Tag Archives: Following Jesus Christ

What does it mean in the bible when it says to be no part of the world?

The closer we get to the end of this system the clearer it will be who is a part of the world and who is not.

Those trying to be no part of the world would listen to Jesus words because they came from his father. Even when the majority of those calling themselves Christian, prefer to be part of the world by having Jesus as their god and keeping to human traditions, they who want not to be part of the world accept the words of Jesus and his God and keep away of all those heathen traditions.
Those lovers of the Only One True God, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, would also love in the same way as Jesus loved and have faith in Jesus and follow his teachings.

Lee's Stuff

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.

Jesus mentioned being no part of the world. How can we be not part of the world when we live in the world and we are required to share bible truths with others? If we are no part of the world the bible warns we will be hated. So we should keep in mind does the world love us or does it hate us and exactly what does Jesus mean when he says the world. The closer we get to the end of this system the more we need to be careful and be not part of the world. Those who are part of the world will be destroyed. Certainly we would not want to be destroyed. We have to remember Jesus own people persecuted and killed him because he was telling them what they needed to hear and not…

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Filed under Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

As near to God as you want Him to be

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

writes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying,

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

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Preceding

Do you really know what you say you believe in?

Not About The Name Of The Godhead Of Jesus

Rhetoric and Biblical Truth

Religion and the essence of devotion

Three basic commands

The false prophets in the present world

O God, How Long? ~ Psalm 74

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Additional reading

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

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Related articles

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

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Quotations from Holy Scriptures, Religious affairs, Spiritual affairs

Not or well responding to abuses

Sometimes certain Christadelphians and Christians complain that it is not right for us as Christians to dare to deal with worldly affairs and therefore to be politically active.

It must be known that Christians may try to follow Christ, stumbling, that it is important that they, like Jesus, dare to stand up for those who have no voice or are neglected or who are wronged. Not only in words, but also in deeds. That is why we can and must never accept abuses in the world and we must dare to speak where necessary.

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Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Al of niet reageren op wantoestanden

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Filed under Announcement, Being and Feeling, Crimes & Atrocities, Lifestyle, Political affairs, World affairs

100-Day Identity Makeover: Day 56

Jesus called man to follow him as The Way to God. He warned us for not to be mistaken and thinking that by grace we would be saved and have nothing to do any more. Jesus himself gave already some tasks we should do and gave enough examples of people who missed the opportunity to enter the Lord’s house.

Like Jesus, who did not want to do his own will (which he would have done in case he would be God), we too should try to do the Will of our heavenly Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the God of Christ and his disciples. The God of Jews Who should also be the God of Christians and God of Muslims but also should become the God of love of our world. this can only happen when people continue the work Jesus asked his followers to do, to go out in the world and to proclaim the Works of God and to tell them the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.

In case we want to be proper children of God, we have to honour Him and appreciate Him for what He has done for us and for what He still can mean for us. Him we do have to praise in Christ. By following the teachings of rabbi Jeshua we have to show the world we do not want to be from it but that we want to be of God, whitewashed by the innocent blood of Christ.

Let us live accordingly, saying thanks to God and asking for guiding us throughout our life and helping us to call others in the name of Christ.

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To remember

  • seen a strong-willed child + wondered what kind of battles his parents endure on a daily basis
  • strength of one’s character reveals itself in the very beginning => Parents + grandparents quickly recognize dominant personality traits
  • certain things each of us been good at ever since we were little kids
  • with some training = potential to use it for good
  • in adult business world = gift of reading people well => selling your product
  • God has a great purpose for the strategic thinker!
  • In Scripture example of Aaron > leading people according to God’s divine direction
  • people grew impatient + asked Aaron to make a god for them => he did = fashioned a calf idol from their donated gold, + they had a pagan- style celebration of their new god.
  • Aaron had great potential for leading people in worship > however, he was mistaken in solving their need, +, in the process, misled the entire community!

That is also what we see today. Many have made their own idols into a god. Lots of Christians also made Jesus into their own god. For them it seems a nice solution though lots of them do not understand quite really the matter of the trinity and the biblical saying we should only have One True God, the Eternal Spirit and Adonai, Elohim Hashem Maker Jehovah.

  • Israel’s actions angered God => see mercy of God => gave them another chance
  • God selected Aaron to be the first of the Levitical line of Israel’s priesthood
  • men who would be separated unto God to live holy lives + to bring God’s people into holy communion with Him through worship according to His Word

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  • Aaron gifted in leading others in worship.

