Taking a dog by the ears

When we browse the internet to find interesting articles, we come across a lot of junk that we ignore further. But there are also sites that touch us because of the attitude they dare to adopt towards other people.

A multitude of articles are placed on the net against believers, be they Christians, Jews or Islamists. Certain people are not afraid to adopt an ugly and sometimes degenerate attitude towards believers.
People seem to be ugly, especially against Christians. Bad enough, those who speak very negatively and even go too aggressive towards other Christians can also find people who call themselves Christians.

Of course, the ex-Christians are the most Christian-hating group, which are underpinned and encouraged by atheists, who don’t like anything else to ridicule Christians. It doesn’t bother them, even if they have a business to do such a thing. Strangely enough, they often do like to get as much money out of people with religious traditions to sell their products based on such occasions. Take the South African Ark, for example, which takes every opportunity to ridicule Christians, while she does not even seem to bother, to get to know those people’s thinking on a religious level, plus also on a political or civil level and would like to have her readers to follow her business site.  When you take only that one site with articles like:

1. ”It’s all a matter of evidence, M’lud.”
2. The hypocrisy of cancel culture
3. A-theism is …?
4. The love of Christianity ….
5. Christianity: When Intelligence is optional but Stupid is obligatory.
6. Seth Andrews: Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot
7. Evangelical Christianity – trigger warning!

you can get a fairly good picture of such a shameful attitude to other thinkers and human beings. What is also striking about negative judges of Christianity is that they mainly look at American evangelical Christians and do not look further at what other Christians believe or how they practice their life of faith.

Ark herself points her finger rightly to the biggest cause of problems. She writes:

…if, as kids, we were each given a KJV bible as part of our school curriculum and told to read it …. ”there will be a test!” {I wonder ….}

The biggest problem of those that criticise Christianity and/or Christendom (them not even seeing the difference between it) is that they never have taken enough time to read the most important Book of books which should be the basis of such faith and for society. In case several believers actually take up the Bible and read the entire book, many more people would leave a certain group of faith because they will have insight into the many false doctrines in that faith community.

Another question some could have asked.

would any of us have believed what we read or become Christians simply on the strength of being told we were reading the ‘Divine Word?’ {I wonder ….}

But we also notice that a lot of atheists and critics of certain faith groups even do not bother to look carefully what those groups believe. Some who call themselves Christian even attack other Christians and tell all sorts of lies about them. One such blog has even as title “The Bible & Exposing Cult Error Darkness Into Light” were the writer wants his readers to believe he exposes errors of others, but in fact does nothing more than presenting his own errors, ignorance or lack of knowledge. For certain groups, like Christadelphians calls them a cult, without really having studied their teachings. Others prefer to stay anonymous. We also can find so-called Christians who hate Jews and preach anti-semitism.

Several of those so-called Christian sites even do not let readers reply on their articles or in case they do they delete all reasonable answers shedding a true light on the Bible or do not allow reply which are not according their idea or oppose the sayings in the article.

From some articles we can find on the net we would think the blogger conciders the other the enemy, though he does not dare to talk nicely to that enemy, what he better would. Desmond Tutu once said;

“If you want peace, you don’t talk to your friends, You talk to your enemies.”

Also the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi could not understand why there was so much hatred by Christians against other Christians whilst in case they would follow the example of the master teacher they say they follow, there would be much more peace in the world.

We may not forget that most wars originated from greed, often people using religion or a gruesome event that happened before as an excuse.

There is quite honestly probably no country or emirate or society that has not, at one time or other in their history (including any country that has made a concerted effort to wipe out indigenous peoples) done the very same thing, mostly for greed or revenge or because their god commanded them to do it. {Judy Thompson‘s reply to Islam: Can you feel the love?}

The blogger Nora Marie has been been on both sides…both sides of the grass… and has experienced rejection from God’s people as well as the people closest to her. She looks at the problem of false accusations or people not looking at the matter closely.

She writes:

Now, why would he believe anything the person said as gospel when he himself caught the person on a false accusation? Because we humans tend to be drawn to and believe the negative, especially with people we don’t like or are in competition with. Betrayal and getting stabbed in the back hurts when the falsehood comes from an acquantience, crushes when it comes from a friend, and destroys when it’s a relative. Gossip destroys. {Grab a Dog by the Ears?}

Several name Christians do forget that a Christian should be a real or true follower of Christ, having the same God as Christ, and trying to become like Christ.

Instead of loving other Christians, some make it a sport to blacken others and even incite people to hate those other Christians.

Nora Marie writes:

Why do we (yes, especially so-called Christians) stick our noses in other people’s poop?

Why do Christians feel the need to spread stuff around that they know will hurt others? {Grab a Dog by the Ears?}

and gives a good answer:

Two reasons:

1. Pride and arrogance in thinking they are more righteous than others, and

2. Revenge, thinking they will straighten out the person, not realizing that God will always put the gossiper in their place! {Grab a Dog by the Ears?}

It is often because they cannot tolerate something from the other party that they go against it so much. Most vehemently they go against non-trinitarian Christians and their churches because they cannot stand up to the dignity of those God-loving persons who base themselves totally on the Bible and not on the doctrines of certain popular churches.

Much too often, certain Christians forget the words of the Bible concerning their attitude against others and worse in their way of living go far away from the essence of Scriptures.

We are fools when we fly far from God’s precepts, when we are lazy, and when we use our tongues to hurt others in order to build ourselves up. {Grab a Dog by the Ears?}

correctly reminds her readers.

God has given His Word to anyone who wants to hear, to provide instruction and insight so that one can build a perfect life full of respect for others.

God’s word is genius. God’s word flows together into every area of our lives. Yes, it is possible to live right with only the Ten Commandments, but thankfully, God gave us a whole Cannon to explain to us dumb sheep how to treat others, and more importantly, to draw closer to the Lord! {Grab a Dog by the Ears?}

Naive or inexperienced and gullible persons are easily misled and believe every word they hear, but the prudent man [is discreet and astute and] considers well where they are going, sifting and weighing every word. Therefore, let’s think carefully about some bible texts like these:

He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears. ~Proverbs 26:17

“The simpleton believes every word he hears, but the prudent man looks and considers well where he is going.” Proverbs 14:15

Remembering also

“You are not mature if you have a high esteem of yourself. He who boasts in himself is but a babe in Christ, if indeed he be in Christ at all.
Young Christians may think much of themselves. Growing Christians think themselves nothing. Mature Christians know that they are less than nothing.
The more holy we are, the more we mourn our infirmities, and the humbler is our estimate of ourselves” { Charles Spurgeon}

And

Let’s live in love instead of arrogance. {Grab a Dog by the Ears?}

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Preceding

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

The written, the spoken, and the audible a part of the soul and a blessing to humanity but also the trigger to those who love Crusades and the Inquisition

Need to reject an archaic, racist inspired interpretation of the Bible and animosity against other believers

Are Christianity and Capitalism Compatible?

How Many Gods?

When does your day begin and when begins God His day

This is Church Unity?

Preaching as Public Speaking

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

Passover 7 days of meditation opening a way to conversion

Culture War Christianity in American history

Americans their stars, pretension, God, Allah and end of times signs #3 Cyberwars and prophesy

Responses to Radical Muslims and Radical Christians

Seeds from the world creating division and separation from God

Preventing conflicts and war

Contemplation for the month of April……Falsehood darkens the pure knowledge of God!

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Additional reading

1. A Book to trust #17 Biblical archaeology vs Historical science or study #2 Relevance of Biblical record
2. Missional hermeneutics 5/5
3. An attitude taken to those who attack us and other unitarians
4. Gates to different belief systems in this world
5. How willing are people to stand up for their values and beliefs
6. Are you religious, spiritual, or do you belong to a religion, having a faith or interfaith
7. Religion and believers #1 Lots of groups and forms of belief to be taken interest in
8. Religion and believers #2 Different forms of Truth
9. Religion and believers #7 Independent and organised form of existence of a religion
10. From Bibles and other religious writings and those who witness for Jehovah
11. The Most Appropriate teacher and Scoffers in our contemporary age
12. Exodus 9: Liar Liar
13. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
14. Think before you speak
15. The naked truth is always better than the best dressed lie
16. God’s forgotten Word 5 Lost Lawbook 4 The ‘Catholic’ church
17. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
18. Sometimes we face trials
19. Who are the anti-Jehovah people
20. Those willing to tarnish
21. We are ourselves responsible
22. Westboro Baptist Church and Catholic Truth against Nelson Mandela
23. The Most Hated Family in America
24. Antichrist and The Most Hated Family in America in crisis
25. Today’s thought “Be aware of what went on” (August 15) He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him.
26. The Big conversation – Recognition and refocus
27. 1st thought for today “The world may be wicked” (January 16)
28. Dave Norris and his writings on the Belgian Bible Students
29. Trump brand of migrant demonization #2
30. Place for a fifth and sixth house in Christendom
31. A convinced voice to debunk false allegations….
32. a powerful way to put the universe on notice….
33. A Secret of our Enemy :Inter-Ethnic Fault Lines Among the Jews (Full Article)
34. A vibrant and inclusive movement within the American Jewish community
35. From nothingness to a growing group of followers of Jeshua 5 What’s in a name
36. Three Weeks of sadness but also of hope
37. More than seven anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S.A. per day
38. In a time when we must remain in our place
39. Is it time for UK Jews to pack the bags?
40. Tel Aviv University study found a record-high number of reports of antisemitic activity throughout the world in 2021
41. Public reaction demanded against increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes
42. Not everything looks so good of the Zionist movement
43. This fighting world, Zionism and Israel #6
44. Memorizing wonderfully 55 Exchanging the truth of God for a lie
45. Today’s thought “Folly and Wickedness of Men” (January 06)
46. Shall Artificial intelligence transform religion
47. What I would change about modern scoiety

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Further related

On ReligionWhat is ReligionThe Value Of Religion and the Problem With AtheismCarl Jung Thoughts on AtheismWhen Atheists Criticize ReligionThe Bottom Line on AtheismChurchianity Versus Christianity By Former AtheistAmerica’s New ReligionsThe Truth on Religion and ViolenceThe Polarizing Effect Of TruthAddams Family Values (Part 1) on March 29, 2013Addams Family Values (Part 2) on April 1, 2013Is Your Jesus Gospel-Centred? on May 13, 2013“Your punishment must be more severe”

How to Start (and Keep) Good Habits

The Divine Creator has given His divine Word to mankind. He demanded some ‘holy men’ to write down those words so that nobody would have an excuse and would say

I did not know.

He also took care that in a certain way everybody would have the opportunity in life to come in contact with either people or with the words declaring Him. All people are created in the image of God and in a certain way have the connection with the Creator inplanted in the self. God wants all creatures to come close to Him. He also would like that they all would become partakers of a marvellous peaceful world. But all people should take the steps toward God of their free will.

To get to know Him and what He wants, God gave us the Book of books to help and guide us.

When we want to go on a big trip, we also prepare ourselves. We take care that we have the right roadmaps and have everything with us that we need for the trip. Going for a better life, we need to undertake some serious matters. It is fine when we have bought some roadmaps to start our trip, but when we do not use those maps, we are nothing with them. It is the same with the bible; When we have a Bible or Holy Scriptures but do not read it, we are nothing with it.

When having such a Sacred Writings and Bestseller, we best make very good use of them. For reading the Bible we also better prepare ourselves and make some arrangements to read it regularly. We should make it a good habit to regularly go through that Word of God and think about it.

Imagine it’s late and you’ve had a long day. You were planning to exercise, fix yourself a healthy meal, then spend some time in God’s Word. Instead, you grab some pizza and binge TV shows. Without realising it, you just reinforced a habit. Research suggests we all have “keystone habits,”† acquired patterns of behaviour that form the basis of our daily routines. Change those, and you can change your life. Here are 5 Ways to Develop Healthy Habits: Remember whose you are. You are called by God and made in His image. Because of His great love for you, you have the ability to become more like the person God created you to be. Identify the “why” behind your behaviour. Do you eat junk food because you like the taste? Or because you’re tired or bored? Once you know why you behave the way you do, it’s easier to replace unhealthy habits with better ones. Draw close to God. When you prioritize time with God, you’re allowing Him to renew your mind (Rom. 12:2). Eventually, this will help you change the way you live. Focus on one key habit. Consistently doing one thing well will yield results over time and make it easier to master other habits later. Give yourself grace. You won’t always get it right… And that’s okay. When you stumble, “fall forward”: learn from your mistakes and keep going. God will still be right beside you, cheering you on. It only takes a moment to start a healthy habit. Plan everything to come to a regular Bible reading, and let God use that choice to begin transforming your daily routines.

