Healing Choices

Roth Poetry

Hurt and pain

leave scars on our soul

Forgiveness

removes the source

How we heal

is a choice we make

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

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Two Unconventional Ways to Self-Soothe

The Curious Mag

Published on Happinez Magazine on the 18th of July. Article here

Worry, anxiety, stress, frustration, and sadness are a part of life that no one is excluded from experiencing. As we become adults, we have to learn to stand on our own two feet – especially when it comes to handling our emotions (this is of course not including the help that we can receive from our friends, families, therapists, and/or support groups). We might develop certain coping mechanisms or self-soothing techniques that help us get by and get through the tough times. 

DeAndre Bush

What is self-soothing?

Self-soothing is defined as an individual’s efforts or capacity to calm oneself while in a state of emotional distress. When you find yourself experiencing negative emotions, not only is it important to sit with your feelings but also to not let yourself plummet or spiral into an emotional state that has you…

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The opened door♥️

Try to get it!

The opened door
Not like all opened doors
It welcomes a person with despair
And also those who need care
It is opened all day long
Its owner is Merciful though strong
Let’s pass together through his door
We will receive forgiveness and more
The eternal peace is also there
You can see Nothing But pure air
Cause his mercy is overwhelming
To each one who is Now coming
We will enjoy that harmless light
That can be seen by no eyes
But only needs a clear sight
Sohair
Allah says
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْ كَانَ خَيْرًا مَا سَبَقُونَا إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَإِذْ لَمْ يَهْتَدُوا بِهِ فَسَيَقُولُونَ هَٰذَا إِفْكٌ قَدِيمٌ
The Unbelievers say of those who believe: “If (this Message) were a good thing, (such men) would not have gone to it first, before us!” And seeing that they guide not themselves thereby, they will say, “this is an…

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Dear 2021,

Whichever way we turn, in 2021 we were able to experience another year that tried to undermine mankind.

In the New Year, never forget to thank your past years because they enabled you to reach today! Without the stairs of the past, you cannot arrive at the future!
― Mehmet Murat ildan

It was already an understatement to say that 2020 swept us off our feet, 2021 gave us a run for our money. (Perhaps even literally as well figuratively)

100 years ago another virus had after that terrible Great War tried to reduce the population by large numbers as if that horrible 4 years of war was not sufficient. It had brought down mankind to its knees by a microscopic being. And as if it has to come back every century, we too could feel what it is when a dangerous disease spreads around like mad.

But like the previous 2 years, we could find lightbulbs burning in the darkness.
Set against a backdrop of human loss and misery, many could continue their journey that started off a year before. Several people found new opportunities in this time of malaise. We could see changes in people’s lifestyles, and it was as if man now, at last, gave some rest to nature, having lesser cars driving around. In any case, the Corona period proved beneficial to the environment, with pollution rates decreasing drastically.

Set against a backdrop of human loss and misery was a journey of discovery and realisation that many were just learning to undertake. It brought about a tremendous change in people’s lifestyles, perspectives and proved beneficial to the environment, with pollution rates decreasing drastically. Adoption of minimalistic living practices became the norm in view of the virus’ indefinite tenure. As death tolls rose in a staggering manner, people dwelled in a constant state of apprehension of what the future would bring….. {Dear 2020}

For many, 2021 was a difficult ride, but we all have grown and gotten through it, hopefully learning lessons and making memories in the process. And as you say, we also think, that’s something to be grateful for.

Random Specific Thoughts

In the New Year, never forget to thank your past years because they enabled you to reach today! Without the stairs of the past, you cannot arrive at the future!
―Mehmet Murat ildan

Gosh, I’m almost certainly sure I’m going blind from all the screens. I keep wanting to say it is your fault. Is it?

I’m sorry – where are my manners?

I hope you’re well and the packing is going great. You have but mere minutes before you turn into yet another history chapter. Unlike your predecessor, you weren’t cruel or a fan of surprises but you were clever and cunning. This has been quite the rollercoaster of a year and well, to be honest – I’m not going to blame you for it. I was rather harsh towards 2020 now that I think about i,t and I feel terrible about it.

You see, as humans…

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Here and there♥️

 

Try to get it!

The remained time is short
But we do Not pay attention
Yeah
We will be asked about every thing
Important and unimportant
There is a big difference between here and there

There you can Not look back
There you can Not change What has been done by you
But here you still have the chance to look back
You still have the chance to repaire and to change What should be changed
There… We will live an endless peace
Here… we can Create our peace But it is a temporary peace
This peace of ‘here’ needs a lot of work and patience to be achieved
There.. We do Not work Or try to achieve anything
There we only harvest What we did ‘here’…
Our time here is too short But we can do a lot
There.. our time is caculated differently and although it is endless Or long But we…

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God Loves Me

Recently I was thinking on my many sins and failures over the years,
the wrong I have done and the good that I have left undone, and this thought came to me:
The Creator of the Universe loves me.
Is it possible that when I come to Him in genuine repentance to ask His forgiveness and help and ongoing love,
He grants forgiveness and then says something like this?
‘I love sinners. You are all I’ve got to work with’.
This thought encourages me to sin less as I snuggle into the warmth of His love.
~ Alan Hermann

To be happy is to find…

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Dutch translation/ Nederlandse vertaling: Vinden om gelukkig te zijn

Purplerays

“To be happy is to find
strength in forgiveness,
hopes in battles,
security on the stage of fear,
love in disagreements.
It is to thank God every minute
for the miracle of life” .

~ ( Augusto Cury)

Text & image source: Tania Rodrigues Araujo @ The Celestial Sanctum https://www.facebook.com/groups/celestialsanctum/

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Forgiveness

One of the very difficult things in life is to forgive others. Let us not wait until it is to late to say we forgive them.

Tunnel under resentment

Tunnel under resentment
and take the subway to forgiveness.

…be kind to one another,
tender-hearted, forgiving one another,
just as God in Christ also forgave you.’
Ephesians 4:32

Dear God
Let me be strong enough
to respect every creature around me
and to be a living example of a true Christian,
or serious follower of your only begotten son Jesus,
prepared to forgive those
who did wrong or even do not like me.

For those Christians who say they are the Victim

You Are Not A Victim

Nova Scotia, Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paul Van Buren, a preacher born in Nova Scotia, Canada who lived in so many places since then considers himself to be called by God at the age of 19 but knows that calling was knit into him before his birth.

Being a father of 11 children and husband to a most wonderful lady, he is the pastor of a Holy Spirit directed church in LaSalle, Quebec where  he is having the time of his life. On his Pastor’s Blog he writes that it frustrates him when Christians play the part of victim.

He writes:

Victimized Christians do not know who they are in Jesus and it is a shame that they are wasting the precious days they have been given in this world.

Probably he thinks of the many gifts we are given: first of all life itself and secondly many gifts when we grow up and try to make something of our life.

Having lots of messages circulating on the media, with lots of horrible pictures of terrorist acts lost of people are getting so afraid that our Western World would become Islamised and that we Christians should have to convert to Islam or being killed. Strange is that not more people question how it comes that so many left Christianity or Christendom and became Muslim and do not wonder how it comes that so many Christian churches are getting more and more empty.

