Tag Archives: God

by Guestspeaker | 2018/01/08 · 3:41 pm

I Am Not Alone

“I Am Not Alone”
By: Kari Jobe

When I walk through deep waters
I know that You will be with me
When I’m standing in the fire
I will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadow
I will not fear

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

In the midst of deep sorrow
I see Your light is breaking through
The dark of night will not overtake me
I am pressing into You
Lord, You fight my every battle
And I will not fear

You amaze me
Redeem me
You call me as Your ownYou’re my strength
You’re my defender
You’re my refuge in the storm
Through these trials
You’ve always been faithful
You bring healing to my soul

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Poetry - Poems, Religious affairs, Video

Tagged as Faithful God, Fear, God, Kari Jobe, Refuge God, Strength God

by Immanuel Verbondskind | 2017/04/12 · 1:22 pm

Yehovah commands us to place Him first!

Today the world has made itself many gods and many people play themselves for god.

If God is too close, the people retreat in fear (Ex. 20:16) If God is too far, they resort to idol worship (Ex. 32:1).

Today living in a world where most have forgotten about the Creator or do not want to know about the Most High Elohim, it our the believers in Him who have to witness for Him and should make sure that the set-apart Name of the Omniscient Omnipotent Hashem shall resound all over the world.

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“And Elohim spoke all these Words, saying, “I am Yehovah your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery. “You have no other mighty ones against My face. “You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth, you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, Yehovah your Elohim am a jealous Ěl, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,” but showing loving-commitment to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands.”

‭‭Shemoth (Exodus)‬ ‭20:1-6‬ ‭TS2009‬‬

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Filed under Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

Tagged as God, God's witnesses, Holy Name of God, Jehovah, Witnessing

by Vragensteller - Inquirer | 2016/12/08 · 6:07 pm

Is daar een veroorzaker van alles

Vervolgend op mijn tweede vraag (omtrent het begin van alles) stelde ik vandaag mijn derde vraag op mijn website met als tittel: Bestaat er een Goddelijke Schepper?

Een wereld vol leven – Maldiven (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

Als wij rondom ons zien zien wij allerlei dingen die vol leven zijn of die er uit zien alsof zij levenloos zijn maar toch nog leven in zich hebben en zelfs ander leven voeden. Wij kunnen gewoonweg niet ontsnappen aan het feit dat de wereld er steeds is. Maar of zij er steeds geweest is mag dan wel een vraag zijn die sommigen wel roert. Niet enkel stel ik vast dat er die wereld buiten mijzelf is, maar wordt ik dagelijks geconfronteerd met de wereld in mij zelf.

Onlosmakelijk ben ik verbonden met mijn ‘innerlijke’ wereld. Ik kan slecht vast stellen dat ik leef door dat ik er ben. En zo zie ik ook die andere dingen, door dat zij er zijn. Het “zijn” is essentieel voor het bestaan van die dingen en van mij en het wezen v of de essentie van mijn “zelf“. Maar met dat leven in mij ben ik ook gebonden aan een stroom van gedachten die rondtoeren in mijn hersenpan, en mijn hoofd bij wijze soms wel eens op hol brengen.

Als mens zijn wij in ons zijn gebonden met onze innerlijke gedachten. Als wij “zijn” vervoert er iets zich in ons. Dan zijn wij steeds vol gedachten en worden wij steeds met gevoelens en gewaarwordingen geconfronteerd. Eigenlijk zou je ook kunnen stellen doordat “Je denkt“ dat je beseft dat “Je bent“. Het Zijn brengt het Wezen en maakt ons tot denkende wezens.
Is het dat denken dat ons soms ook niet in stand houdt? Maar toch weten wij dat hét denken ons niet tot bestaan brengt. een grote moeilijkheid is dat wij het denken zelf nooit in twijfel kunnen trekken. Het twijfelen is op zich reeds een gedachtegang zijn intrede laten doen en ons laten overheersen. Het tot stand laten komen van gedachten, het denken zelf, overmand ons. Wij zijn zelfs in de onmogelijkheid een gedachte te denken. Wel kunnen wij iets bedenken, maar dat bedenken komt enkel tot stand door te denken of onze gedachten de vrije loop te laten gaan. Om tot gedachten te kunnen komen moet er dan al iets zijn dat kan denken. Om tot denken te kunnen komen moet er dus al een “wezen” of “zijn” bestaan of zijn.

Maar dat “Zijn“, waar komt het vandaan en wie of wat is er verantwoordelijk voor?

Veel atheïsten geloven dat de wereld is ontstaan uit een zwart gat met een oerknal. In wezen zeggen zij dan dat de wereld is ontstaan door een Energie. In het geval dat een oerknal verantwoordelijk zou zijn voor al het verdere leven is het dus een vorm van energie dat verder leven zou doen hebben ontstaan. Maar hoe konden die elementen dan eigenlijk vorm krijgen zodat zij nieuwere vormen konden maken?

Zij die beweren dat er een Schepper is die ook God kan genoemd worden, maken dan van die energetische stroom een godheid. Met het besef dat men energie eigenlijk in essentie niet kunnen zien of aanraken moeten wij wel beseffen dat wij de gevolgen van energie wel kunnen voelen en ook zien. Dat aanvoelen van Energie maakt ook wel eens dat mensen gaan geloven in een bijzondere Kracht die zij God noemen.

Atheïsten willen een ontstaan of schepping verklaren zonder eigenlijk te willen spreken van een Schepper. Maar is er een Schepper nodig om een schepping te doen ontstaan?

Menselijke schedel en hersenen: Centraal zenuwstelsel

De hersenkwabben van de grote hersenen: frontale kwab (blauw), pariëtale kwab (geel), occipitale kwab (roze) en temporale kwab (groen). Onder de grote hersenen zijn de kleine hersenen te zien (zwart-wit)

Wij als mensen hebben hersenen die ons aan het denken kunnen brengen. Dat denken doet ons vragen stellen en zoeken naar antwoorden maar ook veel dingen overwegen en aanvoelen. Maar om dingen tot stand te doen komen moeten wij die hersenen laten werken en moeten wij eerst over gaan tot een ontwerpend indenkingsvermogen en dan kunnen wij gaan creëren. Als denkende mens zouden wij kunnen stellen dat wij als we een schepper kunnen verklaren zonder een schepper, dat wij dan ook een heelal kunnen verklaren zonder een schepper.

Dagelijks worden vele mensen geconfronteerd met heel wat vragen over hun zijn en het wezen van anderen. Dagelijks zal men wel ergens op deze aardbol iemand vinden die antwoorden zoekt op zijn “zijn”. Miljoenen mensen worden zo geconfronteerd met hun zelf dat probeert mysteries van het leven te ontrafelen.

Waarom zijn we op deze aarde? Waar komen we vandaan? Wat is de betekenis van ons leven?

Wat is het begin van dit alles en naar waartoe brengt het ons?

en ga zo maar door. Niemand heeft een duidelijke en concreet antwoord op deze existentiële vragen.

Okeanos of Oceanus een Griekse oergod en zeegod en Titaan, de personificatie van de oceaan, die door de oude Grieken en Romeinen werd gezien als een immense rivier die de platte wereldschijf in zijn geheel omcirkelde. Okeanos regelde daarnaast ook de opkomst en ondergang van de hemellichamen: Helios (de zon), Selene (de maan) en de sterren.

Doorheen de eeuwen zijn er heel wat volkeren die trachtten een antwoord op deze existentiële vragen te geven. Hiervoor bedachten zij allerlei verhalen en kwamen met allerlei theorieën, goden en wetenschappelijke bedenksels op de proppen. Zo nam men in de oudheid aan men aan dat het leven door de goden of oergoden of zelfs slechts één oergod geschapen was.

Hesiodos, na Homeros de oudst bekende Griekse dichter, trachte een beeld te schetsen van het ontstaan en trachtte orde te scheppen in de verwarde Griekse godenwereld van Homeros, door de goden in genealogieën te rangschikken en aldus tevens tot een coherent wereldbeeld te komen. Voor hem is er een evolutie in functie van de wisselende wereldheerschappij, eerst in handen van Ouranos, dan van Kronos en ten slotte van Zeus, die in die tijd werd aanschouwd als een voltooier van de grote wereldorde die voor alle tijden vastgelegd is. Zo zijn volgens hem de levensvoorwaarden ontstaan waar de mens zich door moet worstelen. Terwijl allerlei kwalen de mens omringen waakt Zeus over het recht, zij het met harde hand.

Ook al waren er bij de grieken ook verschillende ideeën over het ontstaan van de wereld, waren er die zich hielden aan goden terwijl anderen, zoals de Griekse filosofen die generatio spontanea of spontane voortbrenging aannamen, en bijvoorbeeld geloofden dat insecten, muizen en vissen uit modder en rottende stoffen ontstonden. Vooral de invloedrijkste klassieke Griekse filosoof en wetenschapper Aristoteles was een aanhanger van deze theorie, welke tot in de 19e eeuw werd aangenomen, totdat de Franse scheikundige en bioloog, Louis Pasteur in 1864, vijf jaar nadat Charles Darwin The origin of species publiceerde, aantoonde dat leven alleen uit leven kan voortkomen.

Dat gaat er dan natuurlijk van uit dat er al leven was en verklaart dus geenszins het ontstaan van alles, welk ons weer in het ongewisse laat.

Stanley Lloyd Miller, beroemd geworden met een experiment uit 1953 waarin hij en Harold Urey aantoonden dat onder bepaalde omstandigheden complexe aminozuren spontaan kunnen ontstaan.

De Amerikaans chemicus en bioloog Stanley Lloyd Miller legde zich een groot deel van zijn leven er toe om naar de oorsprong van het leven te zoeken. Hij hing een theorie aan over de abiogenese of het ontstaan van leven uit niet-levende materie. Volgens hem en meerdere wetenschappers is het leven ontstaan uit een zogenaamde oersoep. Hierbij was er geen bovennatuurlijke of metafysische inbreng, maar is het eerste leven ooit ontstaan als gevolg van de tegenwoordig ook voorkomende chemische en fysische processen. Deze aanname is bekend als het uniformitarianisme: de tegenwoordig waarneembare processen en natuurkundige wetten waren ook in het verleden werkzaam en vormen daarmee de sleutel om de totstandkoming van de huidige wereld na te gaan.

English: Delta Canis Majoris, otherwise known ...

Delta Canis Majoris, ook wel bekend als ‘Wezen’, een F klasse superreus van 215 zonne stralen. Het heeft het einde van haar hoofdreeks levensduur bereikt, ondanks dat het slechts 10 miljoen jaar oud zou zijn. (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

De theorie van de oersoep is heden ten dage vrijwel volledig verlaten. De oeratmosfeer zou lang niet zo reducerend zijn als men aannam, en de samenstelling ervan zou ook niet overeenkomen met de “ingrediënten” van Miller. De vroegste atmosfeer zou vooral bestaan hebben uit CO₂ en H₂, de andere vitale bestanddelen voor een dergelijke synthese-scenario zouden afwezig of in slechts veel geringere concentraties aanwezig zijn.

Maar al die wetenschappelijke hypothesen hebben het nooit over hoe die gassen of eerste elementen er eerst kwamen. Wie of wat zat daar achter?

Duidelijk mag zijn dat er eerst en vooral Chaos was, het Niets waaruit iets tot ontstaan kwam en waarvan vlene in de oudheid dachten dat daar ook de eerste goden ontstonden die op hun beurt dan weer een hele soep van allerlei elementen tot ontstaan brachten. Ook al weet men nu nog niet hoe uit die chaos orde kwam, valt wel op dat de orde die ontstond van een geweldige inventiviteit is. als men nu na gaat hoe ingewikkeld sommige van die dingen zijn lijkt het onwaarschijnlijk dat een menselijk wezen hiertoe in staat zou zijn geweest. Dat laat dan enkel een Bovennatuurlijke kracht in onze gedachten. Maar wie of wat is dan die Bovennatuurlijke Kracht?