Be convinced that the Bible in itself contains enough to fully inform and educate us to go to God and to find the right path of life to enter the kingdom of God. We must fully trust in it.

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Preceding

“I want to draw closer to God, but…”

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Find also to read

1. To create a great journey
2. Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians
3. A Book to trust #26 Roadmap for life out of darkness
4. Bible
5. Gospel or Good News – Evangelie of Goede Nieuws
6. Word of God
7. The Word itself should be enough reason to believe
8. Absolute Basics to Reading the Bible
9. Daily portion of heavenly food
10. Torah hanging on two commandments and focussing on a Mashiach
11. Expectations for kashrut to meet individual and contemporary norms
12. Back to back or Face to face
13. Importance of Tikkun olam
14. Creator and Blogger God 12 Old and New Blog 2 Blog for every day
15. Born of the Father
16. Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people
17. Imperfect ones to learn from the One Who wants to be our Father
18. Confidence in times of trial
19. Today’s thought “God has come to test you …” (February 10)
20. Today’s thought “Everyone whom the Lord calls to himself” (April 26)
21. Today’s thought “You stiff necked people” (April 30)
22. Today’s Thought “Jesus Greater than Moses” (May 31)
23. Today’s thought “Draw near to God …” (June 9)
24. Today’s thought “On the eternity of God” (December 17)
25. A Worldwide Vision for Theological Education

For a close relationship with God

I love Jehovah because he hears my voice, my pleas for help.​—Ps. 116:1.

One way to respond to Jehovah’s love is by talking to him in prayer. Your love for God will grow as you tell him about your concerns and thank him for all that he does for you. And the bond between you and Jehovah will be strengthened as you see how he answers your prayers. You will become convinced that he understands you.

But to grow close to Jehovah, you need to understand his way of thinking. And you need to know what he wants from you. The only way you will gain that knowledge is by studying his Word, the Bible. So learn to appreciate it.
Only the Bible contains the truth about Jehovah and his purpose for you. You show that you appreciate the Bible by reading it each day, by preparing for your personal Bible study session, and by applying what you learn.

97 How I do love your law!+ I ponder over* it all day long.+
…

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,+ Because I ponder over* your reminders.

(Ps. 119:97, 99)

17 Sanctify them by means of the truth;+ your word is truth.+(John 17:17)

Do you have a personal Bible reading schedule? Do you follow that schedule, making sure that you read the Bible each day?

w20.03 5 ¶8-9

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Additional reading

1. Word of God
2. Gospel or Good News
3. A Book to trust #18 Available in many languages #1
4. A Book to trust #28 A Collection of words showing and teaching us about the beginnings to the end
5. A Book to trust #29 God His Book, God-breathed profitable for doctrine, for reproof and for correction
6. Old and newer King James Versions and other translations #12 God Himself masters His Own Word
7. Studying the Bible
8. Demanding signs or denying yourself
9. Inner voice inside the soul of man
10. A Sound Mind: Theory and practice
11. Brian Rosner on “What Makes a Good Biblical Scholar?”
12. The faithful God
13. Christian growth a team event
14. How to Study the Bible: We Are in This Together
15. On the Affirmation of Scripture
16. Summer time to spend some more time at the growing process of your faith

a Heritage given

God has given us a heritage.
Something that is many generations old:
His Word.
We are instructed to live by that Word.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Erfgoed gegeven

A vital question for believers

At Selah Ministries they ask

Do you believe in God, or do you believe God? {A vital question for believers}

And that is a question we should seriously take at heart. The same as atheists believe in many things we find people who say they believe in a god or believe in the God. When you question those who say they ‘believe in god’ or ‘believe in God’, we can hear many concepts or ideas about that god/God and find that several of those people believe in different gods than the others.

Lis from Selah Ministries which says it

is about bringing folks closer to God through His word and through experience, and recognising the works of satan in these days. {A vital question for believers}

brings up as next question

Do you believe what He put down in writing and preserved for two thousand years so that we could walk rightly with Him? Walking in obedience requires us to not just believe that God is real, but to believe what He says! {A vital question for believers}

When looking at Christendom, we see the great difference with those from Christianity. The majority who calls themselves Christian really do not follow Christ and even have not the God of Christ, but made Christ Jesus into their god.

Coming closer to the end-times, all people should come to know that it is getting high time that people should start thinking seriously about what they do want to follow, human doctrines or Biblical doctrines.

Perhaps it’s time to walk away from church doctrine, and to get into the word of God? He preserved His word for you so that you could know how He wants you to live. {A vital question for believers}

Many in this world are been deceived. Lots of people are caught up in the human doctrines and tangles of their church. In the Book of books, the Bible or Holy Scriptures, already in the first book (Genesis) it is explained why things are today like they are. In many of the following books is given direction why and how we may have hope for the future and for better things. In that compilation of books (hence: Library or bibliotheca = Bible) mankind is able to see how it is necessary that the Most High God shall come to be known all over the earth. Lots of people do not see how important it is for them to fear the right person and to spend more time and attention to Some One Who can not be seen but Who is a serious reality of the universe. It is Some Supreme Being Who shall be willing to draw close to you when you are willing to come to close to Him. That Most High Supreme Being has given His Word, but not many people are really interested in reading it. Though they would better  do that so that they may come to see the truth and unmask all those who are against that Biblical Truth, but also react strongly against those who proclaim that Biblical Truth. It is even told in the Bible, God’s infallible Word that close to the end-times more people would react against those lovers of God and against those who spread the Gospel.
For that reason recently there has been created a new website, to show how those adversaries of God sent all sorts of false sayings or untruths in the world. At that new website, Unmasking the anti-Jehovah people, a first series has been started to show how the Bible has all the truth in it and how we as human beings best should read those ancient books, which form perhaps the most interesting and most important Bestseller of all times. The first articles are already published, and we would kindly advice you to have a look at them ( A Book to trust #1 Background book for debate and A Book to trust #2 Book of Truth) and to follow up the coming chapters.

There are people who say

Faith can not come by hearing

and partly they are right but also partly wrong. Hearing is an important factor to come to the truth. Without willingness to hear and to see one can not come to the truth. Hearing is an essential part in the formation of faith. Without hearing the Word of God or without hearing preachers to confess how people can be saved, and without coming in contact with people who proclaim the Kingdom of God, telling the Good News and presenting the Gospel to man, it is much more difficult to come to know the Bible and to come to know the Most High God.

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Preceding

Consider your own journey in life

May we have doubts

Hatred and hostility against God

Arguments about believe and About Christianity versus Atheism

On the Edge of Believing

Fear in your own heart or outside of it

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

Mishmash of a legal code but importance of mitzvah or commandments

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Additional reading

1. A world with or without religion
2. How importance on religion is placed
3. Non-practicing Christians widely believing in a god or higher power
4. Gates to different belief systems in this world
5. Meet the atheist … who believes in God
6. The post-Christian world
7. Have you also been deceived
8. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
9. An openingschapter explaining why things are like they are and why we may have hope for better things
10. Fearing the right person
11. God loving people justified
12. Blinkered minds
13. Do you purpose that your mouth will not transgress
14. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
15. Necessary to be known all over the earth
16. This month’s survey question: Does God Exist?
17. Can a scientist believe in God
18. Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people
19. Back from gone #4 Your inner feelings and actions
20. Today’s thought “Man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah” (April 24)
21. Memorizing wonderfully 48 John 16:33 That you may have peace
22. Memorizing wonderfully 66: Galatians 3:8-9 Justified receiving blessing of Abraham’s faith
23. When having found faith through the study of the Bible we do need to do works of faith
24. Measuring Up
25. Some one or something to fear #6 Faith in the Most High

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Related

1. Farewell to Those Days of Wrestling With Fate
2. There is a God
3. A Two-Word Sermon: But God!H-o-l-y-b-i-b-l-e
4. Review of Faith in God: Interpreting the True Meaning of Faith in God | Eastern Lightning
5. Embarking on the Path of Belief in God (Part 2)
6. Facts and Revelation Made Me Seek; God’s Word Made Me Fall Before Him
7. Establishing a Proper Relationship With God | As a Christian, Regularly Attending Gatherings Cannot Be Neglected!
8. The “Rural” Mom Meets the “Urban” Daughter-in-Law
   How to Keep Faith in God When Mother Got Terminal Lung Cancer
9. Finding the Salvation of the Last Days on Facebook (Ⅱ)
10. Competing in This Way, I Benefit Tremendously! (Audio Article)
11. I acknowledge the words expressed by Almighty God as the truth, but my family have been confused by rumors disseminated by the CCP and by pastors, and they do all they can to obstruct me getting in touch with Christians from the Church of Almighty God. I don’t dare to investigate Almighty God’s work of the last days, but neither do I want to lose the chance to be raptured and saved by God. How should I solve this problem?
12. Word of GOD: Wisdom
13. Truth and Righteousness versus Lies and Wickedness.
14. Rejecting and Reinterpreting
15. Doctrine of Christ or AntiChrist?
16. Clear doctrine strengthens the church
17. Spiritual War: Truth versus Lies. Life versus Death.
18. A world of Foolishness (1 Corinthians 3:19)
19. A Lamp for my Feet and a Light on my Path
20. Limited Atonement and the Divine Command to Believe Falsehood
21. Lucifer’s Desideration: God of gods (5)
22. Jehovah’s Witness Myopic View Of Jesus (I)
23. Bible Contradictory: Light of Truth is Within
24. Behaving as a Christian is an Act of Worship
25. Walking In Obedience
26. Series: Saying Yes to God!
27. Faith Cannot Come by Hearing
28. Is Jesus Christ an Imposter?
29. Truth or Lie Pick One
30. What Are The Father And The Son’s Name?
31. Is The Law Done Away With?
32. On going to church (or not), church, connecting to God, and prayer

Not missing your appointment in 2017

Soon we will turn over the page of the dark year 2016.

These past days and the coming days lots of people had very important gatherings they would not like to miss. This time of season it are days of appointments which have us looking forward to pleasant cosy being together moments.

In the new year, people shall again make and keep lots of different appointments that they would never miss. For many the people are so important, they would never cancel. The circumstance may also be so pressing that those meetings cannot be put off.

The need so urgent, we cannot afford to overlook it. The desire so great, it cannot be denied or postponed. {Don’t Trade Away God’s Help Today}

But what about the most important meeting of the year, the season or even of the day?

Lots of Christians say this is the season of the year and that they are celebrating the birth of their god. Those Christians also say the bible is the word of their god, though most of those Christians do not read that Word of God. For sure then they would perhaps not worship Jesus as their god and would not take part in the heathen Christmas events.

Many Christians far too quickly dismiss their daily appointment with the God of the universe as soon as life gets a little busy. The other appointments stack up, and our time to sit with the Most High and heavenly Father of our Saviour, seems to fade away so quickly and easily. Not many of those Christians who have Jesus as their god know his words or know the Words of his heavenly Father. Though those Words are very important and each follower of Christ should know them very well.

Perhaps it is

Arrogance, because we don’t think we need God’s help and wisdom enough to consistently ask him for it (James 1:5). Apathy, because we’ve let other things drown out the call to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). {Don’t Trade Away God’s Help Today}

Not many people do know why and how important it is to come to read the Bible. Many have no idea how to start doing it. At my first series I look on this matter “Reading the Holy Scriptures“. In it I try to show how reading the Bible is a way of  hearing God’s Word and a way to let us be strengthened. It is a way to allow ourselves to grow whilst we are guided by the One Who knows everything. He is the Omnipotent Who is pervasive, extensive, omnipresent and willing to help us at any moment of the day and night.  He is the Most Trustworthy Supreme Being Who is prepared to be there for us whenever we need Him. He is the One Who can tell us how to prepare for life and is willing to show us what to do and how to serve Him. We can turn to the Bible in times of sadness, joy, worry or bereavement and receive comfort from Gods word.

Too many are not aware how easy it is to have the most super guidebook in the world and the most intense appointment with the Most High Person in this world. We may wonder why so many Christians miss such an appointment regularly. Because their God has asked them to remember Him and to take time for Him. He told them to take a Sabbath, a day of rest to give and share it with Him. But we do not see many accepting that invitation or going to that appointment.

