the Most High

+++

Related

1. Farewell to Those Days of Wrestling With Fate
2. There is a God
3. A Two-Word Sermon: But God!H-o-l-y-b-i-b-l-e
4. Review of Faith in God: Interpreting the True Meaning of Faith in God | Eastern Lightning
5. Embarking on the Path of Belief in God (Part 2)
6. Facts and Revelation Made Me Seek; God’s Word Made Me Fall Before Him
7. Establishing a Proper Relationship With God | As a Christian, Regularly Attending Gatherings Cannot Be Neglected!
8. The “Rural” Mom Meets the “Urban” Daughter-in-Law
   How to Keep Faith in God When Mother Got Terminal Lung Cancer
9. Finding the Salvation of the Last Days on Facebook (Ⅱ)
10. Competing in This Way, I Benefit Tremendously! (Audio Article)
11. I acknowledge the words expressed by Almighty God as the truth, but my family have been confused by rumors disseminated by the CCP and by pastors, and they do all they can to obstruct me getting in touch with Christians from the Church of Almighty God. I don’t dare to investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days, but neither do I want to lose the chance to be raptured and saved by God. How should I solve this problem?
12. Word of GOD: Wisdom
13. Truth and Righteousness versus Lies and Wickedness.
14. Rejecting and Reinterpreting
15. Doctrine of Christ or AntiChrist?
16. Clear doctrine strengthens the church
17. Spiritual War: Truth versus Lies. Life versus Death.
18. A world of Foolishness (1 Corinthians 3:19)
19. A Lamp for my Feet and a Light on my Path
20. Limited Atonement and the Divine Command to Believe Falsehood
21. Lucifer’s Desideration: God of gods (5)
22. Jehovah’s Witness Myopic View Of Jesus (I)
23. Bible Contradictory: Light of Truth is Within
24. Behaving as a Christian is an Act of Worship
25. Walking In Obedience
26. Series: Saying Yes to God!
27. Faith Cannot Come by Hearing
28. Is Jesus Christ an Imposter?
29. Truth or Lie Pick One
30. What Are The Father And The Son’s Name?
31. Is The Law Done Away With?
32. On going to church (or not), church, connecting to God, and prayer

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.

*

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

+

Preceding articles

Hang On!

God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace

++

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

+++

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.

+++

Related articles

• Kingdom of God
• The Righteous
• The Contemplative Companion for Friday, September 16, 2016
• 3 reasons why taking a stand for Christ is hard – but still absolutely necessary
• Innocence and the armor of Love
• Christianity 101
• Inspiring Reading: Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You
• What does the Bible have to say peace?
• John Wesley White: Longtime BGEA Evangelist, Who Mentored Franklin Graham and Brought Many Souls to Christ, Goes Home to Be With the Lord
• 9 Great Ways to Do Online Research

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

To find ways of Godly understanding

Chad Graham of Onetheology.com is not affiliated with any religious organization, denomination, or church. He thinks

pastors have a responsibility, just as doctors and mechanics do, to become experts in their field for the benefit of society and the expansion of the kingdom of God. {Pulpit Authority}

In his article Pulpit Authority he looks at our world where people try to find specialists in different fields. For him it seems theology, doctrine, or philosophy are essential parts of a church community. It looks like a church cannot exist for him without such leaders who have gone to colleges where they were trained to become specialists in theology, doctrine, and/or philosophy.

He also gives the impression that people are not able to get authority without such an education. Though he forgets for the Word of God, they should not so much receive their education from man but more from God Himself. It seems that a lot of religious leaders, pastors and priests exclude God Himself from the educational field. Too many forget that it is the Word of God as given to mankind in the Holy Scriptures which can educate and edify man. Real knowledge about the True God can come straight ahead from the Bible itself. We do not need lots of theological works to give us an idea about Whom God is and what He has done. All is written down in the Bible. That Book of books is sufficient enough. though we do agree other books may help further to give more insight or to make the way of understanding shorter.

Also when we have several believers it is best that they do come together at regular times. We may not forget one of the tasks Jesus had given his followers was to come together, to  assemble or to gather with like minded, at regular intervals. The followers of Christ had to become part of the Body of Christ and should find unity in that body (the Church). Organising such a system or community demands work and organisation itself. Wherefore certain people can take charge to organise those meetings and to make the arrangements to keep that community of believers alive. Pastors or elders may well be the persons to do such a thing.

Pastors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Church needs pastors and leaders who wield their pulpit with authority. {Pulpit Authority}

writes Chad Graham, who also finds that

We need pastors who see their lack of knowledge and work hard to remedy it. {Pulpit Authority}

For him it looks like everything in the church-community turns around a or the Sunday service.

Next Sunday is right around the corner and congregations will show up to hear their beloved pastor deliver his sermon—with authority. {Pulpit Authority}

He does know that reason is not necessary for, or is even opposed to, faith.

However, this position will be showed to be false and the enterprise of apologetics shown to be biblical and worthwhile through the survey of the theological justification for it. {Is Apologetics Biblical?}

It is not because the Elohim frequently throughout the Old Testament got His prophets use rational arguments and verifiable evidence to justify their beliefs in God, that today we do need people to show up arguments ,by having full proof of they being educated by a college enabling them to reason about those matters.  Those prophets in the past, not all, went to a high school (universities did not exist yet). God also used non-educated people to go out and to throw out the fishnet for man. Jesus his disciples were not all doctors in medicine like Luke, or doctors in philosophy, nor where the apostles or preachers learned scholars like Paul, but were also ordinary labourers, men and women who used their hands to earn their living.

The writer seems to overlook what he himself quotes:

God, speaking through His prophet Isaiah, said,

“’Come now, and let us reason together’” (Isaiah 1:18). {Is Apologetics Biblical?}

Clearly it was the Most High who invited man to reason with Him. Together they had to plan things. Today it is not different. We too, ourselves have to reason with God. We ourselves have to go into conversation with God. We do not need priests any more, other than the high priest Jeshua (Jesus Christ).

The Supreme Being was,

and is, not opposed to reason when it comes to God, the truth, and the Bible. It is even possible that the account in Genesis 1 of creation was written as an apologetic against the mythical creation stories of other cultures in the Near East. {Is Apologetics Biblical?}

As written already in earlier writings, each individual is created in the image of God and has some inner feeling to look for his own being and for that Divine Creator Who made it possible to be, without Him “The I am Who Is the Being” there is no life possible. Chad Graham knows what we all should come to know, that

The stars, oceans, mountains, and planets were not gods nor were they controlled by gods. Rather, the one true God, Yahweh, brought those things, and everything, into existence and continues to sustain them in their existence. This latter element is a testament to the fact that God exists and has a plan and purpose for creation. {Is Apologetics Biblical?}

“The Old Testament does not often dwell on why we need to do apologetics, but rather it simply sets out its apologias for those with eyes to see. {Philip Johnson, Apologetics, Mission, and New Religious Movements: A Holistic Approach. electronic edition (Salt Lake City, UT: Sacred Tribes Academic Press, 2010), 125-26.}

It is handy and best to have some one to encourage people in the community of faith to engage in spiritual warfare and intellectually struggle for religious truth. But it surely do not all have to be people who had a university degree in theology. It is not to have much knowledge about the different gods and about different human theories about those gods and forms of worshipping. We do need people leading a congregation who have sufficient knowledge and belief in and about the Only One True God, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah. Other gods are not really of any importance. Scriptural knowledge must lead in the forefront and not a knowledge about all sorts of human fantasies and human writings around godheads.

From the evidence in the Old and New Testaments, the examples of Jesus and His apostles, and God’s character in wanting Himself to be made known, there is much theological justification for Christian apologetics. Thus, fideism and any other argument against apologetics fall flat. Rather, it is shown to be a duty of the Christian to “contend for the faith” and “give a defense.” And it is also shown to be useful in evangelism since many biblical accounts record people being saved after hearing a reasoned account of the gospel. {Is Apologetics Biblical?}

That reasonable account of the gospel is best given by some one who truly believes and lives according to that faith in the gospel, being the Word of God. We can find many priests and pastors who earn their living by ‘holding church’, but do not really belief in God and some even not in Jesus (the son of God). Also we may find lots of priests and pastors who are as weak as any other man, also elders, who are not able to live up to the faith, Christ and God requires from godly man. The last few years lots of scandals came in the news and many priests, pastors and so called educated theologians became defiled by atrocious things they had done. Church can do without them. Church can better use people who really belief in what they preach and do what they demand from others to do.

In the world of theology we can find lots of different writings bringing words against each other, words for sure which could potentially spark a lot of controversy, but worse, also lots of words which could bring people further away from Biblical truth.

Some theologians do know and

oftentimes think what seminary enrollment would look like if they pose a picture of Dr. King dead on a balcony on their fliers. What if they made a banner of Bonhoeffer hanging from the gallows? What if they Really showed what happened to Paul, Peter, James, and our Lord? What would enrollment look like if they showed us what would happen if we truly allowed our academics to be the impetus for our actions?

They know exactly what would happen.

That’s why our brochures are filled kids playing ping-pong. {The Subversive Scholar: The Danger of Being a Theologian in the 21st Century}

Theology without spirituality is a sterile academic exercise. Lots of countries do have universities offering courses in theology, where more time is spend on human writings about philosophy and theology than on the study of the Holy Scriptures themselves. The spiritual factor is often missed out and mostly the courses are given from the only point of view to be taken, that of the own denomination. As such in Belgium most Christian universities are Roman Catholic and offer theology to form people thinking the Roman Catholic way. In Leuven there is also an opening for protestant thinking, but also there only one way or protestantism is allowed to be the backbone to succeed end of year tests.

Street pastors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is not so much the words of human beings we do have to study, but we should make sure that we come to know what is written in the Bible, God’s infallible Word and take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Elohim commanded to God’s people. If we want to belong to God’s people we should live up to it and love the Adonai, Almighty God and worship Him as our only One God, walking in all His ways, keeping His commandments. It is not required from any person to be a follower of any other man than Christ Jesus. He is the cornerstone of the church and not a theologian or some one who can proof that he has received a degree in theological studies. We have to follow Christ Jesus and to hold fast to his heavenly Father, Jehovah God. We do not have to serve churches of man, but be part of the Body of Christ serving the only One Eternal God with all our heart and with all our soul.

