Many looking for the church of the world instead of the Church of God

Looking for the church

Someone has said,

“I looked for the Church, and found it in the world. I look for the world, and found it in the Church.”

The word ICHABOD has been stamped on many a local church door, but only spiritual eyes can see that the glory of the Lord has departed. {It is Easier to Change the Local Church than the Bible}

That is the problem of our world or the problem of our nation … human beings always looking for other human beings and believing in human beings more than in the Word of the Highest all-knowing eternal God above all gods.

Coming face to face with God

Mankind is afraid to come face to face with God. It is impossible for man to see God, though man wants to have something they can refer to, see and feel or touch. They also want to have a god who has similarities with them, and therefore they took themselves a godhead they can grab. Of that god they created for themselves, a male figure, they can take pictures and statues. Even when the Bible tells mankind that he may not make any graven image of God, man prefers to ignore such demands and has made himself many images of their god.

The Holy Scriptures or Infallible Word of God – Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Too many people do forget or do not want to see that God promises to work through His Word and that This Word of God gives all the knowledge that we need to come to find God and to come to know what God wants from us. God wants to have a relationship with His creatures. He did not create them to be against Him, in the same way, He did not give them commandments of which He knew man would be able not to keep them.

Sinful people

By the first sinful act of Adam and Eve, sin came into the world. All those coming after them were sinful people. Still today it is like that. It would be very difficult to find someone who is without something doing wrong or without having sinned. We are all taken up by sin.

“As by means of one man, sin entered into the world, and, by means of sin, death; and so death passed upon all the sons of men, inasmuch as they all have sinned: — ” (Ro 5:12 Murdock)

“If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”” (Ge 4:7 KJ21)

“”If they sin against Thee (for there is no man that sinneth not), and Thou be angry with them and deliver them to the enemy so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;” (1Ki 8:46 KJ21)

It is that sinning that is standing in the way to have a good relationship with our heavenly Father. To come to a better relationship God provided means. One of those was by creating a possibility for man to show his submission to God and his desire to please God by offering sacrifices to God. Later in the history of mankind, there came special places to bring such offerings to God and as such temples came into existence, where also special people took care of the services for God. Those priests were at first anointed by God Himself, though later man took care of themselves to appoint priests and to decide for themselves how those services to God and sacrifices were to be carried out. In a way such services would later become churchservices.

Houses of worship for the Only One God Jehovah

At first Jesus and his apostles went to those houses of worship. In those temples, they praised not Jesus but the God of the Hebrews, the God of Adam and Eve, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Who is the Only True God. Jesus and his apostle were very well aware of that Name of That God. They worshipped Jehovah as the Only One True God.

“that men may know that Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Most High over all the earth.” (Ps 83:18 KJ21)

“2 And God spoke unto Moses and said unto him, “I am the LORD. 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty, but by My name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” (Ex 6:2-3 KJ21)

When Jesus was gone the apostle did not change their mind about Whom they had to worship and about Whom they had to pray to and call His Name.

“For “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”” (Ro 10:13 KJ21)

“and in that day shall ye say: “Praise the LORD! Call upon His name! Declare His doings among the people; make mention that His name is exalted.” (Isa 12:4 KJ21)

The way of worshipping did not change in the first century. It was customary for them to continue to go to the temple and to praise and glorify God there, as well as to continue to study the Hebrew Scriptures. They were convinced that such worship of God should come from deep within the heart and not be a mere passing fancy.

“God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”” (Joh 4:24 KJ21)

“yet to us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we in Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1Co 8:6 KJ21)

Yes, not Jesus was their god, but the Divine Creator of heaven and earth was their God. To them, it was as pure as a lump of sugar or clear as water, that this God is only one.

“”Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” (De 6:4 KJ21)

One God and His beloved son opposite a god the son

They felt that they had become one in God by the sent one from God in whom they came to believe as that promised one from old times, who they now recognised as their saviour or that promised Messiah, by whom they now got the opportunity to get a new life.

“yet to us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we in Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1Co 8:6 KJ21)

It was several years after Jesus had died that certain people started taking Jesus as their god, forgetting the words Jesus himself had spoken.

“Jesus said 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 God and your God.’”” (Joh 20:17 KJ21)

Today there are still many people who do not hear or want to understand those words of that son of man, who gave his life for many, so that we can have hope for receiving a new life in the Kingdom of God.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1Pe 1:3 KJ21)

Those who claim that Jesus is God, should better think about the fact that Jesus more than once prayed to Whom he called God. He did not pray to himself, neither cried to himself, or did not ask himself why He had abandoned him. (How would a person abandon or forsake himself?)

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”” (Mr 15:34 KJ21)

“1  These words spoke Jesus and lifted up His eyes to Heaven and said, “Father, the hour is come. Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee, 2 as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. 3 And this is life eternal: that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” (Joh 17:1-3 KJ21)

The apostle Peter might be one of the first apostles who publicly professed who Jesus Christ was.

“16 And Simon Peter answered and said,

“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him,

“Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father who is in Heaven.” (Mt 16:16-17 KJ21)

A son of man as a way to God

It was such confession that the apostles required also from those who wanted to go in the footsteps of their master teacher. This way started of a group of followers of Christ. People who were convinced that Jesus was the way, like he more than once told others.

“Jesus said to him: I am the way, and truth, and life: no one cometh unto my Father, but by me.” (Joh 14:6 Murdock)

“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (1Jo 4:15 KJ21)

The apostles also wrote down how they came to understand who Jesus Christ was and how the world had come to see that he is the son of man and son of God. By writing it all down, those writings should give a clear picture of Whom God is and about whom Jesus is.

“And the angel answered and said unto her,

“The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that Holy Being who shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Lu 1:35 KJ21)

“And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God.”” (Joh 1:34 KJ21)

“29 Jesus said unto him,

“Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through His name.” (Joh 20:29-31 KJ21)

Accepting Jesus as son of God

That life which may come over us is by accepting who Jesus is, the son of God, and not by going all the fancies of the world. It are not the human doctrines we should take for the rules to follow, but the Biblical doctrines we should take for granted and to go by. It are those sacred writings that tell us that Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God, being a mediator between God and us.

“5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,” (1Ti 2:5-6 KJ21)

For those who continued to follow the apostles of Jesus it is clear that there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and that newt to This God there is the one Who God Himself declared to be His only beloved son, Jesus Christ the Messiah. (1Co 8:6)

Followers of false teachings and false teachers

Up to today there are people who want to follow the teachings of those false teachers who claimed that Jesus would be an incarnated God. Some of the present teachers or pastors even want to twist the historical truth and come to say that it were the non-trinitarian preachers who would have followed Greco-Roman philosophy, though it are the Trinitarians who took all sorts of believes of those philosophers in their teaching, like incarnation, separate souls who would leave the body after death, hell as a burning place of eternal torture, etc. . Instead of bringing people on the right path to God, they mislead their churchgoers and having them worship a false god.

Already in the first century, the apostles warned against such false teachers who violated the Word of God and often came to deceive people with things they liked to hear. Such a God made flesh appealed to many, and still does. Hereby lots of people forget how often in the Bible is told that Jesus is the son of God (something totally different as “god the son”) and how Jesus himself spoke about his heavenly Father, from Whom he came and to Whom he went again.

“Jesus said to her:

Touch me not; for not yet have I ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren, and say to them: I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.” (Joh 20:17 Murdock)

Those teachers claiming that Jesus would be God destroy the value of Jesus’ act of sacrifice and make God a great comedian who repeatedly told lies to deceive people, let alone called Himself a “God of no lies” when He did see mankind as lying creatures. Those Trinitarian preachers seem to neglect that The God of no lies said Himself that Jesus is His beloved son.

“And lo, a voice came from Heaven, saying,

“THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.”” (Mt 3:17 KJ21)

“God forbid! Yea, let God be true, though every man a liar. As it is written:

“That Thou mightest be justified in Thy sayings, and mightest overcome when Thou art judged.”” (Ro 3:4 KJ21)

Not only minimalise those preachers the self-sacrifice of Jesus the also make the resurrection of Jesus as a joke, because God can not die (Him being an eternal Spirit) and when Jesus is God we are still left with no proof at all that man would be able to step out of the dead. As such those trinitarian churches take away our hope for a resurrection, because we can not become God and do like Him, but are then still bounded to the grave (sheol or hell). The real followers of Christ continued teaching the Gospel or Good News of the coming Kingdom of God, by which there is the hope in the resurrection of the man Jesus Christ, as an example of what can happen to us.

“Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, who in his great mercy hath begotten us anew, by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, to the hope of life,” (1Pe 1:3 Murdock)

Not a schizophrenic God

Jesus was or is not a schizophrenic God Who came to pray and cry to himself. Jesus prayed sincerely to his heavenly Father, Whom he considered to be the Only One True God.

“And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said: [Il, Il, lemono shebakthone;]that is: My God, my God; why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mr 15:34 Murdock)

“1  These things spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said: My Father, the hour is come: glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee. 2 As thou hast given him authority over all flesh, that he might give life eternal to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they may know thee, that thou art the only true God, and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Messiah.” (Joh 17:1-3 Murdock)

It might have taken some time before the apostles really came to see who their master-teacher really was and how they should behave and go into the world as his disciples and workers for God. It can well be that the apostle Peter was the first one to recognise for the first time in public Jesus real position.

“16 Simon Cephas {Greek: Simon Peter} answered and said:

Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

17 Jesus answered, and said to him:

Blessed art thou, Simon son of Jonas; for flesh and blood have not revealed [it] to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 16:16-17 Murdock)

The religion of Old Testament not passing away

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After that Jesus was taken into heaven by his heavenly Father and after Jesus promised helper came over the apostles they dared to come out in public again and started off their great preaching work.

Those who heard and/or saw Jesus preach and/or heard the apostles,  could not believe that the religion of the Old Testament, revealed by God Himself, should pass away. They indeed regarded Jesus as the Saviour of Gentiles as well as Jews. We could say that Judaism was for them considered the necessary introduction to their group (which we call today Christianity). Several people from all sorts of rang came to join the apostles. Their Jewish movement was called “The Way“.

But by joining more non-Jews the matter of circumcision and the observance of the whole Mosaic law came under discussion. The question was the sole condition of an interest in the Messianic salvation. And, offensive as Judaism was, rather than attractive, to the heathen, this principle would have utterly precluded the conversion of the mass of the Gentile world.  The apostles themselves were at first trammelled by this Judaistic prejudice, till taught better by the special revelation to Peter before the conversion of Cornelius.
But even after the baptism of the uncircumcised centurion, and Peter’s defence of it before the church of Jerusalem, the old leaven still wrought in some Jewish Christians who had formerly belonged to the rigid and exclusive sect of the Pharisees, to which the apostle Paul also belonged to.