What about you? Child of God <= created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for you to do (See Ephesians 2:10)

  • Through the Spirit’s empowerment => strength = powerful tool for revealing glory of God in the earth
  • gifts of the Spirit work in and through you => reveal God’s goodness > excelling natural abilities => supernatural gifts

Jesus said

“This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples” (John 15:8).

Walk It Out     Hear God’s Word + put it into practice (Luke 8:21)

Align life with God’s purpose = giving Him your “yes.” => Walk in the way He leads you with complete trust => His Presence + empowerment through Holy Spirit accomplish good works in + through you.

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Preceding

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

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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
  35. A call easy to understand

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sharing love and truth

Day 56

You Are Created in Christ Jesus to Do Good Works (Ephesians 2:10)

Have you ever seen a strong-willed child and wondered what kind of battles his parents endure on a daily basis? Maybe you were that strong-willed child, or perhaps you’re raising one! It amazes me how the strength of one’s character reveals itself in the very beginning. Parents and grandparents quickly recognize the dominant personality traits. My response to such observations- “God has a great purpose for that!”

There are certain things that each of us has been good at ever since we were little kids. Maybe we didn’t use the gift for good, but we were certainly good at it, and with some training, we had potential to use it for good. Take, for instance, the child who can strategize and work a situation to turn in his favor… Sure, it’s manipulation at its finest, but in…

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Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?

Rob Heijermans, who says is a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and believes that God has spoken

— in fact, the universe itself is a product of the voice of the Lord. The phrase, “And God said…,” appears nine times in the first chapter of Genesis alone. {Is Anyone Listening?}

He also knows he has ever deceived himself and looks at James, Jesus’ younger half-brother, who knows all about self-deception.

Though the writer wrongly thinks James deceived himself for many years,

“denying that Jesus was God in the flesh.” {11 Self-Deceit 101}

Having grown up with Jesus in an Essene family he probably got to know Jesus as well as God very well. He also knew what Jesus had told others and to whom Jesus prayed, like they at their family, at home, prayed to the only One true God, the God of Israel. Jesus did not pray to himself, but to the God of Abraham, about Whom he taught people to pray to as well.

The apostle James warns us in Verse 22  of the first chapter that if we are hearers of the word–the Bible–and not doers, we deceive or ensnare ourselves.

James 1:22 EWB-CB  But become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Much too often Christians do forget Jesus’ parables and the warning of James. We may not delusively content our selves with being of the audience, but have to put what we hear in practice.

The writer of the blog UpStream writes

James says it’s like looking into the mirror on the morning of an important interview, seeing some serious bed-head, lots of stubble and a smudge of last night’s hot fudge sundae, and just walking away without taking action. {11 Self-Deceit 101}

Too many Christians make it themselves very easy, thinking because they are saved they do not have to do anything any more.

Rob Heijermans is aware that

sitting under the teaching of the Scriptures and not doing what they say is an act of self-deceit. Studying the Scriptures for ourselves, gaining an understanding of their meaning, but not obeying God’s Word, produces knowledge that makes us arrogant but yields no fruit in our lives. It is self-deceit. Even more serious is purporting to be a teacher and either teaching what is false or not doing what is true. James will deal with this more later in his letter. {11 Self-Deceit 101}

We should come to get to know what is written in the Bible and may not twist around the words of it. As such when is written “the son of God” we may not say “god the son“. We should clearly take the Words of God into account and take them serious.

In this world many have made their own gods. A lot also made Jesus in to their god, like Rob Heijermans has done. He also preaches about hell as a sort of place of eternal torture, whilst forgetting that the Divine Creator is a God of Love, who is an eternal Spirit Who can not be seen by man, but is with man, telling them no lies and saying they shall have paid for their sins with their death.

But this God of gods tells also about His sent one, the Nazarene Jew Jeshua, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Jesus on this earth tried to make his heavenly Father known and showed the way to the Kingdom of God. His brother knew also very well the importance of Jesus’ teaching about that Kingdom. He had to loose his brother at the wooden stake and see his mother cry, being full of grieve. But he had also come into the hope Jesus preached and wanted to share it with others, like his brother had asked it.

That preaching James had taken up is also an act we should do. It is one of the works Jesus asked his followers to do.