We should remember Joshua who gave the departing ones from Egypt a word of exhortation,

Jos 22:5 RNKJV  But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of YHWH charged you, to love YHWH your Elohim, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

The writer of etsop95.wordpress.com remarks

You will note in this word from Joshua two important ideas. First, the Israelites were to pay attention to the Lord and do exactly what He said. Second, they were to have their motivation (love) properly in place. This is the idea behind what some people disparagingly call “pattern theology.” Those who do so speak about that which the Lord set in place! {The Pattern}

When people do find God and decide to become baptised, receiving a “new birth”, we and theologians may not forget that it is the work of God and not of us, elder or theologians

since one can’t “join” the family of God (a work of man, presumably), it is a work of God when one is “born” into the family of God. {The New Birth (2)}

Portrait of a pastor at the age of 35. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Too many people stay in the tradition of their family and keep to the faith-group they were born into, though they may not believe or not practice their views. Real faith should come from own choices being made by adult thinking and wise decision.

It is not the result of parental descent, of one’s own willpower, or by “any of man’s religious creeds, systems, or ceremonies.” The new birth is of God; it is a miracle and only God can perform it. {The New Birth (2)}

It is by allowing the Power of God come into our body that our soul (our being) can be transformed. It is the individual who has to make the right decision and allowing God to work in him or her. Only then a spiritual birth, not a miraculous one, can take place.

Nothing in nature has been suspended for one to be “born again.” {The New Birth (2)}

It is when one hears God, and is prepared to do what He wants form His creation that one can become whitewashed and be baptised by the Spirit. Those receiving the Spirit of God than can take up the tasks Jesus has given his disciples and go out to the world, to others, so that they too may find God and convert to the true faith.

Without the foundation in place the strength of a local congregation is only perceived (imagined), not real. {Strength in the Local Church}

It is not necessary by an education institute that we shall come to the God of gods. All Christians should recognise that it is Jesus is who is the way. The Bible tells us even more, that he is the truth, and he is the life. Not the theologians are going to be able to give us life.

Thus, if anyone would know of truth, if anyone would know the way, if anyone would enjoy life, then one must go through Jesus.{Strength in the Local Church}

Furthermore, Jesus said,

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)

We should believe what Jesus says and not so much what theologians say, certainly not when in contradict with what Jesus says. so, when we go to a church where things are preached which contradict Bible sayings we should sincerely reconsider what we want to do and where we want to stay. Do we want to follow human doctrines or Biblical doctrines?

We should look at those theologians and question their thoughts and remember what some students could say about their college

With so many of our finest finishing up at denominational institutions, however, breathing the air of seminaries and schools of theology and salivating at the feet of theologians, we’ve lost our mettle against the idea of theology. {Harding University, twice}

As members of the Body of Christ we never may forget that in the church “educated” men also make mistakes.

There are numerous instances when you have two highly degreed men on the opposite sides of an issue. Some do not have an understanding of the implications of certain “facts” that they read. For example, if someone says

“Scholars believe that Mark was written before the other gospels.”

Would we question that? Is it even important? Some may teach that Mark was written first and have no other implication in mind; however, there is a large group of religious scholars that do not respect the inspiration of the Bible and the dates of the completion of the gospel is one of their places of attack.{Systematic Theology, Rex A. Turner, Sr.}

Too often in theology the focus is not on the subject we as members of the Body of Christ should worry about. It does not matter when and by whom a certain book is written. We do need to know the content and where to look for. The order in which the gospels were written is not the issue per se. What matters most is what is written between the lines and not a Pharisaical theological explanation and historical facts. Historical facts may help to place everything and to see the truth of it, but are not the main issue.

G.C. Berkouwer said:

“We live in a time when even theology is exploding with new and revolutionary problems. There is a danger that the serious student will be so impressed by all the problems in theology that he will circle all certainties by a ring of questions. When this happens, an inverse Pharisaism sets in. The doubting student says:

I thank thee, Lord, that I am not as certain as those naïve people. Let Luther say it again: Spiritus Sactus non est scepticus. Indeed, the Spirit is not a skeptic.” {Bales: certainty is not Pharisaism}

Example of appendix from New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures, study edition (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the ecclesia, our Christian community, house church or church-hall or other church-building, we can come together, meeting with brothers and sisters in Christ, having elders, pastors or priest, non-educated and educated people, all together in humbleness wanting to share the same gospel. In that gathered community, the parish, it is not so much the teaching of a theologian, but the teaching of the Spirit which will unsettle false positions and false attitudes,

but it unsettles them by means of truth and not by means of relativism.  {Bales: certainty is not Pharisaism}

It are all members of the ecclesia who have to work together and to share ideas together, not one thinking the other better or worse to give gospel messages. All should follow the task given by Jesus to explain to the lost who the people of God are and why we have to make the right choice to be distinct from the false religions that exist, including those that call themselves Christians but are not, fail to do their duty of proclaiming the gospel of Christ or the gospel of salvation and of the Kingdom of God.

We do not have to have a special platform or pulpit and especially trained people as the only speakers in our community. All people do have to have their ‘input.’ all have to make an effort to help each other to grow in the faith. All have to help the ecclesia to grow and have to make sure that the Body of Christ can continue to grow.

Lets make work of it!

+

Preceding articles:

Living in the Wilderness

Getting out of the dark corners of this world

An uncovering book to explore

May we have doubts

Passover and Liberation Theology

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

In Defense of the truth

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

It takes years to learn

Believe today and now!

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

What’s inside matters..

Not making yourselves abominable

Where are the female writers

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

What Should I Preach ?

Preaching Christ Is Not Enough

How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

++

Further reading

1. The gods or mighty ones
2. Jehovah God Almighty – greater than all gods
3. People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
4. God giving signs and producing wonders
5. Elohim, Mar-Yah showing His wonders
6. Necessity of a revelation of creation 12 Words assembled for wisdom and instruction
7. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
8. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
9. Church has to grow through witness, not by proselytism
10. Which Christian sect is the only true Christian church?
11. Not everyone in the churches of Christ are “ungodly”
12. Looking for True Spirituality 1 Intro
13. Why think there is a God (4): And the Rest …
14. The Presence of God
15. By temptations, by signs, and by wonders we can see the Works of God
16. Bible, best Book of books to get to know the truth
17. The importance of Reading the Scriptures
18. Bible God’s Word – to edify
19. Looking for wisdom not departing from God’s Word
20. Bible in the first place #3/3
21. The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told
22. True God giving His Word for getting wisdom
23. Words to inspire and to give wisdom
24. Eternal Word that tells everything
25. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
26. We should use the Bible every day
27. Feed Your Faith Daily
28. God’s wrath and sanctification
29. Bible containing scientific information
30. The mythical conflict of science and Scripture (2)
31. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
32. Atonement And Fellowship 1/8
33. How Many were Bought
34. Genuine Christians content with going through motions of ritualistic religion
35. Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians
36. An anarchistic reading of the Bible—(1) Approaching the Bible
37. An anarchistic reading of the Bible (2)—Creation and what follows
38. Van Til’s An Introduction To Systematic Theology
39. Van Til interacting with Bavinck and Calvin on Natural Theology
40. Christianity without the Trinity
41. Position of the Bible researcher
42. Missional hermeneutics 1/5
43. Missional hermeneutics 5/5
44. Epicurus’ Problem of Evil
45. Christendom Astray The Devil Not A Personal Super-Natural Being
46. Catholicism, Anabaptism and Crisis of Christianity
47. Some one or something to fear #3 Cases, folks and outing
48. Theology without spirituality sterile academic exercise
49. Myth 12: The Hyper-Grace Gospel Makes People Lazy
50. Pulpit reserved for the pastor
51. May the Lord direct your hearts to …
52. Victory in rebirth
53. Rebirth and belonging to a church
54. Parish, local church community – Parochie, plaatselijke kerkgemeenschap
55. Intentions of an Ecclesia
56. Congregate, to gather, to meet
57. Meeting – Vergadering
58. Contribution – Contributie, bijdrage
59. Faith is a pipeline
60. Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
61. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #17 Sorts of prayers
62. Being Missional
63. Missionary action paradigm for all endeavours of the church
64. Theologians and a promised Spirit to enlighten us
65. No other god besides Jehovah who gives all explanation
66. Politics and power first priority #2
67. Denominationalism exists because?
68. Belonging to or being judged by
69. Writers needed to preach to non-believers
70. Good or bad preacher
71. What Should I Preach ?
72. Determined To Stick With Truth
73. Oratory Style
74. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy

+++

Continued reading:

• Would You Speak?
• The Pattern
• The Setting of the Mind
• There are no members of the church
• Systematic Theology, Rex A. Turner, Sr.
• How to be sure your baptism is valid
• April 19 Poem: Together We Become
• Preaching the kingdom, would Paul have spoken of the church?
• Losing the kingdom of God
• A Mistake in Interpretation
• A Word To The Wise

+++

 

Related articles

• Spritual Training (alisamassey.me)
• The Difference between Religion and Spirituality (eagleman6788.wordpress.com)
• Dominion Theology Begins and Ends with Lies (endtimesprophecyreport.com)
• A year after Ferguson, a practical theology emerges around ‘Black Lives Matter’ (religionnews.com)
• Supra-cultural Theology and Feelings of Alienation (munsonmissions.org)
• Journal of Practical Theology (blogs.timesofisrael.com)
• What is Distinctive about Christian Analytic Theology? (cwoznicki.com)
• Male Feminist Theology: Table of Contents (prodigalpaul.com)
• Do you have Paper theology or People theology? (redeeminggod.com)
• The Revelatory Body (prodigal.typepad.com)

An uncovering book to explore

Now Summer has come to us we have more time to sit outdoors and relax. Ideal time to take up the Book of books to read in it. We have the whole of God’s Word to read and inspire us whenever we feel like doing so. Though many people like to postpone Bible reading. Some are also afraid to be confronted with the words which they might find inside. To prorogue reading the Bible shall keep a lot of wisdom from them. Holding off Bible reading will withhold us from useful help. Protracting a confrontation with the Word of God shall only make it more difficult for the person to find a satisfying life which shall be righteous in the eyes of the Most High Divine Creator.

“Which Book, Holy Bible” – NARA – 516150 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To understand past and evolution to the future, our position in life, our way to follow, we could use that what is brought to us in that old library of 66 books.