Difficulties around gentile converts

The churches of Jerusalem and Antioch resolved to hold a private and a public conference at Jerusalem. Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas as commissioners to represent the Gentile converts. Paul, fully aware of the gravity of the crisis, obeyed at the same time an inner and higher impulse. He also took with him Titus, a native Greek, as a living specimen of what the Spirit of God could accomplish without circumcision. The conference was held C.E. 50 or 51 (fourteen years after Paul’s conversion). It was the first and in some respects the most important council or synod held in the history of Christendom, though differing widely from the councils of later times. It is placed in the middle of the book of Acts as the connecting link between the two sections of the apostolic church and the two epochs of its missionary history.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

In the beginning, the people from The Way, like all the Jews, went on the Sabbath to the gathering in the temple. But after more goyim or non-Jews had joined that movement which confessed that Jesus is the son of God (Lu 1:35 ), and as such also came to abide in God (1Jo 4:15), they were not so welcome anymore in the temples and synagogues. Those non-Jews by their baptism in Christ being taken up in the group, which grew fairly quickly, and made others look jealous at them but also did not want those non-Jews in their prayer houses. Therefore The Way started also to come together in private houses and as such creating the first house churches.

Seeing and not seeing the man of flesh and blood

The apostles had after some years got a very clear picture of Jesus and with them many others had seen this man of flesh and blood (remember that God can not be seen by man). They testified that their master is the Son of God (Joh 1:34) and never said that Jesus would have claimed such a position, to be God. The amount of false teachers grew and began to argue with the true followers of Jesus who held to the sonship of Christ Jesus and did not wish to enter into the false teaching of Jesus’ Godhead.

In ancient time people could see and hear Jesus. We do not have such an opportunity anymore, though we should go by the material which is handed over to us in the Books of the New Testament. They provide enough information to learn about the man Jesus from Nazareth and his disciples. In connection with the Books of the Old Testament one should clearly come to see what Jesus role is in the history of mankind. Not having seen Jesus Christ, there were loads of people who came to believe in the son of God, that man of flesh and blood. Not having been able to see Christ we have to believe in him and accept him as the mediator for us by his heavenly Father the Only One True God.

“29 Jesus said to him: Now, when thou hast seen me, thou believest: blessed are they, who have not seen me, yet believe. —  30 And many other signs did Jesus before his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that when ye believe, ye may have life eternal by his name.” (Joh 20:29-31 Murdock)

“5 For God is one; and the mediator between God and men is one, [namely] the man Jesus the Messiah; 6 who gave himself a ransom for every man;  — testimony that arrived in due time,” (1Ti 2:5-6 Murdock)

Jerusalem consultation

The object of the Jerusalem consultation was twofold: first, to settle the personal relation between the Jewish and Gentile apostles, disciples and preachers, and to divide their field of labour; secondly, to decide the question of circumcision, and to define the relation between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. On the first point (as we learn from Paul) it effected a complete and final, on the second point (as we learn from Luke) a partial and temporary settlement. In the nature of the case the public conference in which the whole church took part, was preceded and accompanied by private consultations of the apostles.

Constantine period

In the fourth century the division between the real followers of Christ and the followers of those false teachers who mixed those teachings of Christ with other human teachings, had become so big that they called for a council to decide how the church would continue.

Constantine I (the Great) the founder of Constantinople and the Byzantine empire, and for someone of the most gifted, energetic, and successful of the Roman emperors, was the first representative of the imposing idea of a Christian theocracy, or of that system of policy which assumes all subjects to be Christians, connects civil and religious rights, and regards church and state as the two arms of one and the same divine government on earth. This idea was more fully developed by his successors, it animated the whole middle age, and is yet working under various forms in these latest times; though it has never been fully realised, whether in the Byzantine, the German, or the Russian empire, the Roman church-state, the Calvinistic republic of Geneva, or the early Puritanic colonies of New England. At the same time, however, Constantine stands also as the type of undiscriminating and harmful conjunction of Christianity with politics, of the holy symbol of peace with the horrors of war, of the spiritual interests of the kingdom of heaven with the earthly interests of the state.

He was the man who gave those preachers the choice to come with the world or to stay by their ideas of not being part of the world. The majority choose to be befriended and to walk in fellowship with the world.

Unquestionably every age produces and shapes its own organs, as its own purposes require and as such the Jewish movement of The Way had seen many people going astray and going their own way.  Constantine I did put himself at the head of the age, and was annoyed by the differences and discussions there were by those who claimed to be the followers of the Nazarene rebbe Jeshua ben Josef, Jesus Christ. He also clearly saw that idolatry had outlived itself in the Roman empire, and that Christianity alone could breathe new vigour into it and furnish its moral support.

Donatists and Arians

From the year 313 he placed himself in close connection with the ‘bishops’, made peace and harmony his first object in the Donatist and Arian controversies and applied the predicate “catholic” to the church in all official documents. The Donatists argueing that Christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and their prayers and sacraments to be valid. Constantine, hoping to defuse the unrest, gave money to the non-Donatist bishop Caecilian as payment for churches damaged or confiscated during the persecution. Nothing was given to the Donatists; Constantine was apparently not fully aware of the seriousness of the dispute, which his gift exacerbated. The Donatists appealed to Rome for equal treatment; Constantine tasked Miltiades with resolving the issue, which led to the 313 commission.

Many non-trinitarians are often called Arians by Trinitarians, though often those Christians do not follow Arius his teachings but simply the Biblical teachings. The Christian priest Arius, whose teachings gave rise to a theological doctrine known as Arianism, also followed the apostolic teaching that God is One and that Jesus is His son and not God Himself. What makes Arainism so different with what many non-trinitarians are still following today, is that those real followers of Christ (including us) do not integrate Neoplatonism, nor are we inspired by Plato’s ideas or by pre-Socratics (who interpreted the world monistically in terms of nature as such), from the relativism of the Sophists, and from the correction of Platonism in a this-worldly direction carried out by Plato’s greatest pupil, Aristotle.

It is a very big misconception of Trinitarians that nonTrinitarians, or those who do not wish to accept Jesus as God, would be Arians, whereas they do not follow the teachings of Arius at all. The teaching those present non-Trinitarians follow is simply the teachings of Jesus and his apostles.

The only similarity in Arius and the present non-trinitarian denominations is Arius’s basic premise of the uniqueness of God, who is alone self-existent (not dependent for its existence on anything else) and immutable; the Son, who is not self-existent, cannot therefore be the self-existent and immutable God.

“”There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun ^{[a poetic name for the people of Israel, meaning ‘upright people’]}, who rideth upon the heaven to thy help and in His excellency on the sky.” (De 33:26 KJ21)

“33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor?” 35 Or, “who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?” 36 For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Ro 11:33-36 KJ21)

Because the Godhead is unique, it cannot be shared or communicated according to Arius. Because the Godhead is immutable, the Son, who is mutable, must, therefore, be deemed a creature who has been called into existence out of nothing and has had a beginning. Moreover, according to Arius the Son can have no direct knowledge of the Father, since the Son is finite and of a different order of existence. For the real followers of Christ there is the knowledge that Jesus was placed in the womb of that young girl and as such coming directly from God must have some DNA from God. Jesus was born in that very devout Essene family of the tribe of King David and had got a very thorough religious upbringing with the Word of God as an inspirational source.

Name change

Badly enough, most of the clergy wanted to come to an agreement with Constantine the Great in order to keep the peace and not to be persecuted anymore. This was done by the clergy to bring their religion more in line with the Greek Roman religion and their triple deity Zeus who was then the main deity worshipped by Constantine and his followers. In order to equate Jeshua (Yeshua) with that deity Zeus, his name was transformed from Jeshua to Issou or Yai_Zeus > Je-Zeus which means Hail Zeus. Since then, the false name (Jezus – Jesus – Chesu) has become fully accepted and in time it was also used by the non-trinitarians to make clear that they were talking about one and the same person as the Trinitarians.

Constantine was praised and censured in turn by the Christians and Pagans, the Orthodox and the Arians, as they successively experienced his favour or dislike, but the real followers of Christ saw in him a very dangerous despot who could easily subdue the false teachers and in unity oppose the true followers of Christ.

The ones coming under agreement with each other about the deity of Jesus and the wishes of Constantine, became the Roman Catholics, who claimed to be the only true church and continued to grow by making sure people from all sorts of tribes could find themselves at home, because many of their traditions were taken in or integrated into that religion.

The real followers of Christ Jesus did not like the name change but had to do with it. for many centuries they tried those who worshipped Jesus as their god to come to know the real Jesus from the Bible.

The groups which accented the absolute oneness of the Divinity as the highest perfection, with a literal, rationalist approach to the New Testament texts sought their way in the world. That point of view was publicized about 323 through the poetic verse of his major work, Thalia (“Banquet”), and was widely spread by popular songs written for labourers and travellers.

The non-Trinitarian aspect and the other Arian teachings (of Arius) and papal positions (Ursinus) brought forth further disputes and conferences, synods or councils. The Ursinians became established in Milan and rekindled their opposition to Damasus.

Damasus I presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list of sacred scripture. He encouraged the production of the Latin Vulgate Bible with his support for Jerome.
He spoke out against other groups of Christians that had grown in popularity and denounced several major heresies in the church (including Apollinarianism and Macedonianism). In two synods (368 and 369) the unorthodox teachings of Bishop Macedonius of Constantinople and of Bishop Apollinaris (the Younger) of Laodicea were condemned. Among Damasus’s literary remains are 24 anathemas against various 4th-century heresies.  Apollinaris The Younger and his father (Apollinaris the Elder) had reproduced the Old Testament in the form of Homeric and Pindaric poetry and the New Testament in the style of Platonic dialogues after the Roman emperor Julian had forbidden Christians to teach the classics.
Apollinaris the younger denied the existence in Christ of a rational human soul, a position he took to combat Arianism. Skilled in logic and Hebrew and a teacher of rhetoric, Apollinaris also lectured at Antioch c. 374. Their different ideas also brought forth several schisms.

Current Churches in a Torn Church World

It would not remain at all with these few schisms in the church community; in each century several schisms occurred. Today, many even regard certain breakaway groups as churches of the commons, such as the Lutheran, Calvinist and Anglican Churches. They now belong to the generally accepted Protestant churches.