Eveneens stelt zich dan de vraag waar die bovennatuurlijke Kracht zou vertoeven. Of is het iets zwevend? Of is het iets onmenselijk dat niet gebonden is aan tijd of dergelijke? En wat is die tijd? Is het niet iets dat door de mens als een herkenbaar verdeelbaar element is gekozen om meer duidelijkheid te geven in het tijdsverloop van zijn zijn? Vervolgens indien er een Wezen of Iets Hoog bestaat, waar verblijft het dan?

een wereld waar mensenhanden heel wat konden presteren en heel wat theorieën konden opbouwen in een omgeving waarin ook vele geloofsgroepen ontstonden. – Lyon (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

Naast al de wetenschappelijke geschriften blijken er zeer oude geschriften te bestaan, waarbij men de vraag kan stellen waarom hebben vele mensen de voorkeur gegeven om recentere geschriften als waarheid aan te nemen, terwijl zij geen voldoende antwoord geven, terwijl die hele oude geschriften voldoende duidelijke antwoorden geven op vele vragen die de mens met zich mee draagt. In die hele oude geschriften die samen een bibliotheek van 66 boeken vormen, kan men vinden dat er over een Onnoemelijke Machtige Godheid sprake is, die tijdens het verloop van de geschiedenis van de mens wonderbaarlijke dingen heeft verricht. Dat Machtig Wezen heeft zich geopenbaard, niet enkel in die geschriften, maar ook op wonderbaarlijke wijze in meerdere zaken die meerder mensen konden waarnemen.

Is het misschien niet aangewezen om over die godheid meer te weten te komen?

Vindt ook om te lezen

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Verder aanvullende lectuur

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Filed under Geestelijke aangelegenheden, Kennis en Wijsheid, Nederlandse teksten - Dutch writings, Religieuze aangelegenheden, Voelen en Welzijn, Wereld aangelegenheden

Tagged as Aristoteles, Atheïsten, Atmosfeer, Chaos, Chaos (Griekse mythologie), Charles Darwin, Denken, Divus Deûm (god der goden), Eigen ik, Energie (vermogen), Energie (zin), Existentiële vragen, Gedachtegang, Generatio spontanea of spontane voortbrenging, Gevoelens, God, God boven alle goden, God der goden, Goddelijke Kracht, Goddelijke Schepper, Goden naast De Ware God, Godheid, Griekse filosofen, Hersenen, Hesiodos, het Innerlijke, het Zijn, Innerlijke gedachten, Innerlijke wereld, Kracht, Leefwereld, Leven, Louis Pasteur, Menselijke Gedachten, Oeratmosfeer, Oergod, Oergoden, Oerknal, Oersoep, Ontstaan, Oudheid, Schepper, Schepping, Stanley Miller, Tijd, Tijd indelen, Uniformitarianisme, Veroorzaker, Wereld, Zogenaamde goden, Zwart gat

by lizaborstlap | 2016/09/04 · 6:37 pm

When you stay in your lane, there’s no traffic.

By Liza Borstlap

I found personal happiness as a direct result of family conflict. The interaction left deep scars and I spent many years mourning the loss of my family and my relationships with them. It remains a questionable subject and not every person that I meet fully understands the extent of the consequences of my decision.

Looking back on my history with my family, I can identify the tipping point where I made a final decision that set me completely free.

A lifetime can well be spent correcting and improving one’s own faults without bothering about others. (Edward Weston)

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

The wind blows where it pleases, you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)

We talk about family as if it is a perfect unit that shields the individual from a cruel society. We remain silent about the interference, the neglect, the labelling and toxic in-fighting that often leaves a person with a limp. We secretly cover the failures and mishaps until we can identify the black sheep that can take the blame.

I came to believe that the conflict in my family had created itself. I was suffocating from the indifference and interference in my life. The emotional agitation and stress became so unbearable that I had no inner peace left. For my own self-preservation, I became emotionally detached.

After the split, it took a long time for me to heal from the emotional damage. I hid myself away for a few years before I had the courage to look at my reality again. At first I was ashamed to admit to anyone that I had no contact with my family, which fuelled the misconception of what had actually happened. I inadvertently created a breeding field for lies to fester. I tried to compose myself by not taking other people’s emotions or perceptions too personally. I know of others who become insecure or who suffer from over-achievement, all in the pursuit of self-acceptance.

You cannot control anyone else’s journey through life. Focus on your own. Compassion, honesty, self-scrutiny, and an open mind are the only ‘one way’ to interact sanely and successfully with others. (Martha Beck)

I had many moments of doubt when I questioned my sanity. I wondered about the impact of my decision on my children and wondered if my family even missed me, but I decided that I wouldn’t conform to society’s standards just for the sake of pretence. I realised in this isolated state that other people’s opinions do not define who I am in God’s eyes. I felt freedom. There were also days when I felt completely overwhelmed by the lack of any support system. I realised I was wasting a lot of energy on negative and false emotions.

I had a choice.

I chose to stay calm and focussed on God, despite the circumstances in my life, as God really is the only constant in life.

Why do some people interfere in other people’s lives? Because they are curious… because they are control freaks… because they can ignore their own weaknesses if they focus on yours…

Life became easier when I started to focus on my own unique abilities, talents and giftings. I had complete freedom to raise my children in my own way. Only God would make it possible for us to survive and to prosper. We could tend to our own business.

Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears. (Proverbs 26:17)

We hear that some of you are living in idleness. You are not busy working – you are busy interfering with other people’s lives! We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers, do not get tired of doing what is right. (2 Thessalonians 3:11-13)

Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. (1 Timothy 5:13)

I have a different perspective on the quality of relationships that I allow in my life today. If I don’t meet my own minimum requirements, I will always value other people’s opinions more than my own. The minute I fear rejection, I compromise my own well-being.

I often heard the statement that ‘happiness is an inside job’, but I know now that the people around me have a profound impact on my well-being. If I am dragged down by other people’s opinions about my life, or if someone is constantly reminding me about past failures, I see no value in the relationship. I am careful of people who keep lies alive through gossip or slander.

Let every fox take care of its own tail. (Italian Proverb)

Keep your nose out of another’s mess. (Denmark Proverb)

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

After many years of swinging between certainty and doubt, I found my final solace in the Bible. The Old Testament is filled with stories of family conflict and disrupted relationships. More often than not, the feud resulted in a good outcome.

I know today that God sometimes allows conflict for a specific purpose. When that happens to me, He covers me with His grace.

God has evoked conflict. The conflict causes pain and shame to every player, but God doesn’t shrink from the conflict, for a holy purpose is underway. The way of God will not be explained. (Brueggemann)

God’s grace often goes against propriety, social convention, and the ‘normal’ way for this world. (Steven Fettke)

I walk away when…

Someone gives me unsolicited advice.

I wonder if someone really wants to help me, or if they are just curious.

My situation affects someone else.

Someone intrudes on my turf.

I feel blind sighted.

I feel like a fish being reeled into someone else’s issues.

Good advice

If you overhear something of note between two people, or a group of people, but the topic does not concern you or affect you in any way, then let the matter stay between the people it concerns. (Unknown)

There is nothing more provocative than minding your own business. (William S. Burroughs)

Don’t bother to ring a bell in the ear that doesn’t listen. Move to another ear, and if he doesn’t listen to your bell, sit back and listen to his nemesis. (Michael Bassey Johnson)

You would be very surprised with how much positive changes you could make in your life, if you could make it your top priority to mind your own business. (Edmond Mbiaka)

To be busy minding other people’s business, is to leave one’s personal business unattended to. (Edmond Mbiaka)

While you are too busy minding other people’s business, who is minding yours? (Edmond Mbiaka)

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Filed under Geestelijke aangelegenheden, Knowledge & Wisdom, Quotations from Holy Scriptures, Quotations or Citations, Spiritual affairs

Tagged as Dysfunctional families, Faith, God, Gossip, heartprints, Life, lizaborstlap, Maturity, Relationships, Spiritual growth, Well-being

by Guestspeaker | 2016/09/03 · 11:47 am

Hide and Seek ~

Deborah Ann Belka was born into the family of God when she was eleven years old and has rededicated her life almost every day since. She believes her walk with the Lord, is step-by-step, hour-by-hour, and sometimes minute-by-minute.

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God wants us to find Him => we should seek Him with all our heart and with all our soul.

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CHRISTian poetry ~ by deborah ann

Hide and Seek ~ CHRISTian poetry by deborah ann

God has something.
He wants me to find . . .
so I’ll be seeking Him
with all my heart and mind.

I’ll diligently be pursing,
what He has for me
though at this very moment
it’s not too clear to see.

It’s as if I am playing,
with Him hide and seek
so I’ll search my Bible
until to me He speaks.

As I look for Him,
throughout His Word
all kinds of revelations
in my spirit are stirred.