Many want others to believe that it is

dang hard. {J.S. Parks Five Primers On How To Study The Bible}

but it does not have to be so hard as they say. When you start with the right open mind and good attitude you should be able to trace back those old sayings and enjoy the different genres of literature the Bible presents. Like any book we come to read we do not have to expect to see clear (in everything) straight ahead. We do need time to reflect and to let the material come into our mind, having it come to grow, like a mustard seed.

Though those writings may be written long ago for people who lived ages ago, the words still are very useful and edifying for today. Whatever mood we are in those words can enlighten us and change our mood for the better. When we are willing to have those words come unto us they shall do.

Every time you open the Bible, believe that God has something for you. Believe it. At every moment, good and bad, up or down, in all seasons, the Bible will speak.  The Holy Spirit convicts you of all truth. Be ready for it to push against you, to disagree with you, to challenge what you always thought was true. The Word of God is a sword that will cut you to your soul, exposing all. {J.S. Parks Five Primers On How To Study The Bible}

The Bible is much more than just the message of Jesus. It is the message of God. Some might want you to believe that as an unbeliever you are nothing with the Bible. They say, like J.S.Park, that it is crazy to those without Jesus, and want us to believe that it only can be the saving truth to believers. but the Biblical message is a message of hope, peace and message of salvation for all.

We should know that all Scripture is breathed out of God, useful for everybody and for everything we do and who we are. No matter if you believe or to have faith, confidence, or trust in this or that or do not believe in this or that or trust what one has heard. Be sure not everything what so called believers belief is true. Many, not to say the majority in Christendom belief nonbilical things. The ones who try to keep to the Bible in Christianity are often fought against and shunned by so called ‘Christians‘. Therefore it is not bad to come to see what is really written in that book of books.

To come to a real good exploration of the Bible you should start with a fully open mind, undone from the traditional human doctrines and willing to read what is really written there on those uncovering pages.

Lots of people want to get as much gain as possible from everything what comes into their hands. They should know that we are not here to  hoard treasures down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. We are better to find more useful treasures by reading in the Bible.  From those words we can learn a lot and build up a stronger character. It shall also learn us how to stockpile treasures in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars.

Your eyes are windows into your body and you have to use them to see into yourself. The Bible is your looking glass and your best tool to get to know yourself and those around you. Perhaps you will not see it at first, but given time you will come to see. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! Pulling up the blinds are the shutters you will come step by step to more insight and closer to the truth. You also shall start feeling how higher forces will come to guide you.

This doesn’t mean you’ll “feel something” every time you read Scripture. But meditate on even a tiny scrap of a verse and let it sit. The Bible has the very words of God pouring out His heart for you. He is big, but by His Word, He is so close. Hear it as a friend speaking, as a leader leading. Be encouraged and convicted. {J.S. Parks Five Primers On How To Study The Bible}

Quadruple combination opened to the Book of Isaiah – note the cross references between Biblical and Latter-day Saint scripture in the footnotes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Those writings from the old times are still of use for us. It are the Words from God and from people God wanted us to hear their voices. Words from good and bad people are written down so that we can learn from what went right and what went wrong. They are words which we should embrace and believe. They do come from the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless as in our times. (Romans 4:23-24)  Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. (Romans 15:4)

In the knowledge that  every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another — showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way, it is a major manual to guide us through life in easy and in difficult times. Knowing also that some very difficult times soon may arrive, we are better to prepare ourselves for that great war which shall come over humankind. A forewarned is forearmed.

Therefore this Summer do not hesitate to take up the Bible and let yourself be carried away by its stories. Through the Word you may be put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for you. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard — God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to the apostles who took care like the other men of God that the messengers of God their words would be told to the next generations. We do well to keep focusing on those precious words. When you are feeling blue or are not happy, feeling tired, or when you feel pleased with what you have, come to see the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word. (2 Peter 1:19-21)

When reading it we should leave the human words, which tried us to belief certain things, for what they are, and go deeper in to study what is really written in the Bible.  We are convinced when you try to read the Bible, listening to the words like they are written there, it is not such a difficult book at all.

Good luck with it.

+

Preceding articles:

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

A Dutch version / Een Nederlandse versie: Zomertijd ideaal op met Bijbellezing aan te vangen

++

Additional reading:

1. Catholicism, Anabaptism and Crisis of Christianity
2. A question to be posed
3. A way to look for Christ, the Bible, Word of God
4. Youth has difficulty Bible Reading
5. Some one or something to fear #3 Cases, folks and outing
6. The Right One to follow and to worship
7. People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers
8. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
9. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
10. People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
11. Not able to make contact with God because to busy
12. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
13. Relapse plan
14. Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists
15. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
16. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
17. Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities
18. Creator and Blogger God 10 A Blog of a Book 4 Listening to the Blogger
19. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
20. Statutes given unto us
21. Written down in God’s Name for righteousness
22. Unread bestseller
23. Do Christians need to read the Old Testament
24. We should use the Bible every day
25. Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God
26. Daily portion of heavenly food
27. Feed Your Faith Daily
28. The importance of Reading the Scriptures
29. Bible, best Book of books to get to know the truth
30. Necessity of a revelation of creation 9 Searching the Scriptures
31. Necessity of a revelation of creation 10 Instructions for insight and wisdom
32. The Almighty Lord God of gods King above all gods
33. God who knows the heart
34. Jehovah God Almighty greater than all gods
35. Glory of only One God Who gives His Word
36. Necessary to be known all over the earth
37. Hearing words to accept
38. Writers needed to preach to non-believers
39. Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach
40. Appointed to be read
41. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
42. Absolute Basics to Reading the Bible
43. How to Choose a Bible for Preaching
44. The Third Word: Scripture twisting is blasphemy
45. Interpreting the Scriptures (Part 5)
46. The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told
47. Building up the spirit of the soul
48. Be an Encourager
49. God’s never-ending stream of much-needed mercies
50. Displeasure of יהוה , Jehovah the God of gods, and His wrath against all the gentiles their divisions
51. Believing in the send one and understanding that one does not live by bread alone
52. Salvation, trust and action in Jesus #3 as a Christian
53. The manager and Word of God
54. Accuracy, Word-for-Word Translation Preferred by most Bible Readers
55. The Metaphorical language of the Bible
56. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora

+++

Related articles

• What need of these things?
• Are you still hearing parables?
• Have you been shaken?
• Old language to confirm the promises
• The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told

The Need to Understand Genre

When we look at the Book of books, the Bible, as we said in the previous article, it is important to take the words and genres as they are written down and passed on from one generation unto the next.

The Gutenberg Bible displayed by the United States Library of Congress, demonstrating printed pages as a storage medium. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God is a God of order and did not give His Words in such a form that ordinary people would not be able to understand it. It is written so that every person can get wisdom out of it.
It is true it is not directly written for us in this time, but has to be looked at writings for those times when those people were living in total different conditions than we now.

God has communicated His message to special individuals over thousands of years. But he wrote first for them, in their time and in their culture. He preserved the message for us, but it was first written to another people in another time. {The Bible is simple… right?}

In the knowledge that they had a  different cultural background to us, we should look at those writings from that standpoint.

The original audience was an ancient one. They knew nothing of the science, technology, medicine, and other things that define our modern world. They knew little of democracy, and literacy was not widespread. It is only in the modern era, from perhaps the 18th century onwards, that literacy has been common. Even today literacy is not as widespread as it should be. Consider then that the original audience most commonly would have heard rather than read the text! {The Bible is simple… right?}

As such the text often was intended to be of a format that people could easily remember. For this reason stories instead of literal or scientific reviews of happenings were a good way. Most important for the Biblical writers was to bring over the message of God. To convey His message and to bring it in such a way people at that time could understand it. Therefore we also should look for the intentions of the writing and for what is being emphasised in the passages.

One of the most important aspects of the human side of the Bible is that, in order to communicate his word to all human conditions, God chose to use almost every available kind of communication: narrative history, genealogies, chronicles, laws of all kinds, poetry of all kinds, proverbs, prophetic oracles, riddles, drama, biographical sketches, parables, letters, sermons, and apocalypses.

To interpret properly the “then and there” of the biblical texts, one must not only know some general rules that apply to all the words of the Bible, but one also needs to learn the special rules that apply to each of these literary forms (genres). The way God communicates the divine word to us in the “here and now” will often differ from one form to another. For example, we need to know how a psalm, a form often addressed to God, functions as God’s word to us, and how certain psalms differ from others, and how all of them differ from “the laws,” which were often addressed to people in cultural situations no longer in existence. How do such “laws” speak to us, and how do they differ from the moral “laws,” which are always valid in all circumstances? Such are the questions the dual nature of the Bible forces on us.

Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Fourth Edition.; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 26–27.

+

Preceding articles:

Genre – Playing by the Rules

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do list

++

Additional reading:

1. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
2. The faithful God
3. Have you also been deceived
4. Increased in wisdom in favour with God
5. The very very beginning 2 The Word and words
6. Necessity of a revelation of creation 2 Organisation of a system of things
7. Necessity of a revelation of creation 3 Getting understanding by Word of God 1
8. Creator and Blogger God 11 Old and New Blog 1 Aimed at one man
9. The Metaphorical language of the Bible
10. Background to look at things

+++

Related articles

• Thoughts on Religion and Violence
• World’s tiniest bible to be presented at Israel Museum for 50th anniversary
• The Genre of the Gospels
• Living on the Edge
• How to Choose a Bible for Preaching
• Bible Translating and Concordance Making
• How do you start your day?
• Christians fail there where Muslims succeed

Genre – Playing by the Rules

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

Taking up the Bible, a Book of books, we should always remember that it were men chosen by God to write down His Words to help find people the way to live and to give them a stronghold.

Important by looking at those books and letting those words coming unto us, we should always remember what their purpose was and is, plus in which style they were written, always understanding the genre it was meant to be.

Also what we should care for is not to be carried away by human teachings or human doctrines. They often make it more difficult to come to a correct insight and easy understanding. Most people are afraid to put away those false teachings and human traditions, which becomes a hindrance to come to a good insight. Though God always has protected His Words and no matter whatever translation a person is using he or she can come to insight when he or she is willing to open his or her heart to God His Words. that is the primordial act to do, letting God speak to you.

We also may never forget that we are created in the image of God and have an inner voice leading us through life.

Enjoy the reading of several Bible books this Summer and let them bring light in your life.