Lots of churches sought ways to get as many followers as they could, claiming that they are the only church by which people can be saved. They forget that it are no other human beings, than Christ Jesus who saves people of all races and people of all persuasions or from all walks of life. They claimed and still claim that their sacraments, religious signs or symbols, are the way to be saved. Many of those churches are convinced that their liturgy is the best one to prepare people to receive those sacraments, as visible symbols of the reality of God, as well as a channel for God’s grace and helps to understand what they are doing. Their liturgy is used to give the sacraments context and is there to allow folks to see them in action. Outside of the liturgy, the sacraments lose direction and application. For some that is the reason why a private baptism or communion is a sacrament without purpose or meaning.

It is a sacrament that is cut off from its intended goal. {The Role of the Church}

For non-Trinitarians, like the Christadelphians, there does not have to be a set of liturgical rules and order. Each church service can be done in a different order or different way. but what is most important is that the service is built upon the Word of God, and as such most time of the service should be spent on that Word, or readings from the Holy Scriptures and not on readings from human beings. Next to that Word of God people should be able to find, feel and see, that love of God and love of Christ present and shown by those people of that church.

The church is tasked with loving the Lord and loving its neighbor. The church takes what it receives from God and shares it with the world. Taken together, this means God acts through even-broadening layers to bring His grace into the world. {The Role of the Church}

Receiving God and being united with His son

But to receive God and to be united with God and His holy son, people have to do away with pagan or heathen teachings and traditions. In the Church of God, there can be no place for pagan rituals and false worship, like praying in front of pictures or sculptures. So, there has to be no place for crosses, paintings or portraits and statues of gods and saints, no idolisation taking place in the liturgy. Done away with a “Hail Zeus” or calling unto “YaiZeus” or JeZeus – Jezus or Jesus as a figure that would be three in one, a God the Father, a god the son and a God the Holy Spirit.

In case we want to hold on to that changed name of Jeshua, namely Jesus, that hopefully would be not too bad and shall be accepted by the Elohim Hashem Jehovah (That we can only hope and pray for – that he forgives us to use that name so that we shall be able to get others to get to know the Name of Jesus his God.) Better would naturally be that by the years coming closer to the end-times, people shall come to use more the real names of the Biblical characters and especially of Jehovah God, Whose Name is holy, and of the son of God, Jeshua ben Josef.

Sin is the opposite of God’s will, so to be a sinner means to be one who is opposed to God, who is an offense to everything God is. Sin is intolerable to God and so God destroys it, even if that means destroying the one who commits it. {Face to Face with God}

Having idols and false gods is “sin” because it goes in against the Will and Commandments of God. Real lovers of God have to keep tp those Commandments of God and not to the commandments, human doctrines or will of human beings.

Active in the world

In this picture, from a Lutheran pastor his site, you might see how far the church is gone away from God’s Word that forbids such pictures or reflections of people they call their god.

It is true that the Church or the community of believers has to be active in both worship and in the world so that God’s grace can reach those who need it.

This becomes the central work of the church and everything God does for His people is designed to facilitate that work. {The Role of the Church}

Though that does not mean the church has to think and act like the world! It is totally wrong to think you should be part of the Church of the world, because people have to be part of the Church of God of which Jesus is the foundation. Jesus should be the man whom we follow and whom we take as the cornerstone of our community.

“Jesus saith unto them,

Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes?” (Mt 21:42 ASV)

“being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;” (Eph 2:20 ASV)

Loving Christ is not only loving his word, it is living by his word that one fully accepts as a truthful word. And as such that one does not think when Jesus says God is greater than him that he (Jesus) is the greatest and that he can do everything because he would be God. all the thing Jesus did, we should appreciate and understand why he did it and how he wanted to be a faithful servant for God the same as he requires from his followers to be servants for man and for God.

Servants not doing bad things

Those who call themselves servants of God have to do their best to live according to the Will of God. In the last few decades, people should have had enough opportunities to see how many in those so-called churches of God have gone astray. In several Trinitarian denominations, being them Catholic or Protestant, we have seen that there were priests who used little children (boys and girls) to have sex with. Some churches thought that they could cover those paedophile acts by transferring those paedophiles to another church in another village. For centuries the Catholic Church has been a male bastion where male domination and tyranny were giving opportunities to defile the Name of God.

They thought to clean up the cesspool of sin in that religious structure, but the roots have gone very deep.

Furthermore many churches do not dare to speak out about certain Rules of God.

Sung Mass with the ordinations of two deacons and seven priests by the Bishop of Stockholm, in St Nicholas’s Cathedral (Storkyrkan)

In Europe’s largest Lutheran denomination, hundreds of clergies, staff, and congregates of the Church of Sweden, have declared, in an open letter that it is now a trans-inclusive institution.
While the hearts of the faithful Christians are broken, while heaven weeps, while the demons of hell dance in delight, the modern-day church is changed. Why? Because it is easier to change the local assembly than the eternal Word of God, which lives and abides forever. {It is Easier to Change the Local Church than the Bible}

After all those centuries the Catholic church did not change one hair.

In Rome, the Vatican is now home to a woke Pope, who allowed South American animistic religious rituals in the opening of the recent pan-Amazon Synod. Kathy Clubb writes in the conservative Catholic publication, The Remnant:

“Idol worship was on full display in preparation for the Pan-Amazon synod, with the tacit approval of Pope Francis. Although the Synod hadn’t yet started, the celebration of pagan ceremonies added weight to the concerns being voiced by prominent prelates and laymen that the Synod will be a vehicle for apostasy.”

{It is Easier to Change the Local Church than the Bible}

Strangely enough, when the Pope says something which comes closer to the Biblical truth, all the hairs of Catholic and Protestant (Trinitarian) priests raise up to heaven.

To embracing idol worship, Pope Francis is said not to believe in the eternal divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. Instead,

“Pope Francis conceives the Christ as Jesus of Nazareth, a man, not God incarnate. Once he took flesh, Jesus ceased to be a God and became a man until his death on the cross… {It is Easier to Change the Local Church than the Bible}

Pope Francis has said to Eugenio Scalfari: ‘There is proof that Jesus of Nazareth, once he became a man, even a man of exceptional virtue, was in no way a God’.” (Mark Powell, CALDR@N POOL on the web; see also, Fatima Perspectives #1343) {It is Easier to Change the Local Church than the Bible}

Several priest think wrongly that it would be changing Catholic dogma because the non-Trinitarians are gaining field in this world.

Why is the woke Pope Francis (b. Dec. 17, 1936), head of the Catholic Church, and sovereign of Vatican City, changing Catholic dogma?

Because it is easier to influence and change a vast religious institution than to change the Word of God, which says: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). {It is Easier to Change the Local Church than the Bible}

Yes, the Bible is very clear about That! One may not have other gods before the Elohim Hashem Jehovah.

Lots of those learned people do not want to see how a person can be divine but not God. (Perhaps you might have a divine wife, though we hope you would not worship her as a god.)

There is no such verse in the letter of Paul to Timothy that would say

Concerning the eternal divinity of Christ, the Bible says, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Tim. 3:18). {It is Easier to Change the Local Church than the Bible}

The Bible words are as follows in the last verses of that letter:

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” (1Ti 3:16 ASV)

giving an indication that Jesus is one way to come to “see and understand God“. Him being manifested in the flesh is the son of God who “gave himself for us.” Truly they are in harmony. The love of the infinite God could neither be created nor purchased but it could be and is been shown through the work of His son. The Spirit of the Father was manifest in Jesus and by the inspiration and power given by God, Jesus was able to speak wise words and to do many miracles.

All those things which are clearly notated in Scriptures are not to confuse us, but to bring us light. Jesus should be such a light for us, a beacon or a lighthouse in the surf.

When looking at churches we should check how those who call themselves leaders of that church, behave. We should check in which way a church has its teachings in accordance with the Bible and how the leaders of that church live according to those Bible Words.

For sure we should not choose for the church that wants to be fully in line with the world and its traditions. From the Bible, we can learn that most of those traditions are not in line with God’s commandments and as lovers of God we should want to go fully doing the will of God in the same way Jesus put his own will aside to do the will of God. (Naturally, in case Jesus would have been God he would never have put his own will aside. … Is it not?)

“And he went forward a little, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying,

My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Mt 26:39 ASV)

“And again he went away, and prayed, saying the same words.” (Mr 14:39 ASV)

It is not Christ his will that shall be done on earth as in heaven. Also, Jesus prayed and learned others to pray that this Will of his heavenly Father would be fulfilled.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.” (Mt 6:10 ASV)

Even in difficult times, Jesus asked his God that not his will was going to be fulfilled, but God His Will

“And he said,

Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; remove this cup from me: howbeit not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mr 14:36 ASV)

We should know that like Jesus could not do anything without God, we too cannot do the important thing without our heavenly Father. (Though in fact even the little things we are only able to do because God allows them to happen.) Let us therefore not do our will, but have the courage to do like Jesus, going for the One Who had sent him, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, God His Word, God His Will and for God His Chuch, doing God His Will.

