Tag Archives: Knowledge of God

If the Bible tells us not to lean upon our own understanding, are preachers, and Bible professors, leaning upon the theirs’?

In our world, there are lots of people who consider themselves the only appropriate people to talk about the Bible, because they have studied at the university of theology and/or philosophy. The clergy with their priests and pastors in a variety of denominations all try to convince those coming into their church, that their church is the only true one.

Though we can find lots of denominations in Christendom, of which there are many where the clergy are not exactly behaving like Christ Jesus instructed. In Why there are so many denominations in Christendom we tried to give a short answer to a question many times posed. What is striking about many denominations in Christianity (or better: in Christendom) is that often not much attention is paid to the biblical texts. It is as if the Bible is only a small faits divers within religion.

The absence or minimisation of biblical content means that by paying more attention to human doctrines, more conflicts have also arisen, leading to splits in groups and thus to the emergence of multiple denominations.

So the question may be asked, why is it that the clergy of these denominations do not resort to the Book of Books, which can indeed give them the best information and teachings?

At the question:

If the Bible tells us not to lean upon our own understanding, are preachers, and Bible professors, leaning upon the theirs’?

We think that is the whole problem in Christendom, people leaning upon their own understanding, following more the philosophical and theoretical theologian writings of human beings instead of going by what is written black on white in the Holy Scriptures.

Profile photo for D. Paul Walker D. Paul Walker, An Elder with many years in the faith, writes

Many reject the teaching of the Bible based on their own faulty belief such as that something is impossible when the Bible says there is nothing impossible for God.

According to Theodore Tsistinas

the understanding of the bible is plain to those who read it with the purpose of not challenging it. That’s why the language has been changed from time to time because people wanted their own opinion to be expressed. The entire bible is the history of the people of God from the Jews to the Christians. There is one god spoken of in the bible. Its people and their personal interpretation that has challenge the understanding spoken very clearly in scripture. But then stupid is what stupid does and the mass of humanity would rather listen to the opinions of men rather that the wisdom of God.

Michael Ballai writes

There’s a certain amount of, hopefully, Biblical understanding that a student of the Bible can readily bring to a given text of scripture or how the Bible explains an appropriate worldview. I know stuff after more than three decades that are bedrock to the Bible and I have no intention of putting my personal two cents in on what God says.I revisit passages regularly and seek to consider them afresh each time because I know there is more in there than I have seen previously. People who are lazy simply deprive themselves of the depth of treasure.God is perfectly ok with how an individual preacher chooses to explain something in their own style as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the message.A preacher is called to cut it straight. It lines up with God’s understanding. The reason we do it is to tell it according to the way God sees it. And that is how God wants to sanctify us in getting us to line up our understanding with Him.

Scott Bissell sees one of the difficulties in what we think is a major issue in many churches, namely when they quote half a verse, or as we would add, take just part of a verse and use it out of context. In case people would check more what is taught at their church with was is written in the Bible, more people would grow closer to a unity of Bible-reading people.We may not forget that the attitude to the Bible is of paramount importance.Robert Hoge reacts to this by writing

Scripture is subject to endless interpretation, some of which is purely tendentious. I recently got a comment from someone who was gushing over the Bible as the greatest collection of symbolism in the world, or something to that effect. My own principle when reading and teaching the Bible comes out of a book I read long ago but no longer own:“When the literal meaning makes sense, seek no other meaning.”Not only does this save a lot of effort, it also ensures that we don’t add or take away anything. Rev. 22:18–19 says,“18 I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,19 and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”For all I’m concerned, these last words of the Bible apply to the whole of the Bible, not just to its last book, Revelation.

That warning may make it very difficult to teachers of the Word of God, preachers and/or pastors, having them to be very careful what they say and how they say it. They always should control if their teaching is in accordance with the teaching of the Bible.For those who read the Scriptures, there is the danger that they got into the trap of their church to which they belong and that they cannot do away of their own indoctrinations or doctrines of their own church. They are so used to think in the same way as their church teaches that it has become very difficult to read the words like they are written in the Bible. For example when there is written in the bible about Jesus “the son of God“, many read “god the son“, which is something totally different from what there is written and from what God said on several occasions when He declared Jesus to be His only begotten beloved son.According Michael Abernathy

most people approach the Scripture with a certain bias. Before they even open their Bible, they have creeds and denominational positions that they force upon a text. On the other hand, most of the preachers I know spend a great deal of time searching the Scripture and praying for God’s enlightenment. Yes, they use their minds to help them understand what God has written. But anyone who says they don’t do that is either lying or deluded.

Profile photo for Matthew HeadyMatthew Heady likes to extend the above question and asks

Does not everyone, including the questioner “lean” on others? Why restrict the question to just preachers and professors?What the biblical teaching refers to is not facts and conclusions which are known to or drawn from the minds of humans. The biblical teaching refers to how a person is actually informed about the Triune God of the Bible.