+

Preceding:

Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities

Inner voice inside the soul of man

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do list

++

Additional reading:

1. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
2. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
3. Are you looking for answers and Are you looking for God
4. Counterfeit Gospels
5. Necessary to be known all over the earth
6. God-breathed prophetic words written torah and the mitzvot to teach us
7. Necessity of a revelation of creation 11 Believing and obeying the gospel of the Kingdom of God
8. Background to look at things
9. Minimizing the power of God’s Force the Holy Spirit
10. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
11. Inner voice inside the soul of man
12. Illuminating our minds and watching out
13. Cleanliness and worrying or not about purity
14. Reminding myself!!
15. Our Inner Voice
16. Inner Voice

+++

Related articles

• Water, Please
• 1 Kings 19:11-13 (Be Still)
• A Father’s Reflections | Answers in Genesis
• A Catholic reads the Bible, Week 12
• Think It Can’t Or Won’t Happen Here?
• Creation: A Merciful Conspiracy
• Are we a prudish lot? F word
• Welcome to Mark’s Gospel

Biblical Cogitations

Genres in the Bible (adapted from “How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth” by Fee and Stuart).

The Bible is more of a library than a book! It contains literature of all different genres and types. Just as you wouldn’t read a novel the same way that you read your new employment contract, we can’t read every passage of scripture the same way. We need to pay attention to the genre of the passage we’re looking at and make sure we appreciate the tools that particular genre uses to communicate. One writer uses the analogy of a board game:

… there are different “game” rules involved in the interpretation of the different kinds of biblical literature. The author has played his “game,” has sought to convey his meaning, under the rules covering the particular literary form he used. Unless we know those rules, we will almost certainly misinterpret his meaning…

View original post 108 more words

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

At last the sun has shown her face and people can really get a feeling of Summertime.

Summertime also includes the time to have pleasures to do whatever one chooses, and finding the pleasure one enjoys from his or her actions.
It is a time when lots who have have faith in themselves take time to be on their own at the swimming pool or some relaxing place. Under Christians we also can find those who have been told by well-meaning but errant advisers, “God helps those who help themselves.”
They spend their lives dependent upon their own abilities, or wisdom, or knowledge expecting that God will stand by as a faithful servant to bless all of their endeavours whether it be His will or not. Others may look at others, thinking they can be the way to success. They prefer to put their faith in others. We may wonder why they do not trust themselves not more. Did they get blinded by the fact that certain individuals possesses great knowledge, or apparent wisdom, power, or even anointing? In our society we can find many who look up at others, like they are gods and lift them up more highly than they ought and bestow their faith in a human being.{1}

Too many people put all their faith in the world, instead in the Creator of the world. Summertime is often a time to reflect. It is the time to take a rest and to forget all the worries of daily stress and work.

In the Summertime (Thirsty Merc song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People can put their daily worries about work and getting some income aside. It is time for relaxation and meditation. Not bad to take time to reflect on different matters. It is also some time to consider what is worthwhile in life and which direction to take further.

Summertime is also an ideal time where people have time to do some reading and to take time to go and see things. Many go abroad and look far a way from home for better pastures.

Like Caroline Kepnes there may be people thinking

“There is no better boost in the present than an invitation into the future.”

In this present time lots of people totally lost connection with the Maker of the universe. But why not making use of the free time now to go and read His own Words, which are recorded for mankind so that they can progress and learn the way to go. In the book of books is the way shown to come closer to the Maker of everything and to find eternal happiness.

When taking time to read the Bible you will be surprised how it can open your eyes and give a clear picture of this present world and how you can have a better life than this world is trying to present you.

There is also the calling sound

And the “invitation into the future” goes out right now. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20) {2}

Jesus saves net writes:

Let us not question God our creator, but let us embrace His salvation plan given to us through His Son Jesus, many say, you have a mind of your own and you should decide for yourself. {3}

Lots of people have decided to go for the world’s temptations and to enjoy whatever they can get today. They are not so much interested in the future and prefer to live the day like it comes. They do not see the folly of man which is greater than man’s wisdom.

Now we can find time to meditate on the way the world is evolving and the way we want to go in this world. We should consider taking time to investigate the matters of life and the way we want to go. Do we want to cling to the materialistic world or rather cling to Him Who gives life and surrender to His will than rely on our limited perception of life. {3}

Summertime is an ideal time to reflect if we in our lives, our works or even our conversation, could shine and bring blissful rays over unto others. It is a good period to question ourselves and to check if we managed to bring honour to God throughout the previous year. It is time to reflect if we have not failed to do the Will of God. {4}

When we do what God desires, we will naturally Glorify Our Lord and Our Friend, which will bring honor to The Father. {4}

To be able to do what God desires from us, we should get to know what He really wants. We should take time to find that out. Now in Summer, when we do not have to go to work, we can use the free time to take some moments to read in the Bible. The extra free time should not only give us opportunity to see other places, travelling to widen our horizon, but also to educate ourselves.

Going other places, meeting different people, we should make use of the free time to enlarge our knowledge about others and about God. It is also time to show others the right attitude of a Christian and to let them feel and see that we are Children of God.

Let everything we do brings honor to His Name. {4}

Looking at all the marvellous things we can encounter on our voyage or on our Summer-holiday we can see the Hand of God in all of this. then we also should take some time to thank Him for all this, we can enjoy.

In the place of difficulty, one is thrown off balance and then people find they need help and often than they call unto God, but when at pleasure time and when everything seems to go smoothly, many forget The High One. Also now when at ease it is a good time to take time for our Creator and to turn to God in humility and need.

The walk of faith is not a journey of those who have it all together. (One might suggest that too often, we have acted otherwise.) {5}

One act of faith is doing works of faith, because without works faith is death. To keep the faith alive we also have to nourish it. Now you can sit back and relax, please to take time to pick up the Bible and to read in it daily. Even if it was only for reading one chapter a day and to meditate on it, you shall find it shall give you spiritual food, which shall make you wiser and stronger.

*
Notes + elements discussed in other writings:

{1} The Faith Life (Part 4: Faith’s Direction and Location)

{2} An Invitation into the Future

{3} God is in control

{4} Reflective Moment “Glory To Our King’

{5} Column: Giving words to our prayers

+

Preceding:

Summermonths and consumerism

Psst! Spread The Good Word!

++
Additional readings:

1. Relapse plan
2. Making time for prayer in Summerholiday
3. Holiday tolerance
4. A tongue to speak slowly and well-considered
5. Humility and the Fear of the Lord
6. Wisdom lies deep
7. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
8. Not able to make contact with God because to busy
9. A question to be posed
10. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
11. Actions to be a reflection of openness of heart
12. Growth in character
13. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
14. How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace
15. Appointed to be read
16. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
17. Glory of only One God Who gives His Word
18. Bible, helmet of health, salvation and sword of the spirit
19. We should use the Bible every day
20. Feed Your Faith Daily
21. A Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn’t
22. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
23. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
24. The manager and Word of God
25. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora
26. Even in tough times remembering the blessings
27. Get up in the morning and pray for the Lord’s blessings
28. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
29. Happy who’s delight is only in the law of Jehovah
30. Youth has difficulty Bible Reading
31. Be an Encourager
32. An ecclesia in your neighbourhood

+++

Related articles

• Raising A Godly Child – Things Parents Can Do (empowermentmomentsblog.com)
• The Origin and Purpose of the Bible (dailybibleplan.com)
• Fear what is it good for? (activeinspiration.wordpress.com)
• Tuesday’s Sound Off (pottsmerc.com)
• The Faith Life (Part 4: Faith’s Direction and Location) (theeyesoffaith.wordpress.com)
• Things we say as Christians. And why it’s imperative that we stop. (chrismartinwrites.com)
• God’s Touch (franciscanflowers.wordpress.com)

God plays hide-n-seek?

Supermarkets full of tempting things, which never can sooth our minds to satisfy us fully.

So many people in the world looking for luck, food feeling, trying all sorts of techniques , spending lots of money for wellness and fitness clubs. They all seem to forget that the key to spiritual health and happiness lies in their own heart.
Created in the image of the Creator most lost the connection with their Maker. In case they could find this connection it would be so much easier for them to live in this world.

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in various languages and versions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Luckily the little stones left in the world to find the ground-stone or foundation is close to find in the Book of books. Those ancient scrolls are now able to find in nearly all countries in many translations so that every one is able to find a translation in a language he or she can understand.

The only thing the searching person further needs is the opening of the eyes and willingness to see, making time to read and to think about the Words of God written down in the Holy Scriptures.

Those who found the light should now give the little flame over to others so that they too can find that Great Light. and more people shall be able to find the God of gods, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah.

For sure, do know god is not hiding Himself, He is there for everybody to find Him, and has provided enough means to find Him.

+
Preceding articles:

Look with your eyes. See with your heart!

On the Edge of Believing

To be continued with (coming soon):

Bible, god’s Word to edify

Written down in God’s Name

God’s sayings notated

+++

Related articles

• Solution for Willing hearts filled with gifts
• Pleasing God
• Prayer for Today
• Another word not to use carelessly
• Greater Works
• Do you search the scriptures?
• Must It Be Either Religion Or Equality?
• The Sacred/Secular Divide

Seedlings for the Spirit

Seedling:  You created me in order to find You… ~St. Augustine

Why do children play hide and seek, if not for the sheer joy of finding and being found.

God has provided this world – a world that incessantly declares Him and perpetually reveals Him. Why? Because He wants the sheer joy of being found by you.

Obviously, we can’t find Him if we don’t slow down enough to notice or listen. But there are others factors. Perhaps He does not allow you to see Him because He wants you to learn to listen. Perhaps He does not allow you to hear Him because He wants you to learn to see. Or maybe He is developing your ability to reason or your capacity to perceive.

If He is hidden, it is only like the Purloined Letter of Sherlock Holmes – that is, hidden in plain sight. Be patient and persevering…

View original post 10 more words

Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities

Today we can find lots of people who are not at all interested in The God sole Creator of Heaven and Earth or in gods, though often they create themselves many gods and worship lots of idols, mainly from the little screen which has become a huge screen in these days (some have measures like the cinema screen of our childhood).

Driver in a Mitsubishi Galant using a hand held mobile phone violating New York State law. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A 32 year old single girl who lives alone with three cats, in the process of trying online dating pagan, and likes to think about ‘big’ questions occasionally, currently trying to learn to read the tarot, writes:

Everywhere you turn within Pagan circles these days it seems like you are surrounded by people who have a direct connection to their Gods. They seem to be in possession of their very own ‘Godphone’ (to steal a term I have seen floating about) and are God-bothered on a seemingly constant basis. {G is for Gods}

She is not talking about that strong ‘godly communication‘ we talked about in our previous article. Though the mobile phone may be the new god of many, and lots of them do hope to find with that electronic tool with many gadgets or applications to find the real god app of their life.

