Learning From Trees

The Little Mermaid

“There is a lot to learn from trees: their graceful free spirit when they fluidly sway in the breeze, their munificence when they open-heartedly give us shade and sustenance, their dauntlessness in the wildest and most tumultuous of storms, their endurance during a scathing drought and, in particular, their forbearance when we go about destroying them without a second thought.”

-The Little Mermaid, MMXVIII

Copyrights © 2016 The Little Mermaid. All Rights Reserved

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Signs of the times – As the Day approaches

“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:
and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time” (Daniel 12:1).

The snippets below reflect upon signs of the times to inform and give warning of the trials and dangers to believers in this “time of trouble.”
Let us be aware of the growing threat to our faithful “endurance to the end,” that we might prepare ourselves to act and respond wisely when tempted or confronted.

Americans Have Little Confidence in Religion, Congress, and the News Media:

Gallup first conducted their “Confidence in Institutions” poll in 1973. Americans have very little confidence in organized religion, Congress or news from the TV, Internet, or newspapers, according to the latest Confidence in Institutions poll. Only 38% of Americans said that they had a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the church or organized religion. Conservatives and Republicans showed more confidence with 52% and 48% confidence respectively. Liberals and Democrats showed less confidence with 31% of Democrats and 21% of liberals expressing confidence. From 1973 to 1985, American confidence in organized religion was higher than confidence in any other institution at above 60%. A sharp fall in confidence in organized religion (down to 45%) was recorded in 2002 when an expose was published by the Boston Globe revealing that Catholic Church leaders had been aware of serial sex abuse by priests and didn’t take strong action.

Confidence in Congress has consistently been relatively low and this year that trend continued with only 11% of Americans expressing a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in Congress. Confidence in newspapers also ranked low in 2019, with only 23% of Americans expressing a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in print media. Only 20% expressed confidence in TV news, and only 16% expressed confidence in Internet news.
The criminal justice system and big business also have low-confidence ratings, with only 24% of respondents expressing confidence in the criminal justice system and 23% of respondents expressing confidence in big business. Americans expressed the strongest level of confidence in the military (73%), small business (68%) and police (53%), continuing a trend of majority levels of confidence in those three institutions for the past two decades.

Jerusalem Post, July 14, 2019 Comment:

This loss of confidence is but another confirmation that we are living in the time of the end. As Jesus prophesied,

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars [governmental authority; ecclesiastical authority; princes / governors] and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves [the people and nations in rebellion] roaring (Luke 21:25).

Giant Statue of Molech Now Sits at the Entrance to the Colosseum in Rome –

A gigantic statue of a pagan Canaanite deity known as “Molech” has been erected at the entrance to the Colosseum. In ancient times, those that served Molech would sacrifice their children to him. Now a massive statue of this pagan idol is the centerpiece of a new “archaeological exhibition” at the Roman Colosseum (the same Colosseum where countless numbers of Christians were martyred for their faith). What makes this even more shocking is that the Colosseum is controlled by the Vatican. The large-scale exhibition, titled Carthago: The immortal myth, runs until March 29, 2020.

The statue of Moloch was erected nine days prior to the opening of the Amazon Synod, which was plagued with controversy from the beginning after a ceremony in the Vatican Gardens involving the pagan goddess “Pachamama” was held in the presence of Pope Francis and top-ranking prelates.

People bow to Pachamama during pagan rite in Vatican Gardens prior to opening of Amazon Synod, Oct. 4, 2019.

In the ceremony, participants prostrated themselves before wooden statuettes of the fertility goddess indigenous to South America. The statuettes were kept as part of an exhibit in the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina until they were thrown into the Tiber by Austrian Catholic Alexander Tschugguel on Oct. 21. Afterward, one copy of the mass-produced figures was kept in the church.

The pagan god Moloch next to an exhibition board in the Colosseum, Rome, September 27, 2019, placed in that prime spot so that everyone that entered into the Colosseum had to pass it. The image of Moloch is modeled on a representation of the child-devouring demon found in the 1914 Italian silent film Cabiria. In the film the idol of Moloch, set up in a Punic temple, has a giant bronze furnace in his chest, into which hundreds of children are thrown. Cabiria, the heroine of the film, is threatened with this fiery fate.