Oh, the things,
God has for me to find
when I seek Him with . . .
all my heart, soul and mind!

~~~~~~~

Deuteronomy 4:29

“But if from thence thou shalt
seek the Lord thy God,
thou shalt find him,
if thou seek him with
all thy heart and
with all thy soul.”

King James Version
Public Domain

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Poetry - Poems, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

Tagged as Deborah Ann Belka, God, Looking for God, Searching the Bible, Seeking God

by lizaborstlap | 2016/08/20 · 11:29 pm

powerless

The Beginning

We build our own prisons, and carry them around. We bang our heads against heavy bars, and silently cry out for help. Some manipulative moves force us to our knees and we become immovable objects, trapped in the misery of our circumstance.

I felt like a caged bird. Trapped. Powerless.

What does it mean to be powerless? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition of powerless is “without power, strength, or ability; wholly unable to act, influence, etc; helpless, impotent.”

Powerlessness implies a lack of control, yet we hold on to our false power and try to control our hurts. We bury the truth with denial and if that doesn’t pay off, we rationalize. If nothing works, we start the blaming game, losing precious energy, trying to escape our reality. Our lives become unmanageable. Resentments fester and grow like an emotional cancer.

Pity me O LORD, for I am weak. Heal me for my body is sick, and I am upset and disturbed. My mind is filled with apprehension and gloom. (Psalm 6:2-3, TLB)

I felt ashamed.

Problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins, too many to count, have all caught up with me and I am ashamed to look up. (Psalm 40:12, TLB)

Whatever is covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in broad daylight. (Luke 12:2-3, GNB)

I have no idea where you find yourself today. Perhaps you suffered from physical or emotional abuse; perhaps you had to suffer the consequences of having an alcoholic parent; perhaps you made horrible choices; perhaps you were subjected to verbal abuse or drugs; perhaps you had an abortion, or felt the shame of a teenage pregnancy; perhaps you experienced severe rejection by an absent parent or a painful divorce. The fact is, if you find yourself in a cage today, you need to re-examine your life.

Women lose their lives because they don’t realize that they can do things differently. If you stay in the cage too long, you become accustomed to the bars. Your powerlessness becomes your comfort zone. You wait for some external influence to change your situation. If nothing spectacular happens, you become angry and bitter. Unknowingly, you repeat the old family patterns and before long your children suffer the consequence of your ignorance. We lose respect for ourselves and our confidence disappears. How can we expect other people to respect us if we are deaf to our own inner voice?

The most common reason we stumble into the delusion of powerlessness is that we’re afraid of what other people would do, or say, or feel, if we were to act as we wanted. (Martha Beck)

The Middle…

I knew I had to let it go.

I had to let my carefully constructed life go.

I had to accept the truth of my situation and start the process of healing.

I had to identify each and every false structure in my life;

carefully examine the premise of each argument.

I had to be honest with myself first.

I needed a baseline from where I could present my case to the Lord.

I had to sacrifice the self-life.

I had to sacrifice the person that I have become while I was left to my own devices.

I had to empty myself.

I had to give God space to come in and begin His healing work.

I had to confess that I felt powerless,

that I needed God’s help.

They cried to the Lord in their troubles, and He rescued them! He led them from the darkness and shadow of death and snapped their chains. (Psalm 146:7, TLB)

He frees the prisoners … He lifts the burdens from those bent down beneath their loads. (Psalm 107:13-14, TLB)

I had to find the courage…

I had to settle in my own skin and stay there.

I had to find peace.

I had to let go of everything that tried to rob me of my peace.

I had to learn how to breathe.

I had to learn the art of slowing down and returning to peace.

I had to learn that tears are not a sign of weakness.

Tears soften and open the heart.

If you just start moving, you will feel better. (Oprah Winfrey)

Real power is usually unspectacular, a simple setting aside of fear that allows love. It changes everything. (Martha Beck)

I had to believe that there is a better world out there.

I had to find the open door.

I had to identify my choices.

I had to change my attitude, no longer thinking of myself as a victim of circumstance.

I had to learn to consider my options.

Every freedom can be taken from man except one: the freedom to choose his attitude of mind in any circumstance. (Victor Frankl)

The doors are wide open – women should have the courage to walk through. (Frene Ginwala)

The End.

I was ready to sacrifice my heart,

To give up my comfort zone.

I released the fear, not because I had the courage, but because I knew I had to DO something.

Nothing made sense, and for the first time in my life I could not trust my dysfunctional thoughts.

In my loneliness I realized that I could no longer serve myself.

My desperation for God overshadowed my fear.

God’s presence in my life annihilated my pride.

He made me aware of His grace.

His mercy.

He made me aware of my true self.

I was still sitting in my cage.

I had a lot of work to do.

I had a magnitude of realities to face.

But something stirred inside;

I felt a freedom that I never experienced before.

When we connect to God, we have access to a never-ending source of power. If you are struggling to let it all go; if you have issues with trust, consider reading the following verses to encourage yourself:

The Lord is my helper and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me. (Hebrews 13:6, TLB)

Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear. (1 John 4:18, NCV)

Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him…let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. (Romans 12:1-2, TEV)

No one can be a slave to two masters; he will hate one and love the other; he will be loyal to one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24, GNB)

Pride ends in a fall, while humility brings honor. (Proverbs 29:23, TLB)

Don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time. (Matthew 6:34, TLB)

Whoever clings to his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall save it. (Luke 17:33, TLB)

A NEW Beginning…

When we gradually release the burden of our unexpressed grief, we can slowly move out of our past. If you acknowledge the truth of your life story, and you mourn for the little girl on the inside, God gives you the grace to re-parent yourself with gentleness, humour, love and respect. You can leave the cage, and savour it as a beautiful memory. You can even fly past it to thank God for rescuing you. God will open your wings, He will give you life, and you will receive JOY!

Know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. (Isaiah 43:18)

No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear in this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13, TLB)

Pictures: Pinterest

2 Comments

Filed under Aanhalingen uit Heilige Geschriften, Being and Feeling, Geestelijke aangelegenheden, Knowledge & Wisdom, Levensstijl, Positive thoughts, Quotations from Holy Scriptures, Reflection Texts, Spiritual affairs

Tagged as Christians, Faith, Fear, Freedom, God, Happiness, Joy, Life, New Beginnings, Powerless

by Christadelphians | 2016/08/16 · 9:27 am

Augustus maand voor het beantwoorde gebed

Gisteren, 15 augustus vierden velen Maria, de moeder van Jezus maar ook hun eigen moeder. Terwijl in mei de wereldse Moederdag gevierd wordt vieren vele christenen Moederdag op 15 augustus. 15 augustus is dan ook in Vlaanderen en Zuid Europa een typische familiedag, waarbij de maker van de familie (de moeder) in de bloemetjes wordt gezet, an waarbij al de kinderen kleinkinderen en achterkleinkinderen elkaar eens na lange tijd kunnen weer zien en bijpraten.

Parliament building in Bloemfontein, South Africa, with monument to Christiaan de Wet. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Voor velen is 15 augustus ook de aanvang van de ‘grote vakantie’ of een periode van vrijheid, ontlasting van het dagelijkse gesleur van werk. Maar Tommy Lessing die geboren en getogen is onder die zonnige blauwe lucht van het prachtige Zuid-Afrika en thans woonachtig is te Bloemfontein met zijn vrouw Mariè kijkt dezer dagen op onze gebondenheid met tijd maar ook naar God Zijn tijd.

Hij beseft dat de wereld rondom ons haar morele kompas heeft verloren. Waar wij zien hoe veel mensen gevangenen zijn geworden van die wereld en vast hangen aan de bepalingen van de klok stelt ook hij vast hoe de mens vandaag haar vastgestelde tijden heeft waarvolgens zij leven. Hij beschrijft hoe velen van ons hun leven bepaald wordt door hun drukke kalender en tijdschemas waarvolgens zij hun leven inrichten.

Hij schrijft

Ons lewens is soms so fyn beplan dat die tandeborsel nie moet val nie, anders is ons laat.

Zo erg is het gesteld met de mensheid dat alles voor hem bepaalt wordt door zijn druk werkschema, waarin voor God veelal geen plaats is.

Om die reden vraagt hij zich af of wij wel weten hoe het met God zijn tijd zit, alsook beseft hij dat mensen gemakkelijk zeggen dat zij zullen geloven als dit of dat gebeurt. In het verleden maar ook in het heden gaat de tijd vooruit en gebeuren er dingen die ons kunnen verwonderen. Wanneer de mensen echter wonderen voor hun ogen zien gebeuren, dan zoeken ze andere verklaringen daarvoor. {Ongeloof}

Weet jij dat God ook ‘n kalender heeft? vraagt hij zich af en wijst er op dat God niets doet voordat die vastgestelde tijd daarvoor aangebroken is. als wij zijn Woord onderzoeken kunnen wij zien hoe de vastgestelde tijd van God werkt.

Het eerste wat we zien, is dat God niet iets zal doen voor het afgesproken tijdstip niet gearriveerd is.

(Hab 2: 3) De openbaring geldt voor een bepaalde [bestemde] tijd; het zal snel komen want het komt zeker. Je moet gewoon geduldig blijven wachten als het niet snel komt, want het komt zeker, het zal niet uitblijven.

Wij mogen eer op aan dat ook in ons eigen leven er bepaalde tijden zijn wanneer dingen gebeuren maar dat niemand van ons zal kunnen ontsnappen aan de tijden die door God bepaalt zijn.

We moeten daarom wijsheid hebben om onderscheid te maken, want er is

Pred 3: 3-8

(3) een tijd om te doden en een tijd om te helen, een tijd om af te breken en een tijd om op te bouwen,

(4) een tijd om te wenen en een tijd om te lachen, een tijd om te kermen, en een tijd om van vreugde rond te springen,

(5) en een tijd om stenen weg te werpen en een tijd om stenen te verzamelen, een tijd om te omhelzen en een tijd om verre te zijn van omhelzen,

(6) en een tijd om te zoeken en een tijd om verloren te laten gaan, een tijd om te bewaren en een tijd om weg te gooien,

(7) een tijd om te scheuren en een tijd om dicht te naaien, een tijd om te zwijgen en een tijd om te spreken,

(8) een tijd om lief te hebben en een tijd om te haten, een tijd voor oorlog en een tijd voor vrede.

Vandaag zien wij de moeilijkheden van de wereld en zouden ons daarbij de vraag moeten stellen hoe dit alles past in God Zijn tijdsgebeuren. Wanneer wij nu vrij hebben, tijd genoeg hebben om eens voor ons zelf uit te trekken kunnen wij best ook eens wat meer tijd uitnemen voor die Schepper van hemel en aarde. Nu wij effie niet alles moeten laten bepalen door die wekker die vroeg in de ochtend af gaat, zouden wij toch ook eens tijd mogen laten om in gesprek te gaan met Diegene die ons nauw aan het hart zou moeten liggen daar Hij het is die ons al deze tijd geeft.

Hij laat on geboren worden, laat ons opgroeien en leven in makkelijke en moeilijke tijden. Hij is het die er ons laat door komen en voor ons een lichtpad legt dat wij al of niet kunnen zien doordat wij al of niet bereid zijn ons hart open te stellen naar Hem.

Ook kunnen wij de vraag stellen

moeten niet plant wanneer het tijd is om planten uit te trekken, moeten we niet dansen wanneer het tijd is om te wenen, en o wee, we niet spreken wanneer het tijd is om te zwijgen. We zullen laten zien zijn als we zullen proberen vaststellen welke tijd het is, en onze eigen tijdschema dienovereenkomstig configureren.

Zelfs Jezus is geboren op het afgesproken tijdstip:

Gal 4: 4 Maar toen de volheid van de tijd gekomen is, heeft God Zijn Zoon uitgezonden, geboren uit een vrouw

Na het vieren van de verrijzenis van Jezus is er een tijd van aanloop naar de Dag des Oordeels (10 Tisjri – Jom Kipoer, Grote Verzoendag) in september / oktober (Tishri of Tisjri op de Joodse kalender).

Het heet de teshuvah, wat betekent om terug te keren naar God. Het is een periode van zelfonderzoek, belijdenis van zonde, repareren waar je andere verkeerd gedaan hebt en van vrijspraak en vergeving.

De maand augustus valt goed binnen de laatste periode, en wordt daarom beschouwd als de maand van beantwoorde gebed.

Tommy Lessing wil hier duidelijk stellen dat we niet hoeven te wachten voor een bepaalde tijd voordat we bidden of naar de Heer zoeken. We moeten echter begrijpen dat God wel tijden heeft vastgesteld – seizoenen waarin dingen gebeuren.

De bekende evangelist Perry Stone zegt dat het erop lijkt dat de grootste geestelijke aanvallen in de periode tussen Pasen en Pinksteren plaatsvindt. De grootste geestelijke doorbraken vinden weer plaats tijdens de maand augustus.

Nu dat wij in het midden van die maand augustus zijn kunnen wij daar eens aan denken en geeft de vakantie tijd ons eer gelegenheid om voor onszelf uit te trekken, meer tijd aan het gezin te besteden maar ook meer tijd aan God te besteden. Laten wij die daarom goed gebruiken.

Je zal verstelt staan hoe God met jou kan zijn en je verzoeken beantwoord.

Is jy dalk in ‘n tyd waar jy dringend antwoord op gebed benodig? Nou is die tyd om terug te draai na God. Vandag is reg in die middel van Sy vasgestelde tyd. Draai terug na Hom, bely jou sonde, maak reg waar jy verkeerd gedoen het – en ervaar die antwoorde op jou gebede.

Vindt hieromtrent:

God se vasgestelde tye

Die grootste respek wat ons aan God kan bewys, is om sy beloftes te glo en daarop te reageer > Ongeloof

Met Wie Identifiseer Jy?

Voorgaande: Gun je zelf een dagje lummelen

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Aanvullende teksten

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1 Comment

Filed under Afrikaanse tekste, Geestelijke aangelegenheden, Levensstijl, Nederlandse teksten - Dutch writings, Religieuze aangelegenheden

Tagged as 15 augustus, Augustus (maand), Familiedag, God, Grote vakantie, Kalender, Leven inrichten, Moederdag, Morele kompas, Perry Stone, Teshuva (Boetedoening + terugkeer naar God), Tijd, Tijd geven, Tijd maken, Tijdschema, Tishri of Tisjri, Tommy Lessing, Vakantie, Vastgestelde tijd, Vrije tijd, Zelfonderzoek, Zomertijd, Zomervakantie

by Christadelphians | 2016/08/13 · 8:03 pm

Ideas about Religiosity