Lots of the youngsters put all their aspirations in that mobile phone or their i-pad and are willing to cue all night just to have the latest i-phone or Apple McIntosh gadget. Several i.t.-meetings have taken the place of the old Eucharist celebrations and today we do find high-masses especially for electronic wizards.

After some time many get the feeling they are standing in a becoming colder breeze or getting a ice cold shower, putting them in the Hitchcock thriller were the blood runs in the gutter, taking all their so called (Facebook) friends with it. They do not start wondering if their godphone collection has gone wrong but think they must be at fault.
For sure they must be doing something wrong. The Gods must be ignoring them for a reason,

or you are just not open enough, or maybe you’re on the wrong path.  This is obviously the experience of ‘real’ pagans, so maybe you just aren’t pagan enough. {G is for Gods}

Perhaps there lies the fact: “being not pagan enough”. So this could perhaps give some hope for the many people who felt disillusioned after their internet experience. Perhaps this will give them enough reason to look for other and better values than those that internet can offer them.

The pagan lady writes she is not in possession of a Godphone,

I am not God-bothered, and I can’t think of a single time when I engaged in an actual two-way conversation with my deities. Sure I get a feeling about things sometimes, I know they appreciate the incense I offer her for example, but it exactly that… a feeling. This doesn’t mean I am not pagan enough and it is actually a perfectly normal experience for a large number of Pagans.

Those pagans we would offer a better solution. If their gods are not such listening gods and not so much answering gods, why would they not try to come to find the real Supreme God of gods? Why going second hand when each of us has the opportunity to go first hand 5-star quality?

Many of those not satisfied with what their mobile can bring, are looking for something more sacred or divine. Divination is something they are interested in.

I have spent some time looking at different types and trying to find one that works for me. I’ve tried runes, the pendulum, crystal gazing and even tea leaf reading but I am always drawn back to the Tarot. I am beginning to think it must be for the artwork, as I seem to have little to no skill in reading them! {D is for Divination}

Often we notice people are going to look for it so far away, when it is easy to grab for in front of their nose.

I have had all sorts of advice about reading cards, not just Tarot but oracle as well, but they tend to come back to either ‘learn by rote’ or ‘trust your intuition’. Having tried both, and continuing to flip between the two, I can see that I have problems with both. {D is for Divination}

Japanese mobile phone keyboard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We would say, it is not in those cards you shall find the right answers. You may find and see lots of symbols in it and find word-games made up by human beings, but when taking up a Book of books, written down in very old times, they would be surprised what it all has to tell, also about things happening today. In that Book of books, short “the Bible” they and we can find the answer on many of our daily questions. With that best-seller we get the best guide and best manual for life we ever can get.

When looking at it and giving it more of your time, you shall come to notice that it has not to be a one way road to seeing letters forming words, words forming phrases and phrases forming ideas. By reading all that old stuff we shall get ideas for our life and find out that it is not only our reading effort but also our taking down information out of the book that shall bring us to a two way system of communication.

When we are prepared to listen we shall find answers and we shall get replies.

Paganists looking at their own pagan books may find that when they have tried reading from intuition they went blank. The 32 year old lady writes:

I don’t trust myself enough to just open up and ‘say what I see’ as it were. I am so worried about getting it wrong that I just can’t allow myself to go with it.

Communication Centre, Kimbolton – geograph.org.uk – 1572042 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, that opening up is something which is necessary for everything, to see the good but also to see the bad. We are all created in the image of God and as such we also have the inner feeling of good and wrong. Since the fall of man, having eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil mankind, like the animals have their instinct, but they also received something more which is that inner feeling which gets deep down to them. Lots of people resist that inner feeling and that inner Voice. But as soon as a person wants to open him- or herself to that inner Voice he or she shall be able to come to hear the Voice of God. The Voice of the real God of gods, Who is a much better option than to go for all those other gods.

Go straight ahead to the Only True God of gods, the Most High Elohim, Hashem Jehovah!

+

 

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

++

Articles of interest:

1. Do you believe in One god
2. God of gods
3. Attributes to God
4. God is one
5. Does there have to be a Holy Trinity Mystery
6. The Trinity – the truth
7. Bible Word of God, inspired and infallible
8. Incomplete without the mind of God
9. God is positive
10. Let us not forget it was God who chose us
11. God Helper and Deliverer
12. Jehovah my strenght
13. Life with God (video)
14. Faith because of the questions

+++

Related articles

• Creative Self-Disruption
• Is Your Child Ever Too Young to Own a Mobile Phone
• Apple granted patent for facial recognition feature that unlocks smartphones
• The VAR Guy | ShoreTel Adds Mobility Features to Cloud-Based UC Offering
• Crisis Communication Done Well: Staying Cool When Things Heat Up
• Communities Forced to Accept Refugees With Little Say
• Thugs kills community leader in Benin
• Modeling Mediums Of Communication
• The Top 6 Communication Skills That Will Get You Promoted
• The Qumran Report – Skid Row and the Homeless Community

The I Am to explore

When looking at the world man and animal can be seen moving around, sometimes men going about more than wild beasts.

In that universe where everybody in his worldly life is so busy with working and with earning money to be able to buy as many gadgets as they would like and to make their material dreams realised, lots of people consider those who have faith in a Supreme Being to be loosers or people who live in fantasy worlds. Lots of them do believe that when in faith you just have to accept everything blindly. For them and many faith is a mystery, where you need to ask any questions.

It is true that we mortals can not understand everything. We could even say that we should not even try to understand everything. Question is if you may look at faith on a rational way. Can you believe in a Higher Being Which or Who created everything. And do you have to approach all the saying about It/Him rationally?

Portrait of René Descartes, dubbed the “Father of Modern Philosophy”, after Frans Hals c. 1648 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The last few years focus has been on the rationale. René Descartes with many followers could say “I think, therefore, I am”, and we can only agree because when you are not in existence you can not “be“. When born and not able to think the being of that person is also like as if without life and can not do anything. To be able to do something a creature (animal or man) has to think or to use its/his/her brains. Without the use of the brain, without letting the ‘electricity’ go through the nerves, creature shall not be able to do much. It has to receive something, analyse it, act and react to it. But before it can go into action and reaction it has to have knowledge of the self. It has to have a working ‘I am‘ and has to feel as an ‘I am‘.

Though man faces some problems.
First there is the “I am”, the “Self” which it has to come to face and has to try to understand.
Secondly it has to come to see that the “I am” is only part of a bigger part of “I Am”. When it comes to know that it can go searching for that Bigger “I Am” and hopefully shall come to recognise the “I Am Who Is” without nothing can exist.
Thirdly each little “I am” has to recognise that manifesting the “I am” demands interaction, but that such interaction is never ending. One word only points to another word and never to reality itself. Having brains thinking, receiving interpretations and having to make interpretations itself, it shall have to come to the conclusion that no one interpretation can ever be regarded as final.

As in interpretation, so in life: everything becomes undecidable.

Now there is a difference between all who want to understand and try to approach the many “I ams” in this world. Into this decidedly undecided world, there are people who have opened their eyes and have come to see what is behind the ordinary “I am”. They have found The Bigger “I Am.” They might have found it by listening to their inner voice or by coming to read, see and hear the Word of God. For them the curtains have gone open and the biblical message as reasonable thinking person has come to them with common sense. They have come to see and understand that Faith and logic are not really opposites.

Genesis 1 tells us that man was created in God’s image (Genesis 1: 26-27).

“26  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27 NAS)

Diagram from one of René Descartes’ works. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Being created in the image of God, means also each person we see around us has something which might be found also in God. Each person we do encounter can carry something from God with him or her and can share it with others. The person who has come into the faith, believing there is a Creator Deity, and who has seen the Works of that God (Source of knowledge) shall also come to the understanding of the importance of sharing the knowledge of that “I am” with others. For the one with faith it is like being with child, incredible exiting and giving lots of energy. It is as an extra breath given to you.

In the past many man of all sorts of professions have already felt the special awareness and consequences for them of having faith in the Elohim, Divine Creator of heaven and earth. The “I Am Who Is” or the “I Am that I am” is the Most Almighty God of gods, Who overshadows any other god or “I am”. He is also One God Who demands recognition for His important Pole Position. He does not like to see that His creatures do love other gods more than Him. Believers, man of faith, should recognise that and take it into account, worshipping only that One and Only One True God.

To help us to understand that Bigger “I Am” and our own “I am” This Eternal Being has given His Words and let it hem be notated by the many faithful men. All those writings about the “I Am” are bundled in the Book of books, the Bible, the infallible Word of God.

In the several books of the Bible we can find a.o. the Book of Psalms in which we can find the answers:

1. God gave us the Psalms and other Books of the Bible
2. as a prayer book for our lives.
3. to show the friends of God.
4. to learn through poetry and song.
5. to experience the transcendence and the imminence of God at once
6. to affirm the mystery of life
7. to educate and to exhort ourselves
8. to show us our sins
9. to remind us of the brevity of life
10. to remind us of the necessity to live the right way
11. to show us the way to a better and easier life
12. to express our heartfelt longings
13. to discover God His Character
14. to discover God His Will for our lives
15. to learn to direct ourselves to the utmost important things in life
16. to learn how to behave
17. to learn to pray aright
18. to reveal His sovereign grace to us
19. to show us the Way to Salvation
20. to show us and give comfort in finding the Way to the Kingdom of God

Created in the image of God, the image of the Big “I Am” this is not just an outward likeness, for God is Spirit, and is only for our understanding presented in a description which is derived from that of a human. Upon further reading in the Book of books, the Bible, we can see that God’s Word reveals that humans, unlike animals, are provided with rational. Man can think and reason logically, but above all he is able to know God; and the latter goes. An animal has no sense of higher values, let alone God, a man does. But that is also exactly what sets him apart. A man who does not have these capabilities, or does not use them, is indeed no more than an animal:

“Man in [his] pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalms 49:20 NAS)

In fact, it is precisely this ability to abstract reasoning that,

according to the apostle Paul, makes the infidel shall not go unpunished because when he looks around himself he should be able to see the many things God provided. It might be true that the invisible things of God can not be seen, but even his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived since the creation of the world are working with the mind, so that they are without excuse.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20 NAS)

+

Preceding articles:

There can only be hope when there is a will to be and say “I am”Find Inspiration and Follow Your Dreams

Believe in your greatness

Believe in yourself!