Some Catholics are distressed that the pagan god Moloch has been erected at the entrance to the Colosseum, which is one of many amphitheatres where Christians were tortured and executed for the entertainment of the pagan crowds.

“It was like they put Moloch there to mock the sacred place where the holy martyrs spilled their blood for the True Faith!”

The following comment from Breaking Israel News(11-7-2019) reads,

“There is no way that such a thing could be done without permission from the highest levels of the Vatican. The Colosseum of Rome is owned by the Vatican, specifically the Diocese of Rome, also called the Holy See. If anyone wants to do anything there, they must get permission from the office of the Diocese of Rome. This exhibition, called ‘Cathargo: the immortal myth’ could not be held there unless permission was granted at high levels.”

In Jeremiah 32:35 we are told that the people of Israel began worshipping Molech as they fell away from the Lord, And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech;

which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

In Leviticus 18:21, the people of Israel are specifically warned against sacrificing their children to this idol,

And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord

Over the past few years, there seems to have been a concerted effort to put up symbols from ancient pagan religions in key locations all over the globe. This includes erecting the “arch of Baal” in both Washington D.C. and New York City in 2016.

The original Arch of Palmyra in Syria was the ancient arched entrance to the Temple of Baal. It was destroyed in 2015- by ISIS ironically enough. An outfit named the Institute of Digital Archaeology reconstructed the arches using 3-D printers. It was unveiled on April 19, the occult holiday of Beltane, the beginning of a 13-day period known as ‘the Blood Sacrifice to the Beast’. This took place at the 2016 UNESCO World Heritage Fair in Trafalgar Square in London.
Next was a UN World Heritage event in New York City in September. After that, a global summit in Dubai. Then, off to the G7 in Florence, Italy. Then it went to Washington DC to catch the back end of the sacrifice to the beast, and to form that Baal bond.

Prophecy News Watch, November 11, 2019 Comment:

There’s a modern movement to honor as well as embrace witchcraft and pagan deities, resurrecting religious practices of idolatry and superstition centered around the polytheistic, nature worshipping religions of pre-Christian Europe. A significant portion of today’s pagan converts were raised in Christian families.
By embracing the title “pagan” these converts express their break from Christianity, though it’s uncertain just what the allure to adopt idolatry and superstition may be.

Modern day practicing pagan sects of various orders are associated with such practices as worshipping nature, chanting, dancing, spells, sacrifices, festivals, etc. (see Wikipedia –Modern Paganism)

September 28, 2018 by YC Nightingale – Democracy has a new door, or Arch. The seat of the free world is represented by the “democracy” of the United States. This happens at the US Capital building at the National Mall. The Arch is representing this new democracy than will then be brought to the Hague, the International Courts. – The US Capitol building signifying that the womb is the entrance that takes you through the Arch of Triumph or gateway/portal that leads you to the obelisk or Baals shaft. There is a disgusting sexual element to all of this ritual and this is why they want the public to touch it and go in and out from the Arch. They are having a union with Jupiter, Sophia and their lord, Baal. It is their demonic trinity.

154 Nations Reject Israel’s Biblical Connection to the Temple Mount:

The United Nations gave preliminary approval for a resolution that calls the Temple Mount by its Muslim name exclusively –Haram al-Sharif. The resolution passed at the UN’s Fourth Committee in an overwhelming turn-out of 154-8. The vote featured 14 abstentions as well as 17 absences. It was one of eight Anti-Israel resolutions approved last week. An expected 15 more anti-Israel resolutions are anticipating approval as well. Only Israel and the United States voted against all eight resolutions, although Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Nauru joined them in voting against the Jerusalem texts. All of the twenty-eight EU member states backed the resolution…

The Acting US Deputy Representative to the United Nations responded to the resolution saying,

“We are disappointed that despite support for reform, member states continue to disproportionately single out Israel through these types of resolutions.”

She added,

“it is deplorable that the United Nations –an institution founded upon the idea that all nations should be treated equally –should be so often used by member states to treat one state in particular, Israel, unequally.”