Twice, the writer of Hebrews mentions “dead works.” (Heb 6.1, 9.14) Now, James writes of “dead faith.” In the subsequent verses of Chapter 2, he mentions that even the demons believe in God–and tremble before Him!–so simply believing facts about God is not saving faith. James then cites two Old Testament characters whose faith was demonstrated by their works: Abraham, the Iraqi father of the Jewish nation was not content simply to tell God he was willing to sacrifice Isaac. He unsheathed his dagger and was about to plunge it into Isaac’s belly when God stopped him and provided a substitutionary ram. Rahab the whore did not stop at believing that God was conquering His enemies through the Israelites–she protected their spies, knowing the awesome power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. {14 How to Work Your Way to Hell}

Lots of Christians have forgotten Who that God of the Israelites is and why we should take Him as our Only One True God, like Jesus also took Him as His Only One Most High Almighty God. But not only did they take the ransom offer of Jesus as the final act for them, misleading themselves that they would not have to do anything more because they are saved by the Blood of Christ.

Strangely enough the blog writer seems to know that

On some occasion, James probably heard his Brother say that God is glorified when we prove we are His disciples by producing fruit. (John 15.8) {14 How to Work Your Way to Hell}

In many parables Jesus had told how we have to get a good relationship with the heavenly Father. How He is willing to take us up as His children, but also how we can loose the entrance to the Kingdom of God. James came to understand those teachings of his brother and knew how important it was when people came into the faith how they had to change themselves and had to work on themselves continuously.

We may not assume that it are only our works that can get us some where.

the second half of James 2 demonstrates: just as it is vain to think that my works–religious duty, outward devotion, social activism, neighbourly consideration–could possibly get me to heaven, so also is it vain to suppose I am truly a child of God while my life manifests nothing of my faith. As Jesus said, a fruit tree with no fruit is cut down and burned. {14 How to Work Your Way to Hell}

When having come into the faith we have to water our own tree. (By reading and studying the Bible.) Then we do have to let the food of the earth and food of heaven feed ourselves, so that we can bear good fruits. For getting good fruits we need good pruning. We need to do a lot of work. Without the work there shall be no good fruits and when we are not willing to prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God we shall be too late like some young girls who did not prepare themselves or thought they had enough time. Please do not postpone. Take care that you are ready for when the day comes.

When procrastinating you will be surprised when the day comes you shall have nothing done what had to be done and will miss the boat.

Some things may be hard or difficult, like changing sides, or putting away human doctrinal teachings, like the trinity a.o.. but God wants from His son an his followers truthful worshippers of God who are faithful to Him, the Adonai Jehovah, and to His commandments. When we do not follow God’s commandments it will be like ignoring God’s Wishes and not wanting a good relationship with Him. Keeping to those commandments shall demand works we shall have to do with pleasure because we do believe in Christ, the son of God, and in his heavenly Father we also want to love.

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Preceding articles:

Leading people astray!

Restitution

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

Luther’s misunderstanding

January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer

Faith itself not the cause of justification – Louis Berkhof

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

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Please find also to read

  1. God of gods
  2. God is one
  3. Sayings around God
  4. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
  5. Jesus Messiah
  6. Jesus and His God
  7. the Trinity – the Truth
  8. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
  9. Bearing fruit
  10. Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
  11. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
  12. Christ’s ethical teaching
  13. Being Justified by faith
  14. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  15. Faith and works
  16. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #8 Prayer #6 Communication and manifestation
  17. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying
  18. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
  19. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
  20. Be holy
  21. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
  22. Love for each other attracting others

 

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Further related articles

  1. Count on your desire to procrastinate
  2. Sermon Redux – Part 4 of Doing Our Best for God’s Church – “Rejoicing in the Brutal Truth” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
  3. Boast in God’s Grace for You- Joseph Prince
  4. The Parable of the Two Sons
  5. Rewarded for Doing Good?
  6. Rewarded for their Labor? (1 Corinthians 3:8)
  7. Judged for What We Have Done
  8. Rewarded for What We’ve Done?
  9. 2:24 – You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
  10. Chapter 2:23 – And he was called a friend of God.
  11. Four Panel Philosophy
  12. James 2:20-22 — Dynamic Faith
  13. Show Me Your Works

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Lifestyle, Religious affairs

Spurgeon’s look at Psalm 119:37

         “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.”
Psalm 119:37

There are divers kinds of vanity. The cap and bells of the fool, the mirth of the world, the dance, the lyre, and the cup of the dissolute, all these men know to be vanities; they wear upon their forefront their proper name and title. Far more treacherous are those equally vain things, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. A man may follow vanity as truly in the counting-house as in the theatre. If he be spending his life in amassing wealth, he passes his days in a vain show. Unless we follow Christ, and make our God the great object of life, we only differ in appearance from the most frivolous.

It is clear that there is much need of the first prayer of our text.

“Quicken thou me in thy way.”