“I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (Joh 5:30 ASV)

“For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (Joh 6:38 ASV)

+

Preceding

A vital question for believers

The rock on which we stand

As near to God as you want Him to be

Religion and the essence of devotion – Necessary parts in the daily walk with God + Christians, Lutherans, Wesleyans, and other followers

Seeds and weeds for being the greatest nation

After darkness a moment of life renewal

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

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

Responsibility bigger than those who talk about worldly matters

++

Additional reading

1. Christian in Christendom or in Christianity
2. Looking for answers on the question Is there a God #1 Many gods
3. Only One God
4. God is one
5. God spoke to our forefathers and speaks to us
6. Bible Inspired Word of God
7. Word of God
8. A Book to trust #12 Archaeology confirming or denying claims of the Bible #3 Material evidence to survive
9. Written and translated by different men over thousands of years
10. The One Who divinely inspired the writers of the Bible can also preserve it
11. Reading to grow and to become wise concerning the most important thing in life 4 Words giving us wisdom and encouragement
12. The Bible’s View of Itself
13. Words of God to stand and to be followed and to believe
14. Vital importance of reading and following the Kitvei Hakodesh
15. Main verses in the Bible telling us Who God is #1 Exclusive Divine Eternal Unseen Creator and Sovereign Spirit God with set apart Name Jehovah
16. Main verses in the Bible telling us Who God is #8 Some more attributes of God
17. Today’s Thought “That they may know that there is none besides Jehovah ” (June 21)
18. Today’s thought “Do not add anything to what God commands you, and do not take anything away.” (April 21)
19. Bible exceptional Book of books where nothing can be taken away or added
20. Today’s Thought “Idols are nothing against the first and the last God” (June 20)
21. Importance to read the Bible regularly and gain understanding
22. Everything from the Bible is useful for humans
23. Reading to grow and to become wise concerning the most important thing in life 4 Words giving us wisdom and encouragement
24. With the Bible, honour should be given to God and not to people
25. Deciphering Truth in Word and Concept – That we might see
26. Objects around the birth and death of Jesus
27. Spelling Yahshuah (יהשע) vs Hebrew using Yehoshuah (יהושע) (Our world) = Spelling Yahshuah (יהשע) vs Hebrew using Yehoshuah (יהושע) (Some view on the World)
28. Altered to fit a Trinity (Our world) = Altered to fit a Trinity (Some View on the world)
29. Jesus the “God-Man”: Really?
30. Jesus son of God or God the son
31. Jesus son of God
32. The sent one from God
33. Jesus Christ the Messiah
34. One Mediator
35. Americans really thinking the Messiah Christ had an English name (Our world) = Americans really thinking the Messiah Christ had an English name (some View on the World)
36. False opposite true worship which exalts the God of Israel
37. Behind a False doctrine – the Trinity
38. The Trinity matter
39. Trinity – history
40. Living stones 4 Idols of wood and stone
41. Iconoclast in the picture
42. Today’s thought “Do not add anything to what God commands you, and do not take anything away.” (April 21)
43. Displeasures and Actions of the Almighty God
44. Paul’s warning about false stories and his call to quit touching the unclean thing
45. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
46. Different wineskins
47. The Development of Differences
48. False teachers and false prophets still around
49. Devotees and spotters
50. Disobedient man and God’s promises
51. An unbridgeable gap
52. God’s forgotten Word 6 Lost Lawbook 5 Heretics
53. Not studying an abstract and arcane text of the ancient world
54. Demanding signs or denying yourself
55. Troubles testing your faith and giving you patience and good prospects
56. Hardships for choosing to follow the real Christ
57. Roads leading to God
58. Words to bring into a good relationship
59. Why not quoting more from well-known theologians
60. Luther on Being a Theologian: Oratio, Meditatio and Tentatio
61. Denominationalism exists because?
62. Religious people and painful absence of spring of living water
63. Living as a believer in Christ
64. Jewish and Gentile Disciples
65. Religion and believers #5 Transition to Monotheism
66. Jeshuaists, Messianic Jews, Messianics and Christians
67. Changes in the Remnant of Jewish Believers
68. The belief of one going to heaven
69. Framework and vehicle for Christian Scholasticism and loss of confidence
70. Roman, Aztec and other rites still influencing us today
71. Counterfeit Gospels
72. Concluding thought by the article series “Key to the Bible”
73. Certain Catholics claiming that the power of the priest is equal to that of Jesus Christ
74. When found the necessary books to read and how to read them
75. Looking for a biblically sound church
76. Today’s thought “Using God’s words to justify actions” (April 1-2)
77. Those Belonging to the called ones coming together
78. Memorizing wonderfully 55 Exchanging the truth of God for a lie
79. Extra verses to memorize Deuteronomy 4:15-16 Watching yourselves very carefully
80. Deep sense of consciousness of the brokenness of our system
81. Noahide Laws or Seven commandments incumbent upon all of humankind
82. A Gentile and the Mosaic Law
83. Face to Face
84. Does God need you?
85. Does God need your mitzvahs?
86. Does God really care?
87. Constantine a brutal sociopath getting the believers in a God man on his side and creating a Christian church
88. Jewish and Christian traditions of elders
89. a City full of the Pride of life
90. Cyrus the Persian
91. Today’s thought “A house of prayer” (March 27)
92. Good or bad preacher
93. 3 Reasons the Resurrection Matters
94. One in God’s Hand
95. Sacrifices in the Millennium
96. Matthew 24 about temples or Houses of God and the end of the age
97. Pope Benedict will hide (Our World) = Pope Benedict will hide (Some View on the World)
98. ast day of Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI (Our World) = Last day of Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI (Some View on the World)
99. Catholic church asking for forgiveness and promising to take action against child-abusers (Our World) = Catholic church asking for forgiveness and promising to take action against child-abusers
100. French Catholic church covered up abuse of 330,000 children
101. The decline of religion in the US continues unabated
102. Matthew 12:1-8 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Something Greater than the Temple
103. Inculturation today calling for a different attitude (Our world) = Inculturation today calling for a different attitude (Some View on the World)
104. Male domination and tyranny giving opportunities to defile the Name of God
105. Kler the Polish Spotlight on Poland’s Clergy Sexual Abuse
106. Americans their stars, pretension, God, Allah and end of times signs #3 Cyberwars and prophesy
107. Move ahead with the commitment against child sex abuse says Pope Francis I (Our wold) = Move ahead with the commitment against child sex abuse says Pope Francis I (Some View on the World)
108. The abuses of priest make Catholics give up their religion 
109. Disciple of Christ counting lives and friends dear to them
110. Christadelphians or Messianic Christians or Messianic Jews

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Related

1. Why does the Bible need 66 books? Part 2
2. Exquisite Uniqueness of God
3. “The Eve of Christmas,” Matthew 1:18-25
4. In the Incarnation, Humanity Received a New Dignity
5. The Incarnation
6. Incarnation and all that…
7. The Mystery of Godliness: The Transformative Power of the Incarnation
8. Incarnate Love
9. Truth-less “grace,” or grace-less “truth”?
10. Mystery and Clarity
11. John 1:1-14 Sermon: Love Incarnate, Love Divine
12. Adoption, incarnation, and growing in grace and truth (Growing Deeper with John 1:6-18)
13. John’s Gospel and the Word made flesh (Growing Deeper with John 1:1-5)
14. The Word Became Flesh. II: The Word Was God
15. God the son, Part 1
16. Epistle Reading for Sunday, January 30, 2022
17. Hebrews: Superiority of the Son
18. Creed // Jesus God’s son (Hebrews 1:1-3)
19. Today’s Scripture – November 15, 2021
20. All that he is triune
21. Trinity – Trilogy – Triplet
22. Definition of the day: Trinity
23. Trinity
24. Why a Triune God?
25. God Who Is—is Triune
26. Beyond Belief – What the Heck is the Trinity? Is God Three or Is He One?
27. There are certain Christian preachers who want people to believe that all Christians would believe in the Trinity. Why do Christians beleive in the Trinity? Such a question let us see that the writer of that article either is not aware of other Christians who only believe in a binary god and neglects the most important group which worship only the God of Jesus and not a god the son, namely the unitarians and non-Trinitarians.
28. Your Divine D.N.A. [Sermon]
29. Am I headed in the right direction? [Sermon]
30. The Incarnation in the Life of the Church
31. He Was, He Is, and Forever Shall Be
32. “The Word became Flesh,” John 1:14
33. “Simeon’s Song,” Luke 2:22-40
34. Statue Of Zeus At Olympia
35. False Gospels: On Blindness > Antics > Compromise
36. False Gods by Graham McNeill
37. Reenacting the Way of Jesus
38. Loving Christ Really IS Loving His Word
39. Poetic faith
40. How can Jesus be considered sinless when the Bible describes his anger
41. “Jesus in the Temple,” Luke 2:40-52
42. “Jesus, the Son of God,” Luke 4:31-44
43. Know Jesus, Know God
44. Hebrews: The Fulcrum
45. Direct Access to the Father
46. Do Denominations Divide Us?
47. Does Denominationalism Blind You to the Truth?
48. Nuanced beliefs
49. Deceived
50. Throwback Thursday ~ Finding a New Church- Starting from Scratch
51. Law; Is It For The Rich Or The Poor?
52. Division Among Christians
53. From One Religion To Another

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

In our previous article, we looked at one of the great possibilities of diversity in Christendom and Christianity, many ‘theologians‘ interpreting the bible and introducing human doctrines into their religious groups or churches.

In every church, we can find preachers telling the flock to do this or that and to believe this or that. In all those churches their clergy claims that they are showing the only One God, though many preach about a Triune or three-headed god, in contradiction to the Biblical teaching that there is Only One True God Who is a Singular Spirit Being no man can see.

When we hear the question

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

we would say that each individual in a church or in a community of believers always should investigate what is really said in their community and always should compare the teachings of their leaders with what they can find in the Book of books, the Holy Scriptures or the Bible. To the above mentioned question, we would add

Who or what do you want to believe most, the Word of the Bible or the sayings of the priest, pastor or preacher of your church?

It is not cultural Christianity that “often suffocated authentic faith and facilitated superficial religion“, but it were those who went with the schism of 313 and the Nicene Creed, preferring to go for a triune god instead of keeping to the God of the Bible. First it was the Roman Catholic Church who ‘suffocated’ the real followers of Christ and even went after them to burn them at the stake. Later the protestants, instead of going back to the Biblical teachings continued in the tradition of the Catholic Church instructing their members the human doctrines instead of Biblical doctrines. They created rules and regulations which are not at all in the Bible. Some of them teach about dispensationalism, by which the seven dispensations and very names of the dispensations are also manufactured. Several protestant churches bring forth a system that contradicts the Scripture.

The System says the age of the Law lasted until the Day of Pentecost. The Bible says the Law and the prophets were until John – not Calvary. Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. {The Scriptures Versus the System}

Many churches also created a hierarchy and gave a special position to their leaders which is not described nor encouraged to have, according to the Scriptures. Some even go so far to place themselves in the place of the Jews, calling themselves the Chosen People of God, then forgetting that the Jews for ever will be the People of God.

Lots of churches do not spend much attention to what is really written in the bible. They seem to forget that divine illumination shall come to those who read the Bible and are willing to listen to God’s Voice. Though this requires are right attitude and our faith in those Sacred Writings. If we believe the Bible is the Word of God, and that the Bible is the ultimate authority over our lives then our eyes shall be opened and we shall come to see and understand what others are telling is according to the bible or not.

We always should trust God more than human beings and should refer to their sayings with the material we can find in the Holy Scriptures.

Theologians may do a lot to have you to believe that you would not be able to understand what is written in the Bible. Those implying that those without a PhD aren’t qualified to speak or write publicly about religion, are misleading the people and are wanting people to believe that God is partial and only wants to give insight to those who are learned. Those people who have gone to a theological college are closing ranks.