Breaking Israel News, November 18, 2019

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3. American social perception, classes and fear mongering
4. Vile language and behaviour plus little secrets
5. French pedophile ex-priest contradicts cover-up cardinal, says he confessed to him years before red hat claimed
6. Polish Bishops’ President covered up for, re-employed pedophile suspended from priesthood
7. Feminist French Church reform campaigner: “Pedophilia is a symptom of an inward-focused, masculine clerical culture”
8. What’s church for, anyway?
9. Catholics attacking their own so called infallible pope
10. The Field is the World #4 Many who leave the church
11. What Happened at Peor? Part 1
12. Living Sacrifice(s) 6
13. Let the Triumphal Procession Begin | The Arch at the US Capital
14. Coincidence? Arch of Baal Erected In DC 1 Day Before Kavanaugh Testified Before Congress
15. The Arch Of Baal In Washington D.C.
16. Paganism In The Western World, several current video examples: Paganism / BA’AL WORSHIP, Part 2
17. What Does It Mean to be ‘Unequally Yoked’ To The World?
18. Environmentalists A Dangerous Cult
19. The East Tennessee ‘Shinto Shrine’
20. Why I left Catholicism and Became a Pagan
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Welcoming writing that can help to heal, to grow and to learn about ourself

In this world often people have to go to struggles and sometimes have to undergo big chocks to be placed in the reality of this life and to see and take an other crossroads.

For the founder of this lifestyle magazine it took two near death experiences before he at last came to concentrate even more on the more important spiritual matters of life. A parallelisation brought him to have enough time, lying flat on his back, having to be fed, he had enough time to once more in his life examine the Bible, his life, the way and the reasons of life.

Sometimes our whole life, our whole world has to fall apart before we come to change certain things in our life and come to know ourselves even better. Sometimes we also do have to go deep, but come to remember that joy more than once hid herself. How far and hard we do sometimes have to search to find her. {versplinterde drome}

Perhaps you too like Marcus Ampe and Liza Borstlap have to find ways to handle suffering. Though for the founder of this blog, he knew God already a long time and wanted to give the Divine Creator service already from early in his life, he also had to do a job to earn his living. He too had to make the best of his worldly life. Very often he was ‘put to the test’ and had to conquer many difficulties. That way he came to discover a greater desire for God.
Our newly joined writer also knows

Then everything, both good and bad, becomes redemptive. It moves us toward the God we desire.

and advices us

Enter your thirst. Feel your ache, the very worst ache that throbs in your soul. Face how you harm others, your spouse, your children, your friends. And face your disappointment with them. {versplinterde drome}

Life, Love & Pain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Too often we are becoming blinded by the pains and difficulties we our encountering.

Danger  is that we too often let ourselves being carried away from the right track, because of our difficulties and pain.

says Marcus Ampe, whilst our fresh new author would add

When dreams shatter and pain is blinding, we’re prevented from moving ahead in our own light. {versplinterde drome}

she learned

that an awareness of inadequacy is neither a curse to lift nor a disorder to cure. It is a gift to be received, a gift that if properly used can make me powerful and strong and clear and wise. {versplinterde drome}

Our new author at her blog gives much of herself away. So if you would like to know her better, get to read her interesting blog “Heart prints”. At it she shows how she learned a lot in 2002 about the grace and wisdom of God. She learned about herself and saw with her own eyes how terrible things happened to her, but also how those turned later to make it to her advantage.

She also knows that there is an endurance that is too far for her to attain. Like the founder of this blog is aware we often need such battles in our life to end up in situations which make life worth living and give ourself a good reason to be here.

We do have to be kneaded and modelled, by time and many circumstances, having to build patience and endurance, to make life for something, and for not to loss a lot of qualities.

Rampton Parish Church Millennium Banner Displayed alongside the hymn board, it depicts (1) The Glory of the Lord appearing in the Cloud (Exod. 16:10); (2) The Fire of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:3); (3) The Tree of Life (Rev. 22:2); (4) Rampton Parish Church; (5) Man tills the soil (Gen. 3:23); (6) God so loved the world (Jn. 3:16); (7) The Tree of Knowledge (Gen. 2:16); (8) The Old and the New Covenant (Song of Songs 2:4); (9) The Advent Candle (Jn. 1:9) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The process of cutting away the ‘dead wood’ or nasty smudges may be a painful process, but by working and trying hard we may come to reach a goal worth looking at.