The Psalmist confesses that he is dull, heavy, lumpy, all but dead. Perhaps, dear reader, you feel the same.
We are so sluggish that the best motives cannot quicken us, apart from the Lord himself. What! will not hell quicken me? Shall I think of sinners perishing, and yet not be awakened? Will not heaven quicken me? Can I think of the reward that awaiteth the righteous, and yet be cold? Will not death quicken me? Can I think of dying, and standing before my God, and yet be slothful in my Master’s service? Will not Christ’s love constrain me? Can I think of his dear wounds, can I sit at the foot of his cross, and not be stirred with fervency and zeal? It seems so!

No mere consideration can quicken us to zeal, but God himself must do it, hence the cry,

“Quicken thou me.”

The Psalmist breathes out his whole soul in vehement pleadings: his body and his soul unite in prayer.

“Turn away mine eyes,”

says the body:

“Quicken thou me,”

cries the soul. This is a fit prayer for every day.

O Lord, hear it in my case this night.

– Spurgeon, C. H. (2006). Morning and evening: Daily readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition.). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

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Additional reading

  1. How we think shows through in how we act
  2. Faithful to the listening ear
  3. End of the Bottom Line
  4. True riches
  5. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #4 Transitoriness #2 Purity

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Further reading

  1. Vanity
  2. Snow, Titian and Vanity
  3. Humans
  4. This Dawning Age
  5. Mirror, Mirror on the wall, why do you make me feel like a cats as$hole?
  6. Breast Lift Can Be a Necessity, Not Just Vanity
  7. Smile!…..Oh, Va Te Faire Enculer!
  8. My unsegmented narcissistic wants
  9. Power and Corruption
  10. But Then I Die
  11. Just Rewards
  12. What Other Gift?
  13. Reason for the season
  14. Selfies
  15. The Father’s Will

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Filed under Quotations or Citations, Reflection Texts

Israeli leaders delight in Europe’s cruelty toward refugees

Many people in the capitalist countries are afraid the asylum seekers will be able to conquer their countries and impose their religion onto them.

English: The Ethnic composition of Muslims in ...

The Ethnic composition of Muslims in the United States, according to the United States Department of State based on the publication of Being Muslim in America as of March 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In case they would strongly believe in One True God they should not have to fear the Muslims, because they also believe in the same One God of Abraham.
Though many Christians and Muslims have gone far away from the teachings of the Holy Writings and have given preference to human philosophical writings and human traditions.

Hungarian right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban saying, what many so called Christians also think, that Muslim refugees must be kept out of Europe “to keep Europe Christian,” does not understand that when those Christians would be really following the teachings of Jesus Christ, they should have nothing to fear. Then they also would be able to show the Muslims that they share the love of Christ and worship the same One God of Abraham. But the majority of so called Christians do not believe at all or do not do much with their faith. The majority also has gone far away from the real faith and worships, when they do that, a triune god instead of keeping to that One True God, Jehovah, the divine Creator of heaven and earth.

It is true that the that the people who are coming here grew up in a different religion and represent a completely different culture, but when we can let them feel welcome and show them they do not have to fear our culture and our believes and let them know that in our regions we allow freedom of thought and freedom of religion and that those who come to live here shall have to give those rights of freedom to all people as well, than there should be no problem.
Those who do not want to have others the freedom of thought should know they are not obliged to stay here and can go to other places.

Problem only can arise when the states give in too much and would allow restriction to certain people, like wearing limiting clothing in public, or having imposing of certain religious traditions on others, like allowing sounds coming out of loudspeakers to call everybody to prayer, than others could come to be annoyed or bothered with those Muslims, the same as they can be angry with the bells in the morning of churches, making them awake when they want to sleep.

protest1.jpg

Protesters from far right organisations hold a banner which reads, “Stop the Islamization of Europe” during their protest against refugees in Krakow (Image: Reuters)

Europe and European culture have Christian roots and nothing should be against it to protect those. but our Judeo-Christian values should be grounded in our faith and be presented by the real Judeo-Christian attitude the God of Abraham would like us to show.

The xenophobic and anti-Muslim views that appear to lie at the heart of current Hungarian government policy and the negative reactions all over Europe clearly show how many so called Christians are missing the lesson of the Samaritan, Jesus told.

The people who call themselves Christian should know they do not have to fear man or other religions, but God. when they really would stand firm in their shoes of faith, they should not have to worry at all about a Muslim invasion, because then they would be able to convince Muslims of their faith. Problem with many Christians is that they went the wrong way, believe in a triune god in stead of the Only One True God and like several sorts of Muslims are carried away by human teachings and traditions instead of keeping themselves to the Biblical teachings.