“It looks like clericalism… This kind of elitism may be more subtle than language of schisms and wounds and splits, but it has its own unpleasant implications.” {Who is qualified to write theology?}

However, one should know that God does not exclude anyone. Anyone can come to God, and Jehovah God is ready to nurture and provide insight to anyone who is open to receive His Wisdom.

The traditional goal of Christian theology might have been to develop a better understanding of God so that we could think and speak rightly about God within the context of a life governed by our faith in Christ and our discipleship to him in community with other Christians, but already for centuries the study of theology has concentrated more on the many writings of human beings who were priests, bishops or theologians, but only a few hours a week are given to the Word of God.

Under Christendom, politicians mouthed pieties they didn’t believe, and persons attended church for business contacts and socialising. Whilst in those churches those present did not hear so many words from Scripture, but got to hear lots of words written and said by human beings.

Lots of those speaking in church count more on those writers from the past instead of going by the anointed ones from God. They rely on the knowledge of their predecessors without questioning their words or comparing them with what is really in the Bible.

A bible student, Shawna N. writes

Some are so set on their interpretation that to suggest any new insight or different perspective will get you shot down pretty quick usually with scriptures that remind you that only God is God and we are not.

That we are but mere serveants who should not make ourselves out to be more than that. That we should not add or take away from the scriptures, that we should repent etc.etc.etc. and I think it has caused many to retreat and to isolate.

Many believe they have the Bible figured out. That their interpretation of the scriptures is the right interpretation and any challenge of it is to add to it or take away from it or that perhaps you are thinking you are higher than God.

The attitude and saying of certain preachers made people think about their church. This way lots of people left their church for what it is. Many do not attend church anymore, not because they cannot find one that worships the God of the Bible but because they cannot find a church of the Bible.

Shawna N. writes

I believe that it is crucial in studying Gods word to meditate on the scriptures. To slow way down and to meditate on every word in every scripture and to pray for God to help us to understand it .To know that our ways are not His ways our thoughts are not His thoughts .

Many of us grew up being taught that Jesus is going tocome crashing through the sky one day and thatbChristians will just vanish one day though the bible says that we are to Live by Faith Not by Site we are to expect a physical rapture and as long as we do and as long as we expect Jesus to show up in the physical to save the day the day will not be saved Is He not already with us and in us are we not His hands and feet?

Michael Hickenbotham, member of the Church of Jesus Christ for over 65 years the above first mentioned question a good question. He writes

I believe we all, even the most devoted disciples, lean to our own understanding most of the time. The phrase is found in Proverbs 3:5:

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3

Notice that the verse starts with “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart”. If we always do that first, the second part of the verse will take care of itself. Trust or faith in the Lord needs to the primary guiding principle in all the important decisions in our lives.

In order for us not to lean to our own understanding, we need to be influenced by and follow the inspiration of Lord through the Holy Spirit all the time. For most of us, that seems to be more a goal than a commandment.

Not relying on the arm of flesh (Jer. 17:5; 2 Cor. 5:7; 2 Nephi 4:34; D&C 1:19) is another way of saying the same thing.

Benson’s Commentary indicates that we should

“Wholly and securely rely upon God’s wisdom, power, and goodness, and upon his providence and promises, for direction and help in all thine affairs and dangers. Lean not to thine own understanding

— Think

And that thinking is what a lot of people prefer not to do. They expect others to think for them and to take action for them. In many churches we can find lots of passive members, just sitting quiet, following the Sunday service, never reacting to what is said in church by that one who is standing in front or on the pulpit.

Michael Kern, B.A. Applied Linguistics & Biblical Languages, Moody Bible Institute replies affirmative to the question if we should question preachers about the doctrine that is not in the Holy Bible

Absolutely! The pastor’s first and foremost responsibility is to lead his congregation. If he is leading them down the wrong path, then he is failing at his job. Those in positions of great authority are held greatly accountable for their leadership.

I will say this, though: he may be teaching something that is biblical, even if you don’t see it. Some Scriptures are very difficult to interpret, and we have multitudes of different doctrines and denominations to prove it.

Before you challenge your pastor, take the time to research the subject yourself. You may find that he knew what he was talking about. If you find that the subject doesn’t align with Scripture in any way that you can see, then there is a likely chance that he is leading you astray.

If that’s the case, I would advise approaching your pastor one-on-one and asking him how he came to the doctrine in question. Maybe his explanation will make sense, maybe it won’t. Have a discussion with him and try to reach a consensus on the issue regarding what he has been teaching.

If he absolutely refuses to listen to biblical proof that he is wrong, and can provide no satisfactory answer for his teachings, then you move on to the last resort: bring your findings to the elders of the church, and ask them to speak with him. If all else fails, disciplinary action may need to be taken.

Sheryl Powell replies

If they are lovers of truth and they come across scripture that contradict what they have heard something is wrong. Now they may have it wrong and need to be adjusted with proper scriptures. If that is not the case and the ideology of the Pastor is wrong, perhaps it is time to seek love elsewhere.

The Catholic Sister Julie Distel her idea is that

church members of any denomination should free to question, in my opinion. I would suggest questioning in the proper environment – perhaps an appointment – not challenging the preacher during a service!

Now be mindful that some Christian groups, particularly the Catholic Church, has always honored tradition as a valid and rich source for our faith. Many condemn this and will quote Scripture about “no source but the Bible.” That is their belief and God bless them. We believe differently – and God bless us too.

+

Preceding

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

When looking for God or wanting to relate to the Most High Divine God

Rhetoric and Biblical Truth

7 Ways To Become A Better Christian

++

Additional reading

1. Looking to the East and the West for Truth
2. Concern needed for the one who has no questions
3. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
4. Have you also been deceived
5. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
6. Challenging claim 1 Whose word
7. Divine revelation mediated by Moshe and other selected people
8. Vital importance of reading and following the Kitvei Hakodesh
9. Reading to grow and to become wise concerning the most important thing in life 1 Times of reading
10. One of the most important Truths
11. Bible Inspired Word of God
12. Everything from the Bible is useful for humans
13. Importance to read the Bible regularly and gain understanding
14. Bible exceptional Book of books where nothing can be taken away or added
15. Old and newer King James Versions and other translations #1 Pre King James Bible
16. Deep sense of consciousness of the brokenness of our system
17. Face to Face
18. Preparing for the Kingdom
19. Good or bad preacher
20. Looking for a primary cause and a goal that can not offer philosophers existing beliefs
21. An unbridgeable gap
22. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #2
23. Constantine a brutal sociopath getting the believers in a God man on his side and creating a Christian church
24. Mental Enslavement and Sins Syndrome (MESS)
25. Redemption #8 Righteousness by Faith
26. Different wineskins
27. Not many coming out with their community name
28. A strange thing might happen when you come under Christ
29. When seeing a biblically sound church
30. As a small church needing encouragement
31. Invest in Faith working together arm in arm

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Related

1. On Religion
2. Celebrating Christendom’s Demise?
3. The Scriptures Versus the System
4. Who is qualified to write theology?
5. Theology as Discipleship
6. The Shifting Paradigms of the Gospel
7. Father, Holy Spirit, & Son: When the Trinity is Out of Order
8. three times a day
9. what’s in the Bible?
10. The Struggle to Believe the Bible
11. Fitting The Right Pieces
12. Five Reformation Principles
13. In the Midst of Every Plague, God is Still A Mighty Fortress
14. They Dreamed a Dream
15. It is Easier to Change the Local Church than the Bible
16. The Polarizing Effect Of Truth
17. What I Love About the Bible Despite My Misgivings About It.
18. To Show God’s Truthfulness
19. The Christian’s Struggle to Be Good

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

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

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

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

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

At the question:

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

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

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

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

According to Theodore Tsistinas

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

Michael Ballai writes

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew Heady likes to extend the above question and asks

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

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

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

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

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

writes Matthew Heady.

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

Preceding

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

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Many opportunities given by God

Christian denominations as pots in the desert

Having to learn and benefit from other Christian denominations

Preaching as Public Speaking

Maybe it is About Me

Hitler and Christianity: Some Trends in Interpretation

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Additional reading

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

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Related

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

Christian denominations as pots in the desert

Perhaps think of different Christian denominations as pots,
pans and improvised plastic containers,
desperately flung out
into the desert
to try and catch any drops of rain.
~ Milton Jones 

Having to learn and benefit from other Christian denominations

We must all learn and benefit from other Christian denominations,
traditions, and styles of worship
and should not just admire or idolise one particular one in isolation.
If we don’t learn from other traditions, we come insular and narrow.

Charismatic churches dominate on university campuses,
leaving little room for non-charismatics and promoting a narrow, limited, distorted, disproportionate, and false image of Christianity and of what it actually means to be a Christian, especially what it means to be one at university.

~ Ben Somervell ‘Come, just as you are to worship’

Preaching as Public Speaking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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To remember

• preaching = divine task + form of public speaking
• preaching involves spiritual dynamics + oratory skills = technical aspect of preaching < form of public speaking => skills revolving around use + proper utilization + creative use of voice, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures + movements.
• no methodology holy
• Only written words of God in Bible are holy

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Preceding articles

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

To proclaim the day of vengeance

What makes you following Christ and Facebook Groups

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Additional reading

1. The business of this life
2. The task given to us to love each other
3. Parish, local church community – Parochie, plaatselijke kerkgemeenschap
4. People who know how to pray to move God to take hold of our affairs in a mighty way
5. Pulpit reserved for the pastor
6. Notification and news feed for Facebook users
7. Bring praise to the Creator
8. The essence of church

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Further reading

1. Why are Christians so nosey about other peoples affairs
2. What, we agree? Compatible issues in a disagreeable world
3. Is a Religious War in Europe Imminent?
4. Bias, and Disagreeing with Something
5. Can we not be civil and simply disagree?
6. “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give”
7. Are you ready for this?
8. You Summon and Send Us, three prayers based on Matthew 10
9. Bearing Witness
10. On the Power of Hospitality…
11. “When I Could Stand it No Longer….”
12. Being A Witness for Christ
13. Proclaim
14. Politics and Preaching
15. Good enough for ministry?
16. What builds the Church?
17. Back to Baby Steps
18. Book Blurb: Biblical Preaching
19. 3 Steps to Make the Message Stick
20. 5 Lessons from the Mission Field
21. Owen on Preaching, Sinclair on Children and Christ
22. Speech
23. Finding My Voice
24. The Foolishness of Preaching
25. Jonah — Belief Contradicted by Behavior! (Part 3)
26. Calvin: Ministers Ought Not to Steal
27. J.C. Ryle on “Jelly-Fish” Sermons
28. Unfurling the Word
29. Let’s keep our message offensive
30. Let’s keep our message offensive, part two
31. Preaching to the Late Modern Mind: Five Cultural Narratives to Know
32. Preparing to Preach
33. Preaching and Faithfulness
34. The Courage to Preach
35. Pastoral Theology
36. Reflections
37. Care for Others
38. Faithful Congregations Share the Good News
39. Charles Spurgeon on Spiritual Gleaning
40. The Dispensation of Grace
41. Stirring the Pot with Grace…
42. Psalm 64:9 Pondering God’s Work
43. How to Have a Successful Ministry

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• Muslim radio host says gay people have a right to be angry at Islam: “Don’t try and tell me that our religion doesn’t have a history of homophobia”
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• It makes no sense to compare religious majoritarianism in India and Pakistan – Publications – AEI
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• You may not understand His plans, but the results will prove that His way is right

Worship and the Christian Life

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

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

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

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

View original post 1,674 more words

Many opportunities given by God

I often did not have it easy in my life. Certain choices also made it that I got myself in more trouble than if I would have followed the mainstream.