When we dared to look at the new author her blog to see what she wrote in her diary we found that

It sometimes feels like I’m standing on the shore and see people struggling in the waves.
People that I cared, “shared a life.
I can not help anyone, I do not have the ability.
But I hope that they will be tired of the nonsense and trivialities, that something will happen so they can experience the peace of God. {hardepad – Stukkies uit my dagboek 2002 ~ 2012}

That is also why we welcome her greatly and do hope she, like other authors on this blog, can share their hopes in God and in their fellow man. People coming along here willing to look at our blessings and the good things of life. Seeing themselves as miniscule elements always remembering how pointless a life without God is and how void. Knowing that when we find God and are willing to share His Grace we not only have to be so grateful for the peace here on the shore, in the fields and in the woods.

On this blog, many of the writers with her, have their heart going out to the man who had to endure so much. In the knowledge there is still so much to do, she with us want to bring thoughts, answers, and hopefully some clue of hope.

Where a massive amount of doors slam in my face.
Where roads immediately ends.
Here where all plans go wrong …
Where thoughts and words fail finally … {hardepad – Stukkies uit my dagboek 2002 ~ 2012}

We are happy she is willing to share thoughts of hope and wants to look with us at her, our and others their life and look at options we may have.

With utter despair?
Or with joy for the gift pack coming?

We do hope we all shall enjoy the words shared here and giving us fresh air, opening windows also to other writers, photographers, nice pictures and texts which can enlighten us and inspire us.

We would advice our and her readers to go with her and other presented authors here, looking at it when

All seems possible and feel now.
Today.
To breathe.
Arms open, lifting your head and going to meet the light.

This new author has felt, like many of us, emotional pressure, time constraints, and work-related issues that needed all her focus and attention.  She tried to hide the stress and realised that her  turmoil was visible.

Everyone could read it on my face.  The pressure was so immense that it felt as if I was captured in a boiler, and that the all-consuming fire below me brought the boiler to boiling point.

she writes in “As I unclutter my life, I free myself to answer the callings of my soul“.

As internal war can rage in ourselves, we can use some voices and reactions form others to get us free from our trapped, irritated self.

Our suitcases are filled with all kinds of dead weight: habits we need to give up, attitudes we’ve long since outgrown, and activities and possessions that no longer serve a reasonable purpose. (Nancy Twigg)

It is nice she now comes to open her suitcases here and is, like some other contributors here, willing to unpack her treasures of ‘findings’, her ‘gemstones’.
Like Mr. Ampe she also had to push the reset button to remind herself of her personal values.

The discord comes when I forget about my own values, and start living out other people’s values.  I subconsciously make other people’s priorities my own.  For me, the result is stress and misery. {As I unclutter my life, I free myself to answer the callings of my soul}

We are convinced just by willing to share experiences, by opening up to others, willing to show our weaknesses, but also our strengths, and showing others Who gives us the strength to face this difficult life, that lots of our stress and difficulties may also melt as butter in the sun.

By falling and getting up again we come to see, that no matter what happens in life, always there is  a wonderful dream available.

That if pursued will generate an unfamiliar, radically new internal experience. That experience, strange at first, will eventually be recognised as joy. {versplinterde drome}

You will see, sharing the dream is a nice experience, enriching us all and giving hope to more people.