Perhaps this is a good time for many Christians to consider which way they want to go in this world and how they want to treat other people, in the light of that what God wants from His people.

Let us show our good heart and help those in need, but let them also feel that we do want to help them without them having to rule over us. They should be welcome but have to know they cannot impose their laws over our world. It are they who should adapt to our culture and not we to theirs. When every body makes this clear and when they really got to know this from the beginning there should be no problem. Then they do know what to expect and then they still have the choice to stay or to leave. Nobody of the asylum seekers is obliged to come and live here.

protest3.jpg

Right-wing demonstrators gather on a square in the old town of in Warsaw (Image: AFP)

*

To take note of:

worst refugee crisis since the Second World War

some Israeli officials are quietly reveling in the chaos

Dore Gold, director general of the Israeli foreign ministry, expressed optimism > refugee influx will shift Europe to the right, making it more sympathetic to Israel’s “security” justification for its ongoing colonization of Palestine.

European perspective beginning to sound a little bit more like Israel’s perspective on security issues, compared to what it was in the past

Images of refugees corralled in trains, tracked with numbers on their forearms, locked away and fed like zoo animals in overcrowded camps and blocked with razor wire fences from entering Hungary = recall memories of Europe’s darkest chapter

right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban provoked most widespread revulsion

Orban’s ruling party, Fidesz, smitten with Israel, particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party

Orban declared “Likud is our natural ideological partner.”

deaths = direct consequence of European border policies designed to make migration as unsafe as possible

Orban launched a Hungarian Birthright program for North Americans of Hungarian descent => sends young Jews on free trips to Israel in hopes they will immigrate

Fidesz deepened ties with far right + openly anti-Semitic Jobbik party

in Israel, fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football team unfurled a giant banner that read, “Refugees not welcome!

Netanyahu announced construction of a wall along the Jordanian border to block a potential influx of Syrian refugees => Israel will be entirely walled off.

Of the five states that border Syria, Israel = only one that has not taken in any Syrian refugees for reasons identical to Hungary’s.

Israel barred Palestinian refugees from returning and labeled those who tried to come back as “infiltrators.”

millions of Palestinians continue to languish in squalid refugee camps scattered across the Middle East nearly 70 years later + longest running refugee crisis in modern history

**

leaders in Poland appealing to widespread anti-Muslim sentiment among the populace

people have suggested reopening Auschwitz and sending the refugees there

right-wing protesters clutching the national flag assembled on the streets in the capital of Warsaw + chanted slogans including “Today refugees, tomorrow terrorists!“ and ”Poland, free of Islam!“

Lech Walesa, leader of the Solidarity freedom movement in the 1980s, pledged to host refugees at his home

Gniewino, a county near the Baltic Sea coast =first place in the nation to offer to offer jobs to three Syrian families, with parishioners in the western city of Poznan showing support by collecting over 24,000 zlotys (£4,186) to help accommodate refugees.

protest10.jpg

Signs reading ‘Refugees welcome’ and ‘No one is illegal’ in Warsaw (Image AFP)

All the Jews should take the words of the leader of the opposition Zionist Union, Isaac Herzog, at heart

“You’ve forgotten what it means to be Jews. Refugees. Persecuted. The prime minister of the Jewish people does not close his heart and the gate when people are fleeing for their lives from persecution, with their babies in their hands.”

And the European citizens should remember the 1st and 2nd World Wars and that what Jesus Christ thought.

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Preceding articles:

Still Hope though Power generating long train of abuses

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Refugees At The Border- A Blessing Or Burden?

Poster: Please Help The Refugees

The World Wide Refugee and Migrant Crisis and a possible solution for it

Social media and asylum seekers

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Additional reading:

  1. Concerning gospelfaith
  2. Disciple of Christ counting lives and friends dear to them
  3. Do you believe in One God
  4. Epitome of the one faith
  5. Faith moving mountains
  6. Full authority belongs to God
  7. God is one
  8. God’s design in the creation of the world
  9. God’s promises
  10. God’s measure not our measure
  11. God’s promises to us in our suffering
  12. God of gods
  13. God’s hope and our hope
  14. God’s salvation
  15. Hope for the future
  16. Incomplete without the mind of God
  17. Is God hiding His face when He is seemingly silent
  18. Israel in God’s purpose
  19. Life with God
  20. Looking for blessed hope
  21. Meaning of life
  22. Miracles in our time of suffering
  23. Moving mountains
  24. Not sure there exist a God
  25. Nurturing a close relationship with God
  26. Only one God
  27. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
  28. Our way of life
  29. Plain necessary food of the gospel
  30. Reasons that Jesus was and is not God
  31. Sayings around God
  32. Second exodus
  33. Sects, why so many
  34. Suffering
  35. Suffering through the apparent silence of God
  36. Suffering continues
  37. Suffering leading to joy
  38. Surprised by joy
  39. Surprised by time in joys & sufferings
  40. Words from God about suffering
  41. Working of the hope
  42. Seems no future in suffering
  43. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
  44. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #1
  45. Meeting to focus on humanitarian issues for Syria
  46. Men of faith
  47. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #4 Mozaic and Noachide laws
  48. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
  49. Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket
  50. Faith related boycotts
  51. Mocking, Agitation and Religious Persecution
  52. Economic crisis danger for the rise of political extremism
  53. Americans wrongly informed about situation in Europe
  54. Fitting the bill in the North and in the East
  55. The Protester named Person of the Year 2011 by Time Magazine
  56. Cool Person of the year 2011
  57. 2014 Social contacts
  58. Rampaging, demolishing sacred sites and cultural heritage
  59. Continues Syrian conflict needing not only dialogue
  60. Can We Pay The Price To Free Humanity?
  61. Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
  62. Are people willing to take the responsibility for others
  63. If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for
  64. State of Europe 2015 – Addressing Europe’s crises
  65. Schengen area and Freedom for Europeans being put to the test as never before
  66. Europe’s refugees just follow the ancient routes for the peopling of Europe in the Neolithic
  67. Why Russia backs Assad: a view from Russia’s anti-imperialist left
  68. Propaganda war and ISIS
  69. African misery and women inequality
  70. Because of doing too much social work put to silence

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Further reading:

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Dispatches from the Underclass

Crossposted from The Electronic Intifada

As most of the world looks on in horror at Europe’s atrocious response to refugees escaping war and persecution in the Middle East and Africa, some Israeli officials are quietly reveling in the chaos.

Dore Gold, director general of the Israeli foreign ministry, expressed optimism that the refugee influx will shift Europe to the right, making it more sympathetic to Israel’s “security” justification for its ongoing colonization of Palestine.

“Israel always faced the problem in the past that its national security perspective was completely out of sync with how Europeans were viewing the emergence of the European community and the borderless world that was emerging,” the American-born hardliner told The Jerusalem Post.

“In the European models that existed 25 or 30 years ago, it is kind of difficult to hear an Israeli argument. But now things may be beginning to change a little,”…

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To find ways of Godly understanding

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

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

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

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

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

Pastors

Pastors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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

writes Chad Graham, who also finds that

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

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

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

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

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

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

The writer seems to overlook what he himself quotes:

God, speaking through His prophet Isaiah, said,

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

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

The Supreme Being was,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some theologians do know and

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

They know exactly what would happen.

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

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

Street pastors

Street pastors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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

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

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

The writer of etsop95.wordpress.com remarks

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

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

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

Portrait of a pastor at the age of 35.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Furthermore, Jesus said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

G.C. Berkouwer said:

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

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

English: Example of appendix from New World Tr...

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

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

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

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

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

Lets make work of it!

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Preceding articles:

Living in the Wilderness

Getting out of the dark corners of this world

An uncovering book to explore

May we have doubts

Passover and Liberation Theology

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

In Defense of the truth

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

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

Not making yourselves abominable

Where are the female writers

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

What Should I Preach ?

Preaching Christ Is Not Enough

How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

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Further reading

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

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Continued reading:

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Preaching Christ Is Not Enough

Too often Christian preachers do forget that they also have to reach those who have no faith at all. So many preachers fail to appeal to the secular mind. So much so that most secular people write off the church because they think the Bible is an ancient relic that “speaks” only to the unenlightened or easily manipulated.

In the church-world we also do find lots of doom-preachers who frighten people so much they do not bother any more. Instead of showing the people the love of God and the love of Christ Jesus the saviour.

Also too many are seeing preaching as a one way one-directional, verbal proclamation of their words how they look at it all, instead of putting God’s Word in the forefront and focussing much more on the good things, instead of pointing out all the time to the bad things.

Too many do not see that the intent behind ‘preach the word’ be fulfilled in other ways than one person talking at other people for an extended time. To preach we not only have to think about a person standing there at the pulpit, everybody listening nicely or doing as if they are listening and following.

The preaching Jesus spoke about is the going out into the world without shame or fear and telling to others in a nice way about the works of the Most High Supreme Being. Showing others why it is important to follow Christ and to come to his heavenly Father as children of God.