Clearly we should question Christians how they live their faith. Is not many their faith as dead? What are they doing to bring others into the faith?

How are they helping those who have doubts and wonder if those Muslims are not right?

Let us have a look on what Paul Van Buren writes:

Paul first reminds Timothy that he has been raised and trained in a life of faith. It was demonstrated to him in his mother and grandmother. Paul encourages Timothy by stating that he is confident that this same faith resides in Timothy. Then:

Because of this, I’m reminding you to revive God’s gift that is in you through the laying on of my hands. (v. 6)

I like this. Because of this faith Timothy I am reminding you to operate in it. Live by the Spirit. Do what you have been equipped to do. The Spirit provides the equipping but we are responsible to operate in it. Then Paul writes what we all must grasp:

God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled. (v. 7)

This is not personality. Personality type does not play in your calling and equipping. Look at many of the servant’s of the past who tried to get out of their calling with excuses, like Moses and Jonah. It has everything to do with the spirit he has given to us and it is one of boldness. He has equipped us with his power, his love and the power to be self-controlled. This is good stuff that we simply have to act on, in faith that it is so.

Too many Christians seem not to feel that power which they have received, or what has happened more likely when getting older and more trapped by this materialistic world they have lost he fire of their faith and the flames are only burning very weakly or not at all.
Several people are also born in a Christian family and lots of them were even baptised before they could properly think or understand what God and faith really meant. This also makes that many of those name Christians never ever did feel that Spirit in them. They only got the name or the label ‘Christian’ on them and want to consider themselves Christians because they want to belong to the general group of the West.

Now the West comes under threat again from Muslims going to the west, like they had already done before and had conquered Spain, now Europeans are having fear those Muslims will conquer the whole of Europe. But when they would have a strong faith, why should they than be so full of fear?

For sure it is because most of those Europeans do not have any faith in God or do have no idea at all what their faith-groups stands for or if that faith-group follows really the Holy Books or not. The same for the many Muslims here, lots of them born in that faith-group and not knowing enough their own holy books, they do not react strong enough against those who defile their holy books and the teachings of Muhammad. They should have reacted much more against those criminals who defile the Name of God in name of the Muslims, blackening their ummah and making it more difficult to have a peaceful life here in the West.

Today we are living again in a similar time when Noah was alive. Everywhere around us we can see how people live against nature and against God’s Wishes. In a certain way it would be no wonder if God would shaken the world once more to awaken them. But it is not God Who brings terror and horror over people. It are the people themselves who bring cruelty over themselves.

We better should think again of those times, what happened after the water came down and Noah got promises from God. We also should remember how people at the time of Moses very fast had forgotten how God ahd liberated them and how fast they went worshipping other gods again.

Pastor Paul writes:

When Moses was about to die he addressed the nation and told them to possess the land because Yahweh had told them to possess it. He encouraged them:

Be strong! Be fearless! Don’t be afraid and don’t be scared by your enemies, because the Lord your God is the one who marches with you. He won’t let you down, and he won’t abandon you. (Deuteronomy 31:6) 

Two things right there are the source of our boldness. First, our God is always with us, going before us, always preparing the way. He abides in us. Psalm 139 states we can never escape him, even more now that he lives in us. This is for our encouragement.

The second thing the pastor wants to highlight is that we may count on God:

He won’t let you down. That is a big one all on it’s own and can only be understood in the context of a loving, intimate relationship.

Though in his text we have the impression he , like so many Christians got two Biblical characters mixed up. He namely continues than with looking at Jesus, who is the sent one from God, and not God Himself.

As Christians, being followers of Christ, we should believe the words of this Nazarene teacher and see how his heavenly Father protected him and gave him special gifts. In the knowledge that this man also did not tell lies, because he did not sin, we may assume that also his promises will come true.

Jesus promised that he would be with us until the end of this age. He said his desire was for us to be one with him in the same way that he is one with Father. The Way, the Truth and the Life is in you. The one who declared that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him, is intimate with you. The one who stated that he is the Resurrection walks with you every day.

With that knowledge we should have our minds at rest. It should be a comforting thought that at the end times those who love God shall find peace after the big battle or the Big Tribulation, which nobody can escape. Yes the big trouble shall come over us all. But Jesus has told about the signs and it is up to us to recognise them and to prepare ourselves for that time of the Last Days.

It is not that we ourselves shall have to go into the battle and have to be conquerors.

Paul wrote that we are more than conquerors, we are overcomers. We are not victims. We are not powerless. We are not timid, because our God has given us the authority to forgive. Thank about that for a moment. The power does not rest in the hands of the offender but in the hands of the offended. Without your forgiveness, the offender will have to give account for their actions. With your forgiveness that offence is wiped away. By offering forgiveness you are also set free from the cage of victim. That is power and that is what has been given to you with the responsibility to love your enemies.

We cannot and must not live with a victim mentality. Jesus has made us greater, more powerful than people can grasp. Now walk in the boldness you have been given and dare to love where others have failed.

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Preceding: Fear for rebel groups and men

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Related articles

• DIG for Tuesday the 15th of March…..we can know His will, He has revealed it to us…..Ephesians 1 v 9
• Trails and Tribulations
• Do You Long to FEEL the Holy Spirit in Your Life?
• The Holy Spirit and Being Guilty (Word to the Wise)
• Sparked Up
• Building Our Faith
• The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told
• Why is the Holy Spirit sometimes called the Holy Ghost?
• If you’re not baptized in Jesus’ Name according to Acts 2:38, do you need to be re-baptized from Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19)?
• God is Jehovah Shammah-God is There!

Phantom Of Dreams

 

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Related articles

• The Greatest Fear
• Stop Living in Fear: Free eCourse for Narcissistic Abuse Survivors
• The Art of Asking
• Tantra: facing your fears – high anxiety
• How to Reject the Fear of Rejection
• Choose Your Own Destiny
• On Leadership and the Dangers of the Internet of Things
• Good-bye Fear Friend ~ March 21, 2016
• Blind Louis Braille Gave Reading to the Blind
• Does God forgive and forget? Should we?

sheetal sharma

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

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

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

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

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Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer

Today there is still lots of commotion about works and faith. Still too many Christians do think they do not need any works.
The Catholic church, we must say, has from the beginning seen that certain works were necessary. One can not become a Christian without putting the previous life of sin away by having regret, asking for forgiveness of sins and taking steps to show regret (an act to be taken), opening oneself for remission by going for a baptism (a work).

Not only Rome sees baptism as a channel of sanctifying grace, as the primary instrumental cause of justification, and the sacrament of penance, whereby congruous merit is achieved through works of satisfaction, as the supplementary restorative cause whenever the grace of God’s initial acceptance is lost through mortal sin.

Not only for the Roman Catholics believers save themselves with the help of the grace that flows from Christ through the church’s sacramental system. Several other denominations request that people change their life once baptised (which sometimes demands lots of works). Other protestants groups do forget that it is impossible that a Christian would keep living the same sinful life as before his or her baptism. It is an illusion to believe that we are saved by the blood of Christ and would not have to do any works any more because we would go to heaven or always will be allowed to enter God’s Kingdom.