Here in his answer already gives a big sign of how he himself fell for the human doctrinal teaching, because in the Bible there is no such information on a Trinity, though there is a clear teaching we may have no other gods than the Divine Creator God, Who is a Singular eternal (= having no birth + no death) all-knowing Spirit Being Who is the Almighty God above all gods.Heady continues

There is nothing a sinful human being with a corrupt (and limited) understanding and reason of all things may do. There is not any thought, word, or action, that will allow a person to recognize the Triune God, they may only realize that a god is, but not the Triune God.

People when willing to give their full attention to the Words of the Bible, shall come to see clear and understand that there is no such thing to worship as a three-headed god. There may be many gods in the world but people should only keep to that Only One True God God of gods of the Bible, Jehovah, Who is the God of Israel.

It is this knowledge of God, revealed in His Word, the Holy Scriptures, that is what a person must “lean” on. Not the thought and practices of humans. They will get us nowhere. Our minds come into play after we are gifted by faith in Christ and are then able to properly understand and explain to others Biblical teaching and practices.

writes Matthew Heady.

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

Preceding

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

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Many opportunities given by God

Christian denominations as pots in the desert

Having to learn and benefit from other Christian denominations

Preaching as Public Speaking

Maybe it is About Me

Hitler and Christianity: Some Trends in Interpretation

++MAKE SURE OF ALL THINGS

Additional reading

  1. A world with or without religion
  2. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
  3. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
  4. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
  5. Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians
  6. Digging in words, theories and artefacts
  7. Catholicism, Anabaptism and Crisis of Christianity
  8. Protestant denominations of the Low Countries and Abraham Kuyper
  9. Counterfeit Gospels
  10. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26
  11. Religious people and painful absence of spring of living water
  12. Denominationalism exists because?
  13. Why the church keeps losing it’s grounds.
  14. Why there are so many denominations in Christendom
  15. Tri-union gods and Pagan, Christian, Muslim and Jewish views on the Creator God
  16. Reading to grow and to become wise concerning the most important thing in life 1 Times of reading
  17. Literalist and non-literalist views
  18. From Bibles and other religious writings and those who witness for Jehovah
  19. Exceptionalism and Restricting Laws
  20. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
  21. Pastoral discipline and dissent from papal teaching
  22. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
  23. Good or bad preacher
  24. Many churches
  25. Religion and believers #7 Independent and organised form of existence of a religion
  26. Looking for a biblically sound church
  27. In all circumstances preaching Christ
  28. You Are The Truth
  29. The Most Appropriate teacher and Scoffers in our contemporary age
  30. From those preaching the Gospel and Baptism in Jesus name
  31. A Book to trust #1 Background book for debate
  32. Challenging claim 1 Whose word
  33. Divine revelation mediated by Moshe and other selected people
  34. Vital importance of reading and following the Kitvei Hakodesh
  35. Reading to grow and to become wise concerning the most important thing in life 1 Times of reading
  36. One of the most important Truths
  37. Bible Inspired Word of God
  38. Everything from the Bible is useful for humans
  39. Importance to read the Bible regularly and gain understanding
  40. Bible exceptional Book of books where nothing can be taken away or added
  41. Bible in the first place #1/3
  42. Where to learn the truth
  43. Lovers of God, seekers and lovers of truth
  44. Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
  45. By the closing down of the Association for Biblestudy
  46. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
  47. Different wineskins
  48. Manifests for believers #5 Christian Union
  49. The Bible: is it contradictory?
  50. Those willing to tarnish
  51. Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian
  52. Those who call the Christadelphians a cult
  53. Christadelphians or Messianic Christians or Messianic Jews
  54. Jeshuaists, Carrying the name of Christ
  55. About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated
  56. When there is secrecy involved

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WILL RESEARCH SHIPWRECK YOUR FAITH