Many Christian churches are running empty today. There are not many worship places where Christians are really worshipping the Most High Elohim. We may find lots of churches where false gods are worshipped, but also they are having difficulties to keep their members. Many Christian even have no place for God on the day that they say would be especially for Him. At Christmas most energy is put in the cooking and preparing for the festivities and the presents. But there is no place for many Christians and not much thought about the Most High Present, namely the Saviour Jesus Christ. That child in the mangler is mostly forgotten or a detail in their life which is consumed by all the material things around them.

Moshe had given a task, like Jeshua also has given a task to his followers. They told the task of the leader is to remove that Din and bring everlasting Chesed and Rachamim to us. We should do away with all wrong traditions, all heathen connections. Believers in, and lovers of God should be different than atheists. Their way of life should be pure and according to the wishes of the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, and to know those wishes God has given the best manual for life: the Bible, the Book of books. We should read it, making time to have close and fine words with the One who we should love and honour as the most Important One.

Taking up the Bible is taking up and keeping your appointment with God. Do not forget to meet Him and His Word in 2017.

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Please come to find following articles on Immanuel Verbondskind:

• Best to read and study the Bible
• How to Read the Bible
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 1)
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 2)
• Making time for God is crucial
• How to Read the Bible (sequel 3)
• and find sequels 4 and 5 later, in the New Year

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Wishing you a happy and blessed spiritual New Year

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Did you come to read already our Vision and mission. Have a look at our page: Our Vision and mission.

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Find additionally

1. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
2. Walking alone?
3. Try driving forward instead of backwards
4. Gathering or meeting of believers
5. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
6. God has not destined us for wrath
7. Hearing words to accept
8. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #3 A voice to be taken Seriously
9. Witnessing because we love

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Further reading

1. The Ten: Lesson 1
2. Summaries of Catholic Teaching Topic 31: The first commandment
3. Ethical Implications in the Ten Commandment
4. God of Our Relationships
5. The Loving Lawgiver
6. Better late than never
7. Never Can Say Goodbye
8. No Appointment Necessary
9. When will it be Your day?
10. Will I make the appointment? 
11. 10 reasons why I love my hospital appointments
12. Are You Engaged?
13. Calm the shit down 
14. Monday Morning Thoughts
15. I Am Alive
16. Measuring Time
17. I’m Getting What I Want and Now I’m a Little Scared
18. God’s Appointment
19. Sunday Appointment Pimpama
20. Our daily grateful post
21. The first appointment
22. Out of Eden
23. Happy New Year!
24. How Wide is the Saviour’s Catchment?
25. Repeat The Sounding Joy…All Year Long!
26. Teaching the Crowds, Instructing His Disciples
27. His Name Is…Prince Of Peace
28. Christmas Day At My Church
29. Light and Life to All He Brings
30. Five Ways To Revive Evangelism In Your Church
31. Repeat The Sounding Joy…All Year Round! Finale
32. My year long Bible adventure
33. Reading On Faith
34. Like John Taught His Disciples
35. Job 28:28 Wisdom And Understanding (Part 2)
36. How to Read the Bible
37. Healthy Leaders Can’t Lead On Empty

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• God Rest Ye Merry, Gentle People
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• A new look at Christmas
• A LOVE to die for…
• Faith In action ‘Time To Reflect’
• Jesus Christ: Jewish radical or bathrobe Republican? The “reason for the season” remains an enigma after 2,000 years
• Celebrating Christmas in the Midst of Islamic Domination
• Christmas: Let`s renew our hope in God – Fayose
• How Long Can You Keep Christmas Decor Up?

Let us being filled each day by the Word of God

Coming closer to the end of the year we can see how this year brought us closer to the return of Christ. We can see many signs which should alert the world. In that world we do have to make the right choice and take the Scriptures at heart.

We have to realise the need to

“approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:10,11).

Each day we shall be confronted with the world and shall have to show to others where we want to stand in this world. Every day again we can look up to God and be pleased that we do have His Word to fill us each day.

Each day we also see how much challenge there is in these “last days.” We also notice how there is an increasing “times of difficulty”. That does not make it easy for many to remain faithful. When we help each other to bear the difficulties of this day and help each other to continue to feed our selves with the spiritual food, we shall be able to grow together in strength.

Helping each other to understand the ways of this world versus the Way of God we can try to build ourselves up to receive “the crown of righteousness” by having loved his Jesus his first appearing and him giving his body for us. Also by reading Jesus his words and following his path, we by taking him and following him as the Way to God and the Way to life, can fill our hearts and minds with an awareness of God and the wondrous Saviour He has provided for us.

Let us make sure we are feeling “filled” a little more – each and every day – and there is no “famine” amongst us.

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Preceding articles:

Dedicated daily reading of God’s word to create a vibrant faith within us

A masterly copied and reproduced Word to feed the minds

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Additional reading

1. Are you being swept along by the world
2. To mean, to think, outing your opinion, conviction, belief – Menen, mening, overtuiging, opinie, geloof
3. Actions to be a reflection of openness of heart
4. Looking for wisdom not departing from God’s Word
5. We may not be ignorant to get wisdom

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• Morgan James and Shoshana Bean to Bring Female Twist to JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in Concert
• Right Wing Bonus Tracks – 11/10/16
• Why Black Churches Are a Natural Place of Refuge and Resistance in the Trump Era
• Keep Christ in Christmas and Have Your Starbucks Red Cup
• Column: What is behind the turkey pardoning ritual?
• Countless miracles each day
• Hearing words to accept

A masterly copied and reproduced Word to feed the minds

The Divine Creator took care that all human beings could come to know Him. He provided His Word and made sure it was copied carefully and reproduced through the many years of humankind.

All people have the opportunity to hear about the Divine Maker. We, who have the gift of all

“the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation …” (2 Timothy 3:15)

must make abundant use of them to ‘feed’ our minds, and ‘inspire’ our actions, if we are to experience the wonders “of the age to come”.

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Preceding article: Dedicated daily reading of God’s word to create a vibrant faith within us

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Related articles

• Chinese scientists CRISPR a human for the first time
• Nietzsche and the New Ten Commandments
• The 7 most shocking Scientology allegations we learned from Leah Remini’s new show
• Sunday reflection: Luke 18:9 – 14
• Nicky Morgan attacks ‘thoughtless’ individuals calling for age checks on refugee children
• How Will You Finish?
• Elohim, Mar-Yah showing His wonders

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God Loves All People

Having presented one prayer today for peace, lets look also at a that Divine Creator Who has a place in His Heart for all and wants nothing more than peace between all people.

The guestwriter forthis prayer is Mary Harwell Sayler who has placed 27 books in all genres with Christian and educational companies and over 2,000 poems, articles, devotionals, and children’s stories with traditional and online publications.

For her, in some of her texts it seems that God is the Only One, though at other places (and in the last part of this prayer) she also takes Jesus to be her god. Though looking at Deuteronomy she created the prayer saying:

Almighty God, You alone
are holy.
You are The One
to Whom all worship
and honor
and glory are due.

Nothing else can compare to You.

Nothing else can bless us like You
or love us like You
or redeem us like You
or forgive us like You can and do.

Help us to hear You. {Hear, O people of God}

but then suddenly goes into the mist of human doctrinal teaching of the Trinity. Though you would think she should know, by reading so many different Bible versions, and she herself saying

Regularly reading the Bible gives us much to say, and practice helps us to say it well, but what about credibility? With it, people pay attention.  They begin to trust our ability to handle God’s Word and their concerns rightly. They might even become more open to God’s Word and work in their lives.

She also writes

We can choose to believe The Word that God has no favorites and, therefore, asks us to love others as we love ourselves. If that’s a problem, keep in check a self-deprecating tone! According to The Word, God loves you, loves other people, and expects us to do the same. That doesn’t mean we have to like ourselves or other people all of the time, but, oh, please, please, never say we never will! {Credible words and The Word}

Let us therefore believe the Words of God, given to us in the Bible and from it come to see that Great Love He has for us, like Jesus also praying to That Most High, and we praying

Dear Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your Word to us that shows us how to live and speak and write in a manner that’s credible, kind, and pleasing to You. Let Your Word to us be our word to ourselves and to those we address in love, truth, and Jesus’ Name.

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Related articles

• Do you depend on God?
• Kids Can Find Jesus in Proverbs
• Bible Stories: Christmas Love Letters from God
• The One True Story introduction
• When all is said and done, the church is just the people
• May we be “ready” when Jesus returns
• Credo of the Christadelphian

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Choose Green: Reading and talking about your ideas leads to success.

“Selkirk reading his Bible” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From the beginning of times man has received the free will to choose. The Maker of everything also provided a solution against the rebellion of man, who thought their Maker withhold something from them. After their act of adversary their Divine Maker provide for a solution against the curse of death and was willing to guide man with His Word. That Bible Word of God, inspired and infallible, is now available in more than 2500 languages.

Mankind should give green light to that Book of books, the Bestseller of all times, which gives us an insight in the Plan of God and offers a map or guide to the entrance gate of the Kingdom of God where those who want to be children of God can find non-ending life.

Reading in that Book of books, which entrails all wisdom we do need to have, shall give us more than any other book of ordinary man.

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To remember:

• success > Read > Study = improve your mind, increase your knowledge or calm your spirit
• reading the Bible = stories of love, stories of war + specific battles, stories of family feuds, rape, adultery, stories of heart broken people, stories about egotistical kings, jealous kings and kings gone mad = lot of stuff in the Bible.
• Read something positive every day.
• Know what’s going on in the world = read international news or get it from TV, internet
• or whatever source you choose. Successful people are aware of what is going on around them.
• Read material that will help you be a better …
• reading opens window to the world = opens your mind + allows new thoughts to enter, new ideas born

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Preceding articles

Hang On!

God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace

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Additional reading

1. A voice and a Word given for wisdom
2. Bible a guide – Bijbel als gids
3. Colour-blindness and road code
4. the Bible – God’s guide for life #1 Introduction
5. the Bible – God’s guide for life #2 Needs in life
6. To create a great journey
7. Solution against curse of death
8. God Our Refuge
9. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
10. Counterfeit Gospels
11. Necessary to be known all over the earth
12. Is God behind all suffering here on earth
13. Best intimate relation to look for
14. Know Who goes with us and don’t try to control life
15. In the night His song shall be with me

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Further related

1. So Many Voices ~ So Many Lies
2. God Loving Us
3. Your Word for This Day: “Jehovah Guides Me”
4. The Battle Is the Lord
5. Find out for yourself
6. My Daily Bread –
7. Not Believing
8. Whose Fool Are You?
9. Straight Outta Context Series
10. Go on trusting in God’s future grace.
11. Lord, could I have a moment of your time, please?
12. When Christians Get it Wrong
13. More Ways Than Jesus? Of course, but…
14. Philippians 4:13
15. Bible Fun Fact
16. Master Plan #1 // Choosing Your Study
17. It is time to let churches die.

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Related articles

• Kingdom of God
• The Righteous
• The Contemplative Companion for Friday, September 16, 2016
• 3 reasons why taking a stand for Christ is hard – but still absolutely necessary
• Innocence and the armor of Love
• Christianity 101
• Inspiring Reading: Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You
• What does the Bible have to say peace?
• John Wesley White: Longtime BGEA Evangelist, Who Mentored Franklin Graham and Brought Many Souls to Christ, Goes Home to Be With the Lord
• 9 Great Ways to Do Online Research

Healing Secrets

You want to be a success? Read. Better yet, STUDY. Study anything that will improve your mind, increase your knowledge or calm your spirit. The visual in the header here is an inspirational read that may calm your spirit or encourage your soul.

I highly recommend reading the Bible; anywhere in the Old Testament is a good start. There are stories of love, stories of war and specific battles, stories of family feuds, rape, adultery, the stories of heart broken people, stories about egotistical kings, jealous kings and kings gone mad. There is a lot of stuff in the Bible.

Read something positive every day.

Know what’s going on in the world, either read international news or get it from the TV, the internet or whatever source you choose. Successful people are aware of what is going on around them.

I enjoy reading the autobiographies of successful people. I find…

View original post 353 more words

Responsibilities of Parenthood for sharing the Word of God

When the people of Israel got liberated from slavery in Egypt the parents took their saved children with them. God had asked them by way of Moses giving to them the Words of God, to lay up these Words of the Most High in their heart and in their soul.