First of all the Kingdom will be here on earth for most of us. And Jesus showed us with his parables the danger of loosing the entrance through the small gate of life in eternity.

Justification may be given free, like people can win a lottery, but if they do not do anything with the price, they will be nothing with it.

For example if I would give you a limousine you are nothing with it if you do not use the key and turn the motor on (a work). Before you can go into the traffic you have to learn the road code and have to learn to drive. Then you will have to drive (doing a job) and shall have to be careful in traffic (taking attention), going to some place (trafficking).

Also with faith we do need to come into the faith (a work), trafficking, having to keep our faith (demands work), read the Word of God regularly and study it (demands work) we have to be careful to keep the code of God, His regulations and ordinances (keeping to the commandments requires work). Jesus also gave the order to go out in the world to proclaim the Gospel of the coming Kingdom (which demands a work) and to come together regularly, i.e. meeting with each other, which demands also some work.

For those who think they do not have to have self-control (which demands work) we must disappoint them. If they keep lying, bullying, stealing, fornicating, murdering, they shall miss the entrance of the coming Kingdom.
If they think it will be so easy in this system of things, we also must disappoint them, because also when baptised there shall be temptations, suffering and so on, which demand stamina to continue (work) in the faith.

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To remember

Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” Galatians 3:11

=> =  we do have to be righteous to be able to live by faith

The author tells us:

• doctrine of justification, storm center of Reformation = major concern of apostle Paul = heart of gospel (Rom. 1:17; 3:21-5:21; Gal. 2:15-5:1) shaping both his message (Acts 13:38-39) + his devotion + spiritual life (2 Cor. 5:13-21; Phil. 3:4-14).
• > other New Testament writers affirm same doctrine in substance => terms in which Protestants have affirmed + defended it for almost five centuries are drawn primarily from Paul.
• Justification = judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly persons, Rom. 4:5; 3:9-24) > accepting them as just => putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself.  > => justifying sentence = God’s gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:15-17) = his bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor. 5:21).
• God’s justifying decision = judgment of the Last Day, declaring where we shall spend eternity
• necessary means, or instrumental cause, of justification is personal faith in Jesus Christ as crucified Savior and risen Lord (Rom. 4:23-25; 10:8-13).
• As we give ourselves in faith to Jesus, Jesus gives us his gift of righteousness, so that in the very act of “closing with Christ,” as older Reformed teachers put it, we receive divine pardon and acceptance which we could not otherwise have (Gal. 2:15-16; 3:24).

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Preceding articles

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?

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

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

Restitution

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Additional reading

1. The business of this life
2. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
3. Believing in the send one and understanding that one does not live by bread alone
4. Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
5. Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan
6. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
7. People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life
8. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
9. Christ’s ethical teaching
10. Being Justified by faith
11. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
12. Faith and works
13. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #8 Prayer #6 Communication and manifestation
14. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying
15. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
16. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
17. Running away from the past
18. Malefactors becoming your master
19. Be holy
20. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
21. Love for each other attracting others

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Further related articles

1. No Regrets
2. Day 19: Things to regret
3. Access: Denied
4. Giving our regret to God
5. Reminisce
6. Life is like a river
7. Questions & Answers About Lent
8. Godly Sorrow Leads Us on to a Glorious Celebration of the Gospel
9. A Threefold Malice
10. Reconciliation
11. Penance – Chapter One
12. Wednesday of Septuagesima week: O, Merciful God! Have Mercy On Me The Fallen One!
13. CFP: Discipline and Excess (Cambridge Friday, April 15, 2016)
14. That kind of Franciscan
15. The Savior of the World
16. (01/07/2016) Salvation Only Through Christ?
17. My Take on the Gay Marriage Bill.
18. Missing the Mark
19. Leading people astray!
20. Tips for Gracious Living: Bad Driving
21. Unfaithful fornicating adulterating Christians will perish
22. We don’t meet God 1/2 way.
23. The Salesman
24. Actions are the Megaphone of Words
25. The Justification of Abraham
26. (01/13/2016) How To Treat Unbelievers?
27. Tuesday Devotional: Revelation 2
28. Fashion advice?
29. (12/31/2015) By Faith, Not By Interpretation?
30. Faithfulness
31. Seeing Christ
32. Faith in Action

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Related articles

• “Saved by Race Alone:” Great riposte to Vatican’s Judaizing stand
• First-ever meeting between Pope, Russian Orthodox patriarch ‘prepared for 20 years’
• Roman Catholics vs. Sola Scriptura Pt.1
• Not satire: Pope and head of Russian Orthodox Church to meet for first time in 1,000 years… in Communist Cuba
• Pope Francis, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill To Meet In Historic First
• New Vatican Document on Catholic-Jewish Relations
• ~ Public Notice ~
• Pope to Meet Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch in Cuba
• The field is the world: Evangelizing the secular world

Verlore seun

Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” GALATIANS 3:11

The doctrine of justification, the storm center of the Reformation, was a major concern of the apostle Paul. For him it was the heart of the gospel (Rom. 1:17; 3:21-5:21; Gal. 2:15-5:1) shaping both his message (Acts 13:38-39) and his devotion and spiritual life (2 Cor. 5:13-21; Phil. 3:4-14). Though other New Testament writers affirm the same doctrine in substance, the terms in which Protestants have affirmed and defended it for almost five centuries are drawn primarily from Paul.

Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly persons, Rom. 4:5; 3:9-24), accepting them as just, and so putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself. This justifying sentence is God’s gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:15-17), his bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus’ sake (2…

View original post 433 more words

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

Peter Forbes comments:

4:2      In questioning Abraham’s righteousness Paul develops the point that he made in Rom 2:13 showing that the law does not bring righteousness.

4:3 ‘Abraham believed God …‘ the quotation is from Gen. 15:6. Righteousness is imputed by God on the basis of faith, not works of the law. Gen. 15 predates the giving of the law. This is the thrust of the argument in verses 4:4,5 and circumcision – the implications of this are developed in Rom.4:9-13.

Man reading Psalms at the Western Wall. Jerusalem, Israel/Palestine, March 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4:6-8 The appeal to Psalm 32:1-2 which is a Psalm that David wrote after Nathan had spoken of God’s forgiveness for David’s adultery [2 Sam.12:13] continues the theme of forgiveness from ch. 3:4 We should take great comfort from the fact that God was willing to forgive the repentant David.

4:7  Notice the subtle but important difference between the language of  Psa 32:1 – and Paul’s words here. Whilst the Psalm has ‘he’ whereas Paul here says ‘they’. Paul generalises from the Psalm. The Psalm has specific relevance to David’s situation. Paul says that specific application of forgiveness actually extends to all who follow David’s example of repentance.

4:11 Whilst Israel seemed to see circumcision as the ultimate test of Jewishness Paul clearly says here that it is a sign of what has already been seen in Abraham – that is his faith in God which was counted for righteousness.

4:18 ‘against hope believed in hope‘ tells us that Abraham had to have faith in the promise of the seed as it was humanly speaking impossible.

4:23 The implication from ‘now it was not written for his sake alone …‘ is that Abraham had a written copy of the promise.