From the Old French religiosete (late 14th century) and directly from Late Latin religiositas “religiousness,” from religiosus we got religiosity. In 1795 it came only 0.02% as used word. In 1947 it reached 0.1% and got a peak in 1944-45 from 0.17-021%to decline again until 1959 when it reached a deeper point again of 0.12%. From then onwards it got more used, with a frequency of 0.3% in 1978 and climbing to 0.44 in 1996. In2005 it got a boost and was used 0.62%. After a little dip it got again to 0.74% in 2008.

You can wonder if the word became more popular because the time was so bad that people sought more answers and where looking for meaning in their life, but in a time when more people were religious in a way which seemed exaggerated and insincere.

In the 2010 the word became again more popular to denote the way people were either going to be or not be religious. Having to face times where more people are not so much interested in the existence of a supernatural ruling power, a divine Creator and a controller of the universe, the act of those people became also more in the picture and part of debate. This also because many impeach that religion is the base of the many problems we do face today. Lots of people accuse the religious people of creating a situation of hatred between people. The non-religious people inculpate the believers of the different religious or faith groups this world counts, and that are many.

religions in Europe, map en. See File:Europe religion map.png for details. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we talk about religion we look at one or an other of the various systems of faith and worship based on such belief. As such we are often confronted with the great religions of the world, being Christendom and Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. the persons belonging to one or another religion we do expect to be bounded to the organisations of that religion and to have a religious life according to the rules of that religion.

When we talk about the religiosity today we think of the manner a person has an awakened sense of the elements we encounter in life. This may be concerning a higher unseen controlling power or powers, with the emotion and morality connected therewith. {Chambers 20th Century dictionary, 1972-1977, p.128,1141} In the 1977 reprint of the Chambers dictionary is still looked at religiosity as some bigotry or blind or excessive zeal, especially in religious matters.

Appropriate to or in accordance with the principles of a religion a person might be religious. In Christianity of or relating to a way of life dedicated to religion by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and defined by a monastic rule. {Collins English Dictionary}

When we talk about the religiosity of some one we think about his religious life or how he is spiritual, holy, sacred, divine, theological, righteous, sectarian, sanctified, doctrinal, devotional, scriptural, devout, believing, godly, committed, practising, faithful, pious, God-fearing, reverent, pure, churchgoing, conscientious, exact, rigid, rigorous, meticulous, scrupulous, fastidious, unerring, unswerving, punctilious. {Collins English Dictionary}

The religious person is some one who is taken by religiosity and beliefs in and worships something or someone, mostly a superhuman controlling power or powers, esp. a personal god or God or gods. The person who is religious wants to come to a religious act or have some religious activity, spending time to religiosity or giving time for his belief or practice, forming part of his or her thought about or worship of a divine being.

he has strong religious convictions

both men were deeply religious, intelligent, and moralistic. {The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, 2009}

Today when we talk about religiosity and a religious person, not many are going to think straight ahead of

belonging or relating to a monastic order or other group of people who are united by their practice of religion: religious houses were built on ancient pagan sites. {The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, 2009}

but are going to think more about the way people are treated or regarded with a devotion and scrupulousness appropriate to worship

I have a religious aversion to reading manuals. {The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, 2009}

The religiosity may take on all sorts of forms, going from the simple worship – the activity of worshipping, to veneration, cultism, also going into the extreme, becoming excessive or irrational devotion to some activity; “made a fetish of cleanliness” or to become a devotion to the doctrine or a cult or to the practices of a cult.

Religiosity mostly has to do with devotion or love, passion, affection, intensity, attachment, zeal, fondness, fervour, adoration, ardour, earnestness, dedication, commitment, loyalty, allegiance, fidelity, adherence, constancy, and faithfulness. It can be seen in the way people act or worship and bring prayers, religious observance, church service, prayer meeting, matins, vespers, divine office.

In its broadest sense today religiosity can be seen as a comprehensive sociological term used to refer to the numerous aspects of religious activity, dedication, and belief (or religious doctrine)

The Gallup Religiosity Index, 2015. (dark color indicates religious, light nonreligious)

Some like to divide religiosity in six dimensions, others from four to twelve components, based on the understanding that there are at least three components to religious behaviour: knowing (cognition in the mind), feeling (affect to the spirit), and doing (behaviour of the body). Though sociologists have differed over the exact number of components of religiosity.

What can be found in lots of studies is when written by atheists the believer is looked at as a stupid person who believes in things unseen. For the reason such a person accepting what is written in the Bible lots of such researchers do find that they can not be very intellectual because many strong believers do not want to accept certain scientific findings. We can assure you that there are also very intelligent people, scientists, medics, lawyers etc. who are very religious.

Also is known that many do not want to show their religiosity in public and today many are even afraid to show their religiosity to others at all, or dare not to bring up religious matters in public but also not between their own friends or in the family.

For the reason to bring religiosity more in the open the Message Board or Internet Forum Christadelphian has been created in August 2016 on the American Yuku servers of Crowdgather, Inc.. By creating such forum the public has the opportunity to bring up questions and members are allowed to edit or delete their own posts. The posts, when there are more, will be contained in threads, where they appear as blocks one after another. The first post starting the thread; this may be called the TS (thread starter) or OP (original post). Posts that follow in the thread are meant to continue discussion about that post, or respond to other replies. The Christadelphian makers of the board are aware that it is not uncommon for discussions to be derailed, but they do want to give it a chance.

Christadelphian Forum (started August 2016)

At the place Christadelpian where many people may exchange ideas easily hopefully many will bring forth some good subjects also. To start off the following opening articles can be found

Preceding articles

Searching for fulfillment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression

Laboring in the Vineyard or Sitting on the Hillside with Jonah?

Also related

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Opbouw van verleden naar toekomst

Als mens hangen wij vast of hangen wij af aan vele dingen waaraan wij niet kunnen ontsnappen. Wij maken gewoon deel uit van de wereld waarin wij geboren worden. Dit betekent echter niet dat wij van die wereld moeten zijn. Wij kunnen ons deelgenoot van deze wereld maken zonder van deze wereld te zijn. Het is zelfs makkelijker om positief bij te dragen aan deze wereld door ons zelf te zijn en voor het juiste te gaan.

Iedereen is geschapen naar het evenbeeld van de Schepper maar heeft de mogelijkheid gekregen eigen keuzes te maken. Daarin zal de kracht van de eigen persoonlijkheid liggen. Daarin zal elke mens zichzelf kunnen profileren tegenover anderen.

Eens geboren zal het ons eigen ik zijn dat zich moet ontwikkelen in de wirwar van verleidingsmomenten en geroezemoes van allerlei wisselende stemmen die ons naar allerlei soorten punten willen brengen. Maar niet elke richting zal de juiste zijn en wij zullen sterk genoeg en besluitvaardig genoeg moeten zijn om de juiste richting te kiezen.

Telkenmale opnieuw zullen wij geconfronteerd worden met de wetmatigheden van deze wereld maar ook met de verleidingen van deze wereld die ons zullen willen onttrekken van de Echte Waarheid. De wereld behoort namelijk niet meer tot God … voorlopig toch niet meer … Zo lang zij uit handen is gegeven aan de mens zullen wij er ons moeten in trachten recht te houden, de pijn trachten te verduren en ons sterk te maken om vooruit te gaan recht op het juiste doel af, om de eindstreep te behalen.

Elke dag moeten wij realistisch zijn en alles goed voor ogen houden; verleden heden en toekomst goed overwegen.

Te vaak zien wij dat er mensen zijn die op automatische piloot gaan leven. Hun leven zal nietszeggend aan hen voorbij gegaan zijn wanneer zij hun oude dag bereiken.

De auteur van Nachtzon beseft dat realiteit “vies kan tegenvallen” en dat het noodzakelijk onderdeel van het verhoogde bewustzijn waar een mens zo naar verlangt zal inhouden om eerst innerlijke rommel tegen te komen. {Eerlijk over meditatie!} Om het verleden en heden te begrijpen moet men ook zichzelf durven plaatsen in dat verleden en zich zelf ook durven analyseren.

Ook al moeten wij ons zelf terug confronteren met minder aangename dingen is het best om in dat verleden alles te overschouwen. Enkel door die negatieve ogenblikken ook te willen integreren kunnen er sleutels gemaakt worden om in het heden de poorten naar een betere toekomst te openen.

Als wij ons bewust bezinnen hoe wij in het verleden met anderen zijn om gegaan en hoe wij in het heden met andere omgaan, kunnen wij onze houding aanpassen en trachten de juiste wijze te vinden om in de toekomst met anderen rondom ons om te gaan.

Vanaf de geboorte is men “door God, van God en voor God”. Het is door de vrije keuze van de mens dat deze zich verwijdert van God. Het is ook door de eigen keuzes dat men zijn leven zal bepalen en de weg verder zal uitstippelen. Daardoor is het verleden onlosmakelijk verbonden met het heden en de toekomst. Hierbij moet men echter beseffen dat het gebeurde geen eindstreep moet plaatsen bij het heden en zo de toekomst onmogelijk veranderbaar zou maken. Elk moment van de dag kan men van richting veranderen. De geduldige God kijkt daar ook naar uit, dat de mens bij zijn zinnen komt en verandering zal durven ondernemen.

De wellievende vergevingsgezinde God wil niet stil staan bij het verleden als jij bewust verandering in de goede richting wil ondernemen.

Beseffend dat elke dag in het leven anders zal zijn komt het er op aan ook elke dag opnieuw de levenskracht te vinden om vooruit te gaan en het licht te zien van een mooie toekomst die God bereid is om voor iedereen klaar te leggen. Maar Hij vraagt van elke mens om zelf de keuze te maken en de juiste richting te kiezen om die wedloop van het leven te lopen en de eindstreep te behalen.

Leven is het meervoud van lef,

zegt Loesje treffend. {LEF. Leven naar je talent}

Het leven op zichzelf is zo ingewikkeld nog niet. Een gewoon leven leiden, op een plek waar je kan schitteren in middelmatigheid, dat gaat zonder grote inspanning. Er iets geweldigs van maken, een leven precies zoals jouw hart het je ingeeft: dat is spannend! Vooral creatieve mensen lijken last te hebben van de angst om vrij te leven. Er is namelijk veel te winnen – een vervuld leven – en daardoor ook veel te verliezen! {LEF. Leven naar je talent}

Daarom wees niet bang om het verleden te overschouwen, het heden bevragend te onderzoeken en voorzichtig uit te kijken naar de toekomst.

Voorgaande

Vijf jaar en ouder

Aanvullende lectuur

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Verdere lectuur

5 Comments

Filed under Bezinningsteksten, Levensstijl, Nederlandse teksten - Dutch writings, Sociale Aangelegenheden, Voelen en Welzijn

Tagged as Besluitvaardigheid, Confrontatie, Deel uitmaken van Wereld, Eigen ik, Eindstreep, Geboorte, Geboortedag, God, Heden, Keuze, Keuzes maken, Onbestendig mens, Op doel afgaan, Realistisch zijn, Richting, Toekomst, Tot wereld behoren, Van wereld zijn, Verleden, Vrijheid van de mens, Wankelmoedig mens, Wedloop, Wereld toebehoren

by Marcus Ampe | 2016/06/22 · 3:49 pm

Trust God

It may not always be easy in this life, but we can trust God is with us if we allow Him to be with us.

Quotes & thoughts

Have faith in God

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1 Comment

Filed under Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

Tagged as God, Trust God

by Guestspeaker | 2016/05/11 · 4:01 pm

What would you do if…?

Lots of people encounter many struggles in life. Some get to learn how to cope with them, others get pulled down so much that they do not see any reason any more to live.

All have good and bad moments in life and whether we’re going through the worst of times or the best of times, history and our own experiences show us that life does go on and that we are just a very tiny atom in it

In this world there are people who, like Ray who grew up in London, moved away and travelled the world, ending up back where he started, are not able to raise their arm but found ways using other parts of their body to communicate or to move things, though at times it may feel for them like they might as well be trying to move the earth.

It is not the Most High Creator Who brings all that badness over us. But it is Him Who give us the opportunity to work around it and to become stronger, if we allow Him working in our midst.

We should not fear man nor fear worldly situations or diseases, but should fear God and come to trust and honour Him, putting our ‘tiny’ hand in His Big Hand, to be carried through life.

There are no rules to how life plays out. We have no control over it. The only thing we have control over is how we face those challenges. We are not so much a product of the challenges placed before us as we are a product of how each of us has faced those challenges. {To Live And Ride With ALS}

Please do find what Bill of Unshakable hope has to say and look how he manages to cope with the terminal disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS or call it “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”.

He does not believe God causes trials and he doesn’t believe we will ever fully understand, at least not in this life.

But, whatever other reasons God has for allowing trials, I discovered two big things that He accomplishes through our trials; He helps us reset our priorities and forms our character. (Obviously He had a lot of work to do on me).