Be Kinder to Yourself

Be realistic, do not pretend

The world starts with yourself

Little i

++

Additional readings:

1. What is life?
2. Looking at three “I am” s
3. Creator and Blogger God 2 Image and likeness
4. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
5. Philosophy hand in hand with spirituality
6. Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite
7. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
8. Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life
9. Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people
10. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
11. Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists
12. Improving the world by improving the Faith
13. Are you religious, spiritual, or do you belong to a religion, having a faith or interfaith
14. Faith because of the questions
15. A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
16. Fear of failure, and fear of the unknown
17. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
18. Leaving behind the lives we have touched.
19. Only the contrite self, sick of its pretensions, can find salvation
20. God won’t ask
21. Pieces
22. There is no true and constant gentleness without humility
23. For those who make other choices
24. Do you believe in One god?
25. Revelation 1:8 – Who is Speaking?
26. Use of /Gebruik van Jehovah or/of Yahweh in Bible Translations/Bijbel vertalingen
27. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
28. Only worhsip Creator of all things
29. A great man does not lose his self-possession when he is afflicted

    +++

Related articles

• Love: Reuniting the objective and subjective… (thosecatholicmen.com)
  The modern world has fallen into a dualism of body and soul in many ways. Descartes, a founding father of modern philosophy described the soul as a “ghost in a machine.” It is only too easy to focus on the body in an animalistic fashion, focused on pleasure and gratification. The opposite extreme is to fall into emotionalism or even a spiritualism that sees no compelling connection to the body.
• Descartes and the Begining of Modern Philosophy (joshpcb.wordpress.com)

  n the 17^th and 18^th century Western philosophy was in strife – split between British empiricism (figures such as Locke and Bacon) and continental rationalism (such proponents as Leibniz and Spinoza), both camps disagreed with one another on the topic of epistemology and metaphysics.

  Important to add to the context is that in this time, scholasticism was the most prestigious method of education; it entailed Aristotelian values with a significant religion input. Scholasticism used logical methodology to deduce and then resolve contradictions. It was also qualitative, looking at objects and people and how they worked behaved, i.e., their qualities, and it was this manner in which Descartes was educated

• Last lecture of the semester: Foucault and Derrida on Madness (foucaultnews.com)
  We need a history of that other trick that madness plays—that other trick through which men, in the gesture of sovereign reason that locks up their neighbor, communicate and recognize each other in the merciless language of non-madness; we need to identify this moment of that expulsion before it was definitely established in the reign of truth, before it was brought back to life by the lyricism of protestation. To try to recapture, in history, this degree zero of the history of madness, when it was undifferentiated experience, the still undivided experience of the division [of madness and reason] itself. To describe…[what] allows Reason and Madness to fall away, like things henceforth foreign to each other, deaf to any exchange, almost dead to each other. (my emphases)

What Are You Seeking?

At the beginning of the new academic year we also can think about what people would like to have on their bucket list and priority list for the new year.

Like at the beginning of the New Western Calendar Year those living in industrialised and economic democracies can compete with the North Americans having their eyes fixed on material matters and on the self.

When we look at the list of the top ten New Year’s Resolutions for 2014 it says all about the mind which has gone a long way off track from creation and its Creator.

Like the medical world prefers to treat the visible sings but not the cause of the illness. A lot of people are not at all interested to work on their (bad) habits. They like enjoying themselves at no price. They also want to be first in the picture and would like to boost their popularity as much as they can. Social media are there for them to help to reach their goal.
But are they really aiming at the right goal? We do not think so.
They also are not interested to find the way to that small door or ancient gate, written about in very old books.
They do not appreciate the value of those very old books. They better would spend some more attention to them.

From old times they where there to help, guide and support those who wanted to pick up that Book of books, called the Bible. It has helped millions of people by now. It still can help you and those around you to bring inner-peace. A peace which shall last for ever.

It may take years to come to that inner-peace and it is also very difficult for people to put aside the doctrinal churches of so many denominations. But when you shall find the truth in the Word of God, taking the words for what they say and not thinking ‘God‘ when there is written ‘Jesus‘, but than taking it to be Jesus, the son of God, than you will find inner peace so much quicker.

Good luck with your Bible reading and studying the Word of God.

God bless.

+

Find also:

1. Allowed to heal
2. Relapse plan
3. Denis Wright looking at the world of human beings
4. Mourners Celebrate Life Of Inspirational Cancer Teen
5. Searching for fulfillment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression
6. See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory
7. Feed Your Faith Daily
8. Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still
9. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
10. Obtain favour from Yahweh
11. Bible, Word of God, inspired and infallible

+++

Related articles

• True Peace (ellen5e.com)
  Those that don’t really know Jesus do not really know peace. Their souls deep down know that they are at enmity with God. Something is not right. They search and cannot find it. They try the world’s way of selfish ambition and self-rule. The Bible refers to this as the man who built his house on shifting sand. There is no solid foundation, because when the current scheme, relationships, pursuits fail (and they will) they simply try something else and start the cycle all over again.
  Our rock-solid, devoted & loving relationships with God and other people is in very strong contrast to their hate for our proclaiming the truth of God’s word.
• Activators of grace and peace (dailymedit.wordpress.com)
  Grace and peace are like twins. Grace fuels you forward, peace makes you grounded. The bible says: it is good that the heart be established with grace not with food which has not benefitted those who are given to it. So Paul was saying in the focus verse that it is better to “eat” grace than to eat food for energy. It is more sustaining.When God wants to send help it comes in the shape of grace. The help which Jesus is the embodiment of, which was sent to the earth was said to be full of grace. Jesus is a grace-package (John 1:14). And when Paul wanted to write about Jesus he identified him with his grace, saying the grace of the lord Jesus be with you (2Corinthians 13:14).
• Religious mentality (thelivingmessage.com)
  There are so many different religions in the world today and just as many if not more denominations of Christian belief too. Why are we so split up into different doctrines and belief systems? Mainly, because of Satan himself. I know, there are many, many people who don’t believe in him and those who say that he doesn’t exist at all. He enjoys taunting them and playing with their minds, especially when they don’t think that it is a real entity which is doing these things.
• 10 Things Your Childhood Pastor Didn’t Tell You (But Should Have) (patheos.com)
  There are around 40,000 different Christian denominations all with their own particular nuances and ways of expressing the Christian message. I fear too many of us grow up thinking that our group is the one group who “gets it”, but with 40,000 different expressions of Christianity out there, chances are slim that you grew up in the one faith tradition who had it all correct. Each expression of Christianity has inherent strengths and weaknesses, all of which should be considered on the individual merits.
• Triangulations : The Deadly Yahweh Dilemma (triangulations.wordpress.com)
  Here is my list of theological dilemmas (“doctrines”) that divide up Christianity into its many, colorful and flavorful varieties.  To this list I am adding another theological question by which to understand Christians:
  The Deadly Yahweh DilemmaIt is obvious to any Bible reader that in the Jewish scriptures Yahweh displays far more deadly attributes than Yahweh does in the Christian scriptures. Exceptions exist of course: with kind, wonderful images of Yahweh in the OT and a horrible Yahweh seen in the NT (see the Book of Revelation). But overall, the differences is clear — the Deadly Yahweh Dilemma has existed since the beginning of Christianity and Christians have devised several different clever solutions.

Unshakable Hope

I follow a Bible reading plan every year, and the plan I’m following this year begins with John’s Gospel. I’ve always thought it was much more than a coincidence that the first words spoken by Jesus (in John’s Gospel) come in the form of a very profound question; it’s a question that everyone should know the answer to:

“What are you seeking? (John 1:38)

When I read that question on January 1^st, I paused to think about what I should be seeking this year. I believe that our New Year’s Resolutions, or lack of, tell a lot about what we’re seeking. The following is a list of the top ten New Year’s Resolutions for 2014. Other than showing that we smoke too much, spend too much, sit too much and eat too much, what does this list tell us about the American people?

1. Lose weight.
2. Improve finances.
3. Exercise…

View original post 429 more words

Not following the tradition of man

Looking for having success we can follow different paths. To come to the most positive way to get somewhere we best look into the very Old book of books, the bible where we can find a lot of advice, better than that of man of today.

The first of the Epistles to the Colossians (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 KJ21)

The apostle Paul tells the Colossians,

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition …” (Letter to the Colossians 2:8);

telling them that

“they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23).

What is of value?

It is by

“holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God” (Colossians 2:19).

And how does this happen?

By reading the word of God; it provides essential spiritual nourishment that we need every day. But it is not so much a case of trying to stop ourselves doing things that our human nature inclines us toward thinking and doing, but rather trying to occupy our thoughts to a greater degree with spiritual things. The result will be that we will be less and less inclined to indulge in fleshly thoughts and activities, but will grow “with a growth that is from God” as we appreciate his word to an ever greater degree.

Reading the Word of God we can come to get to know the Works of God, His Plan, how He has chosen Himself a people and how we too can become partakers of the promise God made in the Garden of Eden. There a positive message was given to those who had broken the relationship with God. The Creator saw the faults of the 1° Adam and took care that there would come a 2° Adam to save all people. But it would be up to the people themselves to accept or to ignore the Good News of the Saviour.

The promised one was the son of God, the Nazarene Jeshua (Jesus Christ). Under his blessing a person can come “in the light of Christ” and can get a positive mind. To come to more knowledge and mature in faith and spirit the person has to open his mind  in such a way that Christ can come in him or her. The one who got to know Christ wants to build a relationship with him and with his followers.

Central to our relationship with God is “Christ in you” (Colossians 1:27). “Him we proclaim”, writes Paul, “that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).

How is your maturity developing? Absorbing the true sense of the divine word is a foundation for this. May we all increase day by day in the “knowledge of God” and become “mature in Christ” so his way of thinking becomes more and more our way of thinking.

Such a right way of thinking shall also create a right way of living and having us taking on the right attitude for living and for having good relationships with others and to become successful in our life. We also can see that like at the beginning of the world the 1° Adam rejected the right of God to be the Master in the world, we do find lots of people who take such an adversary attitude against the Creator as well. They mostly bring lots of negative elements against those who believe in the Creator. They also shall try to do everything to get those believers a negative feeling.