18  “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-19 KJ21)

 

Sunday school class, Manzanar Relocation Center, California People in church service, standing, holding hymnals. MEDIUM: 1 negative : safety film. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Parents are given the task to have that what they placed in their hearts, to share it with their children. It not only has to sit deep inside them, it also has to come out of them. It should be so strongly connected to their mind that it is as if their brains are tied with that knowledge of the Word of God. They should not only keep it as a reminder but also should teach them to their children. This is something what is often forgotten today.

Ideal moments to start picking up the thread again are such high holidays like the ones we had this weekend. The free days are ideal to take time to speak about what happened in the past to God’s people and how we should also be part of God’s people. All that we ourselves got to hear about the Most High divine Creator we should love to share with others and especially with our own children.

That what we got to hear from God we should share with the loved ones. At home but also outside of the house we should talk about those Words God has given us. Wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night.

Today we may find that not many parents are having time or wanting to spend time to educate their children concerning ethics, morals and faith matters. Today we have much more facilities than in the days of Moses where they could not take a bible or the scrolls at hand. In those times most of the upbringing and/or teaching was a personal responsibility. Centuries later the parents took time each day to read from Scriptures and to talk about the commandments of God. Many generations also got to Sunday School to have a religious formation. Today in not many countries are there still Sunday Schools or bible Schools for the religious people.

Today lots of people are avoiding that responsibility to teach the Word of God. Even speaking about good and bad is put aside in many cases. Today lots of children are also allowed to watch certain pictures on television which are not for their eyes at all. Many cruel or ugly words are allowed to enter the living room, via that screen what has become bigger and bigger.

Moses told the people that in case they diligently would keep all this commandment that Jehovah God commanded them to obey, sticking close to Him God on His part will drive out all these nations that stand in their way. so they should then not be afraid of those nations which are much bigger and stronger than them.

“22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you to do them—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him— 23 then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.” (Deuteronomy 11:22-23 KJ21)

Nothing has changed. Also for us today if we will be careful to do all this commandment that God commands us to do, loving the Most High divine Creator Jehovah as your God, walking in all His ways, and holding fast to him, then He will bless you so you inherit the promised land. We, ourselves must first teach ourselves from God’s words, messages such as this one – for ‘the promised land’ – the kingdom of God – is surely just over the horizon. Having taught ourselves we must teach any children we have – and others we can influence. The saying is that ‘actions speak louder than words’ – but words and actions together speak louder still. “A blessing” or “a curse” lie before us! Which have you chosen – or are on the point of choosing? There is no middle way.

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Preceding: Responsibilities of Parenthood fully discharged

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• Always Near
• Forgetting God
• In An Atmosphere Of Rebellion We Are Called To Obey
• April 7, 2016 – Weekly Update
• Sermon of April 3, 2016 – “The Most Unlikely of Heroines”
• The Purpose of God’s Wrath
• Dear Youth Pastor, Guard Your Day Off!
• Relevance of Observing Pesach Today
• April 10, 2016 Sermon – “Overhearing the Name of God”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The writer of the blog UpStream writes

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

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

Rob Heijermans is aware that

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strangely enough the blog writer seems to know that

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Preceding articles:

Leading people astray!

Restitution

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

Luther’s misunderstanding

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

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer

Faith itself not the cause of justification – Louis Berkhof

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

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Please find also to read

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

 

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Further related articles

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

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Related articles

• Hope
• Faith is the Key
• What Must I Do?
• Respect For All
• NTEB Street Preaching Update: News From The Front Lines
• Uk Church Pastor Jean Clements Now Performing the World’s First-ever Transgender Baptisms
• RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY 2016 THEME: DIVINE TRANSFORMATION I -By Pastor E.A Adeboye
• Time to let you go

The Mountain: Radical Love

In our second reposting from the paraphrased chronological harmony of the four gospels, by Frank Boulet we look once more at the central message of Jesus which is simply this:

 Love God by loving people, even your enemies.

with From Guestwriters we do want to spread this message of love and want to get enough people to see how we do have to control ourselves first before we can try to get a better world.

Our aim is also that those who come along our site, shall make the effort to read the appropriate Bible text and shall take time to meditate on the material.

Insofar as they convey that message, these meditations may be helpful as an introduction to the complete texts of the New Testament, or for daily devotional reading.

Those who call themselves Christian always should remember that they have to be followers of Christ longing for God’s Spirit to feed them. They cannot be called Christian when they do not keep to the laws and teachings Christ adhered to.

The spirit that God wants reflected to the world by your life is revealed in the law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. {The Mountain: God’s Word}

As believers in Christ we do have to be believers in the One True God and become children of Him.

In order to live as God’s child, you must be faithful to the essential spirit of God’s word. {The Mountain: God’s Word}

It was on a mountain that Jesus began giving examples of the spirit of God’s Word. From that sermon on the mountain we should get to know that our faith needs those works Jesus spoke about.

As a Christians we should not only have a good relationship with Christ Jesus, but also with God and God His creatures.

If you’re about to worship God in any way, and you remember an unsettled dispute with another person, first go & make peace with that person, and then return to worship God. {The Mountain: Anger}

As a Christian we should follow Christ’s teachings and God’s commandments.

God’s law says, do not engage in sexual cheating (meaning sexual relations are to be enjoyed only with your husband or wife). {The Mountain: Sexual Cheating}

This means we have to be faithful to the partner we have chosen to share our life with. That faithfulness demands control and requires acts of love. The keeping our minds focused on the right persons is one of the works we do have to do. Because we should know that we may not even look with lust at a woman, because for God that is considered the same as sexual cheating in your heart!

We also should be careful which words  we use and what sort of promises we make.

It has also been said, ‘Do not break your promise to God.’

But I say, do not even make promises to God.

Yes we are told not to promise by heaven, by the earth, by Jerusalem, not even by your own head, because it’s sinful to try to add emphasis to your promises in that way.

We should not do the wrong things but the right things and as such

Instead of promising to do what God says, just do what God says. {The Mountain: Promises to God}

We also may not seek revenge against any other person, which again shall demand control of ourselves and not getting into anger which would bring us to do wrong.

Jesus gives an indication how in our relation to others we should care for them and even be willing to go with them.

If a soldier demands that you carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles.

Whenever another person asks you for something, give it to him.

Whenever another person wants to borrow something, lend it to him.

Matthew 5:38-42

Also to love your enemies we shall need to be stronger than the first reaction most people get against their enemies or to those they hate.

Jesus concluded:

Instead of being like everybody else, God wants you to love perfectly — just as God himself loves perfectly. (Matthew 5:43-48) {The Mountain: Loving Enemies}

Living for God in this life means you need to have different goals than most people.

For instance, you must love your enemies. {The Mountain: Radical Love}

*

We should remember

• things essential to gain all of God’s blessings:

• Admitting + Mourning self-inflicted spiritual poverty.
• Regretting your self-inflicted separation from God.
• Desiring to live God’s way
• Expecting & accepting trouble living God’s way will bring in this life.

• Living for yourself in this life will never lead to God’s blessings in the next life:

Then the author says:

• • goal in this life to be rich => poor in the next life.

• • goal in this life to be full => hungry in the next life.

• • goal in this life to be happy => sad in the next life.

• • goal in this life for other people to speak well of you => no one will speak well of you in the next life.

But with death we have paid for our sins and then there comes an end to our life. When we die it shall be too late to do anything. there shall be no “next life”, except the life we shall continue to live on this earth in this system of things when we have done wrong and do not repent, or after Armageddon and the judgement when we shall be rejected or receive the entrance to God’s Kingdom, being able to live in the restored ‘Garden of Eden‘, the paradise, God’s Kingdom.

It is here, now or never that we shall have to do and make it. Several parables of Christ show us how for many it will be too late for them to change anything for their entrance in the Kingdom of God … they just shall miss it … because they have not done the required works to be saved.

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Preceding articles

Illusion of control

First man’s task still counting today

He who knows himself, is kind to others

Luther’s misunderstanding

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

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

The Mountain: Radical Obedience

Restitution

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Also of interest

1. יהוה , YHWH and Love: Four-letter words
2. Creator and Blogger God 3 Lesson and solution
3. Christ’s ethical teaching
4. The business of this life
5. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
6. Running away from the past
7. Be holy
8. Love for each other attracting others
9. The Greatest of These is Love
10. Unconditional love
11. Love is like playing the piano
12. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit
13. Relying on the Love of God
14. No person has greater love than this one who surrendered his soul in behalf of his friends
15. Work with joy and pray with love
16. The Spirit of God imparts love,inspires hope, and gives liberty
17. We love because he first loved us
18. Malefactors becoming your master
19. 112314 – A Peculiar People
20. Be ye angry and sin not
21. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
22. He who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger
23. Singing gift from God
24. God does not change

+++

Further related articles

1. “Week One Reflection” by Dr.J. 2016 Fast Post 19
2. The Difference Between Healthy And Unhealthy Shame
3. God Can Set You Free From Your Shame
4. The Surprising Key to Increasing Your Willpower
5. How to gain self-control & self-discipline
6. Control When It Counts
7. Bible study: Blessed are the meek: For they shall inherit the earth (Mt 5:5)
8. Frank Sinatra quotes from Sermon on the Mount
9. You are the Way Jesus!
10. Who gets your attention?
11. Building on the Rock
12. The Jesus Revolution
13. Class #1: Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
14. sermon on the mount – an introduction
15. The King’s Sermon (Matt. 4:23, 25, 5:1-2)
16. Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
17. Sermon on the Mount: Ask, Seek, Knock
18. Sermon On The Mount – Blessed are the meek
19. Blessed are the Meek
20. Sermon on the Mount: In the Eye
21. January 17 Matthew 7:1-14
22. Misreading the Bible: “Judge Not”
23. The Sermon on the Mount (18)
24. The Poor in Spirit
25. Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
26. Blessed Are They That Mourn
27. Sermon on the Mount: Wisdom
28. The Sermon on the Mount is not a Guide to Christian Salvation
29. God give us grace to face the Sermon on the Mount
30. Sermon on the Mount: Blindness
31. Salt and Light
32. Sermon on the Mount by Vance Stinson
33. The Lord’s Prayer
34. The Third Way: Nonviolent Resistance
35. Loving the Unlovables – Part One
36. Be Different in Your Purity
37. The Poor in Spirit (Matt. 5:3)
38. Like A Bull In A China Shop
39. God is Jehovah Jireh – The LORD Will Provide
40. Thesis of Jesus
41. Be Different in Your Anger
42. Class #3: Three you are statements. Matthew 5:11-16
43. January 12 Matthew 5:21-32
44. January 13 Matthew 5:33-48
45. Borrowed Trouble — Being Perfect, Part 4
46. When Grief is Good
47. Lay Down Your Blessings
48. Teacher
49. Master, teach us how to pray – The Lord’s Prayer
50. James 1
51. Be Your Attitudes
52. beatitude
53. The Beatitudes: Growing into the Kingdom of Heaven. Already.
54. In Search of Eternity
55. Be Different in Your Righteousness
56. Daily Riches: Can One Obey Without Actually Obeying? (James Hannay and William James)
57. A Greater Righteousness
58. Out with the old, in with almost nothing
59. Be Different in Your Influence
60. Rain or Shine — Being Perfect, Part 1
61. Virtue Signaling — Being Perfect, Part 2
62. The Business of Blessing Others

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Beautiful feet of those who announce the good news

Rom 10:13-15 MKJV  For everyone, “whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  (14)  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without preaching?  (15)  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!”

For they who do not believe should come to hear and should receive an opportunity to get to know the grace given to all people. People can only call on the Name of God when they do believe. Only then when we call onto God’s Name, Jehovah, shall we be saved. This is a condition to become saved which too many do forget. Also they who do not believe the Gospel as the record which God has given of his Son are missing a lot, and those who do believe are responsible for that, when they do not make the effort of preaching. But those who go out into the world to tell the Good News are recognised as people doing beautiful work, because how can others hear without preaching? Naturally there can only be preached rightly by those who believe and by those who are sent, showing others their faith and gladly willing to share the Good News they themselves heard and got convinced of.

The apostle turns from the responsibility of the seeker after salvation to emphasize the role that believers are intended to have in God’s plan for preaching the gospel. Calling on the Lord is meaningless apart from some assurance that He is worthy of confidence and trust, that He has something to offer that guilty sinners need. Calling on Him and trust in Him are two sides of the same coin. The verse suggests that calling on the Lord continues to be a mark of the believer, not simply the first step in the direction of establishing relationship to him.