For sure he is not the only one to whom God has a lot of work to do. For the creator of this and some other lifestyle magazines had also to go through two near death experiences before he decided to work more for God. It does not mean, that took all the pain and frustrations away from him, but he gets encouraged by feeling the Hand of God at work in him … and that keeps him going….

One night, about a year before Bill was diagnosed with ALS, he and his wife Mary were up late watching “Nightline” on which Ted Koppel was doing three nights of interviews with retired college professor Morrie Schwartz who also had ALS and was sharing his life-lessons with Ted Koppel just as he had done previously with one of his former students named Mitch Albom who compiled these life-lessons and wrote a best-selling book titled “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

Bill has one vivid memory from watching those interviews

having to rely on his wife + caregivers for virtually all of his needs = helpless he was

Bill turned to Mary and told her

I would rather just go to heaven than live trapped in my own body like him.

a year after making that statement = diagnosed with same “trapped-in-your-own-body” disease

=> hastily-made statement began to haunt + taunt me

=> change view + began trying to do best to live one day at a time <= grace of God in me, urging me to keep going

Hastily-made statements carelessly uttered by healthy people = spoken out of pride = cannot comprehend grace of God <= self-reliant, self-righteous + just plain selfish

Trials cause us to reexamine hastily-made statements we’ve made before the trial, when we so carelessly said what we’d do if this thing or that thing happened to us.

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Preceding articles

The Greatest Fear

Fear in your own heart or outside of it

Fear, struggles, sadness, bad feelings and depression

Phantom Of Dreams

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

Watch out

Walking in the Light of Life

See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory

When the world rages, let it rage, but let us not fear it

Those steady drips, those small steps!

My tales will be beautiful

For those Christians who say they are the Victim

Christians remaining hidden not sharing the gospel

How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian

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Additional reading

Struggles of life

Pain and Suffering is inevitable but Misery is optional

Good and bad things in this world

Your struggles develop your strengths

A way to prepare for the Kingdom

Not holding back and getting out of darkness

Science, scepticism, doubts and beliefs

If there is bitterness in the heart

Emotional pain and emotional deadness

Evil in this world not bringing us down

Dying or not

Life Goes On

Trouble is coming

End of the Bottom Line

A small trouble is like a pebble

She who sows thistles will reap prickles

Do not be so busy adding up your troubles

Do the appropriate for a friend

A Breath for tomorrow

Shelter in the morning

Luck

Rejoice even though bound to grieve

From pain to purpose

Faith because of the questions

Hope by faith and free gift

1 Corinthians 15 Hope in action

May reading the Bible provoke us into action to set our feet on the narrow way

You God hold the future

Gaining Christ, trusting Jehovah

God is my refuge and my fortress in Him I will trust

Trust God to shelter, safety and security

Songs in the night Worship God only

+++

Further reading

ALS Awareness Month

Pesticide Use Linked To Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s & ALS

Why Me?

Having the Right Perspective

To Live And Ride With ALS

To Live And Ride With ALS (Part ll)

The Preamble

The Sacred In The Mundane

Don’t give up!

The Bread Of Affliction

I Can’t Resist A Good Challenge!

I’m Sorry

Cape and Tights – My Grandmother’s Struggle with ALS

2016/05/09/ Repost

Mother With ALS Paints Again

Kirkus Review of My Perfect Imperfections

The Reason I Run, Chris Spriggs – a review

The Walk

Army vet starts ‘#22kill push up challenge’ to help other veterans

One man’s poison is another man’s….

The Story So Far…

Can you see it?

The Woman Behind The Blog

The Privilege of Growing Old

How Famous Researchers Work: Stephen Hawking

Advocates for Rare Diseases

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Why I Read, What I Read

Our spouses and our children are off bounds

Ditched in love? Chill, you’ll find a better one

Villager’s chance encounter with ‘angel’ inspires her after ALS diagnosis

For millions in donations, just add cold water

Donations vs. Deaths: Giving to “Celebrity” Causes

The haunting true story of a man who spent 2 years in a self-contained ‘Biosphere’ and nearly fell apart

Former Philadelphia Eagles fullback Kevin Turner passes away at age 46

Former Patriots player dies after battling ALS

Breath Of Life

Save

Unshakable Hope

One night, about a year before I was diagnosed with ALS, Mary and I were up late watching “Nightline.” Ted Koppel was doing three nights of interviews with a retired college professor named Morrie Schwartz. Morrie had ALS and was sharing his life-lessons with Ted Koppel just as he had done previously with one of his former students named Mitch Albom. Mitch later compiled these life-lessons and wrote a best-selling book titled “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

I hate to admit this, but even after seeing the three nights of interviews and reading the book, I cannot remember most of the life-lessons that Morrie taught. But, I do have one vivid memory from watching those interviews; it occurred while listening to Morrie describe his daily routine – having to rely on his wife and caregivers for virtually all of his needs. After hearing how helpless he was…

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by Christadelphians | 2016/04/11 · 11:22 am

After darkness a moment of life renewal

A spiritual advisor, Cherokee Billie, calls herself a clairvoyant, who has been advising thousands of clients about relationships, business affairs and the future. Though the Bible, God’s Word warns us to stay away from such persons, we would like to quote her.
She wrote

“The Christ, He who was in the ancient of days, is the flame of God that dwells in the spirit of man. He is the breath of life that visits us, and takes unto Himself a body like our bodies.

He is the will of the Lord. {Be Blessed at this Holy Time}

She is right in calling Christ the Will of the Lord, by whom she (we think) means God. The God of gods, the Divine Creator, gave in the early days, in the Garden of Eden, a solution for the fall of man. God provided that a Messiah would come who would be able to put his own will aside in favour of the Will of God. That man, born in Bethlehem and brought up in Nazareth, was a very active person seen by many. Though God cannot be seen by man, Jesus made it possible to have a clear picture of his heavenly Father.

She further writes

And the word of the Lord our God builded a house of flesh and bones, and was man like unto you and myself. {Be Blessed at this Holy Time}

But according to the Bible Jesus was a man of flesh and bones whilst God is an eternal Spirit to Whom man can do nothing. Man could do a lot to Jesus. He was not only tempted many times, whilst God can not be tempted, he had enough reason to fear man, because man could really hurt him and did really kill him. God cannot be killed, but Jesus really was.

Too many Christians do forget the attributes and specific character of God and mix those two Biblical characters. Not only have they made Jesus into their god, but often they also made graven images of him or use the sign of the god of evil and the god of light (or sun), Tammuz, as the symbol of their god Jesus (namely the cross).

The writer also thinks like Kahlil Gibran

Many times the Christ has come to the world, and He has walked many lands. And always he has been deemed a stranger and a madman.” ~Kahlil Gibran in Jesus The Son of Man {Be Blessed at this Holy Time}

She further adds

Too much political correctness has made it unfashionable to have faith and talk about it openly. I will choose to continue to have faith because without it I would have nothing. {Be Blessed at this Holy Time}

Now when Winter has passed and the Spring Season opened with the remembrance day of Christ (14 Nisan) and the exodus of Egypt (14-15 Nisan) we can rejoice in the fact that this man who did not do his own will, which he would have done in case he is God, was taken out of the dead by his heavenly Father the Only One True God. Jesus did not come out of his grave by his own power, but by the Mighty Power of God.

It was that time Jesus was back alive on earth, where he showed his wounds to his followers to give proof that he is not a ghost, whilst God is a Ghost, and not some one of flesh and blood. No other time was Jesus ever back onto the earth, after he was taken up high by his heavenly Father to sit next to that Only One true God.

It is from there in the heavenly regions that Jesus is allowed by God to be a mediator between man and God and to be a high-priest for God and man.

As long as we are living in this system of things, we should take time to come to know Jesus his heavenly Father well and to prepare ourselves for the harsh times coming.

We always should remember that if God spared not his own only begotten son, how much less will he spare us!

British Particular Baptist preacher Charles Haddon (CH) Spurgeon

What whips of burning wire will be yours when conscience shall smite you with all its terrors. Ye richest, ye merriest, ye most self-righteous sinners-who would stand in your place when God shall say,

“Awake, O sword, against the man that rejected me; smite him, and let him feel the smart for ever?”

Jesus was spit upon: sinner, what shame will be yours! We cannot sum up in one word all the mass of sorrows which met upon the head of Jesus who died for us, therefore it is impossible for us to tell you what streams, what oceans of grief must roll over your spirit if you die as you now are. You may die so, you may die now. By the agonies of Christ, by his wounds and by his blood, do not bring upon yourselves the wrath to come! Trust in the Son of God, and you shall never die. {Charles Haddon Spurgeon}

Without the light we shall stay in the dark, but in our heart it has not to stay dark.

Behold, how independent of outward circumstances the Holy Ghost can make the Christian! What a bright light may shine within us when it is all dark without! How firm, how happy, how calm, how peaceful we may be, when the world shakes to and fro, and the pillars of the earth are removed! {Charles Haddon Spurgeon}

It is now that we shall have to

Take time out of your busy lives and reflect on the spiritual blessings that are being poured out at this time. No matter what you may be going through the blessings are still coming and it is up to us to recognize the miracle of each day. {Be Blessed at this Holy Time}

The Christian concept of apocatastasis includes a restoration of the world to its original state, as in the Garden of Eden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With Spring announcing new life we should also look for ways to receive a new life and to prepare ourselves for a never ending abundant life of peace. We should come to the right correctness, putting away all human dogma’s and keeping only to the Biblical Truth and the purity of the Word of God.

Please reflect on the words written in the old Book of books, the Bible, and take time now to put everything on order and to clean up all mess and start a new.

Please do reflect on following Bible sayings:

Luke 3:21-38 (TS98)
21 And it came to be, when all the people were immersed, יהושע {Jehshua} also being immersed, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Set-apart Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are My Son, the Beloved, in You I did delight.” 23 And when יהושע Himself began, He was about thirty years of age, being, as reckoned by law, son of Yosĕph, of Ěli, 24 of Mattithyahu, of Lĕwi, of Meleḵi, of Yanah, of Yosĕph, 25 of Mattithyahu, of Amots, of Naḥum, of Ḥesli, of Noḡah, 26 of Ma῾ath, of Mattithyahu, of Shim῾i, of Yosĕph, of Yehuḏah, 27 of Yoḥanan, of Rephayah, of Zerubbaḇel, of She’alti’ĕl, of Neri, 28 of Meleḵi, of Addi, of Qosam, of Elmoḏam, of Ěr, 29 of Yehoshua, of Eli῾ezer, of Yorim, of Mattithyahu, of Lĕwi, 30 of Shim῾on, of Yehuḏah, of Yosĕph, of Yonam, of Elyaqim, 31 of Melea, of Menna, of Mattattah, of Nathan, of Dawiḏ, 32 of Yishai, of Oḇĕḏ, of Bo῾az, of Salmon, of Naḥshon, 33 of Amminaḏaḇ, of Ram, of Ḥetsron, of Perets, of Yehuḏah, 34 of Ya῾aqoḇ, of Yitsḥaq, of Aḇraham, of Teraḥ, of Naḥor, 35 of Seruḡ, of Re῾u, of Peleḡ, of Ěḇer, of Shĕlaḥ, 36 of Qĕynan, of Arpaḵshaḏ, of Shĕm, of Noaḥ, of Lemeḵ, 37 of Methushelaḥ, of Ḥanoḵ, of Yereḏ, of Mahalalĕl, of Qĕynan, 38 of Enosh, of Shĕth, of Aḏam, of Elohim.

Exodus 33:20 (TS98)
20 But He said, “You are unable to see My face, for no man does see Me and live.”

Hebrews 2:9 (TS98)
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the messengers, {Jehshua} יהושע, because of the suffering of death crowned with esteem and respect, that by the favour of Elohim He should taste death for everyone.

Hebrews 2:14 (TS98)
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself similarly shared in the same, so that by means of His death He might destroy him having the power of death, that is, the devil,

Hebrews 2:17-18 (TS98)
17 So in every way He had to be made like His brothers, in order to become a compassionate and trustworthy High Priest in matters related to Elohim, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 For in what He had suffered, Himself being tried, He is able to help those who are tried.

John 4:23-26 (TS98)
23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also does seek such to worship Him. 24 “Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship Him need to worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming, the One who is called Anointed. When that One comes, He shall announce to us all.” 26 יהושע {Jehshua} said to her, “I who am speaking to you am He.”

John 20:2-17 (TS98)
2 So she ran and came to Shim῾on Kĕpha, and to the other taught one whom יהושע {Jehshua} loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they laid Him.” 3 Then Kĕpha and the other taught one went out, and they were going to the tomb, 4 and the two were running together, but the other taught one outran Kĕpha and came to the tomb first. 5 And stooping down he saw the linen wrappings lying, but he did not go in. 6 Then Shim῾on Kĕpha came, following him, and went into the tomb. And he saw the linen wrappings lying, 7 and the cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but folded up in a place by itself. 8 So, then, the other taught one, who came to the tomb first, also went in. And he saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet know the Scripture, that He has to rise again from the dead. 10 Therefore the taught ones went away again, by themselves. 11 But Miryam was standing outside by the tomb weeping. Then as she wept, she stooped down to the tomb, 12 and saw two messengers in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of יהושע had been laid. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said to them, “Because they took away my Master, and I do not know where they laid Him.” 14 And having said this, she turned around and saw יהושע standing, but she did not know that it was יהושע. 15 יהושע said to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said to Him, “Master, if You have carried Him away, say to me where You put Him, and I shall take Him away.” 16 יהושע said to her, “Miryam!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 יהושע said to her, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim.’ ”