Career Opportunities (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First there was the choice of my profession. Having being brought up in the Old Roman Catholic church, having been an acolyte, wanting to be working for God, becoming a priest was a first option, but then I was not allowed to marry, and I loved to much women. I also loved very much musicals and wanted to be an artist, able to sing and dance. when I asked to study that I got a slap in my face and was told I could better become a garbage man than an artist. In secret I started lessons and worked in my spare time to pay for the study. It was a good thing about that time time Europe had to build itself up again and had to find its way to restore from the horror of wars and the political systems which brought Europe unto the swamp.

Being so much interested in God, having had to learn the Catechism, comparing to what was written in the Scriptures I soon found out that the Catholic Faith (be it the Roman, Charismatic or Orthodox) was not according to Biblical teachings. This made it again difficult for my parents and me, creating a conflict on theological matters now. After some church shopping, having looked at different protestant denominations, I chose for a non-trinitarian church (the Baptist Church at that time and when the Baptists moved more to Trinitarianism I, like thousands of my brethren and sisters chose for an other non-trinitarian group: the Christadelphians)

Concerned about the world I also stood on the barricades in 1968, hoping for a better world. Becoming a dancer I also more than once had to face the difficulties of my body which also more than once was pushed in the corner by accidents or by my autoimmune illness. Continually I had to prove myself and found that I had to restart my life again. Later the children sometimes asked “Why did you do not that?”  or asked “Why did you not get that role?” or “Why did he got that position instead of you?”. It looked strange for them that I made certain ethical choices and did not want to do certain things to get a certain position. At the end of the trail, now being retired I do not have to shame myself for everything I did. And looking back on my career I must confess that I have really being blessed, being able my whole life to do what I loved to do and having been able to refuse several jobs because I did not like them or did not find them appropriate for a Christian to do (or did not want to do what they hoped for, for giving me that role or position).

In the end I can see how I was blessed and how there was an Incredible Strong Hand that pushed me in certain directions or got me up again when I was in the trenches. I was very lucky to have done fantastic work and having worked with fantastic people, international stars as well as with incredible people who, like me would only be known by their stage name or be forgotten soon.

Under this (official civil name) name I am writing I often was bullied because I did not hesitate to say my opinion or to speak about my faith which was not according to the main Christian majority. Once more I felt the Strong Hand of God, Who guided me and gave me further insight.

We may encounter lots of moments of darkness in our life, but by the sun-rays which brake the darkness we should come to see the better end of it. I had some horrible experiences in my life, which I would not wish any body would have such ones. But they helped me to help others and they also helped me to become strengthened or to know I was on the right way to show others how they have to behave or not have to behave. (For one incident: Though I never know what happened to a gang of seven that once attacked me with a knife in Chiswick Park, I do know I came out alive of it by keeping calm and trusting God.)

Over the years I also came to see how God uses the different elements/groups or denominations in Christendom to bring people from those different parts of the Body of Christ together in unity with Christ. Though for some it might take many years. But God is patient and we as Christians should also be patient with those we want to bring to Christ, getting them to believe that Jesus is the Way to God and not God himself.

In the meantime God is also helping others of different faith to build up a life, so that they too shall come to see how God helps them in their life.

Today I also want to bring an other case than myself to attention.

On the net you may find a blog which

“is a testimony of God’s goodness, protection and guidance over me and my family.” {Surpises: Bad news turned to Good!}

it’s from a person who is been working with for almost all of her tenure in the financial industry. She writes

Surprisingly, we lost the bid! Another bigger company took over the account, leaving our company with a devastating, disappointing news. {Surpises: Bad news turned to Good!}

She confidently,  was not affected by the bad news and is convinced that

God has gone ahead of this scene, He knew it would come. And He knew, that I would be the very first one to feel fearful among all my colleagues. Why? I have all the reasons why, I am not as competitive as they are – being in the sales industry, my achievements were not at par as what my colleagues had produced. I would be in the bottom list, definitely! {Surpises: Bad news turned to Good!}

Like I had certain feelings in my life the author of that blog also has the feeling God assured me of the things that may come to pass. She writes

Last year, the Lord has been very busy preparing me and my husband with so many things, including the planning and executions.

We have gone to the most “thriftiest” way we can save money, He gave us a house , He brought the desire of going back home, instead. He gave a new sustainable job for my husband, He increased our commission in ways that we can finish all our goals for 2016. And finally we come up to an answer, that hey, I will finish my job this March 2017. {Surpises: Bad news turned to Good!}

Please do read more about her experiences and her telling about their family’s life circumstances

We all had a fair share of life circumstances. 2014, we lost our dad due to cancer, my husband lost his lolo due to old age, we had 2 series of unemployments and some financial problems. 2015, it’s like the continuation of 2014, consoling our mom during our mourning season, separation and long-distance childcare, 1 unemployment and financial struggle. 2016, was a good year, God restored all that we wanted to pursue, those that we missed, savings goals, dreams, home acquisition, clearer goals and more. 2017, is still uncertain, we have expectations and even before we embark to this year, God already had confirmations of what to expect and we are excited with that.
Through it all, there is one important thing that God wants us to inhabit in our hearts, it is about “gratefulness”. {New Perspective: Gratefulness and Thankfulness}

And find that

we would learn how to cultivate a life of gratefulness and thankfulness. Learning to appreaciate every season in our lives, that we will not give up on ourselves because God never did, and even if there are some struggles and life- circumstances – God is always there so inclined and willing to help and guide us.

In all things, give God praise, not only for the gifts that He gives, but because we understand that He is the source of all things. Our giver and our Father. Learn to be grateful even in the little, so when the big one comes, we will be more grateful. 🙂
Be thankful, always! {New Perspective: Gratefulness and Thankfulness}

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Find the articles

• New Perspective: Gratefulness and Thankfulness
• Surpises: Bad news turned to Good!

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Preceding

What would you do if…?

Just be yourself…

Winter and Spring wonders of nature showing the Master’s Hand

Echo

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Additional reading

1. The Question is this…
2. Struggles of life

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Further reading

1. Under His Wings Part One
2. Day 36: Living above reproach
3. Dying to Live
4. Bad Habits
5. Life is Hard only half of the Truth
6. Of Gifts and Grace and Immeasurably More
7. – Laying Hold of the Hope –
8. How to Live When this World Seems in Chaos (Part 3)
9. Suffering, part 5; Mixed Bags
10. Treasures of the Heart
11. Seen Another Way
12. Do People Still Do Thanksgiving???
13. Happy Thanksgiving 2016
14. Just Thankful: My #24
15. a Thanksgiving meditation
16. A Thankful Heart at Year’s End 2016
17. When 2017 doesn’t look like you thought
18. Give & Take Away
19. Testimony Tuesday
20. goodness precedes knowledge in Christianity/ in the faith
21. Thank You
22. I See, God Is Good
23. God is good, in all the timing
24. God’s Goodness vs Seeking Safety
25. Only Goodness
26. Greatness in You
27. The Naked Truth
28. The Faultfinder
29. God’s goodness and Promises – By Laurence Torr
30. Praise The Lord For His Goodness
31. Just What I Needed
32. good
33. Today’s walk
34. God’s recycling program
35. The Battle Is Real
36. Creation reveals God’s goodness
37. If God guides, He will provide
38. When God Moved a Mountain
39. R.A. Torrey: Soul Winner
40. Fruit of the Spirit!

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Maybe it is About Me

We may find lots of denominations in the world which have churches full of life but also with churches which are like deadly silence and not bringing forth fruitful seeds.

All people should know it is not a group thing but a matter of personal growth and personal relationship with God. Without knowing God ourselves we cannot convince others about Him. We need first to know the person of God, Who He is, what His character is like, before we can go out and convince others of This marvellous Supreme Being.

*

Today we have a look at Rebecca Preston her life and experience. From the time she was a young child she had already a sense of God’s presence in her life which was strong.

Even at that early age, I was convinced God was near me and heard me as I spoke to Him.

she writes.

We can imagine that her journey in the faith has been like many others, up and down, and that when she moved places she once again had to find a church where she could find herself at ease. Probably she like many of us had to search for a place where the love of Christ could be felt and where there were enough people willing to give help to another for enabling each person in that community to grow in the faith and to make every person

“to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to the personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship.”  (William A. Barry and William J. Connolly) {Spiritual Direction}

For her

After a time of disinterest in Junior High, the way to God again opened up clearly as I became involved in the Youth for Christ movement.”

Wanting to go to a Christian College, but also not wanting to stir up disagreements within the family, she went to school for Nursing and became a nurse for a short time.

I soon discovered that I was not well suited to that role.  I left and became a full time mom and housewife, picking up odd jobs along the way.  But my desire often turned towards learning, and the craving to know more about how God moves among His people in our day. {About Rebecca Preston}

When God calls some one the voice may be stronger than the voices in this commercial materialistic world. Her desire often turned towards learning, and the craving to know more about how God moves among His people in our day took her and when her youngest was sent off to college, she also returned to school, finishing her BA.  Soon after, she entered into Biblical Theological Seminary. She came to earn a certificate from Karios School of Spiritual Formation.

We go back with her about a decade ago, when her husband and she started at a new church, had a meeting with the pastor and during the exchange, the pastor said to them something that was at the heart of that church’s mission.

A-9 oxygen mask with B-6 winter helmet, WW2 vintage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recently, she took a trip across the country and got to look up as the oxygen mask portion of the announcement was on and suddenly got struck with the message that she cannot be really useful to anybody until after she puts the mask on myself first.