1Co 1:2 MKJV  to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called out with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

One must hear the gospel before a person can be expected either to receive it or reject it. Without people preaching there can be no hearing. Without witnessing there can be no thought or consideration about what could be true or not, or people would not get to know. Certain King James Versions have “without a preacher” – which may be misleading, in that it implies (or it may be inferred there-from) that there is a special office of preacher. This is of course not the case at all: all God’s children are (or should be) preachers!

People do need to hear about Jesus, the son of God. They should come to know what that Nazarene man has done and who his heavenly Father is and for what that eternal Spirit is so important for mankind. Those who do believe should know the importance of their knowledge and out of love for the others they should want others to know that truth as well. When a person believes unto righteousness with the heart he shall be glad to be able to confess with with the mouth unto salvation not being put to shame knowing that when he calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Saint Peter preaching the Gospel in the Catacombs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The apostle Paul rightly observes that it all goes back to the preaching of the gospel, and preachers, those who profess the Word of God, must be sent – both by God and the Christian community at large. It does not have to be special university people, but men and women willing to share the Gospel in Jesus’ name. God’s “normal” way of bringing people to Jesus Christ is through the preaching of the gospel, which has to happen through faithful people who follow the example of Christ Jesus and do what he had demanded his disciples.

God’s cursing or blessing is upon us, also according to our faithfulness in preaching the Word. God has committed unto us, in our ministry, the word of His reconciliation.

2Co 5:17-21 KJV  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  (18)  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  (19)  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  (20)  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.  (21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

When we choose to become baptised in the name of Jesus we wanted to become in Messiah reborn, becoming a new creation. From then onwards our shyness in the world should be gone having the old things having passed away. Shyness refers to passivity, emotional arousal, and excessive self-focus in the presence of other people ( Jones, Cheek, and Briggs 1986). It also frequently involves negative self-evaluations, social avoidance, and withdrawal. (International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family, 2003). Being reborn we have received a new soul (being) not focusing as such on the self, but on the totality of union in Christ. Arousal and heightened self-consciousness in response to social threat can be put aside when one is confirmed about the truth and its value. The experiences of shyness are often sufficiently unpleasant to lead to withdrawal from or avoidance of many social situations, but they also compound the distress of shyness by distracting from skilled and self-confident social interactions. When a person his faith sits deep in him it will give him enough assurance to conquer that shyness to witness for Christ Jesus and for his heavenly Father, the only One God.

Facing all those new things which are from God we want to share with others that in Jesus Christ the Messiah Jehovah God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them; and He has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us.  We are by the baptism in spirit taken away from the doubt and fear from man and therefore should want to be ambassadors for Messiah, as though God were making His appeal through us.

The apostles and members of the first communities begged the community members on behalf of Messiah, to be reconciled to God and to share the Good News with others.  Though it was not easy, because many had seen what had happened to Christ Jesus, and knew that there were fierce opponents of the teachings of this master teacher. It was the Most High Almighty Elohim Who made the Sent One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. By his offering we are bought and are now facing freedom, if we want. It is not by deeds of righteousness which we had done ourselves, but because of God His mercy. It is by the blessing of Jesus his offering that we can become saved through the mikveh of rebirth and renewing of the Ruach ha-Kodesh,  whom Jehovah abundantly poured out on us through Messiah Jeshua our Saviour, so that being set right by his grace, we might become heirs with the confident hope of eternal life!

Tit 3:5-7 MKJV  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  (6)  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  (7)  that being justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The Messiah or Christ was a man who did not want to do his own will but preferred to do only the will of his heavenly Father. He love God’s ecclesia and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. (Ephesians 5:25-26). Like Jesus took care that the dirt of the earth was washed away by the Word of God we also should where we come try to wash away the dirt of this contemporary world.

At baptism the believer becomes a part of Christ’s new “creation” (Ephesians 2:10;  4:23-24; Collosians 3:10). That new creation is so incredible and presents such a magic future we do not want to keep it for ourselves alone. Real believers in Christ do want to become like Christ sharers of the Good News. Being washed… sanctified, we are prepared to do the work for God. It is the will to get to know the Word of God better which should bring us to read it more and to share it with others. It is not be going to a special college reading lots of human writings and philosophies that we shall get more knowledge to bring people to God. God has given everything we need in His Word. All is there in that Book of books, the Bible, God His infallible Word which says all.

Without the faith in Jesus we shall not be able to succeed. We need to have faith in Jesus so that we can call on Jesus. And we need to call on Jesus because calling on Jesus, searching for Jesus, crying out for Jesus is what brings us salvation. Through calling on Jesus, we are saved.
So why do we preach?
So that we may be saved.

We need to be saved from our own captivity. We all need to be set free from something that may keep us away from our loving heavenly Father, the Divine Creator.

The world has to know what God provided. they should come to know that there is a possibility of real peace. But they also should get to know that it will be God Who rules.

Isa 52:7-10 MKJV  How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, making peace heard; who brings good news, making salvation heard; who says to Zion, Your God reigns!  (8)  The voice of Your watchmen shall lift up! They lift up the voice together; they sing aloud. For they shall see eye to eye, when Jehovah shall bring again Zion.  (9)  Break out, sing together, waste places of Jerusalem; for Jehovah has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.  (10)  Jehovah has bared His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

As in the time before Christ Jesus it was nice to see the messengers of God bringing good tidings. Now it is our time to bring such good tidings. We have hear them and we should be convinced of the importance of them.

4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern California provided by LivingWaters Ministry. Obeying the great commission of Jesus Christ. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone” Mark 16:15 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Good Tidings publishes peace and brings confirmation about the sent one from God, who is the Messiah and fulfilled his duties here on earth. God reigns and has given Jeshua the authority to prepare His Kingdom and to reign on earth. We are looking for that Kingdom of God and belief that it is a reality which can be there for much more people than it is at the moment. Therefore we should be willing to show the way to Jerusalem, the physical but even more the spiritual Jerusalem. More and more we can see how the Plan of God gets shape and how we come closer to the execution of that Plan.

The freedom that awaits us has to be spoken off. But first we need to liberate us from our own weaknesses, bad things we are burdened with. We must see that we can make ourselves free from the bad things of this world first. There  may be things which are holding us captive. There  may be many things holding onto us.

Andy Burns, who believes the goal of life is to get so close to that light that we are breathing in the light and exhaling it out into the world, writes:

Maybe you’re dealing with a very real kind of captivity like addiction. Maybe you have an addiction to a physical substance-alcohol, drugs, those kinds of things-or maybe you’re addicted to something more abstract-your work, money, maybe you’re addicted to other people’s approval of you. And this addiction controls when you wake up, when you go to sleep, when you eat, where you work, where you go after work, how hard you work. You’re not free.

Or maybe you deal with an intensely personal problem like low self-esteem or self-doubt or depression. And maybe this controls you in ways that surprise you-you want a certain job but you don’t believe you can do it. You want to speak up but you don’t believe in yourself in enough to find the words. You want to get to know someone, but you don’t believe they could ever like you. You’re not free.

Or maybe you deal with some pain in your past. Maybe you’ve been seriously hurt-either physically or emotionally by their words or both. Maybe it was a parent, a friend, a spouse, a child. And maybe this old would is holding you captive, keeping you from enjoying life, making you avoid certain situations and people. You’re not free.

See, I think all need to be freed from something. We all need freedom and transformation in our lives. And according to Paul in our passage, this is the message that preachers are entrusted with. This is the reason we preach here. Preachers preach so that people can hear about Jesus. People need to hear about Jesus so that we may have faith in Jesus. People need to have faith in Jesus so that they can call on Jesus. And people need to call on Jesus so that we may be set free by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the message that we proclaim every week. This is what we all need to hear and what we all need to be reminded of, week in and week out. You can be free in Jesus Christ. {Stuff My Church Does I: Preaching}

People do have to hear about Jesus and each believer in Christ should take care of that. We do have to go out into the world and tell about the marvellous gift we received. We do have to invite others to share with us the grace which has been given to us.

What would it look like if we invited others here to hear the freedom of God proclaimed in the Word of God? What would it look like if we all brought this Word out into our community and saw it as our job to proclaim this freedom that everyone needs to those around us? Just think of the transformation that would happen. I think it would look pretty amazing. {Stuff My Church Does I: Preaching}

Let us all joining and be workers for the Lord, going into all the world and preaching the Gospel to everyone. (Mark 16:15 )

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Preceding articles:

A Christian has to have eyes and ears and a tongue to use in good ways

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

It takes years to learn

Believe today and now!

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

What’s inside matters..

Not making yourselves abominable

Where are the female writers

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Preaching by example

How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian

What Should I Preach ?

++

Additional reading:

1. Where is the edge
2. Remember the day
3. Gospel = Good tidings, good news, a good message
4. Counterfeit Gospels
5. Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God
6. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
7. How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice
8. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
9. Hearing words to accept
10. Atonement And Fellowship 2/8
11. Missional hermeneutics 4/5
12. Missional hermeneutics 5/5
13. The Right One to follow and to worship
14. Many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus
15. Hope by faith and free gift
16. Showing by the scriptures that …
17. Salvation, trust and action in Jesus #3 as a Christian
18. Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
19. Establish your hearts blameless in holiness
20. Looking for True Spirituality 7 Preaching of the Good News
21. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
22. Breathing to teach
23. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritually
24. Belgian Christadelphians 2013 & 2014 in review
25. Stepping Toes 2014 in review
26. Looking on what is going on and not being of it
27. A prophet to restore
28. Imitate prophets and Paul
29. Oratory Style
30. Counting sands and stars
31. Which Christians Actually Evangelize
32. Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom
33. Bringing Good News into the world
34. Intentions of an Ecclesia
35. Holland Week of billing
36. Faith and trial
37. Faith a commitment to the promises of Christ and to to the demands of Christ
38. How should we preach?
39. The Rapture Wars
40. Not many coming out with their community name
41. Writers needed to preach to non-believers
42. Jehovah can make him stand
43. Our openness to being approachable
44. Different approach in organisation of services #3
45. Glory of God appearing in our character
46. A Society pleading poverty
47. Good or bad preacher
48. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #9 Prayer #7 Reason to pray
49. How is it that Christ pleased God so perfectly?
50. Rebirth and belonging to a church
51. Of the many books Only the Bible can transform
52. Character transformed by the influence of our fellowships

+++

Also of interest

• 90 Days With Yeshua- Day 66: Reconciling the Banished Heart
• His name…
• Why I Don’t Celebrate Easter (and still love God… and still believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah)
• The Lie That Made God Nameless
• Don’t Be Ashamed
• God Demands a Response to Jesus
• May 1: Does Your Life Bring Glory to God?
• Past, Present and Future of Salvation, Today’s Study of Romans 5
• Make your faith work
• “I Bring You Good Tidings Of Great Joy!”
• Trying to Make the Good News Better
• Romans 1:9-14 Questions (Good News Study)
• A Story for the Ages
• Romans 8:28
• A Personal Example Of Hope Fulfilled
• Praise and Worship to God Almighty in Any Language
•  Do You Who You Are? It is Based on the Word of God and Nothing Else.
•  Forget Public Opinion…Keep Your Eyes on God’s Opinion of You.
• The Only Place to Go When Life Gets Tough
• SOM: Blessed are the Pure in Heart
• So, You Think You Can Preach? Sigh . . .
• Jack Hyles Sermon: Fighting the Wrong War
• Preachers are held to a higher standard
• The time for delay is over
• A Better Message; A Better Messenger
• Acts 24 Reading Through the NT 2015
• What Do We Have To Sing About?
• Laboring in the Vineyard or Sitting on the Hillside with Jonah?
• The Spread of the Gospel
• Is Evangelism Dead?
• The Good News Message Of Jesus Christ
• If you got fuel, and you got fire, something’s gotta happen!
• The Smallest of All

Related articles

• I said “I do,” and received the gift of His Holy Spirit. We drank from the cup of the covenant, and then He gave me His name – (de9k2.wordpress.com)
• True Believers Are Completely Associated With Christ (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
• Listen: The Hopeful Christian in Hopeless Times (Pilgrim’s Progress According to the Bible #47 with Daniel Whyte III) (blackchristiannews.com)
• Scripture Verse Of The Week ‘Galatians 3 Verse 26″ (mylordmyfriend.com)
• A Christian Defined (butchdean.wordpress.com)
• The Truth And Nothing But The Truth… (thetruelight2014.wordpress.com)
• Mechanisms of the Spirit (brokenbelievers.com)
• ” The Fire Of The Word “ (stateofglobe.com)
• Your Word for This Day: “Glory Revealed” (thotam.com)
• Word of the Week: Romans 1 (NLT) (faithtemplechurch.wordpress.com)

Preaching Christ Is Not Enough

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+

Preceding articles:

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

It takes years to learn

Believe today and now!