Cliff York comments

Romans 4 – To meet the views of the Jews, the apostle first refers to the example of Abraham, in whom the Jews gloried as their most renowned forefather. However exalted in various respects, he had nothing to boast in the presence of God, for he too was saved by grace, through faith, even as others. Without noticing the years which passed before his call, and the failures at times in his obedience, and even in his faith, it was expressly stated in the Scripture that “he believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness,” Genesis 15:6. From this example it is observed, that if any man could work the full measure required by the law, the reward must then be reckoned as a debt, which evidently was not the case even of Abraham, seeing faith was reckoned to him for righteousness.

It is clear from the Scripture, that Abraham was justified several years before his circumcision. This then is Paul’s point to those who prided themselves on their pedigree and/or on the very private mark they received in their flesh whilst they were too young to effectively protest otherwise. It is, therefore, plain that this circumcision was not necessary in order to that justification which is by faith.

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It is truly fascinating to reflect on the great wisdom of the Father as one reads the 3 portions of Scripture each day, and often there runs a “Golden Thread” through them all. For example, one of the Golden Threads evident today, is the concept, that we can only be Justified by the Grace of God. Paul deals in great detail with the subject, of course, in Romans, Joseph in his life revealed how great a force faith in God is the life of each of His saints – Genesis 47:12, and the Psalmist captured the same beautifully in the closing verse of Psalm 50 – “Whoso offers praise glorifies me: and to him that orders his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God.”

John Wilson comments

Prayer of David, psalm 51 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rom 4:7  As we read from Psa 32 the other day, and as we read from Psa 51 tomorrow, we can clearly see, and appreciate that the confession of sin is not seeking forgiveness, it acknowledges the righteousness of our Heavenly Father. We must also be aware of the fact, that our failings can not be forgiven unless we are prepared to acknowledge them.

Rom 4:17  “I have made thee a father of many nations.” Paul is quoting from Gen 17:5  Sarah was still barren at this time, but we see that this is written in the past tense. This was foreordained. There is a difference between pre-existence and being foreordained. The seed of Abraham, both Isaac and Christ were foreordained.

4:21 All promises that have been made by God, he is able to perform, certainly different from promises made by man. God never forgets a promise, while man frequently forgets, God’s promises are priceless, while promises of man are often times useless, God’s promises are always right, while mans are often wrong.

Michael Parry comments

Paul; the writer to the Hebrews; James; and Peter all talk about Abraham. He was the patriarch of the physical Jewish nation and also father of the faithful (4:16).
He was given the promises before the Law (Gen 17:5-8) – even before his circumcision (Gen 17:24).  The particular seed of his promise was Christ who fulfilled the Law (Matt 5:17, Gal 3:16).  However, God still has a covenant with the Jewish nation and the land of Israel even though they have not (yet) accepted Christ.  It is a mistake to believe, as some groups do, that any prophetical reference or future application concerning the Land and people of Israel is purely spiritual and not physical.

Rob de Jongh comments

For many of us the intricate arguments of scripture are too much to grasp. That’s why we’re given Abraham as an example. All we need to do is read about his life, emulate what we see, and we will obtain the same promises as him. Rom 4:3, 11-12, 16, 20-25.

 

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Preceding articles

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?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

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Additional reading

1. Written down in God’s Name for righteousness
2. Testimonies to observe, inspired by God
3. Necessity of a revelation of creation 5 Getting understanding by Word of God 3
4. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
5. The Right One to follow and to worship
6. God showing how far He is willing to go to save His children
7. A secret to be reveiled
8. Gone astray, away from God
9. Back from gone #4 Your inner feelings and actions
10. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
11. Two states of existence before God
12. The God of hope filling us with all joy and peace
13. God receives us on the basis of our faith
14. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us
15. With child and righteousness greater than the law
16. Nazarene Commentary Matthew 3:13-17 – Jesus Declared God’s Son at His Baptism
17. Atonement and the race been bought
18. A race not to swift, nor a battle to the strong
19. Fixing our attentionSelf inflicted misery #8 Pruning to strengthen us
20. Gaining Christ, trusting Jehovah
21. Set free from any form of mental torment or self-condemnation
22. Doctrine and Conduct Cause and Effect
23. Hope by faith and free gift
24. God’s love – Equal and unconditional for all believers
25. True richesBeing Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
26. If you have integrity
27. Honor your own words as if they were an important contract
28. All Positive Energy People Are Acceptable
29. Our openness to being approachable
30. Preaching to an unbelieving world
31. Is your mind thirsty?
32. The Dress Code for Women in the Quran

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Further readings

1. Daily Devotional – Romans 4:1-12
2. Daily Devotional – Romans 4:12-25
3. Romans 4 and the Sacraments
4. Faith-full Father Abraham
5. Paul’s Scriptural Argument
6. Paul’s Argument of Maturity
7. What works was Paul talking about in Romans?
8. Background to Romans 9-11: key teaching from Romans 1:16-4:25
9. Structure of Romans 1:16-4:25
10. May 23 2 Chronicles 6,7; Psalms 135; Romans 4
11. Devotional # 90. Galatians 3:15-29
12. A Promise
13. God is righteous and just (God is good 4)
14. “It’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it.” ~Apostle Paul
15. The relevance of  God’s Word today
16. Righteousness of Faith
17. Could Abraham have remained childless?
18. Would Your Faith Save You?
19. It’s not about you
20. The Best Way to “Stand Up” For Jesus: Revisiting Romans
21. What works was Paul talking about in Romans?
22. Nullify the Torah?
23. Apart From The Law Of Righteousness
24. Under The Law
25. Scriptures on Righteousness- Joseph Prince
26. Righteous and Right-ness
27. Greater Love Hath No Man
28. Jesus Christ has done enough
29. Verse of the day – Righteousness of the Law
30. Grace words for today Devotional
31. It is in difficult times that we choose to continue to do what is right while everything else seems wrong that we grow
32. Getting wisdom
33. Moral Image
34. Incredible Peace
35. It Is God’s Presence in Us
36. Strength In Your Hair Or Your Faith?
37. Daily Inspiration, January 28th
38. You Have on Different Clothing Now
39. Christ: A Place In God
40. The Privilege
41. The Sermon on the Mount is not a Guide to Christian Salvation
42. Experiencing Revival Part 3: Obedience
43. Righteousness Pt 10
44. Kingdom Come
45. You Christian, shouldn’t carry guilt, or seek ongoing forgiveness to stay “right” with God.
46. Exodus 4-6 Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son
47. The Myths and Facts of Circumcision
48. The Question of Circumcision II
49. God confronted even Moses for not keeping the covenant
50. What is so important about this Commandment?
51. Experience the change in status from “Children of the flesh,” and of the world : to “Children by promise,” and in the World -Guy#2:03
52. Surrender: Circumcision of the Heart
53. Is your heart circumcised today?
54. Only Jesus Christ – no if’s, no but’s (1)
55. Yes’s and No’s
56. entering in…as chosen ones

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Related articles

• How Apostle Paul distorted biblical view of Torah observance and righteousness
• The Abusive Father of Hypocrisy
• Psalm 122
• 12/6 QT Psalms 140:1-13
• The Jewish Roots of Christianity
• Yes, Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God (But Here’s What That Means & Doesn’t)
• Psalm 10
• What is said of God is said of the righteous – Psa 111 and 112
• Christ’s Kingdom. Advent Midweek 3, 2015

Restitution

We are bounded by time and our actions in time. We can stay chained by them or being liberated in time.