The world may be still against those who love God. Nothing much is changed yet. The world belongs to the adversary of God (Satan). We do have the choice to belong to those who are against God or we can try to bring them over to God and to see why it is best to accept God as their Divine Supreme High Being.

The the prophetic voices may perhaps be stilled, but the endtimes nearing the work of the master teacher shall continue and progress, having more and more people bringing the Good News. They also live by that hope that when the time comes nearer all over the world shall be witnessed in the Name of the One True God, Jehovah.

It are not just 144 000 but millions or trillions who shall go out daring to speak and tell others their love for Christ Jesus and his heavenly Father, the only One God.

Merely preaching salvation by Christ is not enough: we must vigorously contend for the original faith; the faith of God’s people, Israel, who did worship the God of Abraham and not a three-headed god. There is really no other option, all should come to know there is only One Way and One God.

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Preceding articles:

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

Not making yourselves abominable

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

Where are the female writers

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian

What Should I Preach ?

 

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Additional reading:

  1. Pulpit reserved for the pastor
  2. Determined To Stick With Truth
  3. Necessity of a revelation of creation 9 Searching the Scriptures
  4. Necessity of a revelation of creation 14 Searching the scriptures
  5. How to Choose a Bible for Preaching
  6. Bringing good News in the world

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Further reading:

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onechristblog

The book of Revelation speaks of a time when preaching Christ will not suffice. Early in its pages it sees the possibility of the total change in esteem true believers would hold towards church groups (with which they may have been previously associated) that doggedly persist in a different path from the original Way (Acts 9:2). We can detect this thought on a closer reading of Revelation 2:4,5, which says to the Ephesian church or congregation, ‘Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy [lampstand] out of its place, except thou repent.’

In the same vein, Revelation 9 suggests that men and their counterfeit contrivances would seek to hold true believers firmly within their ranks (like in a bottomless…

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For The Love of Stuff

The son of God came to explain the Wishes of his heavenly Father, the Divine Creator, Who many had placed aside for things they could see, feel and absorb. Today it is even worse than at the time of the master teacher, rabbi Jeshua (Jesus Christ). Today most people are even not interested in God and the teachings of Christ do let them cold.

But even those who do not want to believe that there exist a Supreme Higher Being, would better listen to what this son of man from Nazareth, who also is called son of of God, has to tell.

The rules or ways of life Jesus was telling about are still important for every one living on this planet. For those who call themselves Christian, there should be no doubt to find reasons to follow those teachings and to follow the advice of this Jewish man.

He was a communist avant la lettre, which makes it so difficult for many to find agreement in the way we should relate to each other and how we should be a humble part in the creation. Man often thinks him higher and more important than all the rest and this makes him often to think to be god and to be able to do whatever they want.

Jesus teaches us to take care of that what is given to us in loan. Yes, we are not the master of those things. It is the heavenly Father, The Only One God, Who has given man the right to name the elements of the universe and to take care of it. And that last part man seems to have forgotten. today we should take up the cord again and nit for a nice relationship with our surroundings.

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Preceding articles:

Less… is still enough

Less for more

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Filed under Ecological affairs, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

112314 – A Peculiar People

In Belgium lots of protests are going on against the measures taken by the government, bringing all burden onto the less earning people while the rich are saved and do not have to contribute to the economical crisis, have lower taxes than most people and even have companies or CEO’s not having to pay taxes.
In other countries battles on the streets are delivered or for the injustice which is done on social or juridical matters.

Some may think Christians may not higher their voice and have to let everything happen. But you can also wonder if a Christian does not have to come up for those who have no voice, like animals and plants and for those who are done injustice.

In certain states, like the United States of America, the injustice of treatment, the in-equality of race, and certain political decisions are used to create scenes of rioting, looting, and burning private and public properties. This is totally against the Law of God. Also a few weeks ago in Belgium some fighters used the national march against the government to make hammock and damage a lot of private goods and to seriously wound many cops. They misused and disordered the otherwise peaceful march.
The way we want to react to those “protestors” blocking roads and impeding the flow of traffic of travellers, who have no connection with the cause for which the protesters, aka anarchists, are mounting in their charge against decency, is important and gives the other person an opportunity to show other ways to get justice and to get the voice of the people resounding.
There may be people who do not like it that there are also “people who have decided to make a statement for their cause by lying down on department store floors and interfering with people who just wanted to buy some goods at those stores.” Those who object we have to ask what their reason of objection is. Often we hear selfish reasons, like that they can not get where they want to be in the time they want to be. Or that they are hindered because they can not get what they want. when they react to the protesters, not showing empathy for their cause, they often show their own selfishness and their exclusion for coming to understanding for what the protesters want to give a voice.