Related

  1. What is faith and is it the only thing required
  2. What Do We Mean by the Word Christian?
  3. Variations of Christianity
  4. Religious Population Is Growing
  5. The Problem with Christianity
  6. One Body
  7. TRUTH – I believe that God’s greatest disappointment in the Christian Church is our lack of solid unity
  8. Catechesis 101 | Church: Did Jesus intend one Church or many denominations?
  9. Which Church Would Jesus Choose?
  10. A Call for Unity
  11. Unity
  12. This is Church Unity?
  13. Simple Difference
  14. About the different denominations
  15. Division Among Christians
  16. From One Religion To Another
  17. Christian denominations (sects)
  18. Denominations 2 We are divided on the question of authority
  19. Denominations 3 It seems there are some Catholics who feel free to discard the teachings of their Church when they conflict with their lifestyle.
  20. Denominations Part 3.
  21. Denominations part 4
  22. Denomination’s 5..Jehovah’s Witnesses.
  23. The Difference in Denominations
  24. Are Different Denominations Okay?
  25. Do Denominations Divide Us?
  26. Are denominational differences a blot on the church?
  27. Does Denominationalism Blind You to the Truth?
  28. Denominational ABC’s: Advantages, Burdens and Controls (Part One)
  29. Putting Denominational Disagreements in Perspective for the World and the Church
  30. Denominational Dialogue
  31. Denominations Losing Internal Influence
  32. Bethel, the BGC, and the Decline of Denominational Financial Support for Christian Higher Education
  33. We’re All Heretics Now
  34. Roger Olson on Denominations and Christian Unity
  35. Faith/Belief
  36. Is religious faith madness?
  37. Declining Denominational Support for Evangelical Colleges?
  38. Charlottesville and storms
  39. thoughts on the death of the Church
  40. By What Authority? – A Non-Denominational Response
  41. Rethinking Scripture
  42. Please don’t call me a Christian
  43. Why My Family Is Changing Churches (and Denominations)
  44. Are Pastors Lying to You?
  45. There are many Trinities!
  46. Christianity vs. Catholicism
  47. Baptists, Catholics, and the Protestants
  48. Are you a “hypenated-Christian”?
  49. Embrace diversity by embracing tribalism. It’s okay to be different
  50. Being Religious Is Not The Way
  51. Deceived
  52. Can Christians now remain in the Methodist Church?
  53. Why are there so many splits in the Presbyterian Church? Here’s an Explanation
  54. Self Deception Part III – Wolves Among Us
  55. On the Intersection of Differences and Unity in the Body of Christ
  56. Throwing Away The Wrong Thing
  57. Christianize Christianity (6)
  58. Isolation of the Church
  59. My church History (Part 2)
  60. Is There Life After Leaving Church?
  61. If I Were Starting A Denomination From Scratch
  62. Nuanced beliefs
  63. Many Christians Are Known for What They Are Against…Unfortunately
  64. The Holy Struggle
  65. Brand Ambassador or Christ’s Ambassador?
  66. Can I attend an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship instead of a church while at college?
  67. What Does It Mean To Be Non-Denominational?
  68. Am I angry at Christianity?
  69. Letter to a Friend (2o3)
  70. How to Avoid Being a Lazy, Arrogant Christian
  71. After I was lost in sin, I was lost in church…
  72. Experiencing More of the Church
  73. I Am Not A Denomination – Episode #101
  74. Can you find your religious practices in the Bible?
  75. How Many Gods?
  76. Swiss Cheese Theology
  77. Unity (Ephesians 4:1-10)
  78. On belongingSo whose right?
  79. Warning! Get Out of Her – My People!
  80. The American Gospel

6 Comments

Filed under Questions asked, Religious affairs, Vragen van lezers

Instruments for the fulfilment of the prophecy

We should consider Christians and Moslems as
instruments for the fulfilment of the prophecy
that the knowledge of God will one day spread throughout the earth.
Whereas the nations before them worshipped idols, denied God’s existence,
and thus did not recognize God’s power or retribution,
the rise of Christianity and Islam served to spread among the nations,
to the furthest ends of the earth,
the knowledge that there is One God who rules the world,
who rewards and punishes and reveals Himself to man.

~ Jacob Emden, also known as Ya’avetz

ZviAshkenasiPortrait.jpg

Jacob Emden, likely around 1760

The son of the Chacham Tzvi, and a descendant of Elijah Ba’al Shem of Chelm, Jacob Emden (born Ashkenazi), was a traditionalist who responded to the ideals of tolerance being circulated during the 18th-century Enlightenment. He stretched the traditional inclusivist position into universal directions and, like Maimonides, believed that Christianity and Islam have important roles to play in God’s plan for mankind,

Nederlandse tekst / Dutch version: Instrumenten voor de vervulling van de profetie

3 Comments

Filed under Quotations or Citations, Religious affairs, World affairs

As always God has a Plan

We should know in life the things that come around us can tackle us. Life at certain moments can look just plain hard! Life at certain moments may even look unfair.

Whatever we dream of, it does not always want to turn out like our aspirations and often we do seem to miss the goal.

https://i0.wp.com/loreejohns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/fullsizeoutput_5b6f.jpeg

 

There are those who know God and dare to argue with Him, because they do not understand His Ways, nor why such horrible things can happen in this world and such bad things happen to them who love God.

How many of us would not like like Gideon a proof from God, Him shoulder tapping us.

You would think an angel would be evidence enough. It’s not like seeing angels were common occurrences. {How to Be All In When Asked to do Hard Things}

Whatever happens in our life, whatever directions we do have to go, we always should remember that we are just little elements in the creation of God. We also should remember that when we are wiling to give ourselves in His Hands, Jehovah God shall be willing to help us. He already showed many times to be there for His people. At all times, even when they were not so honest to God or when they had forgotten Him, He always was prepared to come close to them when they were calling Him, or even when they were not thinking of Him, to remind them of Him or to send them a prophet or messenger.