In our life we always shall encounter easy but also difficult situations and shall get moments that we can get trapped in our own stupidity, making faults, hurting others, coming into arguments leading to nowhere and getting us in problems, but also getting ourselves being hurt by others.

When something went wrong and got us in anger, we either have the choice to stay in that anger or to be more smart and not let this anger ruin our life.
We better let go of our anger, grudge, and desire to get even with the person(s) who wronged us. forgiving does not have to mean you condone with or minimize the harmful words or deeds. Forgiving is your willingness to take a strong position by humbling yourself before the other and showing your willingness to come closer again to him or her. It is your willingness to show that you are willing to take a deliberate decision to release any negative thoughts towards the person(s) who hurt you.

We all should know that “Forgiveness” has many benefits.

Considering these seven (classic) benefits could motivate you to actively choose to forgive someone who hurt you deeply. Forgiveness:

1. Enhances your emotional well-being. When you let go of grudges it relieves you of stress that could sabotage your emotional health.
2. Frees you from the hurt. When you don’t forgive, you are hurt first by the pain of the offense, and then by the bitterness you carry that impacts your emotional and physical well-being. But forgiveness reduces the emotional pain.
3. Gives you peace of mind. Genuine forgiveness replaces feelings of anger, bitterness and resentments with a positive feeling of compassion for the person who caused you harm. This gives you a sense of calm and peace.
4. Improves your physical health. Research indicates that forgiveness could lead to lowered heart rates and blood pressure which could have a positive effect on your overall health.
5. Builds stronger connections. When you learn to forgive you are better able to act in a positive way to people even though they disappoint you. This makes it easier to build healthy relationships and make connections with other people, for example, in your family and at work.
6. Improves your marriage. It is much easier to resolve conflicts in your marriage if you have a forgiving spirit. Relationship expert, Dr. John Gottman, explains that forgiveness sustains long-term relationships.
7. Makes your happier. People who forgive are happier because they have learned to let go burdens of resentment and anger. This restores their freedom and sense of well-being leading to true happiness.

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Preceding article:

Time Has A Way Of Healing

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Find also to read:

1. The business of this life
2. Oh god, this is never going to end!
3. Patient waiting
4. A time for everything
5. Malefactors becoming your master
6. Putting your feelings into words and sharing them
7. We all have to have dreams
8. Doest thou well to be Angry?
9. A man who cannot forgive others
10. He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass
11. Be ye angry and sin not
12. Be holy
13. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
14. Growth in character
15. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
16. Love is like playing the piano
17. Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives
18. He who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger
19. Allowed to heal
20. See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory
21. Singing gift from God
22. Unconditional love
23. Your Sins Are Forgiven

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Related articles

• The Cycle of Thorns &Roses part 2… Getting to the roses… (trilovespeaks.wordpress.com)
  We can be angry at other things, other people and other objects, not knowing it comes from bitterness. All our energy and mind are set in an anger-mode, and we’re affected mentally. There is no joy, no creativity, and no positive power flowing through our lives, because there is resentment there.
• Forgiveness: 5 Reasons Why You Should Let Go of Resentments (bloguvib.wordpress.com)
  To forgive is somehow associated with saying that it is all right, that we accept the evil deed. But this is not forgiveness. Forgiveness means that you fill yourself with love and you radiate that love outward and refuse to hang onto the venom or hatred that was engendered by the behaviors that caused the wounds. ~Wayne Dyer
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  Deep down inside you know Why you should let go and how to let go of it all in order to find peace of mind and be happy. Allow yourself to receive this gift, because forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself, first and foremost. The moment you tell yourself: I had enough, this pain no longer serves me, that will be the moment you will actually understand Why forgiveness is power and why you are the first one to benefit from it.
• Why Forgiveness Is Worth Fighting For (news.peacefmonline.com)
  There are still scars in my mind and heart, and in the minds and hearts of others who were involved. But for the most part, they are just scars.

  They are no longer gaping, open wounds. They are not as sensitive as they once were. And while I still tread carefully — the memory of the pain is still there, even if the pain itself is not — the effects on my everyday life are minimal.
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  focus on what I have, and not what I don’t have or what I no longer have. It’s important for me to work on my own issues and not worry so much about what other people are doing to work on theirs.

• Why Forgiveness is Power (earthweareone.com)
  I know it’s a lot easier to give back exactly what you receive, and in this case, a lot of negativity, but we don’t want to do what’s easier, but rather what is best for our health, our well being and that of those around us. I know that people can be really mean sometimes, and that they can do horrible things to those they come in contact with, to those they love and care about, but I also believe that people can change, and this is why it’s so important to give up on your personal history that you might have had with those people, and allow them to show you just that.
• Learn Forgiveness from Your King (Matthew 18:21-35) (christoursaviorchurch.wordpress.com)
  It’s hard to forgive when someone has hurt you, and I mean really hurt you. It’s hard to look someone who just hurt you in the face and forgive them from your heart, as Jesus tells us to do today, with no trace of lingering bitterness, resentment, or anger.

  It’s hard to forgive when, often, the person who hurt you isn’t just some stranger on the street, but someone near and dear to you. It’s hard to forgive when sometimes the people who hurt us in the past seem to misuse our forgiveness as they keep on hurting us, over and over and over again.
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  Our King’s forgiveness changes how we answer that question, doesn’t it? What we don’t do is act like this wicked servant in Jesus’ parable. We don’t come into church here on a weekly basis, sit in front of God’s word on a daily basis, hear him tell us that our innumerable sins have been completely forgiven and forgotten, and then walk out that door and refuse to forgive the comparatively small and insignificant sins that others may commit against us. We don’t hold comparatively little sins over the heads of other people when we have had 10,000 talents worth of sins removed from our heads. There’s no more room for grudge holding in our lives. Petty arguments and stubbornness have no place in our relationships.

• How To Forgive and Speed Up Your Healing (conqueringfearspiritually.com)
  How many times has somebody you know held a grudge against someone for a really stupid reason? “She didn’t bring me a present when we had our housewarming party”, “He said he’d take my son to football, but he never offered to”, “She told me she’d phone me, but she forgot”. Little resentments like this build up over time. When they happen they can be seemingly inconsequential- you can brush them off and put it down to them having a busy day. When you find yourself feeling irritated by the person however, recognise this feeling and know that it is hindering you moving forward, creating hidden negativity, but it is more importantly a huge energy zapper.

Source of Inspiration

Part of cleaning our past
as we move forward on the
path of love, is to make
restitution to those we
have harmed by our
actions or inactions;
our failure to act
with integrity and love.