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Find also to read

• ‘n memory…24 Mei 2011
• terloops…
• kronkelpad
• chronicles of an introvert
• As I unclutter my life, I free myself to answer the callings of my soul

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Additional reading

1. The longer you wait
2. Determine the drive
3. Suffering redemptive because Jesus redeemed us from sin
4. Preaching to an unbelieving world
5. Even in tough times remembering the blessings
6. Your struggles develop your strengths
7. We are to be joyful in the midst of our trials
8. Be not afraid of those trials which God may see fit to send upon thee
9. Faith and trial
10. A Living Faith #4 Effort
11. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
12. A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus
13. A “seed” for the blessing of all mankind would come through the family of Abraham
14. God should be your hope
15. God is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him
16. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
17. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
18. Unconditional love
19. Remember there’s a light in the next day
20. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
21. The soul has no rainbow if the eyes have no tears
22. A man who cannot forgive others
23. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
24. Love will cure more sins than condemnation
25. Frank risks taking
26. If your difficulties are longstanding, try kneeling
27. Tapping into God’s Strength by Waiting on Him
28. Old Man of Prayer
29. A treasure which can give me everything I need
30. Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off
31. Careful what you sow, it might grow
32. Be kinder than necessary
33. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness

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Further of interest

1. Wisdom Not to Waste Our Trials
2. Endurance and Change
3. Things I’ve Learned About the Olympics via Facebook and Tumblr
4. “Race” Report (It’s long!)
5. The Race That Matters
6. Nine Days – Day Four
7. Both Sides Now
8. Training to Climb 8,000 metre peak
9. Cho Oyu Summit – Down, but not out!
10. Trusting Our Coach in Times of Stretching
11. Sunday S.O.A.P. – 21 Aug 2016
12. The Excellence of Patience
13. More than a Conqueror
14. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same

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Related articles

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• 10 Near-Death Experiences – Reblog…
• What do you think about near-death experiences?
• The Physics Of “Stranger Things” & The Paranormal Lab In Virginia Researching Real-Life Superpowers
• Near death experience book cover
• It Took a Near Death Experience for Tumor-Ridden Woman to Realize How Beautiful She Really Was
• Auto Accidents: Pain And Suffering How To Deal With It

Phantom Of Dreams

 

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• On Leadership and the Dangers of the Internet of Things
• Good-bye Fear Friend ~ March 21, 2016
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sheetal sharma

My struggle. My endurance .my perseverance
in the face of all kinds of demons.
Some within. Some without.

Like a dandelion up through the pavement, I persist.
as with everything in life, I get to assign meaning
so i assign Strength. Healing. Forgiveness.

no more shall i show you my Fears. Tears .
with unflattering honesty to only myself
you have lost the right to hear

voices in my head urged to tell you at my lowest
I did… Now with knowing …my showing weakness
makes you feel i can’t undertand yours …
this breaks my heart …
but dearest your don’t yet know me
I am a phamtom of broken dreams
who rises above after every fall

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The works we have to do according to James

 

“2  You must consider it the purest joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, 3 for you surely know that what is genuine in your faith produces the patient mind that endures; 4 but you must let your endurance come to its perfect product, so that you may be fully developed and perfectly equipped, without any defects.
5 But if any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God who generously gives to everyone and never reproaches one with its lack, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without a doubt, for the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is whirled and swayed by the wind. 7 Such a man, indeed, 8 a person with two minds, unreliable in every step he takes, (1:7A) must not expect to get anything from the Lord.

9 Let the poor brother of lowly station rejoice in his exalted station as a Christian, 10 and the rich brother rejoice in his being on a level with the poor, because the rich will fade away like the flower of the grass.” (James 1:2-10 Williams)

“12 Blessed is the person who endures trial, for when he stands the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.

13  No one must say, when he is tempted to do evil, “I have a temptation from God to do evil,” for God cannot be tempted to do evil, and He never tempts anyone to do so. 14 But anyone is tempted to do evil when he is allured by his own evil desire and enticed by a bait. 15 Then evil desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and when sin is completed, it brings forth death.” (James 1:12-15 Williams)

“19  You must understand this, my dearly loved brothers. Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to get angry; 20 for a man’s anger does not produce the uprightness that God requires.
21 So strip yourselves of everything impure and all the evils prevailing around you, and in humble spirit welcome the message which when rooted in your hearts is able to save your souls.