Hebrews 6:20 (TS98)
where יהושע {Jehshua} has entered as a forerunner for us, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Malkitseḏeq.

1 Timothy 2:1-8 (TS98)

1 Timothy 2
1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all men, 2 for sovereigns and all those who are in authority, in order that we lead a calm and peaceable life in all reverence and seriousness. 3 For this is good and acceptable before Elohim our Saviour, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one Elohim, and one Mediator between Elohim and men, the Man Messiah יהושע, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be witnessed in its own seasons, 7 for which I was appointed a proclaimer and an emissary – I am speaking the truth in Messiah and not lying – a teacher of the gentiles in belief and truth. 8 So I resolve that the men pray everywhere, lifting up hands that are set-apart, without wrath and disputing.

Preceding

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

Getting fate in your change to positiveness

Find also to read:

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by Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten | 2016/04/07 · 6:34 am

Echo

Some might think God is blind or are deaf to His calling and to His answers, often because they prefer keeping stuck with human dogmatic teachings, like the trinity, or because they still do not want to give themselves in the Hands of the Divine Maker.

We are often so afraid of what would happen if we let ourselves go, giving our inner self into the hands of the One Who we cannot see. Also we are so much afraid of facing ourself, having to be confronted with our mirror image. Who likes the naughty bits of himself? Who wants to be confronted with that which is not so good about himself?

We often want to criticise others but do not like to receive criticism ourselves, and to criticise ourselves is even more difficult.

When we dare to look through the clouds and fog we shall see the light that can bring us further on the path of a richer life. Behind all darkness is the God of light and clarity. Lets look for Him Who gives life.

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Find also:

Once upon a nape’s Ghost-ship

A Start for looking at the unseen and the treasure to look forward to

All about love, not needing disasters

Dealing with the silence of God

+++

Related articles

What do I love when I love my God?

The Great Invocation

“Lights of the World”

Give fear a chance, says Anglicanism’s top cleric

Active, Not Passive

First Fruits of Zion criticises theology of Messianic Jews featured on Walla! News

A More Christ-Like God by Bradley Jersak

The Raven's Nest

ECHOS

Sinking lies or rising truth…Visual Echo, Mirror

I breathe on it and my life spread a foggy spell enough to blur all harshness and sharp definitions. Do I exist without reflection, thoughts and images are one in the mercury cloud?

Others see me like that?

Weapon of deceit, fear, mirrors can hide you better than an invisibility cloak. But you know.

Gateway, witness, charm, spell, light and darkness, whether whole or broken it is who you are for the others, it is who you are in the present it gives back what it receives.

I don’t see your reflection now I only see you. The mirror turned into water or sky, your hand approaches the water wall.

Crossing is accessible.

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Tagged as Blind god, Criticism, Darkness, Deaf god, Divine Maker, Facing ourself, God, Hand of God, Human dogma's, Inner self, Looking for God, Mirror image, Self-criticism, Silence of God, to Criticise others

by Relating to God | 2016/04/04 · 12:25 pm

Fear for rebel groups and men

In this world, this system of things is coming closer to its end. We can see that by what is coming from the East and is entering our life.

Throughout history there always have been interesting people and human beings who wanted to be more powerful than others, even prepared to kill others to strengthen their power. We have many great men in this world and can see the governors whose laws and policies determine the welfare of millions; the would-be world-rulers, the dictators and empire-builders, who have it in their power to plunge the globe into war.

Sennacherib during his Babylonian war, relief from his palace in Nineveh

Think of Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar; think of Alexander, Napoleon, Hitler. Think of Nixon and Mao Tse-tung…think now of Putin, Obama, Kim Jong-un, and others… {J.I. Packer, in his classic book entitled Knowing God}

Today lots of people are fearing the power of ISIS. Many also want to believe that it are Muslims who are the ones they have to fear. They do not come to see that those fighters and Islamic terrorists are not real Muslims and are defiling the Ummah or Muslim community and slop God’s Name through the mud.

Do you suppose that it is really these men who determine which way the world shall go?
Think again; for God is greater than the world’s great men. {J.I. Packer, in his classic book entitled Knowing God}

“brings the princes to nothing; He makes the rulers of the earth as vanity” (Isaiah 40:23).

Pictured here is former Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong announcing the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1 1949. Italiano: Immagine di Mao Tse-tung che proclama la nascita della Repubblica Popolare Cinese l’1 ottobre 1949 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We should be well aware that at the end-times the religions shall go against each other, but that those who belong to the body of Christ, the believers in one God know that the ruler of this world shall go to fight hard against those who worship the only one True God, in the knowledge that their end will be near.

They may want to blind others and bring others to do lots of things which are against God’s wish. Therefore we should be very careful not to step in the booby trap, becoming overmanned by grief and hatred, taking on an attitude unworthy a follower of Christ.

All our hope should be on the return of Christ and on his heavenly Father Who is

“The only ruler of princes.” Behold your God indeed!

Preceding:

Tears for Belgium

A darker and stranger place

The Greatest Fear

Bringers of agony, Trained in Belgium and Syria

You might be an extrimist if …

Against cruelty in this world

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Tagged as Adolf Hitler, Booby trap, End of Days, End-times, Fear, Fear of man, Fearing people, Followers of Christ, God, God's Name, God's wishes, Governors, Hatred, Interesting people, ISIS = Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Jihad fighters, Middle East, Moslim terrorist, Muslim community, Muslims, Napoléon Bonaparte I, Nebuchadnezzar (King of Babylonia), Power, Radical Muslims, Religions, Rulers of the earth, Sennacherib (King of Assyria), War

by Christadelphians | 2016/01/29 · 11:34 am

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

“1 What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4 Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works, 7 Happy are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Happy is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”

9 Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it credited? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be credited to them. 12 The father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.
13 For the promise to Abraham and to his seed that he should be heir of the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect. 15 For the law works wrath, for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience. 16 For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

17 As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were. 18 Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your seed be.”
19 Without being weakened in faith, he considered his own body as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 Yet, looking to the promise of God, he did not waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.”

23 Now it was not written that it was credited to him for his sake alone, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:1-25 NHEB)

Woodcut for “Faith” depicting Abraham and Isaac (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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

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Tagged as Abraham, Abraham's seed, Believe in God, Blessing, Circumcision, Disobedience, Father of circumcision, Father of many nations, God, God's promise to Abraham, God’s Grace, Grace, Justification, Letter to the Romans, Wrath

by Guestspeaker | 2016/01/16 · 6:48 pm

‘I try to keep my hate in check. If you can’t hate, you can’t love.’

The author of this article thinks religion has robbed us of freedom to think and listen to our inner selves, but true Christianity demands just that. The Divine Creator requests us to place ourselves in the whole universe and to go deeper in our inner being. God demands us to come to know our own “I” and to make it not a “selfish I” but to come to an acceptable relationship with those around us.

The author also ask us to imagine a life where equality existed and institutions crumbled, which “is what keeps him pushing along”.

Those who read and come to know the Bible shall not be “misguided souls who choose to work in prisons” but the opposite shall become liberated beings who are no slave any more of this world. For them they shall know that no human being can do them something very bad. Even when they would take the life or the person this would not be the worst thing, because once death all suffering shall be ended and life gone, the person having done the killing not having accomplished much more and not been liberated himself of the agonies which are bothering his mind. The opposite he (the murderer) shall have some extra worries or bad dreams “en plus”.

To the Inside-Outside Alliance group of people who claim to be trying to support the struggles of those inside (or formerly inside) Durham County jail, and their families and friends, we would advice to revise their idea about religion and ask them not to take away the dreams of a better life which really can come true when a person does find the right religion.

By pushing all religion into the corner and to consider it evil is taking away the right of the prisoner to have a hold or guidance to become a better person or for the one who is imprisoned unlawfully to see the good his imprisonment may bring to his other inmates. Because even imprisoned we can do good to others and should be doing good to others. Even when we may be literally chained we do not have to be spiritually chained and even when they would put us in an isolation cell we can be very free when we are willing to make ourselves strong enough so that the other his limitations on us do not obstruct our self-development and our own being.

*

To remember

The theory of will power

cause of demoralization in prisons: All transgressions of accepted moral standards = to lack of a strong will

majority of inmates of prisons = people who did not have sufficient strength to resist the temptations surrounding them or to control a passion which momentarily carried them away.

In prisons = monasteries = everything done to kill a man’s will => no choice between one of two acts ==> whole life regulated + ordered in advance => to swim with the current, to obey under pain of severe punishment.

will power disappears

prison = done everything to kill inner strength > make him docile tool in hands of those who control him

penal system based on the deprivation of individual liberty

sound of chains + steel banging all the time = enough to test the strongest will = will break you

all we can do = give advice to people +live a moral life.

Misguided hate can hurt

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Preceding articles

Remain lovingly = No path for softies

Crying is good for inner self!!

A little ray of sunshine.

++

Additional reading

Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ

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Amplify Voices Inside

Kropotkin wrote a lot on the wrongs of prisons. These two paragraphs hit the nail on the head for me. Sadly I feel these effects.

The theory of will power

“There is another important cause of demoralization in prisons. All transgressions of accepted moral standards may be ascribed to lack of a strong will. the majority of inmates of prisons are people who did not have sufficient strength to resist the temptations surrounding them or to control a passion which momentarily carried them away. In prisons as in monasteries, everything is done to kill a man’s will.

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by Guestspeaker | 2016/01/12 · 4:44 pm

From Guestwriters 2015 in review

From the start in 2014, April the 26th

On 2014 April 26 we started offering a readers digest to you. We wanted to have different writers presenting their selection of most interesting articles found on the net. We regret we did not find enough people interested in co-operating to create a free lifestyle magazine where people could find uplifting stories.

We started talking about the dreams we all have or have to have, because he who beams never walks in the dark, and looked at our position in this world and how positivism should enter this world more. Our invitation to you reader to share those read articles you liked is still counting. We would love to present more interesting articles people can find on the net. For this reason we started the Reblog section in 2014, when we looked if we or you have something to say or not.

At the opening of 2016 we would like to remind you that you too are invited to share with us. You too may be sharing your words with us and many more readers. You don’t have to stay in the shadow.

At this site we want to speak about feelings and started to look at the worst feeling, the one which pulls us down. Depression is when we can’t walk in the light of life any more. Our intention is to show that each of us matter in this world and that we can get fate in our change to positiveness. You and us we all can contribute and help to create a positive attitude. You have to get the right attitude of an unstoppable success, and once more we do bring a call to help to create a positive attitude.

You may consider your own journey in life but we dared to ask which kind of attitude you want to take. In 2014, when we started we asked our readers to begin their day by living their positive attitude and in started also to point out to look at the way to come to the truth. We went in defence of it. For that, we also started looking at Who should be your closest friend.