We too should take notice of that warning which accounts also for the message for life, for our relationship with God.

• not useful to anybody until God = top priority.
•  love for God = key to everything
• need to spend time with God
• practising silence with God

 

• God of the Old Testament = same God that Jesus loved and called Father
• need to make memories with God
• need to respond to his love for us.
• as the oxygen mask helps to remain focused + alert => love of God leads to authentic and lasting usefulness for the Kingdom of Heaven.

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Gardens of the Soul

About a decade ago, my husband and I started at a new church. As was our custom, we asked for a meeting with the pastor.  The pastor came to our house and we had a delightful conversation about this new church, a church like we had never attended before.  During the exchange, the pastor said to us something that was at the heart of this church’s mission.  He said, “After all, it is not about us.”  We nodded in agreement.

But as time has gone on, I’ve begun to chaff a little at this statement.  It doesn’t sit as well as it once did.

Recently, I took a trip across the country.  I just may have gotten to the place where I don’t pay much attention to the safety demonstrations that occurs on every airplane flight.  These days when I am seated, I quickly notice my proximity to the exits…

View original post 932 more words

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Living in a multicultural environment, in a democratic capitalist world, you may wonder how much freedom of speech and freedom of religion people are willing to give to each other.

U.S Postage Stamp, 1957 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In our world which says it is a free democratic world you would expect religious freedom to be a fundamental right. It might well be recognised by international human rights documents, and one which is integral to our human dignity, but that does not mean yet that people are so open minded they accept other’s people way of thinking and certainly not their sort of faith. In our surroundings the countries may enable its citizens to live in accordance with deeply held values and beliefs about what it means to be human, but by the different population groups we encounter often those who only are prepared to have their way of thinking, their faith, to be the one to be the main value and to which everybody has to adapt to. For sure that can not be called an open mind.

The exclusion of other Christians can be felt mostly by evangelicals, especially pentecostal new-born Christians. They shall in many cases fiercely react against non-trinitarian Christians, even would deny their right to call themselves Christians. Strangely enough by those evangelicals who call for unity under Christians and say we should come to religious freedom, we find many who oppose Muslims or people belonging to an other religion than their Christendom. Are those who are calling for religious freedom accepting the theists (those who accept a or the godhead exist) and atheists who belief that he doesn’t

(glossing over wrinkles in which god we may be talking about…). {Does not believing result in belief?}

Often we do find they close the doors for such other believing people, instead of trying to go into conversation talking about the differences in belief. Often they complain that their faith is threatened by all the immigrants and by the many converts to Islam. They also often complain that the other groups seemingly have little understanding of, or respect for, the rights of their religious communities to maintain the religious identity of their organisations, but often it are they themselves who oppose the religious laws like halal and kosher food or religious killing of animals without sedatives. In Belgium we can clearly see this with the opposition against the slaughter of sheep for the Jews and Muslims.

In Australia some may call to withdraw all government funds from organisations that ‘discriminate’, but often they do not see in own bosom, often bringing wrong and discriminating messages over other believers.

As Babamboga from Nairobi,Kenya, writes:

Christians at time are so side blinded they believe that the only way is Jesus Christ and anything else is going to hell including Muslims and the Buddhists and if go further on some a bit open minded Christians will say that Allah is the same God but does that mean anyone worshipping Buddha or Seth are already sinners but really is that their problem. It is like judging people who grew up knowing Santa Claus exists, is it really their problem that they believe such old folk tales are real? And oftenly in most of those movies it is faith that ensures these fairy tale super heroes are still alive. {Oh, My brother testify.}

This person is right to remind people what is written in the Bible were God is letting the world know that

there will be prophets who will spread his word

and that it doesn’t necessarily have to be pastors who give wrong renditions of the Bible based on their useless understanding of the word. Too many people still give too much preference to those theologian writings instead of clinging to the Bible Words, of which we are told that they are the Words of God.

In Belgium, the last thirty years, church attendance became minimal whilst the attendance at mosques grew intensively. We do agree that in our juridical system only the recognised religions agreeing with the council shall have their priests, pastors, rabbi‘s or imams paid by the government, but that did not withdraw many who believe in only One God to go out and preach and to attract those Christians who got muddled up by the many human doctrines.

By those monotheist believers we do find the non-trinitarian Christians who are outnumbered by the many different non-recognised or non-official or not Islam council associated Muslims, who often get together in packed garage mosques.

At the same time we do find several fanatic fundamentalist Christians who bring in hell for everything they can. They come up with saying that the Bible actually condemns some behaviour and wonder how the church will outright give justice to drunkards and prostitutes.

… yet in the bible itself, mind you in the new testament, weren’t prostitutes part of His plans, weren’t thieves there too…. {Oh, My brother testify.}

Those who call themselves Christian should come to see the difference between Christendom and Christianity and should distance themselves from human doctrines, looking for Biblical truth there where it is to find, in the Bible itself.

Some Christians are so into their religion and they fail to see when pastors apply simple mind games of the interpretation and soon a whole congregation enjoys in the feasting of snakes and you wonder has it really got to the point that if I do a couple of acted miracles and tell people the Lord wants us to eat sinners you will all follow. {Oh, My brother testify.}

In our surroundings where, this way, we do find many who fled from the Catholic and other Christian denominations to find a stronghold by Muslims, it is important that followers of Christ take up the Bible and perhaps also the Quran to show others where it went wrong in Christendom and what is really written in the Holy Books and how our society should come to the Abrahamic faith.

When there is an open mind and freedom of religion, each faith-group, monotheist, unitarian or trinitarian, or having a whole bunch of gods to worship, should have the same rights to be there and to speak out.

That outspokenness we not often enough do find by Christians. Many of them just keep their beliefs for their own and do not dare to speak about it with others.

The agnostic is saying that they don’t think there is a way to transform a belief about god’s existence into knowledge. But they could still hold a belief on the matter. You could be an agnostic atheist, or, for that matter, an agnostic theist. {Does not believing result in belief?}

For many the issue of a god has become so complicated by theologians and philosophers

that we think it is some totally different concept that we can treat differently. Maybe people just don’t want to take a stand, they’re too unsure or don’t want to offend. {Does not believing result in belief?}

The one who really believes in the One True God, need not to be afraid to express his opinion. He has good reason to let others know what he believes.

Many would say

Of course there is no chance of “proving” God by strict logical syllogisms (but can we prove anything outside of mathematics this way?) Every logician knows that there’s nothing in the conclusion that is not already latent in the premises. But neither is this inability any proof that such a being as God does not or cannot exist. You may as well say that since I cannot prove to you whether life exists on other planets by sheer argument it therefore cannot exist. An unprovable proposition is not any more false (or true) simply because it cannot be proven. {Pascal’s Possibility}

We have the Book of books to give us an idea of the nature of the Most High Divine Being. For some it seems manifestly impossible to prove an image of God,

formed by a haphazard, subconscious blending of our moral intuitions and deepest wishes, it is not simply a figment of our imagination {Pascal’s Possibility}

The real believer knows exactly it is not just some imagination and wants others to know it. It is like you found something incredible or you ‘invented’ something extraordinary. You cannot be quiet about it.

Some might think the fact that the ideal is too good to be really possible.
But

It is a trick of the mind to think that the goodness of a thing counts as positive proof against its existence. You may as well be lying on the beach and say the sun feels too good to exist. {Pascal’s Possibility}

Encountering so many people today who laugh at the saying that there would be a god Who created everything and Who is so good that He has a Plan that will bring eternal life and peace for many, there is reason enough to tell them that the question about such a God existing has nothing to do with if logic proves it

… logic either does, or does not, make such a God’s existence possible. {Pascal’s Possibility}

But we should listen to our inner being and look around ourselves. We also should not be afraid not to claim absolute demonstrable knowledge, but “reasonable belief”. And that “reasonable belief” should be founded deep in our heart and fed by a thorough knowledge of the Bible.

From somewhere we received the Good News and came into the faith. Now it’s up to us to share it wherever we are. We now should come to the conclusion that it is marvellous that we came into the faith to become children of God. Knowing and accepting the Divine Creator as our heavenly Father to Whom we own everything, we also do know that it is a privilege and a responsibility that God gives to us to go and speak others about His wonderworks.

When we came into the faith we wanted to become part of the Body of Christ, the church, and one of the highest things that you can do in the church, is to be an active member willing to share the truth. For sharing that truth we do not have to give a theological or biblical lecture and we do not have to have a theological education (though it might help, but could also distract, because most theological colleges are formed from one or the other denomination and focussing more on the worldly writings than on the Bible itself.)

What the community of faith demands of their members is an openness to others and words that can make the community grow. Though it is also not bad to have words which will remind those in community of how the world really is now. Therefore we too are looking for writers who are willing to share how the world is evolving. What happens around us may not let us be untouched. We have to notice it and should react accordingly how that God would like us to behave in such surroundings.

When looking at this reality of the world we are living in we can show the difference of this world with the different world in God’s Plan. Writing about it or preaching we can become preachers exposing the lies that are driving people’s lives,

ripping them to shreds, sapping them of strength and energy. {10 Years of Preaching, 10 Lessons: Lesson 1}

A ‘Lead Pastor’ from Bloom in Denver believes preaching is

standing up in a tradition that reaches back to Moses and Isaiah and finds its consummation and climax in Jesus of Nazareth and saying, “The reign of God is here. Change your mind, and believe yourself into this shocking good news.” {10 Years of Preaching, 10 Lessons: Lesson 1}

It is following up the task Jesus has give to his disciples, to go out into the world to tell about that Good News. We have to come to understand that we are messengers called to this –

to employing all of the resources our speech to construct alternative modes of understanding for the people of God so that they can leave every dehumanizing Egypt and Babylon they find themselves in. Week after week, we summon them saying, It is time to go home! {10 Years of Preaching, 10 Lessons: Lesson 1}

It is not by praying often out loud, while driving down the road, for all to see, listening to a lot of Christian music with sometimes cheesy, weird beats and no cuss words, letting yourself be seen at the church-building and certainly not by going to church and

worship a man named Jesus who you may believe has saved the world by dying and coming back to life. {Why Being A Christian Isn’t Cool}

that you will find the way back home and would bring others to home-base. But when you keep to the words as they are written in the Bible and to a honest form of worship, without all the cirque and circumstance, concentrating on the truth instead of letting yourself and others be diverted by entertainment, you shall be able to go together with other devoted people on the right path. And, yes, that way you perhaps have lesser people in your congregation and would not be able to build a mega church, but better to have a good quality church than a quantity church.