What’s inside matters..

Not making yourselves abominable

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

Where are the female writers

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian

What Should I Preach ?

 

++

Additional reading:

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

+++

Further reading:

• The Gospel
• Bible in the first place #3/3
• Being A Christian
• Last days’ walk with Jesus: walking and thinking
• Live that they might see
• To the Praise of God’s Glory, we are Predestined to His Purpose – Ephesians 1:11-12
• Evangelism: Jesus’ Only Conference 2015
• Where is God’s Vineyard Today?
• When the preacher goes off tangent by making racist comments
• Let’s not be heathens again – Odd Walking Thoughts
• Pulpit, Podium, Music Stand or Bistro Table
• Pulpit
• Pulpit Authority
• Padding the pulpit
• Mizbe’ah ~ A place of sacrifice
• A Preacher’s Commitments Part 1: Starting New
• Woman in the Pulpit: Blogging the book
• Seven Plus Habits of Highly Irritating Preachers
• These Are A Few of Our Ministry Things
• How Does A Pastor Need Prayer?
• Political Correctness in the Pulpit
• When Pulpits Preach – Guest Post by Paul Records
• Dallas Pastors Swap Pulpits To Talk Progress & Race Relations
• The Polls on The Pulpits
• Same Old Sermon

+++

Related articles

• BLESSED are the people & Nation, who’s GOD is CHRIST JESUS SON of the living GOD who GOD raised from (messagepresident.com)
• Sermon Verses Motivational Talk (garyware.me)
• Faith In Action ‘Christ Living In Us’ (mylordmyfriend.com)
• Romans 8:38 (church4u2.wordpress.com)
• True Believers Are Completely Associated With Christ (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
• Direct experience and relationship (friendjnana.wordpress.com)
• Scripture of the Day, 7/31 (sowegalive.com)
• Always Remember… (thetruelight2014.wordpress.com)
• Scripture Verse Of The Week ‘Galatians 3 Verse 26″ (mylordmyfriend.com)
• Be Ready! (witnessrunner.wordpress.com)

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

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

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

“23  Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe in Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,” (Romans 4:23-24 KJ21)

“For whatsoever things were written in times past, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 KJ21)

“16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJ21)

“19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy, unto which ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts, 20 knowing this first: that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in olden times by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21 KJ21)

“whom Heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21 KJ21)

“”These words the LORD spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone, and delivered them unto me.” (Deuteronomy 5:22 KJ21)

“8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.” 9 And Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke unto all Israel, saying, “Take heed and hearken, O Israel: This day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God. 10 Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day.”” (Deuteronomy 27:8-10 KJ21)

“2 “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. 4 And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.’” (2 Samuel 23:2-4 KJ21)

“”Is not My word like as a fire?” saith the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29 KJ21)

“Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, “This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6 KJ21)

“Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in His Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 7:12 KJ21)

“For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.”’” (Mark 12:36 KJ21)

“”Men and brethren, it was necessary that this Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, who was the guide to those who took Jesus.” (Acts 1:16 KJ21)

“But those things which God before had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath thus fulfilled.” (Acts 3:18 KJ21)

“And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.” (Hosea 12:13 KJ21)

“This is my comfort in my affliction, for Thy word hath quickened me.” (Psalms 119:50 KJ21)

“For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23 KJ21)

“and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:6 KJ21)

“And the LORD said unto Moses, “Come up to Me onto the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tablets of stone, and a law and commandments which I have written, that thou mayest teach them.”” (Exodus 24:12 KJ21)

“and keep the charge of the LORD thy God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest and whithersoever thou turnest thyself,” (1 Kings 2:3 KJ21)

“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”” (1 Kings 8:61 KJ21)

“or doth He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.” (1 Corinthians 9:10 KJ21)

“Now all these things happened unto them by way of example, and are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11 KJ21)

“for whom the LORD loveth, He correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12 KJ21)

“holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” (Titus 1:9 KJ21)

“for whoremongers, for those who defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:10 KJ21)

“If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness,” (1 Timothy 6:3 KJ21)

“Hold fast to the form of sound words, which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 1:13 KJ21)

“This witness is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,” (Titus 1:13 KJ21)

“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children: “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked by Him;” (Hebrews 12:5 KJ21)

“And His disciples remembered that it was written: “The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up.”” (John 2:17 KJ21)

“It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63 KJ21)

“23 Jesus answered and said unto him, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him and make Our abode with him. 24 He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My sayings. And the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. 25  “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, ‘I go away and come again unto you.’ If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice because I said, ‘I go unto the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 “Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.” (John 14:23-31 KJ21)

“Jesus answered them, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.” (John 7:16 KJ21)

“For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father who sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak.” (John 12:49 KJ21)

“10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the very works’ sake. 12  Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth in Me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto My Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15  “If ye love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever” 17 even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him. But ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18  “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.” (John 14:10-18 KJ21)

“And when they were unable to agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word: “Well spoke the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers,” (Acts 28:25 KJ21)

“10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Therefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and, having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. 16 Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” (Ephesians 6:10-17 KJ21)

“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8 KJ21)

“It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63 KJ21)

“For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 KJ21)

“and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.” (Matthew 15:6 KJ21)

“thus making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered. And many like things do ye.”” (Mark 7:13 KJ21)

“being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever;” (1 Peter 1:23 KJ21)

“And the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God.” (Acts 11:1 KJ21)

“For this cause also we thank God without ceasing: because when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard from us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also worketh effectually in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 KJ21)

“For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who are asleep.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15 KJ21)

“Of His own will, He begot us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (James 1:18 KJ21)

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Preceding:

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do list

Genre – Playing by the Rules

The Need to Understand Genre

An uncovering book to explore

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Additional reading:

1. A question to be posed
2. A way to look for Christ, the Bible, Word of God
3. The Bible, infallible Word of God
4. Not able to make contact with God because to busy
5. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
6. Relapse plan
7. Creator and Blogger God 10 A Blog of a Book 4 Listening to the Blogger
8. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
9. Statutes given unto us
10. Written down in God’s Name for righteousness
11. We should use the Bible every day
12. Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God
13. Daily portion of heavenly food
14. Feed Your Faith Daily
15. The importance of Reading the Scriptures
16. Bible, best Book of books to get to know the truth
17. Necessity of a revelation of creation 9 Searching the Scriptures
18. Necessity of a revelation of creation 10 Instructions for insight and wisdom
19. The Almighty Lord God of gods King above all gods
20. God who knows the heart
21. Jehovah God Almighty greater than all gods
22. Glory of only One God Who gives His Word
23. Necessary to be known all over the earth
24. Hearing words to accept
25. Appointed to be read
26. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
27. The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told
28. Building up the spirit of the soul
29. Be an Encourager
30. Believing in the send one and understanding that one does not live by bread alone
31. The manager and Word of God
32. Accuracy, Word-for-Word Translation Preferred by most Bible Readers
33. The Metaphorical language of the Bible
34. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora

+++

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• Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
• Take Me Deeper – Cultivating Honour
• Out In the World With the Power of the Cross
• Worthy to Die, Living for Jesus
• Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
• The Conditions of Discipleship | My Utmost For His Highest

An uncovering book to explore

Now Summer has come to us we have more time to sit outdoors and relax. Ideal time to take up the Book of books to read in it. We have the whole of God’s Word to read and inspire us whenever we feel like doing so. Though many people like to postpone Bible reading. Some are also afraid to be confronted with the words which they might find inside. To prorogue reading the Bible shall keep a lot of wisdom from them. Holding off Bible reading will withhold us from useful help. Protracting a confrontation with the Word of God shall only make it more difficult for the person to find a satisfying life which shall be righteous in the eyes of the Most High Divine Creator.

“Which Book, Holy Bible” – NARA – 516150 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To understand past and evolution to the future, our position in life, our way to follow, we could use that what is brought to us in that old library of 66 books.

Many want others to believe that it is

dang hard. {J.S. Parks Five Primers On How To Study The Bible}

but it does not have to be so hard as they say. When you start with the right open mind and good attitude you should be able to trace back those old sayings and enjoy the different genres of literature the Bible presents. Like any book we come to read we do not have to expect to see clear (in everything) straight ahead. We do need time to reflect and to let the material come into our mind, having it come to grow, like a mustard seed.

Though those writings may be written long ago for people who lived ages ago, the words still are very useful and edifying for today. Whatever mood we are in those words can enlighten us and change our mood for the better. When we are willing to have those words come unto us they shall do.

Every time you open the Bible, believe that God has something for you. Believe it. At every moment, good and bad, up or down, in all seasons, the Bible will speak.  The Holy Spirit convicts you of all truth. Be ready for it to push against you, to disagree with you, to challenge what you always thought was true. The Word of God is a sword that will cut you to your soul, exposing all. {J.S. Parks Five Primers On How To Study The Bible}

The Bible is much more than just the message of Jesus. It is the message of God. Some might want you to believe that as an unbeliever you are nothing with the Bible. They say, like J.S.Park, that it is crazy to those without Jesus, and want us to believe that it only can be the saving truth to believers. but the Biblical message is a message of hope, peace and message of salvation for all.

We should know that all Scripture is breathed out of God, useful for everybody and for everything we do and who we are. No matter if you believe or to have faith, confidence, or trust in this or that or do not believe in this or that or trust what one has heard. Be sure not everything what so called believers belief is true. Many, not to say the majority in Christendom belief nonbilical things. The ones who try to keep to the Bible in Christianity are often fought against and shunned by so called ‘Christians‘. Therefore it is not bad to come to see what is really written in that book of books.

To come to a real good exploration of the Bible you should start with a fully open mind, undone from the traditional human doctrines and willing to read what is really written there on those uncovering pages.

Lots of people want to get as much gain as possible from everything what comes into their hands. They should know that we are not here to  hoard treasures down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. We are better to find more useful treasures by reading in the Bible.  From those words we can learn a lot and build up a stronger character. It shall also learn us how to stockpile treasures in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars.

Your eyes are windows into your body and you have to use them to see into yourself. The Bible is your looking glass and your best tool to get to know yourself and those around you. Perhaps you will not see it at first, but given time you will come to see. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! Pulling up the blinds are the shutters you will come step by step to more insight and closer to the truth. You also shall start feeling how higher forces will come to guide you.

This doesn’t mean you’ll “feel something” every time you read Scripture. But meditate on even a tiny scrap of a verse and let it sit. The Bible has the very words of God pouring out His heart for you. He is big, but by His Word, He is so close. Hear it as a friend speaking, as a leader leading. Be encouraged and convicted. {J.S. Parks Five Primers On How To Study The Bible}

Quadruple combination opened to the Book of Isaiah – note the cross references between Biblical and Latter-day Saint scripture in the footnotes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Those writings from the old times are still of use for us. It are the Words from God and from people God wanted us to hear their voices. Words from good and bad people are written down so that we can learn from what went right and what went wrong. They are words which we should embrace and believe. They do come from the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless as in our times. (Romans 4:23-24)  Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. (Romans 15:4)

In the knowledge that  every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another — showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way, it is a major manual to guide us through life in easy and in difficult times. Knowing also that some very difficult times soon may arrive, we are better to prepare ourselves for that great war which shall come over humankind. A forewarned is forearmed.

Therefore this Summer do not hesitate to take up the Bible and let yourself be carried away by its stories. Through the Word you may be put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for you. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard — God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to the apostles who took care like the other men of God that the messengers of God their words would be told to the next generations. We do well to keep focusing on those precious words. When you are feeling blue or are not happy, feeling tired, or when you feel pleased with what you have, come to see the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word. (2 Peter 1:19-21)

When reading it we should leave the human words, which tried us to belief certain things, for what they are, and go deeper in to study what is really written in the Bible.  We are convinced when you try to read the Bible, listening to the words like they are written there, it is not such a difficult book at all.

Good luck with it.