From Scriptures we learn that we should not envy others, but we also come to see how the world develops and which position human beings are going to take in it and how we are set to chose. We also have to make up our choice to whom we want to belong.

Note in the dramatic account of Paul’s experience of shipwreck on the way to Rome in Acts 27 that Paul says

“the God I worship”

and then significantly adds,

“to whom I belong.”

Do we view our God in that way?

Those who are baptised commit their lives into the service of God and of Jesus Christ His son. In the same way, the people of Israel under Moses entered into a covenant with God. Moses told them,

“For thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God: Jehovah thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 7:6 ASV)

Sadly, most of the people in the generations that followed failed to have the sense of belonging to God possessed by those entering the promised land. If we make no commitment to belong to God, then we belong to the world – a world which is facing an awesome shipwreck!

Isaiah has a vision of our days; it describes a time when the kingdoms of men come to an end and “the lofty pride of man shall be humbled” (Isaiah 2:11). It is a message against “every high tower” (Isaiah 2:15) and never have buildings been built higher than today. Later Isaiah sees in vision:

We should be conscious that there shall come a day thta we shall not have to face the day of man but the day of the Adonai, divine Creator Who shall bind up the wounds of His people and shall heal the bruise caused by the blow they received from other man. at that day those who did not want to know of the Name of the Most High shall have to hear that Holy Name of the Adonai, the Most High Lord the elohim Hashem Jehovah. At that day those who did not want to know of Him shall hear and see from afar, his anger burning, in thick rising smoke. they than should know it is too late to avoid His lips full to the brim with fury, His tongue a consuming fire. His breath shall race over them like a tornado or like a racing torrent that rises up to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and put a bridle in the peoples’ mouths to lead them astray. Shall you be ready and shall your song be like one that is sung on a night when a holy feast is kept, and will your heart be happy, as if walking to the sound of the flute, to the mountain of Jehovah, the Adonai, to the rock of Isra’el?

“24 the oxen likewise and the young asses that till the ground shall eat savory provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork. 25 And there shall be upon every lofty mountain, and upon every high hill, brooks [and] streams of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that Jehovah bindeth up the hurt of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27  Behold, the name of Jehovah cometh from far, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is as a devouring fire; 28 and his breath is as an overflowing stream, that reacheth even unto the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction: and a bridle that causeth to err [shall be] in the jaws of the peoples. 29 Ye shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come unto the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel.” (Isaiah 30:24-29 ASV)

Those who do not know God’s word will indeed be terrified. But those who know God’s word, although their faith will be tested – as “man is humbled and each one is brought low” (Isaiah 2:9) – they will then rejoice in the total wonder of those days. Will you be there? You make the answer now!

Therefore it is important that you make the right choice and take the positive route. Not getting afraid of man around you, making you shy and withdrawn, or getting you down even to become depressed, but standing strong not getting intimidated by man, but believing and trusting in the Hand which is much more Powerful than any human person, remembering:

“The lofty looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:11 ASV)

+

Additional reading:

1. What is life?
2. Greatest single cause of atheism
3. Do not be afraid. Good news because a Saviour has been born
4. Fear not tomorrow. God is already there
5. When discouraged facing opposition
6. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
7. Relationship with God (articles)
8. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
9. God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace
10. True riches
11. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
12. Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) by Chris Tomlin (video)
13. 8 fears caused by the fear of Man
14. Fearing the right person
15. Anxiety is the gap between the now and the later
16. God become master of our passions
17. Power in the life of certain
18. Being sure of their deliverance

+++

Related articles

• Colossians 2 (zachscripturestudy.com)
  Paul warns the Colossians in Colosse about men who will come to them and attempt to confuse them with ‘doctrine of men’
• Colossians Chapter 2 (pofw.wordpress.com)
  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
• Does Paul Condemn Philosophy? (pastorbrianchilton.wordpress.com)
  Some Christians have criticized the use of philosophy due to Paul’s statement against philosophy in Colossians 2:8. Yet, Christianity teaches is knowledgeable, is based on truth, defines the nature and meaning of life, holds great logic, teaches aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. Paul himself gives lessons in most of the previously mentioned systems. So, does Paul refute himself? Or is there a problem with the way many interpret Colossians 2:8? So, the question must be asked: does Paul really criticize the use of philosophy? In this article, Paul’s statement in Colossians 2:8 will be exegetically examined and in its proper context and the article will answer whether Paul really condemns philosophy after all.
  +
  Paul uses a form of philosophical apologetics to demonstrate that empty arguments and bad philosophy does not represent the truth. If one places his or her faith in any system that leads one away from the truth, that person will slowly erode into a system of erroneous trust and hedonistic living. That is not to say that one may not have elements of truth, but holding elements of truth does not necessitate that one holds full truth. A little bit of error can lead down a pathway of huge problems.
• Practise it! (genesisone.wordpress.com)
  We are called and expected to live accordingly, empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Life. He looks to guide us closer to God, into the meaning and freedom of our true relationship with Him and upwards to our God-given potential and purpose.
• Colossians 2:8-10 How easy can we be deceived? (ashesofdiversity.wordpress.com)
  If we call ourselves Christians, are we not followers of Christ, and what does that mean? Do we spend time knowing God’s word so we can discern what is a deceit or what is truth?
  +
  How about using fear as a reason to not do things right. How about following your heart? Keeping yourself so busy you do not have time to study. How about liking certain philosophies even if they are secular, but we spend a lot of time trying to make it work with Christianity because it is more modern.
• Colossians 2:2-15 (olgatodd.wordpress.com) > Colossians 2:2-15
  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
  +

  When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

• Moving Through Time: Timeline of Religion (pcr.wpengine.com)
  Since the beginning of time, mankind has formed beliefs of the unexplainable and unknowable. Over thousands of years, these beliefs became traditional, customary, and institutionalized within regional societies. People continue to express an interest in spiritual matters from all corners around the world. Everybody has pondered the meaning of life, what happens after we die, what existed before us, and whether any other life exists in the universe. Mankind may never know concrete answers regarding the spiritual. In fact, humans may destroy the planet before we can discover the remaining life in unexplored regions. Nevertheless, we continue to seek spiritual enlightenment and a connection with our Creator.

Wisdom not hard to find nor hiding in remote places

In the world constantly we are bombarded by many words and ideas. We would love to be able to put them all in good order and to let them give us more wisdom. We also would love to believe that we have wisdom, but we do know it will never be enough wisdom.

A graphic personification of Wisdom QR-Code content : http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wisdom isn’t hard to find nor is it hiding in remote places.

As chaptersone sbierwagen1 writes:

Proverbs 1:20-21 describes wisdom as “calling aloud in the street” and “raising it’s voice in public”. Proverbs 8:1-4 says it again. So why do we have such a hard time hearing wisdom? We’ve filled our ears with the noise of this foolish world. Books, movies, television programs, and friends who loudly entice us away from good advice and wisdom. Those who have wise, God-fearing parents must remember what their mothers and fathers taught and lived. (Proverbs 1:8-9) We must spend more and more time in God’s Word, hearing God’s Word in church, and spending time with friends who love and obey God. Then wisdom will be louder  in our ears and the world will fade away. {Proverbs 1}

Many hope to find wisdom here on earth and getting it from human beings. They forget that the most superior wisdom does not come from the world. The best way to attain wisdom, discipline, insight, prudence, rightness, justice, fairness, discretion, guidance, learning, and understanding is by listening to the Words of the Most High.

The UST Fountain of Wisdom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the Bible we are told  that “knowledge” can come to us by having the right attitude. when we do have a healthy fear of the Divine Creator we can come to the beginning of knowledge or getting more wisdom. When we do have that right fear and are prepared or willing to listen to the Words given from high, the Words of God we can find in the Holy Scriptures or the Bible, we will be able to taste that wisdom and will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.

By listening to the Words given by God and by listening to human people who seem to have wisdom, and comparing how they speak and how they live or act we shall be able to store up knowledge. We also shall come to see that the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

We should work on our weaknesses by not just blindly following our own selfish desires nor just taking all words from others granted.

In Wisdom Unmeritted is mentioned that Adam; the first man, was not educated in man’s educational system.

His complete knowledge of God and all the creation, surpasses the intelligence of our modern sciences and that of the wisdom of the ages. He had a conscience that was so sharp and accurate. Guessed work was not a part of his DNA. Adam knew the very mind of God, effortlessly; naming of all the animals in the garden of Eden was executed with precision and with such grace, just as God would have named each one of them.

Adam being moulded by the Divine Creator was without fault or had no deficiencies. No defect could be found in him and as such he could only have a good application of knowledge or have full wisdom.

Adam did have a perfect knowledge and unusual ability to execute so well than any other creature, because he was created in the very image of God.{Wisdom Unmeritted}

Today we, after the sin of the “first Adam” we are full of minor and perhaps also big faults and do not have such knowledge any-more to get full insight. But we can find enough examples in the past to come to see that it is important who we have around us, to whom we listen and which words we want to follow up.  We should know that if we constantly walk with a wise man, we will literally be changed by his wisdom to act in his principles and values. When we know that the divine Creator is the Most High and Most Wise of all, we better make the right choice and choose to listen to His wise Words,which we can find in the Bible.

Words of Wisdom in the Torah inside of the former Glockengasse Synagogue in Cologne (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we read in the book of books we can see many examples where people could manage extraordinary things because an excellent Spirit was in them. We should allow such a Spirit to enter in ourselves as well.

Some may think “Wisdom” is “hidden from the eyes of all living, and knowledge of it is withheld from the birds of the heavens” like Desire by Design Ministries writes in Where does wisdom come from? she forgets that being created in the image of God we all do have in us implanted elements of God and the ability to think, build up knowledge and to get more wisdom.

It was Jehovah, the God Almighty, Who has all wisdom and understanding. He is the One Who also is for us the way to Wisdom and He knows the place of this Wisdom because full Wisdom is only by God alone. Unlike the writer of Where does wisdom come from? implies God did not have to look to the ends of the earth to search Wisdom out

[for His own use, and He alone possesses it]

because as she says it wisdom belongs already to God. Like the Rugby Christadelphians say:

Our minds should be filled with awe as to all that God must be!! It  is the beginning or foundation of wise thinking. The plea of Solomon is, “”Hear my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” [Proverbs of Solomon 1:8]  The acceptance and absorption into our minds of such teaching and instruction is like wearing “a graceful garland” – yet today how many parents are able and willing to teach true wisdom to their children?  If they are able and willing – their children are surrounded by counter influences – but the need for “wisdom and instruction” has never been greater. {“Fools Despise Wisdom And Instruction” Bible Reading Thoughts for March 23rd}

God does not need the Wisdom, He has it already all, but man has a great need, because he lost it nearly all. Lots of people have lost wisdom or did not get it because they or their parents did loose track of God. Those not with God did not receive further wisdom than the wisdom God considered it necessary for the task they had to fulfil in this world. Every person is here on this earth for some reason or with some purpose. We notice that a lack of wise counsel and accountability for actions has been the downfall of many world leaders, kings, and rulers.The Bible is full of stories by which we should come to learn how to live, behave, act and react.