We, who label ourselves as “Christians” need to re-focus.  We need to speak the truth, even when it hurts.  We need to replace the luke warm water in our mouths with hot sauce baby, confidently sharing God’s peace, grace and power.   {Why Being A Christian Isn’t Cool}

We should not have fear, like the apostles, when Jesus was caught, where very much afraid to let others know they were with Jesus. After he died and raised from the dead they even did hide in houses. We should not hide ourselves in our house, but go out, like the apostles did after they received the Holy Spirit.

We as Christians should be baptised with water but also with Holy Spirit and be encouraged to speak. Opening our heart to God we can let God’s Spirit enlighten us and guide us on our way. Trusting Him using His Word as our backbone we shall be able to enter many sorts of gates of this world, which is in the hands of ‘Satan,’ the adversary of God who more than once shall try to question you about the existence of that One God.

When questioned about God, what we belief and be tested, let us never compromise the truth ourselves for anything or anyone. We always do have to be carefully how we treat the Word of God. It is sacrilegious. That Holy Word we should sincerely seriously investigate and reflect on ourselves and those around us. When we want to tell others about that word we sincerely honestly should show the facts of it, showing that it presents good but also bad in all people, even in men of God. Bring the gospel-message we should dare to show good and bad of all and that we dare to let others see the brutal forces or battles which took place in the past. We may not present it as if everything is moonshine but also never may be guilty of turning the sweet gospel into something sour by our own surliness.

If we do, we might cause the hearer to turn away from God wincing instead of turning to him rejoicing. {Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Preaching (3)}

We also should remember that we

Don’t Have to Be Vicious with Truth to Be Strong for Truth {Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Preaching (3)}

We may not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths. Our ordinary speech should be  always with grace and as a sacrifice.

Col 4:6 RNKJV  Let your speech be always with favour, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Col 3:8 RNKJV  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Eph 4:24 RNKJV  And that ye put on the new man, which after Elohim is created in righteousness and true holiness.

It is a vain effort to try to exorcise the evil only. Character is not a negation. Having put on the new self by our baptism we should be proud to show to others that renewed body which is created in God’s likeness and let it reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.

By saying

You have learned the Christ

the apostle Paul puts the members of the ecclesia their faith upon a high level; it is the faith of approved disciples in Christ’s school. For such men the “philosophy and vain deceit” of Colossae and the plausibilities of the new “scheme of error” will have no charm.

Also for us who want to go out in the world to bring the Word of God to as many as we can, we should be so pleased that we have found the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in Christ, that we want to share that treasure with as many as we can, because we do want to have the love of Christ also in our heart and bring the fire unto those around us.

Therefore also in trying to reach others we do not want to use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what we say will do good to those who hear us.

Eph 4:29-32 RNKJV  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister favour unto the hearers.  (30)  And grieve not the holy Spirit of YHWH, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  (31)  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  (32)  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as YHWH for the Messiah’s sake hath forgiven you.

 

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Preceding articles:

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

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 ?

 

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Find also:

1. Religious Freedom in a Multicultural World conference, 25 Sep 2015
2. Freedom for faith
3. Hope by faith and free gift
4. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
5. Atonement And Fellowship 4/8
6. Bible in the first place #2/3
7. Bible in the first place #3/3
8. The Bible and names in it; Proclaiming the Name of The One and Only Who Is and has EverBeen
9. Necessary to be known all over the earth
10. Necessity of a revelation of creation 10 Instructions for insight and wisdom
11. Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
12. Reasons to come together
13. The Right One to follow and to worship
14. Fools despise wisdom and instruction
15. Those who love Jesus
16. Risen With Him
17. What is preaching to me… and what it is for others.
18. Are You Afraid To Witness?
19. Science, 2013 word of the year, and Scepticism
20. 34th World Congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)
21. See God’s wonderworks and hear His Voice
22. Faith related boycotts
23. European Parliament stands for human dignity
24. Inequality, Injustice, Sustainability and the Free World Charter
25. Texts, writers, accesibility and willingness
26. Journal for and from bothered citizens
27. Couple Ordered to Stop Holding Bible Study at Home Without Permit
28. A small circle taking a nation hostage
29. Being Charlie 2
30. Lack of religious freedom South Sudan
31. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
32. 2014 Religion
33. Stepping Toes 2014 in review
34. Blow to legitimacy of the capitalist system
35. Anti-Semitism ‘on the rise’ in Europe
36. Israel, Fitting the Plan when people allow it
37. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
38. Migrants to the West #2
39. Migrants to the West #3
40. Migrants to the West #10 Religious freedom
41. Freely & fairly
42. Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians
43. Democratic principles for church
44. Manifests for believers #5 Christian Union
45. Mormons, just an other faith
46. Driscoll not wished as a guest at 2015 Hillsong Conference
47. Vatican lifts ban on married priests for Eastern Catholic churches in US, Canada, Australia
48. Anti-Semitic incidents in Australia in 2012 highest ever on record
49. In a world which knows no peace sharing blessed hope
50. A beginning with many false starts
51. Church sent into the world
52. Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
53. Two new encyclopaedic articles
54. Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian
55. Using the name Jehovah but not a witness of that name
56. To remove the whitewash of the Jehovah Witnesses as being the only true Bible Students and Bible Researchers
57. Not many coming out with their community name
58. Let us make sure we are not stiff-necked
59. Christadelphian Auxiliary Lecturing Society in changed times
60. Dissolution of Bijbelvorsers (Bible scholars), Association for Bible study
61. Counting sands and stars
62. Dealing with worries in our lives
63. Sunday 7 September service: Imitate prophets and Paul
64. A man from the North wanting to have control in Belgium
65. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #2 Witnessing
66. First Century of Christianity
67. Breathing to teach
68. Words to push and pull
69. Good or bad preacher
70. Caricaturing and disapproving sceptics, religious critics and figured out ethics
71. A true sermon is a real deed.
72. What Should I Preach ?
73. Truth, doubt or blindness
74. Preachers should know and continue the task Jesus has given his followers
75. How to Choose a Bible for Preaching
76. Looking for True Spirituality 7 Preaching of the Good News
77. Missionary action paradigm for all endeavours of the church
78. A new school-, academic and church year
79. Kill the messenger
80. Biblereading statue
81. Record breaking preaching in Mount Dora
82. Many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus
83. Parish, local church community – Parochie, plaatselijke kerkgemeenschap
84. Not all ability to preach

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Further reading:

• Freedom of Religion
• Freedom of religion …. Is under assault and dying
• Bill of Rights’ Most Important Liberty: Religion
• A Discussion on the wall of separation of Church and State
• Freedom of Religion: First Amendment Defense Act
• Do we read — or read into — the First Amendment?
• Senator Baldwin: 1st Amendment Doesn’t Apply to Individuals
• All Americans Are Equal. But Some Are More Equal Than Others.
• We Are All Intolerant And It Can Be A Great Thing So Let’s Be Honest About It
• America Celebrates Independence Day by Persecuting Christians
• Presidential Candidates 2016 Views: Which ones are Socialistic?
• Thank goodness we let these guys control the US history curriculum
• House of Lords: freedom of religion
• In Reason We Trust
• Fox News Hyperbole – Is Christianity Under Attack
• New ECSR decision on conscience-based refusals protects women’s right to access abortion
• The Body of Christ is Critical
• Religious Freedom in a Multicultural World conference, 25 Sep 2015
• Religious Freedom in a Multicultural World
• Freedom 4 Faith
• Gospel Teachings: Be Defenders of Religious Freedom
• Religious Tolerance, Made in America
• Is Our Legal System Based on the Ten Commandments?
• The wall of separation between church and state. A Limerick.
• Calling out the media
• Our Unbridled Freedom Will Lead To Our Ultimate Destruction
• Heritage Foundation Plan of Action: Defend Family, First Amendment Freedoms
• Moral Support: Plan of Action to defend First Amendment Freedoms
• Criminalizing Christianity
• Democrats’ “Equality Act” will threaten religious liberty in all 50 states
• Transforming Society
• You Wont Believe What Kentucky Just Forced Pastors To Do… I Warned You This Was Coming….
• Double-standards on anti-religious art
• Tax Them All! – Why Stripping All “Religious” Groups of Tax Benefits is a Great Idea (and in line with the Bill of Rights)
• Kentucky bans pastor from prison ministry because he disagrees with homosexuality
• China Propaganda Machine Defends Role of Government in Death of Tibetan Monk
• China jails five cult members in northeast province: Xinhua
• Miss World contestant puts pageant chances on the line to testify to US Congress about China’s human rights
• Why I Believe in God
• As We Go Through the World
• Oh, My brother testify.
• How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian
• We are Agents for Expanding God’s Kingdom on Earth
• Dealing with my prejudices!
• Sow The Word
• Is This What You Face Whenever You Preach? You Should!
• Preaching Christ Is Not Enough
• For Preachers and Bible Teachers: Make Sure The Work Of The Scripture Is Completed In Your Own Hearts
• The fights we have to fight
• Bulldozer spirituality
• Is preaching passe?
• Preaching to the Reader
• 10 Years of Preaching, 10 Lessons: Lesson 2
• Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Preaching (3)
• Quick Quotes: 25 Quotes from “Preaching” by Tim Keller
• The earnestness of preaching
• Tim Keller on the case for (usually) doing expository preaching

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Related articles

• Religious tolerance in the U.A.E. (eastidahonews.com)
• US gov’t commission condemns the draconian prison sentencing of 18 Ethiopian Muslim leaders (ethiopiaobservatory.com)
• The Decline – and Fall? – of Religious Freedom in America (stream.org)
• Dumb Kentucky Clerk Sues For Religious Freedom To Suck At Her Job (wonkette.com)
• U.S. and Sudanese diplomats discuss religious freedoms (sudantribune.com)
• US Congressional Executive Committee Holds Hearing on Religious Freedom in Tibet and China (voatibetanenglish.com)
• -Summing Up the Assault on RFRA’s and Freedom of Religion in America (answersforthefaith.com)
• Vatican Very Concerned About the 1500-year-old Bible Which Was Found in Turkey (lunaticoutpost.com)
• Secrets Of the Extreme Religious Right: Inside the Frightening World Of Christian Reconstructionism (unreportedtoday.com)
• Hong Kong – China – Hong Kong cardinals, Catholics and Protestants denounce the sufferings of Zhejiang crosses (asianews.it)