22 Keep on obeying this message; do not merely listen to it, and so deceive yourselves. 23 Because if anyone merely listens to the message without obeying it, he is like a man who looks in a mirror at his own face, 24 for he looks and then goes off and at once forgets how he looked. 25 But the man who looks at the flawless law that makes men free, and keeps on looking, proving himself to be, not a forgetful hearer but an actual doer of what it requires, will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives himself, his religious worship is worthless. 27 A religious worship that is pure and stainless in the sight of God the Father is this: To look after orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep one’s own self unstained by the world.” (James 1:19-27 Williams)

“1  My brothers, stop trying to maintain your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious presence of God on earth, along with acts of partiality to certain ones. 2 For if a man with a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, comes to your meeting, and at the same time a poor man clad in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the man who wears the fine clothes, and say to him, “Sit here in this fine place,” and say to the poor man, “Stand up, or sit there on the floor at my feet,” 4 do you not make improper distinctions among yourselves and prove to be critics with evil motives?” (James 2:1-4 Williams)

“8  But if you really observe the law of the King in accordance with the Scripture, “You must love your neighbor as you do yourself,” you are doing right; 9 but if you show partiality, you are committing sin, because you are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 For whoever obeys the whole law, except to slip in a single instance, is guilty of breaking it all.

11 For He who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but you do commit murder, you are just the same as a lawbreaker.

12 You must continue talking and acting like people who are to be judged by the law that treats them as free. 13 For merciless judgment will be the portion of the merciless man; yet mercy will triumph over judgment.

14  My brothers, what good is there in a man’s saying that he has faith, if he has no good deeds to prove it? Such faith cannot save him, can it?

15 If some brother or sister is thinly clad and has no food for the day, 16 and one of you says to him, “Blessings on you, keep warm, eat until you have a plenty,” without giving him the things that are needed for the body, what good does it do?

17 So faith by itself, if it has no deeds to back it up, is dead. 18 But someone may say, “You have faith, and I have good deeds. Show me your faith without any good deeds, but I will show you mine by my good deeds.”

19 Do you believe in one God? Very well; the demons, too, believe that, and shudder. 20 But, O senseless man, are you willing to learn that faith without good deeds is worthless?

21 Was not our forefather Abraham shown to be upright by his good deeds, namely, by offering Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 You see that faith co-operated with his good deeds, and by his good deeds faith was made complete; 23 and so the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him for uprightness, and he was called God’s friend.”

24 You see that a man is shown to be upright by his good deeds, and not merely by his faith.

25 Was not even Rahab the prostitute shown to be upright by her good deeds, namely, by entertaining the scouts and sending them off by a different road? 26 Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without good deeds is dead.” (James 2:8-26 Williams)

“13  Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him show by his noble living that his good deeds are done in humility, which wisdom prompts. 14 But if you cherish bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts, stop being proud of it and stop being false to the standard of truth. 15 This is not the kind of wisdom that comes down from above; no, it is earthly, human, demoniacal. 16 For wherever jealousy and rivalry exist, there will be confusion and all sorts of evil practices. 17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of compassion and good deeds, free from doubts and insincerity. 18 The harvest of uprightness is grown from the seed of peace by those who are peacemakers.” (James 3:13-18 Williams)

“1  What causes wars and quarrels among you? Is it not your different desires which are ever at war within your bodies?
You desire things and cannot have them, and so you commit murder. 2 You covet things, but cannot acquire them, and so you quarrel and fight. You do not have them, because you do not ask for them. 3 You ask and fail to get them, because you ask with evil, selfish motives, to spend them on your pleasures.

4 You faithless wives! Do you not know that the friendship of the world means enmity with God? So whoever wants to be a friend to the world puts himself down as an enemy to God. 5 Or, do you think that the Scripture means nothing when it says, “He jealously yearns for the Spirit that He causes to dwell in your hearts”? 6 But He gives a greater spiritual blessing. He says, “God opposes haughty people but blesses humble people.”

7 So then, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will fly from you.

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Get your hands clean, you sinners. Get your hearts purified, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable, mourn, and weep aloud. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you high.