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Preceding articles:

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do lis

Genre – Playing by the Rules

The Need to Understand Genre

A Dutch version / Een Nederlandse versie: Zomertijd ideaal op met Bijbellezing aan te vangen

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Additional reading:

1. Catholicism, Anabaptism and Crisis of Christianity
2. A question to be posed
3. A way to look for Christ, the Bible, Word of God
4. Youth has difficulty Bible Reading
5. Some one or something to fear #3 Cases, folks and outing
6. The Right One to follow and to worship
7. People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers
8. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
9. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
10. People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
11. Not able to make contact with God because to busy
12. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
13. Relapse plan
14. Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists
15. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
16. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
17. Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities
18. Creator and Blogger God 10 A Blog of a Book 4 Listening to the Blogger
19. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
20. Statutes given unto us
21. Written down in God’s Name for righteousness
22. Unread bestseller
23. Do Christians need to read the Old Testament
24. We should use the Bible every day
25. Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God
26. Daily portion of heavenly food
27. Feed Your Faith Daily
28. The importance of Reading the Scriptures
29. Bible, best Book of books to get to know the truth
30. Necessity of a revelation of creation 9 Searching the Scriptures
31. Necessity of a revelation of creation 10 Instructions for insight and wisdom
32. The Almighty Lord God of gods King above all gods
33. God who knows the heart
34. Jehovah God Almighty greater than all gods
35. Glory of only One God Who gives His Word
36. Necessary to be known all over the earth
37. Hearing words to accept
38. Writers needed to preach to non-believers
39. Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach
40. Appointed to be read
41. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
42. Absolute Basics to Reading the Bible
43. How to Choose a Bible for Preaching
44. The Third Word: Scripture twisting is blasphemy
45. Interpreting the Scriptures (Part 5)
46. The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told
47. Building up the spirit of the soul
48. Be an Encourager
49. God’s never-ending stream of much-needed mercies
50. Displeasure of יהוה , Jehovah the God of gods, and His wrath against all the gentiles their divisions
51. Believing in the send one and understanding that one does not live by bread alone
52. Salvation, trust and action in Jesus #3 as a Christian
53. The manager and Word of God
54. Accuracy, Word-for-Word Translation Preferred by most Bible Readers
55. The Metaphorical language of the Bible
56. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora

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Related articles

• What need of these things?
• Are you still hearing parables?
• Have you been shaken?
• Old language to confirm the promises
• The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told

Genre – Playing by the Rules

English: religion – composition old bible books from Hungary (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Taking up the Bible, a Book of books, we should always remember that it were men chosen by God to write down His Words to help find people the way to live and to give them a stronghold.

Important by looking at those books and letting those words coming unto us, we should always remember what their purpose was and is, plus in which style they were written, always understanding the genre it was meant to be.

Also what we should care for is not to be carried away by human teachings or human doctrines. They often make it more difficult to come to a correct insight and easy understanding. Most people are afraid to put away those false teachings and human traditions, which becomes a hindrance to come to a good insight. Though God always has protected His Words and no matter whatever translation a person is using he or she can come to insight when he or she is willing to open his or her heart to God His Words. that is the primordial act to do, letting God speak to you.

We also may never forget that we are created in the image of God and have an inner voice leading us through life.

Enjoy the reading of several Bible books this Summer and let them bring light in your life.

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Preceding:

Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities

Inner voice inside the soul of man

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do list

++

Additional reading:

1. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
2. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
3. Are you looking for answers and Are you looking for God
4. Counterfeit Gospels
5. Necessary to be known all over the earth
6. God-breathed prophetic words written torah and the mitzvot to teach us
7. Necessity of a revelation of creation 11 Believing and obeying the gospel of the Kingdom of God
8. Background to look at things
9. Minimizing the power of God’s Force the Holy Spirit
10. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
11. Inner voice inside the soul of man
12. Illuminating our minds and watching out
13. Cleanliness and worrying or not about purity
14. Reminding myself!!
15. Our Inner Voice
16. Inner Voice

+++

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• Water, Please
• 1 Kings 19:11-13 (Be Still)
• A Father’s Reflections | Answers in Genesis
• A Catholic reads the Bible, Week 12
• Think It Can’t Or Won’t Happen Here?
• Creation: A Merciful Conspiracy
• Are we a prudish lot? F word
• Welcome to Mark’s Gospel

Biblical Cogitations

Genres in the Bible (adapted from “How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth” by Fee and Stuart).

The Bible is more of a library than a book! It contains literature of all different genres and types. Just as you wouldn’t read a novel the same way that you read your new employment contract, we can’t read every passage of scripture the same way. We need to pay attention to the genre of the passage we’re looking at and make sure we appreciate the tools that particular genre uses to communicate. One writer uses the analogy of a board game:

… there are different “game” rules involved in the interpretation of the different kinds of biblical literature. The author has played his “game,” has sought to convey his meaning, under the rules covering the particular literary form he used. Unless we know those rules, we will almost certainly misinterpret his meaning…

View original post 108 more words

Bible, helmet of salvation, God’s Words put in the mouth of prophets for perfecting, to reprove and correct

 

 

“«To the chief musician: A Psalm of David.» The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.” (Psalms 19:1 KJ21)

“1  And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 “I am the LORD thy God, who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:1-3 KJ21)

“thus saith the Lord GOD: It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.” (Isaiah 7:7 KJ21)

“Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, “Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.” (Jeremiah 1:9 KJ21)

“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” (John 14:10 KJ21)

“And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” (Ephesians 6:17 KJ21)

“Moreover He said, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.” (Exodus 3:6 KJ21)

“And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true; and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and Eternal Life.” (1 John 5:20 KJ21)

“”Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are, and were created.”” (Revelation 4:11 KJ21)

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

“13 And thou sayest, ‘How doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud? 14 Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.’” (Job 22:13-14 KJ21)

“5 Then the Levites, Jeshua and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: “Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever! And blessed be Thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! 6 Thou, even Thou, art LORD alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all things that are therein, the seas and all that is therein; and Thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshipeth Thee. 7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;” (Nehemiah 9:5-7 KJ21)

“7  “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. 8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before Me. 9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor hegoats out of thy folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11 I know all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 If I were hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is Mine and the fullness thereof. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 14 “Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High, 15 and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” 16  But unto the wicked God saith: “What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth, 17 seeing thou hatest instruction and castest My words behind thee?” (Psalms 50:7-17 KJ21)

“11 And He appointed some to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 that we henceforth be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and their cunning and craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” (Ephesians 4:11-14 KJ21)

“And I, brethren, when I came to you declaring unto you the testimony of God, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom.” (1 Corinthians 2:1 KJ21)

“9 But as it is written: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 KJ21)

“14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged by no man. 16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 KJ21)

“Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being His counselor hath taught Him?” (Isaiah 40:13 KJ21)

“5 which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel.” (Ephesians 3:5-6 KJ21)

“that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may acknowledge the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ,” (Colossians 2:2 KJ21)

“Speak not to the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” (Proverbs 23:9 KJ21)

“1  Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse, the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said: 2 “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.” (2 Samuel 23:1-2 KJ21)

“”Men and brethren, it was necessary that this Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, who was the guide to those who took Jesus.” (Acts 1:16 KJ21)

“And when they were unable to agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word: “Well spoke the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers,” (Acts 28:25 KJ21)

“searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them had signified when He testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.” (1 Peter 1:11 KJ21)

“20 knowing this first: that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in olden times by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 KJ21)

“But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26 KJ21)

“16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJ21)

“For this cause also we thank God without ceasing: because when ye received the Word of God, which ye heard from us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also worketh effectually in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 KJ21)

“For whatsoever things were written in times past, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 KJ21)

“Now all these things happened unto them by way of example, and are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11 KJ21)

“49  «ZAIN» Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope. 50  This is my comfort in my affliction, for Thy word hath quickened me.” (Psalms 119:49-50 KJ21)

“7 Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee honor when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.”” (Proverbs 4:7-9 KJ21)

“The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge, but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.” (Proverbs 15:14 KJ21)

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word and understandeth it; who also beareth fruit and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”” (Matthew 13:23 KJ21)

“But strong meat belongeth to those who are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14 KJ21)

“As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” (Daniel 1:17 KJ21)

“There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:30 KJ21)

“Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” (Proverbs 19:20 KJ21)

“7 Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 8  Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel, 9 wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds. But the Word of God is not bound. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (2 Timothy 2:7-10 KJ21)

“as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.” (John 17:2 KJ21)

“And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true; and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and Eternal Life.” (1 John 5:20 KJ21)

“2 for kings and for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:2-4 KJ21)

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Holy Bible King James Version Wide Margin Edition by the Christadelphians

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Preceding articles:

Bijbel, Gods Woord ingegeven nuttig tot lering, tot bestraffing, tot verbetering en tot onderwijzing

Bibel, Helm des Heils, nütze zur Lehre, zur Strafe, zur Besserung und zur Züchtigung

 

Bible, casque du salut, témoignage de Dieu en vue de la perfection pour l’édification utile pour enseigner, pour convaincre, pour corriger et pour instruire

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Also recommended to read:

 

1. Bible, God’s Word to edify (ERV)
2. Looking for wisdom not departing from God’s Word
3. The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told
4. True God giving His Word for getting wisdom
5. Words to inspire and to give wisdom
6. Eternal Word that tells everything
7. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
8. We should use the Bible every day
9. Feed Your Faith Daily
10. May reading the Bible provoke us into action to set our feet on the narrow way
11. Hearing words to accept
12. Genuine message of salvation
13. God who knows the heart
14. Bible, God speaking words profitable for doctrine, for reproof and for correction
15. L’esprit saint vous rappellera toutes les choses dites
16. Vrai Dieu donne Sa Parole pour obtenir la sagesse
17. La Bible, Parole de Dieu poussés par l’Esprit-Saint pour enseigner, pour convaincre et pour corriger
18. Die helper, die heilige gees sal julle alles leer en julle herinner
19. Der heilige Geist wird euch an alle Dinge erinnern
20. Wahren Gott gibt sein Wort für immer Weisheit
21. Bibel Gott redet Worte zu unserer Belehrung geschrieben
22. Hele Skrif deur God geïnspireer om in die waarheid te onderrig en dwaling te bestry
23. Bijbel, Gods Woord ingegeven nuttig tot lering, tot bestraffing, tot verbetering en tot onderwijzing
24. Het woord van de Ware God gegeven voor wijsheid te vergaren
25. Bijbel, Gods Woord tot opvoeding (NBG51)
26. De heilige geest zal alle dingen welke gezegd zijn in herinnering terugbrengen

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Related articles

• Selected for Life (genesisone.wordpress.com)
• Psalm 27 – Say what? (pastornorman.wordpress.com)
• “I will Guide Thee with Mine Eye” (Psalm 32:8) (theeyesoffaith.wordpress.com)
• The Conviction of the Holy Spirit – Cantate 2015 (deprofundisclamaviadtedomine.wordpress.com)
• #LoveWalk: Seeing yourself through God’s eyes (adedoyinjaiyesimi.wordpress.com)
• The Spirit (dailymedit.com)
• What About the Bible? Do I Need to Read It?
• Scripture of the Day
• (05/08/2015) Endowed With Spirit?
• A Quick and Easy Guide to Choosing Which Book of the Bible to Read Next
• The Bible
• Check This Out (Or Don’t) Christian Piatt: Five Reasons Saying “The Bible Clearly States…” is Dangerous (and UnChristian!)
• Making Your Way Prosperous
• Understanding The Deep Things Of God
• Faith Alone Is Not Faith
• How Should We approach Study of the Scriptures?
• Love and Goodwill in the Bible and Qur’an
• Worldliness and The Word
• The Bible is Not a Portrait; It’s a Window
• Sometimes it’s the book; sometimes it’s the reader
• A Knowledge of God
• Have You Really Studied the Bible for Yourself?
• The Bible the Book of Mankind (2) by B.B. Warfield
• How Bible Colleges kill your faith in the Bible
• Capture God’s “Thinkings”
• Embolden Yourself!
• Misunderstanding And Misusing The Bible
• Scripture Alone
• The Living Word of God
• The Word Of God Is Our Food And Spiritual Nourishement
• Do You Know The Word?
• How Do I Study My Bible?!?
• Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
• God’s desire
• The Armor of God…

Scepticals of the Bible

Most people do seem to forget that man does not live on bread alone. Material gain is for most the highest priority in their life. Though all that money and all those interesting gadgets do not seem to make them very happy. Contrary we can see much more unhappiness by those who should be lucky  and happy that they have so much.

In several countries where there is not much good food and not much good drinkable water, people not having good housing, they do find a way to enjoy life and not to worry to much. And there where there are fights going on, rebels making life very awkward, there are many who still manage in those bad conditions to find the straw for life. Mostly it is because they know where they can find the best treasure. Often they are convinced that they can find the best food for them by every word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God. In the industrialised world many have forgotten that they need daily spiritual nourishment from God’s Word in order to withstand the challenges and temptations that bombard us on a daily basis.