Examine your conscience;
return what you have
ruthlessly taken, make amends
however you can. Go beyond
paying in kind; be generous, give more,

When those whom you’ve harmed
can forgive you, it is a glorious
day indeed. But even if they
are not able to forgive and
trust you, wish them well,
pray for their healing;
then forgive yourself, last
step of making amends.

We all have failed at times;
restitution is a key to healing;
hand in hand with
forgiveness to all,
including you as well.
Do not wallow in self-hatred
for if God forgives all to
those who are sincere,
sshouldn’twe forgive
ourselves as well?

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Elul Observances

For the Jewish community it is the last month of the year. We also are at the turning point having the Summer Holiday being the end of the time to repose and to go into a new school- or academic year and into a new church year.

By the Chosen People of God prior to the Exile the months were designated partly by names and partly by numbers.

Elul (Hebrew: אֱלוּל, StandardElulTiberianʾĔlûl) is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August–September on the Gregorian calendar. {Wikipedia}

Shofar (by Alphonse Lévy) Caption says: “To a good year” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The name of the month (spelled Alef-Lamed-Vav-Lamed) is said to be an acronym of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li,” “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine,” a quote from Song of Songs 6:3, where the Beloved is the Most High divine Creator of heaven and earth and the “I” is the Jewish people. In Aramaic (the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted), the word “Elul” meaning “search,” which is appropriate, because at the end of a period (weak/season/ year) it is not bad to take some time free to think about what happened in the past. At the turn over of the season or year it is time to search our hearts and to seriously have an introspection and stocktaking — a time to review one’s deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming Yamim Nora’im or “Days of Awe” of Rosh Hashanah and Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.

According to tradition, the month of Elul is the time that Moses spent on Mount Sinai, forty days and forty nights, neither eating bread, nor drinking water, preparing the second set of tablets after the incident of the golden calf (Exodus 32; 34:27-28). He had ascended on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the 1st of Elul of the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE).

Moses was seen by Jehovah as a righteous person, finding beauty in God His eyes. It was to him that God wanted to make all His function cross over upon his face and willing to show beauty, having compassion to whom God will have compassion. Though God cannot be seen, people can feel His presence. Moses, with Christ Jesus, was the only human being ever coming to know God this way. Jehovah taught him the secret of His “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy” (Exodus 33:18-34:8).

Exo 33:17-23 NHEBJE  Jehovah said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”  (18)  He said, “Please show me your glory.”  (19)  He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”  (20)  He said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.”  (21)  Jehovah also said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock.  (22)  It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;  (23)  then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

Exo 34:1-8 NHEBJE  Jehovah said to Moses, “Chisel two stone tablets like the first: and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.  (2)  Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.  (3)  No one shall come up with you; neither let anyone be seen throughout all the mountain; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mountain.”  (4)  He chiseled two tablets of stone like the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai, as Jehovah had commanded him, and took in his hand two stone tablets.  (5)  Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah.  (6)  Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Jehovah, Jehovah, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,  (7)  keeping loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and disobedience and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, on the third and on the fourth generation.”  (8)  Moses hurried and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.

Moses remained on the mountain for 40 days, until the 10th of Tishrei (Yom Kippur), during which time He obtained God’s whole-hearted forgiveness and reconciliation with the people of Israel following their betrayal of the covenant between them with their worship of the Golden Calf. This was the third of Moses’ three 40-day periods on Mount Sinai in connection with the Giving of the Torah. Ever since, the month of Elul serves as the “month of Divine mercy and forgiveness.”

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses’ hand, on the 10th of Tishri, at the end of Yom Kippur, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him, as a sign that his repentance was complete.
Other sources say that Elul is the beginning of a period of 40 days that Moses prayed for God to forgive the people after the Golden Calf incident, after which the commandment to prepare the second set of tablets was given.

As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness it is a most opportune time for teshuvah, the “return” to God, where we try to come even closer than in other times. This coming closer has to be done by getting in a closer relationship with God by spending enough time in conversation with Him, by prayer. for the Jews it is also a time where they show love for each other. That increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) has to happen in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to God.

Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when “the king is in the field” and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace,

“everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all.”

Is that not a lovely thought that we are given the opportunity to meet that King over the king of kings? From the Hebrew writings we may understand that Jehovah God is willing to listen to everybody who is willing to search for Him.

As we pass through life, we are invariably coarsened and sullied by our errors and misjudgements, or simply by the travails of physical life; but our innermost self, the soul which is created in the “image of God” and should be a “veritable part of God” should be ready to come in front of God. Last year the Christadelphians and Bible Students in Belgium focused on our communication with God. This coming season we are going to look at our being, which has the nephesh or nefesh (flesh) and (psyche), a soul which can only exist because God allows it to exist.

The Jews may bind the small black leather cubes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with the Shema and other biblical passages, around the arm (“hand Tefillin“) and head (“Head Tefillin“) of adult men during weekday morning prayers. But we should not have such touchable symbols to wrap around us to have the connection with the Word of God. The Mitzvah (precepts and commandments as commanded by God) binds us spiritually with our hearts and deeds with the Holy Spirit. Our mind (psyche) or soul which we give into the Hands of God, in these days of ‘turn over’ or ‘turning point’, should now get some interest from us to cleanse and purify it, so that we can come to a daily reunification within ourselves and with God.

The term mitzvah has also come to express an act of human kindness. In these days of passage, going from baby into toddler, toddler going from kindergarten to the lower and later to the junior and higher school. As adult going into a new academic year. It is God Who allows us to climb higher on the ladder, getting more knowledge and wisdom.

Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram’s horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). (Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24)

In this world there is a lot of distraction, so much noise we often do not hear the right sounds. There is so much that keeps us busy in the time of year we often do not find enough time to have pleasure time for the own family and even less time to spend time together with brothers and sisters of the same faith. How much time do you find to spend with others thinking about the Word of God and discussing what can be found and understood from Bible reading?

Let us take time to repent and to think about what we have done last year and how we are going to enter the new church year. We look forward to enter a new church-year full of enthusiasm, looking for ways to get to know the human soul better and to bring more people to better insight in the Holy Scriptures, in the hope that they may find God and shall be willing to get baptised and to join one of our communities.

Are we willing to let our soul be formed by the almighty God and to be looking forward to the Teshuvah, the God-given ability to access and reconnect to that untouched self, re-establishing our lives upon its foundation, and even redefine a negative past in its purifying light?

We may not overlook the most important aspect of Elul which is to make a plan for your life. Because when the “Big Day”, the Last Day of this time-system comes it shall be too late to make preparations. Everything has to happen before that day, like the marriage arrangements have to be taken before the day of marriage. It is Now that we do have to prepare ourselves to be ready to come before the Judge of the Endtimes. You may be sure that it will be so much easier when you prepare yourself for that day with others; Together the work shall be so much lighter and it will be much easier for each of the meeting to find the right way. Now is the time to prepare yourself for making a good start going into the right direction and finding like-minded people who are willing to unite in the name of Christ, willing to do, like him, the Will of God and not of ourselves or of the world.

Let us hear the trumpet of God and follow His Guidance into a new stadium, preparing ourselves to enter that promised New World, the Kingdom of God, as children of God.