Though we may be lonely in the crowd we wanted to build up a place where many could find each other and could overcome hurt feelings. we do not ask people to be some one else, but would love to see you smiling and with a positive attitude or positive disposition.

Perhaps what we hope for is what you hope for. In September 2014 we repeated our call to come to write for us and to share what you think interesting. A year after our question what our readers are seeking we did not receive many answers. We expressed our love to find more contributors who could show ways of fulfilling our dreams. We do hope you could find inspiration here and follow your dreams.

In 2015 finishing our first year

On the first of January we, like many others looked back at the previous year and presented our first review: 2014 in review.

Our first year we got visitors from 71 countries in all. 13 countries were added in 2015 bringing the total to 84 countries in all, with most visitors again coming from The United States (2467). Netherlands (351) & United Kingdom (341) were not far behind. Based in Belgium we only could get the attention of 181 viewers in Belgium in 2015, which is not much, but which can be caused by not many writings being in Dutch, French or German. We are pleased we also got 141 viewers from Down Under.

Knowing that we need light on our path in life, near the end of 2015 we also started placing some reflections or meditations texts, which we shall continue to do. Because we did so often got questions why we referred to some ones website article, or got requests to take some listed article out of the list of “Further reading” we shall enter less references or note lesser further readings. Normally you would think people would be pleased when there is placed a link to their site, but at several of our websites we got an other impression, hearing people not being pleased they being mentioned on one of our sites. Not being appreciated we bringing others to their writings or commenting on their writings, plus they not understanding we are helping them to get more readers and to get higher on the Google ranking, whilst we take them away from our own website, we will not any more invest so much time in looking for appropriate articles worth mentioning. Therefore in the future you will find lesser links and we shall be pleased keeping you more to our own websites.

Treats, fear and discussions in 2015

2015 was again a year were many civil rights were tread under foot. The Syrian war continued for its fourth year and brought many war refugees into Europe, a region where many do not seem to know themselves very well because kindness to others seemed to be far off. Though we are born to shine, not to fear, lots of people got over-manned by fear. At a time where there is not much knowledge of the truth, but lots of doubt and/or blindness, we tried to convince that less is still enough.

While viral moments and trends or fads, that took up lots of people their time and their Twitter feeds included viral phenomenon The Dress, pizza rat, dad bods and adult coloring books we looked at the major refugee crisis in Europe as well as numerous instances of terrorism and mass shootings. Whilst July, Caitlyn Jenner made her big debut via a sexy and scantily clad Vanity Fair cover shot…and her new reality was officially underway we also look at how we human beings manage with birth, our being and our behaviour and acceptance or not of certain situations. Bringing articles around abortion and life we were pleased to have as our 5 most active commenter Blackhorn33 who is Comanche – Irish and a half-breed that’s Full Blooded American, who with “Our Circle of Friends” met on Google and was willing to contribute about Child Abuse -The Facts, and show the world the importance of the unborn life.

A place for a Higher Being and for His Creation

“Stockholmsfyrens” ungefärliga utseende vid Ropsten med vy från hotell Forestas entréplan på Lidingö. Det runda 187 m höga tornet innehållande både bostäder och kontorslokaler är föreslaget att uppföras omkring 2014-2015. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With less for more we looked at one of the major discussed issues of the year, bringing global warming and climate change at the second place and the refugees at the first place as major topics for 2015. Pointing out that it is important that we do know that we have to find the meaning of life and reach a state of peace, of old and new ideas to sustain power and to feel good by loving to be connected and worship something, we brought to the attention that we have our duties in this world and have to take our responsibility,making the right engagement in an actual two way conversation with your deities or more important to build up a good relationship with the Only One True God, the Divine Creator.

Throughout the year on this and our other sites we wanted to bring to understanding that we do have to come in a good relationship with others and with the Most High, even when we sometimes have to deal with the silence of God.

We asked not to forget that falsehood darkens the pure knowledge of God and that we should always turn to the Book of books, the Bible, to find the truth and Guidance. But to come to know the Creator and His creatures and creation, we do have to look with our eyes and to see with our heart. Some may think “God plays hide’n seek“, but He is always around us and sees everything we do.
The Almighty God above all other gods greater than all gods has given us His infallible Word, the Bible, helmet of salvation, God’s Words put in the mouth of prophets for perfecting, to reprove and correct. Searching or overlooking God’s presence more people do have to find His Word and take up that book that is Written by inspiration of God for our admonition, to whom it shall be imputed if they believe.

2015 once more showed to the world that human beings need a lot of correction. It was good to see that in France many nations also came to conclusion we have urgently to take care of mother earth. In this world were many have to learn that stuff is just stuff, it became time that man takes his position about materialistic desires.

The terrors which came over Europe should make those who call themselves Christian to think and have them remind and hear God’s voice, bringing them into the habit of dealing with God about everything.

Statistics for 2015

In 2015, there were 295 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 525 posts. On the 12th of January in total 534 articles have been published on this site.

The busiest day of the year was October 19th with 175 views. The most popular post that day was Whoopi Goldberg commandments and abortion. But the most commented on post in 2015 was Bible, helmet of salvation, God’s Words put in the mouth of prophets for perfecting, to reprove and correct.

For 2016

We are thankful that you came along on this site and do hope to find you more than once at this and some other of our sites. We wish you all the best for 2016 and do hope you may be like a tree planted by streams of water.

Have faith in your faith…doubt your doubts and don’t throw a curtain across tomorrow… the star of its performance just may be you !

There still has to be done a lot before we shall have sustainable, green habits as a second nature, but at this site we do hope to bring incentives to work at it.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,300 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Preceding: 2014 in review

Additional reading

+++

Further about what happened in 2015

+++

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Filed under Aankondiging & Introductie, Announcement, History, Introduction, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Nature, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs, Social affairs, Spiritual affairs, Welfare matters, World affairs

Tagged as 2014, 2015, 2016, Abortion, Abortion Debate, Adult coloring books, Articles, Attitude, Bible, Blindness, Caitlyn Jenner, Civil rights, Climate change, Contributors, Correction, Creation, Creator God, Depression, Disposition, Doubt, Dreams, Duties, Engagement, Europe, Falsehood, Fear, Feelings, Finding Guidance, Finding Truth, France, Further reading, Global warming, God, God's presence, Google ranking, Guidance, Guidance from God, Human beings, Infallible Word, Inspiration, Journey in life, Kindness of man, Knowledge of God, Less, Life, Lifestyle magazine, Linking, Living creatures, Loneliness, Mass shootings, Materialism, Materialistic desires, Meaning of life, Meditations, Mother earth, Path, Paths of life, Phenomenon, Positive attitudes, Positivism, Reblogging, References, Reflections, Refugee Crisis, Refugees, Relationship between human beings, Relationship with God, Relationship with others, State of peace, Statistics, Syrian civil war, Terror, Terrorism, Terrors, to Contribute, to Share, Trends or Fad, Truth, Twitter, Unborn child, Unborn life, Uplifting stories, Vanity Fair (American magazine), Viral moments, Viral phenomenon, Writers

by Guestspeaker | 2015/11/26 · 4:13 pm

Waarom doen we niets aan de oorzaak?

Telkenmale er een schokkende gebeurtenis voorvalt in het westen is iedereen in rep en roer. Zij staan er niet bij stil dat elke dag meerdere slachtoffers vallen door wapengeweld in het Midden-Oosten en in het Afrikaanse halfrond.

Paneel van een familie moskee (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

In hun eigen contreien vallen er jaarlijks, om niet te zeggen ‘dagelijks’, veel meer doden dan door de terroristen om het leve gebracht, door auto ongelukken. Tegen dat verkeersgeweld wordt echter niet gereageerd want dat zijn de mensen al zo gewoon geworden dat de auto-ongelukken zelfs de kranten of het nieuws op radio en televisie niet meer halen.

Degenen die macht hebben zijn zeker niet bij gebaat dat de buitenlandse moeilijkheden en terreur ophouden, want dat verdoezelt het binnenlands nieuws en maakt dat zij (de politici) zich groot kunnen maken in een voor hen belangrijker geheel.

Voor de media is het belangrijk om de aandacht te kunnen trekken en met gewone fait divers of met ‘goed nieuws’ kunnen zij dat niet. Meer mensen zijn geïnteresseerd in het leed van anderen, zodat zij zichzelf beter kunnen afspiegelen.

Natuurlijk wensen de media en wapenfabrikanten graag hun omzet op peil te houden. Omzetcijfers zijn voor hen even, als niet nog belangrijker dan de cijfers voor politici. Maar ook zij moeten zich profileren en willen alsmaar hoger op de ladder klimmen. Voor de politici komt het er op aan hun populariteit hoog te houden of nog beter, te verhogen. Gebeurtenissen die de aandacht van het algemene publiek verkrijgen zijn de ideale zoethoudertjes die de politieker de kans geven om aan zijn imago te werken. Met volksverlakkerij kunnen de populariteit en zo het aantal zetels in de peilingen maar ook bij de verkiezingen verhoogd worden. zulk een verhoging zal hen dan meer kansen geven om hun eigen agenda door te drukken maar ook om het volk in toom te houden. Vandaar dat het loont om te focussen op angst in plaats van te focussen op positiviteit.

Het komt er op aan dat er genoeg mensen zijn die waarschuwen voor zulk een volksverlakkerij en een mist in de ogen gooien van de burgers. Zinnige burgers moeten er op bedacht zijn dat allerlei groeperingen alle kansen zullen willen grijpen om hun gelijk te halen en de mensen een loer te draaien.

In penibele omstandigheden komt het er dan eens te meer op aan om de ‘negatieve spiraliteit’ om te keren en om de mensen om je heen duidelijk te maken hoe de vork in de steel zit.

Daarbij is informatiegeving belangrijk. Hiertoe moeten religieuze groeperingen dan ook hun verantwoordelijkheid nemen. Islamieten moeten mensen duidelijk maken dat die terreur zaaiers geen echte Islamieten zijn en dat zij de naam van Allah misbruiken voor hun eigen machtspositie te verhogen. Christenen daarentegen moeten ook hun gelovigen oproepen om de juiste Christelijke houding aan te nemen en open te staan voor hen die ook geloven in de God van Abraham. Ook zij dragen de verantwoordelijkheid duidelijke taal te spreken en er op te wijzen waar God zijn schepsels nar toe wil brengen.

Het moet wel gezegd worden dat de Moslim gemeenschap veel te lang gezwegen heeft om dit Moslim fundamentalisme af te breken en in de grond te boren. Wij kunnen slecht hopen dat meer leden van de Ummah/Oema of Moslim gemeenschap nu de moed zullen hebben op in het openbaar het op te nemen tegen hen die de Islam besmeuren.

*

Om te onthouden

Keer op keer aanslagen plaats = Keer op keer “Allahu akbar” geroepen => keer op keer veroordelen wij het brute geweld => Demonstraties, minuten stilte + dagenlange nieuwsuitzendingen => prenten iedereen in hoe gevaarlijk Islam is

koren op de molen van machtswellustelingen als Marine le Pen, Geert Wilders en Donald Trump => dankbaar gebruik van islamofobie = redder in nood > waarschuwen tegen ‘verwerpelijke’ religie Islam

grenzen + moskeeën dicht + alle moslims eruit= probleem opgelost

alleen nog maar te wachten tot er weer iets gebeurt => gewoon kwestie van tijd

sociale problemen + vatbaar voor ideologie die voor explosieve blindheid kan zorgen:

Onzekerheid over identiteit: wie + waar bijhoren + doel

Frustraties over acceptatie

Rechtvaardigheid

De Daesh ideologie geeft jongeren leidraad voor al deze problemen:

Identiteit > moslim, een hele echte, de enige echte;

Acceptatie: die mensen zitten toch niet op je te wachten => kom snel hier heen => met open armen ontvangen + goede dingen doen;

Rechtvaardigheid: Israel + NAVO = onderdrukkers van moslims = geschiedenis.

eis van assimilatie, eeuwige discriminatie, ondersteunen van onrecht

‘je suis’ bordjes + Franse vlaggen over je hoofd zat => tijd dat je Mohamed wél uitnodigt voor een sollicitatiegesprek

+

Voorheen

Echte vooruitgang laat niemand achter

Dit kan gewoon echt niet meer

Fatsoensnormen Online

Onderscheid maken – een repliek op Ayaan Hirsi Ali

++

Aanvullende lectuur

Is Islamfobie uitgevonden door fundamentalistische regimes

Fundamentalisme en religie #1 Noorwegen

Fundamentalisme en religie #2 Frankrijk en België

Fundamentalisme en religie #3 Vluchtelingen en racisme

Fundamentalisme en religie #4 Verdrukking

Fundamentalisme en religie #5 Verguisde Koran

Fundamentalisme en religie #6 Versplintering

Te late hulp voor Syrië uit Westen voedingsbodem voor Vechters voor een Islamitische Staat

Nieuwkomers, nieuwelingen, immigranten, allochtonen en import

Vloedgolf van verziekt entertainement

Hoe de Satan vandaag rond toert

Mens en leed

Wij zijn zelf verantwoordelijk

Het is makkelijk onze verantwoordelijkheden te ontwijken

Engelse tieners vinden religie schadelijk

Niet elk religieus geweld is religieus

Tegenstroom voor Terreur of omringende angst

+++

Verdere stof tot nadenken

Charlie

Aanslag

Hoe de media in alle waarschijnlijkheid cijfers over aantal vluchtelingen manipuleert.

Halen we met asielzoekers een paard van Troje binnen?

Wat is er mis met Christelijk fundamentalisme?

Het fascisme van antireligieuze utopisten

‘Radicale moslims benaderen actief vluchtelingen’

Islam eng of niet?

Islamofobie is contraproduktief

Eigen Volk Eerst

Onderscheid maken – een repliek op Ayaan Hirsi Ali

A tous mes amis