According to the fourth annual State of the Bible survey by the Barna Group there are just as many Americans sceptical of the Bible (19 percent) as there are engaged with the Bible. the 2014 research reveals six trends in Bible engagement: from the Bible’s continued role as a cultural icon, to increased digital Bible reading, to a rise in scepticism toward Scripture, particularly among Millennials.

The number of those who are sceptical or agnostic toward the Bible — who believe that the Bible is

“just another book of teachings written by men that contains stories and advice” —

has nearly doubled from 10% to 19% in just three years. This is now equal to the number of people who are Bible engaged — who read the Bible at least four times a week and believe it is the actual or inspired Word of God.

sign at front gate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The trend of scepticism is even more pronounced among the Millennial generation (who range in age from 18-29), two-thirds are 48 or younger (28% Millennials, 36% Gen-Xers) 68% male opposite 32% female. According to the State of the Bible report, Millennials are

• Less likely to view the Bible as sacred literature (64 percent in comparison to 79 percent of adults),
• Less likely to believe the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to lead a meaningful life (35 percent in comparison to 50 percent of adults), and
• More likely to never read the Bible (39 percent compared in comparison to 26 percent of adults).

What we in Europe might find surprising is that those Bible sceptics are more likely to identify as Catholic than any other single denomination or affiliation (30%) and are the most-likely segment not to have attended church (87%) or prayed (63%) during the previous week. They are also most likely not to have made a commitment to Jesus that is important in their life today (76%).

From the surveys been taken last year we must not that lots of those trinitarians ( 71% of Americans) did not read the Bible and those who went to Sunday service or mass only heard those verses or quotes from Scripture given by the pastor or priest.  In many countries nearly a quart of those interested in religion watches religious programs on television,  (23% of U.S. adults said to have watched a religious TV program in the past week, 20% listened to religious talk radio).

In the United States 35 Protestant denominations may try to attract those interested in religion. Though with the Roman Catholic Church they may represent 45% of the U.S. population in 1968 and 35% in 2012, they are not able to get a 62% of non-Christian Millennials to read  the Bible.

The Americans seem to be not such passive Christians as the Europeans. From the Millennials there where  81% of practising Christians who posted Scripture online in the past year.

As can be found in the rest of industrialised countries almost 1 in 5 people under 40 in the U.S. now describe themselves as
spiritual but not religious.

Barna, like different Christian denominations are seeing how there is more need of teachers or preachers proclaiming the good News.

David Kinnaman of Barna contends Christians should be challenged to reach out to those who are searching. Those people, he says, are looking for a church that “makes a difference” in the community, including taking care of the poor.

“And a lot of churches are doing that,”

says Kinnaman.

“So part of that is getting outside the walls of the church and doing the things the gospel compels us to do.”

The study also reveals that a vast majority of churchless Americans have attended church but don’t embrace what it means to live out the Christian faith. the American Christians should be aware that they still need to make work to have some of the 10 percent who have never attended a church-service to have them come to look at such a service.

Kinnaman says the challenge is for people to make church more than a “weekly ritual” by making attending church an opportunity to participate in what God is doing in the community.

The churchless are primarily men and in America tend to be less educated, white and unmarried. Churchless confirms that the world has, indeed, altered in significant ways during the last few decades. It’s not just your imagination. Real data confirm how drastically the moral, social and spiritual lives of Americans have changed and are changing. Europe has the idea that most Americans are ‘over-religious’, but about 156 million U.S. adults and children are churchless which mean that churchless Americans = Bigger Than Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa & New Zealand . . . Combined. Only China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the churchgoing half of the United States are larger.

When we look around us and see the youngsters their actions it is not surprising to hear that the younger the generation, the more post-Christian it is. Nearly half of the Millennials qualify as post-Christian (48%), compared to two-fifths of Busters or Gen-Xers (40%), one-third of Boomers (35%) and one-quarter of Elders (28%). Tracking data allows us to trace the increase of anti-church attitudes and behaviours over the past 50 years.

Those most aware of the necessity to do missionary work in the industrialised countries are the non-trinitarians like the Jehovah Witnesses and Christadelphians, though lots of the latter group become so disappointed by the reaction of trinitarians and non-believers that they give it up. After having disappeared from the scene for some time in Europe the Mormons are the other group which still does missionary work in the capitalist countries.

2015 findings of 2014 Barna Group study.
About 156 million U.S. adults and children are churchless in 2015.

The Bible has been making its way onto box office screens and home TV screens over the year 2014: from Noah to Son of God, people have been watching the Bible, but the 2014 research reveals six trends in Bible engagement: from the Bible’s continued role as a cultural icon, to increased digital Bible reading, to a rise in skepticism toward Scripture, particularly among Millennials.

 

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Additional reading:

1. When you don’t know what to do and hate yourself
2. A time for everything
3. Faith and trial
4. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.
5. Everything that is done in the world is done by hope
6. Tapping into God’s Strength by Waiting on Him
7. Suffering redemptive because Jesus redeemed us from sin
8. Determine the drive
9. Let me keep to “first importance” things
10. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
11. God should be your hope
12. Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark
13. A new year with hopes and challenges
14. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
15. Be like a tree planted by streams of water
16. Better loaves when the heart is joyous
17. The thought of losing rekindles the joy of having
18. Joy: Foundation for a Positive Life
19. Joy is not in things, it is in us
20. Give your tears to God
21. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #4 Words in Scripture
22. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #6 Words to feed and communicate
23. Appointed to be read
24. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora
25. Building up the spirit of the soul
26. Daily portion of heavenly food
27. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
28. Accuracy, Word-for-Word Translation Preferred by most Bible Readers
29. The Metaphorical language of the Bible
30. Youth has difficulty Bible Reading
31. Do Christians need to read the Old Testament
32. Feed Your Faith Daily
33. We should use the Bible every day
34. The manager and Word of God
35. Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
36. Be an Encourager
37. An ecclesia in your neighbourhood

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Please do find to read:

• Affliction and You: We have work to do
• I Don’t Know What To Do! Seek, you shall find.

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Related articles

• Excuse My Scepticism (pastorcharleschipere.wordpress.com)
  In our Christian Faith, we are taught to believe rather than to be a doubting Thomas. We are taught to trust rather than mistrust. We are taught to give a person the benefit of the doubt before we dismiss them. But my journey of faith has had some encounters with reality leading me to embrace some sceptical attitude towards some things I have observed in the land of the living.
• Cultural Fast Facts (garyrohrmayer.typepad.com)
  • 82% of U.S. adults have at least one credit card, including 40% who have 3 or
  more. Just 16% have none.• 50 million Americans have trouble putting food on the table, according to
  Feeding America, a food bank network.• Millennial moms are far more likely than moms of any other generation to be
  raising their kids near or even in the same house as their extended family.

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 1 in 5 pregnancies in
  the U.S. ends with abortion.

  • There are now 3.9 billion urbanites in the world.

  • 80% of U.S. adults believe it is more common for grown children to live with
  their parents now than 20 years ago.

  • 30% of the U.S. population are auditory learners vs. approximately two-thirds
  who are visual learners.

  • 12- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. send or receive an average of 60 texts per
  day.

  • 19% Bible Lovers/19% Bible Skeptics.

• The State of the Bible (reflectionsintheword.org)
  This year’s research reveals that skepticism toward the Bible continues to rise. For the first time since tracking began, Bible skepticism is tied with Bible engagement. The number of those who are skeptical or agnostic toward the Bible – who believe that the Bible is “just another book of teachings
• Skeptical about skepticism (louisproyect.org)
  On Salon.com you can find an article titled “Bill Maher is right about religion: The Orwellian ridiculousness of Jesus, and the truth about moral progress” by Michael Shermer that is an excerpt from his book “The Moral Arc”. He draws a contrast between what some have called “the sky religions”, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam that are tribal in nature rather than universal, and all those great conquests of Modern Civilization such as goodness, justice and truth.
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  Oddly enough, for an outfit so devoted to science and reason, there is little engagement with the science of genetic modification itself. This is not surprising since this intellectual current seems either totally innocent of ecological science, or determined to sweep it under the rug. The moniker Prometheus that Kurtz has given to his publishing outlet suggests an unreconstructed vision of 19th century Progress. Needless to say, this dovetails neatly with the kind of philosophical pragmatism he embraces, which appears totally at home with the agenda of US imperialism.The other big mover and shaker in the world of skepticism is Michael Shermer, who is much younger than Paul Kurtz and is the publisher of Skeptic Magazine. While targeting all the usual suspects (UFO’s, Bigfoot, ESP, etc.), Shermer has also investigated bogus history. He is the author of a book focusing on the libel case against David Irving, a holocaust denier.Just as with Kurtz, Shermer casts a wide net in his crusade against the forces of anti-scientific darkness. Such forces include those who believe that there is a Gulf War Syndrome and that silicone breast implants might be harmful.
• Millennials: Escape the Credit/Debt Matrix (consciouslifenews.com)
  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, December, 2014, 1 in 5 of the Millennial generation (birth years from early 1980s to early 2000) live in poverty and have lower rates of employment compared to their Baby Boomer parents of a similar age in the 1980s, one of the most prosperous eras of American history.Obviously, the Millennials need a place to live (besides with their parents), clothes on their back, food to eat and resources to care for their children. Not to mention time and money for travel, and doing fun things, as well. Oh and then there is saving and investing for the future.
• Good News, Millennials: You Don’t Have to Save the Church (christianitytoday.com)
  We find ourselves facing into “millennial anxiety” as well as concern about the “rise of the nones” (those who do not identify with any religious tradition, a cohort that is apparently growing in the West). Like some reverse Paul Revere, many ride through the fiber optics of the Internet and into church basements shouting, “The millennials are leaving! Watch out for the rise of the nones!” Simply put, millennial anxiety—a concern shared by both mainline and evangelical churches—is the fear that those between ages 18 and 25 have little interest in the church, and that the church has failed to convince them to stay.
• Millennial Men: Risk Takers or Dupes? (talentzoo.com)
  Well, according to a study by Creditcards.com, Millennial men are “more easily swayed” by advertising than Millennial women. Yes, men of this generation are much more likely than the general American population to trust advertising.Now does that make them idiots or trusting?We (though obviously biased) would like to consider our generation as the latter.
• Did you hear? Millennials will overtake Baby Boomers in Population this Year (theposhboomer.com)
  Millennials are defined as being between ages 18 to 34 in 2015. Boomers are now ages 51 to 69.Census data says that there are a projected 75.3 million Millennial’s this year. This year Millenial’s are surpassing the 74.9 million Gen Xer’s (ages 35 to 50). Millenial’s are projected to outnumber us Boomers by 2028.
• Fully Satisfied (culturalatheist.wordpress.com)
  It began about the time this age cohort reached adulthood, with the 1999 publication of Saving the Millennial Generation: New Ways to Reach the Kids You Care About in These Uncertain Times. It accelerated when some polls in the mid-2000s began to suggest millennials’ waning interest in church. Enter “millennials and church” into a search engine, and soon enough you are pointed to sites that proclaim, “Ten reasons churches are not reaching millennials,” or, “Why millennials are leaving church.” The latter article quickly garnered some 100,000 page views not long ago.This past October, the 2014 Alignment Conference featured Barna’s David Kinnaman and pastor and church planter Dave Ferguson talking about millennials, who present a “game changing moment” for the church. Gen2 Leadership Conference is meeting this month with the theme, “Fighting for the Heart of the Millennial Generation.”We find ourselves facing into “millennial anxiety” as well as concern about the “rise of the nones” (those who do not identify with any religious tradition, a cohort that is apparently growing in the West). Like some reverse Paul Revere, many ride through the fiber optics of the Internet and into church basements shouting, “The millennials are leaving! Watch out for the rise of the nones!” Simply put, millennial anxiety—a concern shared by both mainline and evangelical churches—is the fear that those between ages 18 and 25 have little interest in the church, and that the church has failed to convince them to stay.
• The Millennials Are All Right (blackchristiannews.com)
  Millennials are both high tech and high touch. They have less faith in religious and political institutions.  It extends to the private sector, too: 71 percent of Millennials would rather go to the dentist than step into a bank branch. As many one-third of millennials are willing to switch banks in the next 90 days. What would encourage them to join your organization or become a customer?