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Find also to read:

1. Our openness to being approachable
2. A new school-, academic and church year
3. The sin of partiality
4. Let us not fret or worry about next season
5. Atonement And Fellowship 1/8
6. Following a Compassionate Lord
7. Wishing to do the will of God
8. A Living Faith #7 Prayer
9. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #8 Prayer #6 Communication and manifestation
10. The soul
11. Is there an Immortal soul
12. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
13. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
14. What I Hope For Is What You Hope For
15. Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives
16. The thought of losing rekindles the joy of having
17. Courage is fear that has said its prayers

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Related articles

• #BlogElul A time to reflect (otir.wordpress.com)
  The month of Elul is starting tonight.
  Which meansRoshHashanah is in one month.As we prepare for the holiday of Passover in the spring, with spring cleaning among other things, we do prepare for the High Holy Days with a thorough soul cleaning!
• Elul/Vav (workofheartandsoul.wordpress.com)
  Many Jews also visit the graves of loved ones throughout the month in order to remember and honor those people in our past who inspire us to live more fully in the future. {They leave a pebble or stone on top of the grave!}
• ABC’s of Elul (jewishpress.com)
  If youhad an important court date scheduled – one that woulddetermine your financial future, or even your very life – you’d be sure to prepare for weeks beforehand.On Rosh Hashanah, each individual is judged on the merit of his deeds. Whether he will live out the year or not. Whether he will have financial success or ruin. Whether he will be healthy or ill. All of these are determined on Rosh Hashanah.Elul – the month preceding Rosh Hashanah – begins a period of intensive introspection, of clarifying life’s goals, and of coming closer to God. It is a time for realizing purpose in life – rather than perfunctorily going through the motions of living by amassing money and seeking gratification. It is a time when we step back and look at ourselves critically and honestly, as Jews have from time immemorial, with the intention of improving.
• No Spiritual Home – Elul 5775 (lightwavejourney.wordpress.com)
  As a professional Jew, I havepreviously had communities that were easier for meto be a part of spiritually, but I have rarely felt uncomfortable in a community I have worked.  Only one time, I heard a rabbi give a sermon onYomKippurin which he said that Tisha B’Av should be disregarded.  It was the one and only time I almost walked out of High Holy Day services with my family.Judaism is a part of my essence.  I love how it fits into my life, pushes me to think, and creates a cocoon where I can live.I am a God-Wrestler.  I question, I pray, I hope, I vision and I wrestle.  And on the days that I don’t quite know how God fits into my practice of Judaism, I let go and trust the universe.  And throughout it all, I try to live a life of Godliness.  Every place I walk is a sanctuary, so why in this moment should I feel like I have no spiritual home.  The mountains and the desert are seriously my sanctuary.  I love the earth; I love so many special spaces that exude God-like energy.  I used to have a yoga studio that felt like God’s sanctuary.  Today, there is no space that is calling me for the Rosh HaShanah, yet I have to take my kids to services for the High Holy Days.
• Getting Clean During Elul (beittshuvah.wordpress.com)
  This month is when we traditionally do our inventories of the past year. We set up a balance sheet, listing the things we have done well and the areas where we “missed” the mark.
  +The Big Lie–Elul #8
  While there is a great deal to be sad about: loss, death, disappointment, our own errors, the hurts of others, etc; we have to keep this sadness in proper measure. When sadness is out of proper measure, we descend into despair. Rabbi Nachman calls this type of sadness the worst sin. Sadness/despair allows us to be hopeless and become victims. This sadness and despair allows us to tolerate the darkness that we and others bring into the world. It gives reason to our inactivity, our passivity and our engaging in negativity. This is the sadness that says “nothing will change” “why bother” “I don’t matter”, etc. It allows us to stay stuck and believe that we are powerless and doomed!
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  The Lies I Tell Myself-Elul #7
  in our age of “not taking responsibility, we can acknowledge the feelings another person has of our betrayal while not confessing to our betrayal.
• #BlogElul 1: Prepare (velveteenrabbi.blogs.com)
  The full moon of Av (on the Jewish calendar), the full moon of Ramadan (on the Muslim calendar), has been steadily shrinking. As surely as waves roll out and then roll back in again, now it’s time for the moon to start growing. Today is new moon, Rosh Chodesh Elul. One month until the Days of Awe.
  +
  it’s always possible to start paying attention, to become mindful, to dive in, wherever we are. Maybe you haven’t been counting the seven weeks between Tisha b’Av and Rosh Hashanah — nu, no big deal; start now, four weeks before the new year! You can always begin to prepare. It’s always open to you. Start now, as the moon begins to wax, and when it wanes — as it will inevitably do — feel your heart and soul quicken with the approaching Days of Awe.
• When the King is in the Field (acmsrabbiblog.wordpress.com)
  God has divided time into the holy and mundane.  Sabbath and the feasts are considered holy times, while the rest of the week is mundane where we engage in the normal activities of work and life.  Elul is seen as a time when the holy and mundane merge.  Every day of Elul is a little like Shabbat in the sense that because the “King is in the field”, we are to be more sensitive to the things that we do that keep us from putting God first in our lives. It is a time to restore the sense of awe toward the Holy One. We are to spend extra time in prayer, especially for personal repentance, reflection and renewal, and study of the Word.
• Ninth of Av (amapofcalifornia.wordpress.com)
  The fast day always fell during summer vacation, so I had to watch for it on the calendar in order to avoid missing the date.  I was aware that it was a day of obligation and that I was expected to fast.
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  The destruction of the Second Temple and the razing of Jerusalem irrevocably changed the face of Jewish life, ushering in the exile (known in Hebrew as the galut) to the Diaspora that continues to this day.  Where we once were unified in the Holy Land given to us by God, our misdeeds resulted in nothing but sorrow and tragedy as we were scattered al arbah kanfot ha’aretz, to the four corners of the earth.
• The Month Of Elul (A Time To Reflect On Yeshua Our Betrothed Beloved One) (paradoxparables.wordpress.com)
  During the Days of Awe is a good time to do Ritual Mikvah’s of repentance and dedication, of cleansing, in living streams of water, albeit a river or a shower if you can’t avail yourself to a river of moving fresh water. Repent that the times of refreshing may come, Acts 3:19.

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  Do you need a Shofar blast to awaken your spirits and inspire you to begin searching your soul to prepare yourself to come into G-ds presence? If so splash your face with some water, turn on some good worship music and seek His face.
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  Repenting of ones sins, seeking inspiration to live righteously is a just way to live. It would be good to remember those who have inspired us to come this far and continue to move forward.
• Elul, All, Nothing, or Something (mymorningmeditations.com)
  There is a misconception that many people have about Judaism, what I call “the all or nothing” syndrome. With 613 mitzvot in the Torah, things can seem a bit overwhelming.

Love and forgive this friday

Everyday again we should remember that some 2000 years ago a man was willing to do that what his Father in heaven wanted to be done, and offered himself as a lamb to wash the world of the gravity of sin by his blood.

Still every day we may have to face many struggles, pain, sorrow and many minor and big problems. Often we may see things around us which can annoy us, sometimes people may work on our nerves, but then we see that Light of the Lamb of God that showed us the way to treat others and to step over our boundaries of limitations.