Both parties can be doing the wrong thing. Both parties can go much to far in their reaction against the other.

In such turmoil the true inner side of a person can come unto the surface. In such occasions where people feel their frustration can not receive a valve of expression, they can go much too far and loose all boundaries of respect and decency.
It is in such instances a Christian has to be careful not to chose the wrong site or not to give the impression he does not want to do with it at all.

It may be true that in certain cases (not all) some may consider this “peculiar” to relate to “such unlawful actions”. Some might also think it are only anarchists who are “truly odd and strange in the way that they go about life”. They seem to forget that lots of human beings do strange things and more than once go out of the boundaries of the “normal”.

Of course, the word “peculiar” can find its way into biblical scripture, like “the Jews were said to be a peculiar people because they were chosen by God to bring the Messiah into the world (Deuteronomy 14:2). Those of us who have come to saving faith through Jesus, the Messiah, are also said to be “peculiar” people.”

Certainly today those following the Laws of God are called peculiar or weird figures. Often they are considered to be fools, believing in fairy tales.

Jesus even told his followers it would not be easy for those who wanted to follow him, and that they would be shunned and would be hated in different circles, even in the family they would find members who would oppose them.
Those who show the outside world that they love God and have chosen to follow His son’s ways, are ridiculed, but know that they should not worry so much. They know they should fear God and not the human beings. But that does not mean they just do have to let everything happen what other human beings decide. We always should show our praise for God and His Creation. As such we shall have to show the world our respect for that creation and should make others aware of the value of that creation which we are allowed to use, but may not try to destroy. So, we do have to take care of mother earth and also do have to come up for it. We can not allow others to continuously rob it and destroy the life chances of animals, plants but also for other human beings. Therefore contrary many Christians may think, we should give a voice to the ones who do not seem to have a voice or who are pushed in the corner.

We, as believers in Christ, may also appear to the anarchists as being “odd” and “strange” because we don’t embrace their methods of “bringing about change” in our nation, but we can show to them other ways to demonstrate peacefully and to use other ways to give a voice for the right cause in righteousness.

Not reacting at all can give opportunities to silence the democratic system and to have other human beings using their power to oppress others. We should give dictatorship and oppression no chance. We also should avoid that others get the means, like weapons to oppress others.

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Of interest:

  1. Voice for the plebs
  2. The Y generation in conflict with itself
  3. To Work Longer or Die Younger
  4. Depression Economics and Paul Krugman
  5. Anti-Crisis anger calling out
  6. Ability for a community to come back from a crisis
  7. Violence or an other way to win
  8. Justififiable anger or just anarchism
  9. Shame on American police
  10. A dangereous way of censorship
  11. Democratic downfall
  12. Censor looming around the UK corner?
  13. Internet absurdities
  14. The Protester named Person of the Year 2011 by Time Magazine
  15. Catherine Ashton on the EU annual report on human rights
  16. Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America at war
  17. Ukrainians should be free to shape the future of their country
  18. Person of the year
  19. Journal for and from bothered citizens
  20. Re-Creating Community
  21. Chinese Village in Revolt
  22. ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protesters Gain Strength
  23. Busting Protesters, not Bankers
  24. UK Protesters Charged as Organized Criminals
  25. Thai Court Sides with Protesters

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  • Are you looking? (hopeofglory.typepad.com)
    This one nation under God has experienced a losing of itself under its present “leadership”. Focused on things not familiar orpreviously welcomed in this United States of America, these things have allowed many to lose their way.Believers associate this loss with a turning away from God. It’s a judgment of sorts on the abandoning of God and country, morality and responsibility, faith and respect. A sad commentary on the ease with which some will forfeit independence for dependence, goodness for wickedness, apology for justification. None of it typical of the America we used to know and love.
  • Calmness is Settling in Over Ferguson (fggam.org)
    We continue to be in constant prayer for Ferguson and the United States of America, America, Bless God!
  • Boko Haram: Nigeria berates US over ‘no weapon deal’ (sundiatapost.com)
    Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States of America, Prof. Ade Adefuye has chided the United States of America for refusing to sell weapons to Nigeria to effectively contain the Islamic insurgency in Northern Nigeria.
    He said the war against the insurgency would have been won long ago, had the US agreed to sell weapons to Nigerian government.
  • Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 (wdeaver.wordpress.com)
    Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
  • The Constitution of the United States of America, 19th Amendment (nesaranetwork.com)
    The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Eternity

Psalm 8 King James Version (KJV)

The Glory of the Lord in Creation

1 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts…

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