11  Stop talking against one another, brothers. Whoever is in the habit of talking against a brother or of criticizing his brother is criticizing and condemning the law. But if you are in the habit of criticizing the law, you are not a practicer but a critic of the law.
12 There is but one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who has the power to save and to destroy; then who are you that you presume to judge your brother?” (James 4:1-12 Williams)

“7 So be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer keeps on waiting and waiting for the precious crop from his land; how he keeps up his patience over it until he gets the early and the late rains.
8 You must be patient, too; you must put iron into your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is close it hand. 9 Stop muttering against one another, brothers, so as to keep from being judged yourselves.
Look! The Judge is standing at the very door. 10 As an example of ill-treatment and patience, brothers, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:7-10 Williams)

“12  Above all, my brothers, stop swearing, either by heaven or by the earth, or by anything else. Let your “Yes” mean Yes, and your “No,” No, so as to keep from falling under condemnation.

13 Is any one of you suffering ill-treatment? He should keep on praying. Is anyone in a happy mood? He should keep on singing praise to God.

14 Is anyone sick among you? He should call in the elders of the church, and they should pray over him, and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 and the prayer that is offered in faith will save the sick man; the Lord will raise him to health, and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

16 So practice confessing your sins to one another, and praying for one another, that you may be cured. An upright man’s prayer, when it keeps at work, is very powerful.” (James 5:12-16 Williams)

“19 My brothers, if any one of you has wandered away from the truth, and someone brings him back, 20 you may be sure that whoever brings a sinner back from his evil ways will save the man’s soul from death, and cover up a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20 Williams)

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Part of Dutch version / Gedeelte van de Nederlandstalige versie: De aanduiding door Paulus en Jacobus van de werken die wij horen te doen

Preceding articles

1. Leading people astray!
2. Restitution
3. Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works
4. Luther’s misunderstanding
5. January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works
6. Our life depending on faith
7. Romans 4 and the Sacraments
8. Is Justification a process?
9. Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer
10. Faith itself not the cause of justification – Louis Berkhof
11. Letter to the Romans, chapter 3
12. Letter to the Romans, chapter 4
13. Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans
14. Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4
15. Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?
16. James 2:14-23 — Justified Dynamic Faith & works
17. James 2:24 – You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
18. James 2:25. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
19. Paul giving notice of the works we have to do

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Read also other articles as:

1. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
2. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
3. The way of salvation
4. A “seed” for the blessing of all mankind would come through the family of Abraham
5. God works faith
6. Faith is the belief that god will do what is right
7. Christ’s ethical teaching
8.  Being Justified by faith
9. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.
10. Faith Requires a Basis
11. Walking in love by faith, not by sight
12. Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
13. A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
14. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
15. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
16. A Living Faith #4 Effort
17. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
18. A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
19. Faith and works
20. Sharing your faith
21. Bearing fruit
22. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
23. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
24. Be holy
25. 1 Corinthians 15 Hope in action
26. Chief means by which men are built up
27. Not to play at Christianity
28. To be established in the present truth
29. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
30. Love for each other attracting others
31. Share your faith
32. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
33. Faith, storms and actions to be taken
34. The longer you wait

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Related articles

• Respect For All
• Faith is the Key
• Scripture Verse of The Week ‘Romans 5 Verse 1’
• LISTEN: You Can Handle the Truth! (Gospel Light Minute X with Daniel Whyte III)
• “You will forget the shame of your youth.” Isaiah 54:4
• The Character of the Christian: A One-Woman Man
• Heart of Power
• Mark 06v06-13 The Global Mission of the Church
• Sermon: Building Stronger Marriages #3: Developing a Spirit of Mercy
• Hope

Moving forward

Part of love is the preparedness not only to accept the differences in an other person, but also to bear the deficiencies of the other. Love conquers the iniquities of an other person. It is not becoming blind for the other his or her shortcomings, but the love to overlook it and not to become angry for that what you would not have expected. Letting loose so often of that what disturbed or did hurt for a moment, remembering that we are weak humans but others may also be weak.

The greatness in love is to see how the differences in each other can complement each other and enrich life of both, creating patience and endurance, giving each other time to remember with a smile on the face.