Though living in this world we have decided not to be part ‘of this world’. From our inner soul the light of Christ Jesus, who died for us, is able to transpose us and to bring us to greater waters where we can swim forwards to to ‘isle of rescue’.

In the land prepared by Christ we are to be the example for others, so that they could see how we can be united in peace and show each-other brotherly love. We do have to show those around us that we are not the ones to judge. But we are the ones who are willing to forgive and to reach out our hand of loving-kindness and helpfulness, so that we with many can go together on the way to the opened gate of the Kingdom of God.

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Find additional reading:

1. Poetry of Peace
2. Your struggles develop your strengths
3. Pain and Suffering is inevitable but Misery is optional
4. From pain to purpose
5. Compassion and Discipline
6. Man’s plans prevailed by God’s purpose
7. A Great Gift commemorated
8. An unblemished and spotless lamb foreknown
9. Servant of his Father
10. The Seed Of The Woman Bruised
11. The day Jesus died
12. The Song of The Lamb #1 Visions, symbols and suggested meanings
13. The Song of The Lamb #2 Sevens
14. Kingdom Visions of a Man, Throne and Great crowd
15. Kingdom Visions of Rainbowed angel, Lamb in Mount Zion
16. Kingdom Visions of God’s judgements and Marriage of the Lamb
17. 14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast
18. Ransom for all
19. In the death of Christ, the son of God, is glorification
20. Ember and light the ransomed of Jehovah
21. The Song of The Lamb #5 Revelation 5
22. The Song of The Lamb #7 Revelation 15
23. The Song of The Lamb #8 Revelation 15 Lessons for us today
24. God’s Comfort
25. Promise of a Comforter
26. Give your tears to God
27. Everything that is done in the world is done by hope
28. Change
29. Growth in character
30. Breathing to teach
31. Prayer has comforted us in sorrow
32. A Living Faith #7 Prayer
33. A New Jerusalem
34. Judge not according to appearance
35. Belonging to or being judged by
36. Vengeance
37. Forgiveness
38. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #15 Exposition before the Creator
39. Doest thou well to be Angry?
40. Forgiveness always possible
41. A man who cannot forgive others
42. He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass
43. Love is like playing the piano
44. Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives
45. The Greatest of These is Love

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Related articles

• Forgive? You’re Kidding Me, Right? (inspirationalchristiansfortoday.com)
  The concept of forgiveness can be a hard thing to digest.  If someone wronged us, granting forgiveness can feel almost as if we’ve been hit twice.  The first time when we were so generously issued the wrong-doing; the second when we struggled to set-aside our ill-feelings and extended the gift of forgiveness.  After all, he/she may have deserved anything but a gift.
• A new identity (poetryjoy.com)
  God already sees us as perfected, beautiful and whole in Christ. The hard part is seeing, accepting and believing it for ourselves.
• Un-forgiveness is the means by which we securely bind ourselves to that which we hate most. (lisconnect.wordpress.com)
  Free yourself, ask God for a forgiving heart.
• How to Overcome a Bitter Spirit (familyencouragement.wordpress.com)
  There are devastating consequences in the personal life and relationships of a bitter person.   The Bible speaks about the development of bitterness in Ephesians 4:31 and the following verse deals with it’s consequences and solution.
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  God tells us we are to be “forgiving one another”.    This is the key to dealing with being resentful over past hurts.   Our bitterness and disappointment in people can only be resolved through forgiveness.   Period.   A bitter person refuses to forgive the offender.
• Forgiveness (po11ycheck.wordpress.com) Reposted from Courageous Christian FatherForgiveness it can be easier said then done. Do you easily forgive others when they do wrong to you? Have you ever had anyone not forgive you and you wished they did? What does it mean to forgive?
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  Christ casted our sins into the sea of forgetfulness. Our sins were cast as far as the East is from the West. Our sins to be remembered no more. So where is the sea of forgetfulness? Well, it is a place that I wouldn’t want to know where it is. Because all is forgotten there. How far exactly is the East from the West? Well just think the Earth is round so, you can keep going and going. Just the same, God’s forgiveness keeps going and is everlasting. If God can forgive our sins, shouldn’t we? See Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13
• Bible Verses to Comfort – It Hurts Me to Forgive – Forgiveness (darrellcreswell.wordpress.com)
  When we have been wronged by someone, a barrier is formed in our hearts. We put up a wall to the offense that hinders us from forgetting, letting go, and moving on.
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  Jesus said we should forgive unconditionally. In contrast, humans put conditions on forgiveness.
• The first to apologize is the bravest, the first to forgive is the strongest, the first to forget is the happiest. (pastormikesays.wordpress.com)
  Actually, forgiveness is not only about others, but also about our own spiritual growth. Love and forgiveness cannot be separated. If we choose to live out the love of God as the purpose of our life, then forgiving is an option that cannot be avoided.
• Forgive Us Our Sins…… (coarpk.wordpress.com)
  Some sins are more easily forgiven than others.  We can forgive a lie, depending on how big it is.  We can forgive a false word, as long as it’s not said against us.  We can forgive a little anger, as long as we weren’t embarrassed by it.  But what happens when the sin that we’re called to forgive is more significant.  What if someone steals from us?  Breaks into our house?  Hits our car?  What happens if someone takes the life of someone we love?  How do we forgive them?
• Does the Bible say that you should forgive someone who does not repent? (winteryknight.wordpress.com)
  “It is a common human assumption that the violator of the rights of others must ask for forgiveness before the wronged party can be expected to accept the apology and grant forgiveness…But Jesus here asks the person wronged to forgive the one responsible for the wrongdoing when when there is no confession of guilt… There is a voice from the cross that echoes across history to all saying ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do.’ Neither Pilate nor the high priest nor the centurion offered any apology to Jesus, yet he prayed for divine forgiveness…(p.125)”
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  I think it is a helpful tool for people to insist on seeing some sort of repentance and restitution from someone who wrongs you before you trust them again. If they are not even sorry for what they’ve done, and they refuse to explain why what they did is wrong, then they can’t be forgiven, and you can’t trust them again.
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  When I raise that with the unconditional forgiveness crowd, they want to insist that there is a difference, that the word “forgive” means different things. I’m not convinced.
• pure and light (madelineranda.wordpress.com)
  I let the enemy convince me my sins are trivial and he lulls me into complacency. he whispers that I’m fine and dandy, that we all live in darkness together and that is a-okay. But this morning as light flooded through my window, over a warm cup of coffee, my lonely and impure heart was brought a beautiful reminder speaking to both lies.

sheetal sharma

Sunlight slits open the dark clouds,
Crushing down my sins and bondage alike.
With Him we too were crucified that day –
Not as mere slaves or rebels but as Sons.

Forgiveness like a Balm to to my bruises,
My heart and soul now rejuvenated –
Speak – “Let the inner voice choose –
Forgiveness over vengeance !”

Harsh neighbors unite,
Arch rivals dialogue,
Nations come together –
As citizens of Humankind.

Judge Not ,nor be judged.
Condemn Not,nor be condemned,
But forgive and be Forgiven,
For Love is the only Balm for my pains.

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