The sharpening of contradictions

Fakta: fundamentalisme

Binfikir -interview: Göçün yapısı değişti ve demokrasinin de buna göre yeniden şekillenmesi gerekir

Transformer

Teror Doa?

Hilangnya Relevansi Kebertuhanan Fundamentalis

Islam Benar vs. Islam Salah: Muslim dan non-Muslim harus bersatu untuk mengalahkan ideologi Wahhabi

+++

Related articles

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Dutch – No sign militants posing as refugees to reach Europe

Carson Defends His Stance On Muslims In US

Is This the Death of Europe?

Florida Church Defiled With “Allah Akbar” Graffiti, Set Ablaze

Eid al-Adha 2015: Best quotes, messages, wishes, picture greetings to share with friends and relatives on Bakra Eid (Bakrid)

Ghanaian Muslims mark Ud-Ul-Adha

Dutch: No sign militants posing as refugees to reach Europe

Selected Articles: Soft Totalitarianism and The Rebirth of American Fascism

Dutch: No sign militants posing as refugees to reach Europe

naged8

Keer op keer vinden er aanslagen plaats. Keer op keer wordt er Allahu akbar geroepen en keer op keer veroordelen wij het brute geweld. Demonstraties, minuten stilte en dagenlange nieuwsuitzendingen prenten iedereen in hoe gevaarlijk de Islam is. De media harken miljoenen aan advertentie-inkomsten binnen met angstartikelen over moslims, regeringen hollen de privacy van de burger steeds verder uit en machtswellustelingen als Marine le Pen, Geert Wilders en Donald Trump maken dankbaar gebruik van islamofobie om als redder in nood te waarschuwen tegen de ‘verwerpelijke’ religie Islam. Stem op mij, dan gooi ik de grenzen en moskeeën dicht, flikker alle moslims eruit en is het probleem opgelost! Het gaat maar door en het gaat maar door. Waarom?

Het zou te simpel zijn om te zeggen dat het maar doorgaat omdat degenen die macht hebben er niet bij gebaat zijn dat het ophoudt: De media en wapenfabrikanten houden graag hun omzet…

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Filed under Activisme & Vredeswerk, Geestelijke aangelegenheden, Misdaden & Wreedheden, Nederlandse teksten - Dutch writings, Politieke aangelegenheden, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religieuze aangelegenheden, Voelen en Welzijn, Wereld aangelegenheden

Tagged as Afrika, Allah, Allah's naam, Allahu akbar, Auto ongelukken, Binnenlands nieuws, Daesh (ISIS of Islamitische Staat), Donald Trump, Fait divers, Frustraties, Geert Wilders, God, Identiteit, In toom houden, Islam, Islamieten, Islamofobie, Leed, Macht, Machtspositie, Machtswellustelingen, Marine Le Pen, Media, Midden-Oosten, Moslim fundamentalisme, Moslim fundamentalisten, Omzetcijfers, Onzekerheid, Politici, Populariteit, Profileren, Rechtvaardigheid, Religieuze groeperingen, Rijke Westen, Terreur, Terreurorganisaties, Terrorisme, Terroristen, Verantwoordelijkheid, Verkeersslachtoffers, Volksverlakkerij, Wapenfabrikanten

by Guestspeaker | 2015/11/21 · 12:59 pm

Christians at War? Christians using violence?

Many Christians do want the world to believe that the war ISIS is preaching is a war against the Christians. Their war is not just a war against unbelievers in God or against believers in a wrong God (for them Christians believe Jesus is God, though not all Christians do believe that). The issue of the ISIS terror is to create fear fro their agenda of an Islamic State where all the power has to go to them and nobody else. It is a matter of “Power” and not so much about religion.

In case ISIS was really concerned about the faith of the followers of the prophet Muhammad then they would not kill other Muslims, certainly would not burn any Quoran, because that is considered to be a holy book and also would not destroy mosques, all horrible things they do.

Today having Terror Alarm 4, for the Region Brussels, Belgium becomes more a country at the beginning of war, having the shopping centres closed and all big events cancelled. Last night again four places found where terrorists prepared several attacks to be executed at around the same time all over Belgium. Lots or armoury was found.

Yesterday again two Belgians were killed by Al Qaeda terrorists, this time in Mali‘s major city Bamako.

There might being lots of people who call for revenge and would love to see our forces to go into combat and to have a stronger force in the warfare against ISIS.
It is not only the Bible that in many instances condones the act of war and the use of deadly force for protection. Torah, Kethubim Aleph, Kethubim Bet or Messianic Scriptures (the New Testament) and the Quran demand that we respect the creations of the Most Divine Allah, the God of gods, Master of heavens and earth, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah.

Real lovers of Allah will respect His Words given to us in the Holy Scriptures and shall know that our force must be in a spiritual battle, taking on such an attitude which is so much in-breath of love that it destroys the hate of others.

The adversary of God (Satan) is calling to go into the battle. The adversaries of Allah, ISIS, al-Qaeda and many other networks of Islamic fundamentalist groups, would love to see the world going into the battle and providing more reasons why to attack others.
We do have to be very vigilant not to fall into the trap.

The Bible has warned us about the signs of the end times and we should be more concerned about these: having a war starting at the land of Euphrates and Tigris (Iran & Iraq), having children revolting against their parents, having more earthquakes and tsunamis, having religions fighting against other religions, all signs which we could notice to happen the last few years. This should worry us more. This should have us to prepare for the coming times of agony and make us so that our spirits (our minds) shall be strong enough to withstand.

We always should be very attentional to take on the right attitude and not to fall-into the booby-trap of the satan (adversary).

That there might be a time for everything, should not mean we do have to be partakers in such a killing act. Let others fight their war and let us try to spread peace. We should know that joining hand to force the peace by peaceful actions is much more worth than spreading hatred.

*

To remember

1st sight when reading the Bible= appear Christian should never contemplate killing of another fellow human being > no matter what the circumstances.

Jesus tells people around him + turn other cheek == biggest problem that seems to plague people and specifically Christians

human tendency to partially remember verses taken out of context + turned into doctrines

2nd problem = ability to efficiently and accurately study the Word of God in 1st place.

focus on concept of Christians at war or protecting themselves even with deadly force

social, religious, & political issues at the time the book was written + What was intended purpose of the book + does each book line up with the whole spirit of the bible itself?

look around at this time in global history = realize potential for war + violence toward Christians on a global scale

topic of war + taking life of another human even outside of a war = repugnant to teachings of Christ and his apostles

New Testament = Christ focuses attention in primary sense on principle of love and respect = govern the actions of men + expressing love toward one’s enemies

Jesus’ life on this earth was to fulfill the Law of Moses, draw all sin to himself, + die on the cross for our spiritual salvation = purpose on earth = not to engage in a physical fight

not mean to stay physically weak + disengaged

He actively encourages His servants to fight when the time arrives (John 18:36). Certainly, Christ Jesus = no pacifist in any of his teachings.

Jesus did not want his Disciples to interfere with his capture = result in his taking stripes for our healing and dying on the cross for our sins.

Jesus to go peacefully + without blemish > lamb led to slaughter

Matthew 26:52 = referencing those who chose to live a violent way of life =/= Christians to stand still + be killed in the name of Jesus => work to do here on earth + dead people cannot do their work

Luke 22:35 = we are to go out into the world + teach that the kingdom of heaven is here => to take gospel of Jesus Christ to all people who will listen + dead Christians cannot talk.

meek =/= similar to being timid + non-violent

meek =/= being weak

great spiritual power

no killing out of anger, or aggression such as murder

allowance to execute criminals for capital crimes = shown by apostle Paul when he stated that even Gentile governments had divine authority to use the sword against evil doers (Romans 13:1-4).

sword = instrument of authority

Jesus told disciples = time had come to sell a garment + buy a sword (most proficient weapon to carry for self-defense)

self-defense = Jesus referencing

to follow the laws of the land providing the laws are not turned against us

no authority except from God + to resist authority is to resist God

ruler who chooses to do evil against Christians cannot be from God

meek Christian = you do not have to prove yourself not force your beliefs on another person

to protect oneself, family, + close friends from someone who tries to do evil, falls well within the approval of God even to the point of taking a life

for a Christian to go on the offence is to stand on the side of evil + against God’s will

+

Preceding articles:

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

Autumn is in the land

Don’t be Muslim

A last note concerning civil rights

The Existence of Evil

Getting fate in your change to positiveness

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

What I Hope For Is What You Hope For

++

Additional reading:

Between Alpha and Omega – The plan of creation

Necessity of a revelation of creation 4 Getting understanding by Word of God 2

Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother

Certainty in a troubled world

Not making any remarks based on the intellect or logic

A world with or without religion

Because men choose to go their own way

Our way of life

A world in denial

The famine of the word

Bad things no punishment from God

Gaza in Bible Prophecy

Hamas the modern Philistines

2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritually

Propaganda war and ISIS

ISIS cannot be presenters of the real Islam

Wrong ideas about religious terrorism

Do Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, ISIS and ISIL belong to true Islam

Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam

Religion, fundamentalism and murder

Condemning QSIS or the self-claimed Islamic state ruler, al- Baghdadi their extremist ideologies and to clarify the true teachings of Islam

ISIL will find no safe haven

Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan

Women their education and chances to become a parliamentary

Christian clergyman defiling book which did not belong to him

Being Charlie 11

Do we have to be an anarchist to react

Peace Takes You

Beginning of times

End Times

The Conclusion of the System of Things

Signs of the times

Signs of the Last Days

Zion, Flames, Terror, Signs and Games of Peace

Syrian capital facing total destruction in the coming months

Swallowing up Crimea, who is next

Turkey and Pictures for the times coming

The Rapture Wars

Shariah and child abuse – Is there a connection?

Commemorating the escape from slavery

Dealing With the “Silence” of God

What Jesus Did – Misleading around the Messiah and the final assessment

The days are coming

Babylon is fallen

How do we know the coming of Jesus is very near?

Secret or public return of Jesus

Preaching Christ Is Not Enough

In a world which knows no peace sharing blessed hope

Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism

+++

Further reading:

The Qur’an, The Bible, And The Islamic Dilemma

Syria: ‘In name of Allah’

National solidarity and unity will stop the war on Syria

Surah Yusuf (12) 31/07/2015

Surah Yusuf (12) 29/07/2015

God (ALLAH) is one..

Truth is confirmed

Names of Allah

verses just for you

The Status Of Allah’s Lovers

An Indian Family’s Collective Convert to Islam

Proofs, Virtues, Fruits for Al-Walaa` wal-Baraa` (Loving and Hating for Allaah’s Sake) – Shaikh al-Fawzaan

Why do Mormons Want to be Christians?

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Mali ex-rebels retake control of northeastern town

The New Threat from Islamic Militancy by Jason Burke review – important and impressive

Noise Violations: A Guide to Keeping the Peace

Top Ten Reasons Why Christian Religions are Evil

Christian Persecution is Very Real Despite Claims Otherwise

Eid al-Adha – Feast of the Sacrifice

Christians Rally for the “Rights” of Satanists to Worship Satan in America

Christians Rally for the “Rights” of Satanists to Worship Satan in America

The Church Lady vs. The American Church: Which is more ridiculous?

The Power of Grace Ministries

At first sight when reading the bible it would appear that a Christian should never contemplate the killing of another fellow human being no matter what the circumstances. Most Christians and even many non-Christians can partially quote the scripture where Jesus tells the people around Him to turn the other cheek when your enemy strikes you, Matthew 5:39 & Luke 6:29.

Here in lies the biggest problem that seems to plague people and specifically Christians and has for centuries; the human tendency to partially remember verses which are taken out of context and then turned into doctrines. Whether the scriptures were taught in their fullness or taken out of context makes a huge difference. Not to mention the limited time people spend studying the Word of God for themselves. Which brings us to the second problem which is the ability to efficiently and accurately study the Word of God in…

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by Guestspeaker | 2015/07/20 · 1:08 pm

Searching or overlooking God’s presence

“To overlook God’s presence is not simply to be irreligious; it is a kind of insanity, like overlooking anything else that is actually there. . . . God is not only a fact of religion: he is a fact. Not to see him is to be wrong about everything, which includes being wrong about one’s self.”

Frank Sheed ( Karl Keating, Is Bill Gates Insane?, Catholic Answers)

“Openly appearing to those who look for Him with all their heart, while hiding from those who run from Him with all their heart, God governs human knowledge of His presence. He gives signs that are visible to those who search for Him, and yet invisible to those who are indifferent to Him. To those who wish to see, God gives sufficient light; to those who do not wish to see, He gives sufficient darkness.”

Blaise Pascal (Archimandrite Tikhon, Everyday Saints and Other Stories, p.2)

Blaise Pascal 1423 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Preceding:

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

An uncovering book to explore

Written by inspiration of God for our admonition, to whom it shall be imputed if they believe

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Filed under Quotations or Citations, Religious affairs

Tagged as Being wrong, God, God's darkness, God's light, God's presence, God's signs, Looking for God

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