Related articles

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  For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry, for the spirit would grow weak before Men the breath of those whom I made.
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  With respect to its degrees, patience can be divided into six categories: showing patience for the sake of Allah; showing patience and attributing it to Allah (being convinced that Allah enables one to show patience); enduring patiently whatever comes from Allah, knowing that He acts from His Wisdom; being resigned to whatever happens in the way of Allah; showing patience by not disclosing the mysteries of one’s achieved spiritual station and to preserve one’s nearness to Allah; and resolving to fulfill one’s mission of communicating Allah’s Message to people despite one’s deepest desire to die and meet with Allah.
• St Augustine’s Notes on Psalm 57 (thedivinelamp.wordpress.com)
  Let your Love see the Lord speaking to us, and exhorting us by His example: “A trap6 they have prepared for My feet, and have bowed down My Soul” (ver. 7). They wished to bring It down as if from Heaven, and to the lower places to weigh It down: “They have bowed My Soul: they have digged before My face a pit and themselves have fallen into it.” Me have they hurt, or themselves? Behold He hath been exalted above the Heavens, God, and behold above all the earth the Glory of the Same: the kingdom of Christ we see, where is the kingdom of the Jews? Since therefore they did that which to have done they ought not, there hath been done in their case that which to have suffered they ought: themselves have dug a ditch, and themselves have fallen into it. For their persecuting Christ, to Christ did no hurt, but to themselves did hurt. And do not suppose, brethren, that themselves alone hath this befallen. Every one that prepareth a pit for his brother, it must needs be that himself fall into it.…
• Sunday Sermon: What Kind of A Person Do You Want to Become? (jimkane.wordpress.com)
  How do we describe people today? We say, “She has a pleasant personality” or “he is a nice guy” or “I really like their outgoing personality.” But what do we call it when someone, who is applying for a job, comes to us and asks for a reference? We call it a character reference.What do we really focus on today? We focus on personality. Is he outgoing enough? Is she fun?

  But what about our character? Why is it that in any field, we read and hear reports of ‘warm, intelligent, out-going, and fun’ people losing their jobs because they stole money, lied about an assignment, or had an affair?

• Endurance (crossquotes.org)
  To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.   George Mueller
  +
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• Cultivating Patience… Is It Your Priority? (balroop2013.wordpress.com)
  Developing patience is an enormous learning experience, it acquaints us with what is life, how we have to wait at each step, each phase, without getting agitated, disappointed or distressed.

  While moving ahead on the path to accomplish our dreams, we have to keep patience and wait for the right opportunities, for the leading benchmarks to reach that horizon we have visualized.

  While we try to analyze and understand whether our endeavors conform to our aspirations, we have to keep patience and wait for the results.

• Friday Fundamentals: Hope and Social Justice (confoundingthewise.wordpress.com)
  Shame is “I Am bad”, while guilt is “I Did something bad that doesn’t align with my values.” Guilt compels people to change and grow.  I am totally paraphrasing any of the information I got from this book, just so you know. If you want direct quotes, read the book. It is awesome.  (By the way, this is a super long post, but I hope you’ll bear with me).
• Repentance is a Personal Matter (padrerichard.wordpress.com)
  Adam’s nature was mortally wounded. The whole drama of human life can be regarded as the illness and suffering of Adam alone, divided and multiplied among his children. And to this only sick Adam comes the only Christ. He comes, as a Physician, to fulfill the words: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
• Why Being Self-Critical Can Make You a Stronger Founder (entrepreneur.com)
  learning the balance between being sure of yourself and being honest with yourself about your limitations is a critical lesson for all founders.
  +
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  +
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• Patience and Humility in Adversity (prayersofmysoul.wordpress.com)
  When we turn from sin, making a shift in his direction, he forgives us and washes us clean. And because that’s not enough for God, he also wipes out all condemnation toward us (Romans 8:1).

livelaughlovedaily

A quote I read on From Guestwriters stated that we shouldn’t expect a love so perfect when the people we love aren’t: 

“You can’t expect love to be perfect when people aren’t..”

No matter how good someone is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while, and you must forgive them for that.

The secret of overcoming hurt feelings is to expect nothing from others; thus, their words and actions will always find you inwardly at peace. You have to direct your attention outward, in giving of yourself to others, instead of dwelling self-centered on your expectations of them.

“Stop holding on to what hurts and make room for what feels good..” (Copied and pasted directly from the blog)

…..and they speak the truth. 

I guess sometimes I forget that people are only human. God made each of us as separate individuals with unique and special characteristics…

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