The story of Solomon is in the Bible for a reason. We must learn from the mistakes of others and King Solomon made some real whoppers. The great can fall. The righteous can become unrighteous.  Sin has no prejudice and will latch on to anyone in sight. {A Fool}

Many Christians are mistaken and think once baptised they are saved for ever and have full knowledge of everything. “Oh such fools”. It is very good when people came to the decision to follow Jesus and to go for God, but they may not forget they have to continue to grow and work hard to keep their faith pure. They may consider themselves highly favoured in the sight of God, just as King Solomon once was, but this will not excuse them from judgement and discipline if they do ignore the commandments and instructions found in the Word of God. When they, after they were baptised, walk astray, they shall loose insight again.

Fools may read scripture but this doesn’t mean they apply the instruction to their lives or memorize and keep the words hidden in their heart. King Solomon stopped relying on God and trusted more and more in himself. He forgot the source of his wisdom, wealth, and power. {A Fool}

We always should remember that we do have to keep our faith going and feed ourselves with wisdom every day. The Bible advices us to continuously learn. When we are willing to have our eyes open and see what the world has to offer and what God has to offer, with the fear for the Right Person (the Elohim hashem Jehovah God) the Most High will inspire people to be faithful stewards of the time and talents that God has given.

All people who are on this world are there because God allows them to be there. All people can learn from those who walk around on this world. Each person is there to be used to  get ideas from and to learn from. Each their knowledge can be used to feed or nourish knowledge by others. As such each person in the world can make it that wisdom can be made productive and beneficial for others. Wisdom starts by birth and at home.

Wisdom is best taught and lived in the home—indeed, the success of the home demands wisdom—and that wisdom is balanced living (Allen Ross, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, p. 1130).

Therefore parents do have a big responsibility for the wisdom their child shall retrieve. They also can look for the best educators and schools, choose the right books to read, take care of the children seeing the right images and meeting the right persons.

The Gutenberg Bible displayed by the United States Library of Congress, demonstrating printed pages as a storage medium. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They should know that the world is given a Book of books full of Wisdom.

The Bible is the greatest Wisdom Book ever written, and five specific books within the Bible are recognized as the Wisdom Books:Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. These books are special because they offer in-depth truths regarding the topic of wisdom. The poetic and lyrical styles make these books a delight to read. Whether it’s Job’s realization that suffering cannot be comprehended through human reasoning, or David’s dealings with personal sin, justice and judgment, or Solomon’s revelations about the lofty matters of life, these books are a must read for every believer who desires to grow in wisdom from above. {Wisdom From Above}

We can see that in this world many people are looking for spiritual guidance and wisdom. They count on other men and women and often turn to ancient or new age gurus for words of wisdom. We should know that wisdom of man and the wisdom of God are two very different things. One is incomplete and does not give fulfilment, whilst the other constructs a person to some one who shall be able to continue to live after all others will be gone.

There is a plethora of so-called wisdom literature out there that is seemingly helpful, however, may only offer half-truths. Many of the sources are based on a humanly perspective. Only a message that is rooted and grounded in the Word of God can possibly come from a godly perspective. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is living, sharper than any two-edged sword, and it divides the soul and spirit. With all due respect to the big thinkers with big thoughts, if they have not been transformed by the renewing power of God’s Spirit and His quickening word, they are lacking true wisdom. {Wisdom From Above}

Though that does not mean we should not listen or not take into account what others say or write. No, we should be aware of what is said or written. We always should be prepared to listen to others and to think about what they have to say. From them we also can learn and should learn.

Like Calvin said we should be learners to the end.

All writings that can come in front of our eyes can be worthwhile to learn from. those which are interesting or have something to offer, we could share with others, and that is what this and a site, like Stepping Toes, tries to do. As such, hopefully many writers their quotes or ideas can be presented here and shall get our readers to inspire to look further and continue reading and comparing what they have to say with what others and the Bible have to say.

In the Bible or the Book of books we can find many inspiring words.

God inspired Solomon to write many proverbs, by which he taught the people knowledge and set out acceptable words, even the words of truth (Eccl 12:9-11). Of a total of three thousand proverbs (I Kings 4:32), the best five hundred or so are here. What a collection! You will learn wisdom to cover most every area of your life. Success is right before you! {Secrets of Wisdom}

With the writer of Secrets of Wisdom I would also say:

Tremble before the Word of God and rejoice at the opportunity of finding great spoil from the mind of God and the observations of Solomon. Let your intent be learning and obedience only, without even a trace of mere academic interest or knowledge for the sake of pride. Let your ambition be to grow in wisdom to please God and men. {Secrets of Wisdom}

The ones that God “draws to Him” shall ‘all be taught by God’. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father shall be able to come to His son who liberated the world of its chains and brought salvation to humankind.  (John 6:44,45).

The only thing we do have to be willing to see and hear and to listen to the Right Words. Let us be taught – from God’s word.

As we read God’s word we must have a child-like attitude to “hear” and then “accept” (the) words” we read and then “we will have treasure in heaven” Jesus told a ruler, adding, “and come,follow me.” [v.18,22] The very last chapter in the Bible, the final message of Jesus, tells us that, when Jesus returns, this treasure will be revealed, for I will be “bringing my reward (or recompense)with me to repay everyone for what he has done” [Rev.22 v.12]So we start by hearing (through reading), then we “accept”  and then we “do” what God desires in the way we live using our individual abilities and opportunities to serve God and his Son, our Saviour every day – and then the wonder of the time to come – which is getting ever closer – the time of divine repayment with life in his kingdom on earth , for “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” [Matt. 5 v.5]  Will you be there?  You make the answer now! {“Hear … Accept My Words”}

You can’t make anyone wise, but you can provide the scaffolding and tools to give them the best chance of getting wisdom that is for everyone. {Wisdom for Everyone}

 

+

Please find also to read:

1. Wisdom lies deep
2. Did the Inspirator exist
3. Only One God
4. God of gods
5. God is One
6. Give thanks to the One Who gave much
7. Who Wrote the Bible?
8. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #4 Words in Scripture
9. Why can’t Bible scholars agree on how to interpret the Bible?
10. Out of Context: How to Avoid Misinterpreting the Bible
11. American atheists most religiously literate Americans

++

Additional reading:

1. Thursday Thoughts: Pattern of a Wise Woman
2. All ProWisdom Texts from Proverbs 8 (January 2012 – November 2013) by Aaron and Michael Diedrich
   Do you ever find yourself thinking if I only could do this or that, and it seems like a wise thing to do even though you know God’s Word says don’t do it? Listen to the wisdom of God’s Word and do not listen to the deceitfulness of your own understanding and own wisdom. Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, will never tell you to do wrong.
3. Wisdom for Everyone
   I like to think of wisdom as the ability to navigate life with discretion and sound judgment that shows an understanding of the workings of nature and people. Wisdom is responsive and considerate of the ripple effects of one’s actions, attitudes and words on the cosmic order. Moreover, wisdom is founded in an understanding of and reverence for God, the Creator.
4. The Wise Ask
   My children often fail to ask for wisdom, believing that it is just given, liberally. But My Word says to ask. I implore you to seek wisdom from above, for it is only through wisdom that the work should be done.
5. Lady Wisdom’s Unheeded Call
   I’ve been reading a bit lately about a subject I don’t hear much about these days–wisdom. My hunch is that we don’t like this idea of wisdom because it seems to suggest that there are ideas of how to live well that are already “out there”–that might have a certain “fixed” quality about them that aren’t subject to our own “make it up as we go” kind of life. It seems to me these days that our preferred method of gaining wisdom, if we care about this at all, is learning from our mistakes. And I have a hunch that many of us do learn this way (I have) and yet it seems that this way is fraught with lots of pain for not only ourselves, but that it leads to inflicting pain on those around us. And sometimes, we don’t live to profit from the lessons–we are merely an object lesson for others. Is there a better way?
   +
   Some fears are healthy. Proverbs says that the recognition that my life is lived for God is actually a healthy fear. I think how that works for me is that it leads me to cry for God’s help to live wisely before him in all the nooks, crannies, and crevices of my life. Everything matters, and God would spare us unneeded pain–there is plenty of pain without that which we bring on ourselves. If there is a choice between living well and making life hard–do I really want the latter? Better to listen for the voice of Lady Wisdom…
6. Decision, decisions
   You don’t have access to God’s sovereign knowledge (Will I lose my job?  Will interest rates go up or down?  Etc.).  You do have unrestricted access to his moral will via the Bible. Example: Is it immoral to pay off your mortgage early?  No, unless that means you won’t have enough money to feed your kids.  After moral considerations, look to the wisdom angle.  Ask God for wisdom, as He promises to deliver.  But as with Solomon, He doesn’t promise to decide everything for you.  Read the Proverbs (and more).  Seek the counsel of others.  Consider the pros and cons.  That’s how to make wise decisions.  Finally, provided the options are moral and wise, consider your personal preferences.  We have tremendous freedom in Christ to do many things with our time and money.  Will paying off your mortgage make you happy?  If so, then do it.
7. Secular wisdom and spiritual wisdom
   What exactly is wisdom? And why do we have to separate between secular and spiritual wisdom?
   +
   The requirement for being secularly wise is to make odd bets that will somehow, someday proven to be right.
8. Wisdom Anyone?
9. Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

+++

Related articles

• Wisdom by A Schoonbee
• Where does wisdom come from?
• Jump, He WILL catch you!
• 174. Godly Wisdom
• proverbs and aesop
• 03 March 16, 2014, Proverbs 8-9 & James 3, Listen To Wisdom’s Invitation
• Growing in Wisdom: Not just your average WISE Guy!
• Watching for Lady Wisdom
• Several quotes about wisdom.
• Proverbs 10