People had asked God several times for certain things, like food but also kings and judges, and He gave it them.

Gideon-judge.jpg

Gideon from Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum

Gideon seemed a shaky kind of guy for a judge. I always assumed these God-chosen Judges would be natural leaders of the super-hero type. Like Samson, a not so ordinary guy with a hot temper, and Hulk-type strength. Or Deborah the wonder woman whose wisdom was legendary, and to whom men submitted. {How to Be All In When Asked to do Hard Things}

Deborah-judge.png

Deborah as portrayed in Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum (1553)

For us human beings we would like to have an easy comfortable life without any problems. Be sure, that shall be possible … but we shall have to work for it …

God never promised me comfort and ease on this earth. He never promised an immunity to change. {How to Be All In When Asked to do Hard Things}

We should remember it was mankind itself which reposted against God. Man did not think God was honest to them and kept something precious behind. In their rebellion they ate from the forbidden fruit to get to know “Knowledge of good and evil” and as such came to know that evil. And that is what we have to feel more than once in our life. The bad things surround us. But we must not always think when there is something we do not like, like having to move places or to go on, that it means that would be bad. It can be a next step in our life which can bring us so much more goodness. Therefore we, when in doubt sometimes do good to switch our prayer like interior designer Loree Johns the wife of preacher Randy does

Ok, Ok, I get it. You are opening the floodgates to a new opportunity, new souls to love and nurture. So help me to find peace about this, because like Gideon, I needed proof you really want to uproot and upend me. {How to Be All In When Asked to do Hard Things}

Asking Jehovah God for guidance and comfort He shall show the way and make sure the proofs of His nearness and His Plan shall become clearer. Coming to trust in Him and hoping to fit in His Way your anxiety shall ease.

The sick feeling abated. And I could feel excitement for a new chapter warring with my pain of leaving those I love. I could do this. So, I met with my other designer and staff, and we figured a way for me to work in OKC half of the time. I’m thankful for such a great team who will keep the business thriving when I am three hours away. {How to Be All In When Asked to do Hard Things}

°°°


God in his infinite wisdom only reveals what we need to know in the here and now.

It seems like God’s plans are rarely our plans, at least not in my world.

As always God has a Plan.

It’s time for that wall to come down once for all, and for me to be real with you. I will share my joys along with my pain and sorrows. I will give you insight into what helps me kept it all together on the rocky road of a broken world. I will open my heart and soul to you so we can complete this hard journey on earth together.
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What I have found on my journey so far:

-God is the only place I can find true Peace.

-He says “BE STILL AND KNOW I AM GOD,” for people like me who have a hard time sitting.

–Joy is a choice.

-His amazing Grace releases me from my mess and allows me to walk forever free.

–He loves me fierce and reckless.

{How to Be All In When Asked to do Hard Things}

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Preceding

Life

What would you do if…?

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Additional reading

  1. What is life?
  2. Monotomy of life
  3. Your life the sum total of all your choices
  4. When you don’t know what to do and hate yourself
  5. Struggles of life
  6. Good and bad things in this world
  7. Trouble is coming
  8. Profitable disasters
  9. Self inflicted misery #2 Weakness of human race
  10. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 3
  11. Out of the seed of Eve
  12. Suffering produces perseverance
  13. From pain to purpose
  14. From Despair to Victory
  15. Your purpose explains what you are doing with your life
  16. Only the contrite self, sick of its pretensions, can find salvation
  17. It is a free will choice
  18. Choose you this day whom ye will serve
  19. The business of this life
  20. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
  21. Thirst for happiness and meaning
  22. Major challenges and great things happening in our life
  23. Looking to the East and the West for Truth
  24. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
  25. Examining the world around us and of our own life, building up a legacyChange
  26. Leaving behind the lives we have touched.
  27. Inculturation today calling for a different attitude
  28. To create a great journey
  29. Power in the life of certain
  30. Created to live in relation with God
  31. We may not be ignorant to get wisdom
  32. Being religious has benefits even in this life
  33. Healthy life can be found in sacred books
  34. We should use the Bible every day
  35. Fragments from the Book of Job #1: chapters 1-12
  36. Fragments from the Book of Job #2: chapters 12-20
  37. Fragments from the Book of Job #3: chapters 21-26
  38. Fragments from the Book of Job #7 Epilogue
  39. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #4 Transitoriness #3 Rejoicing in the insistence
  40. Dealing with Disappointment
  41. Feeling Lost? Read This…
  42. Determine the drive
  43. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
  44. From Winterdarkness into light of Spring
  45. Life and attitude of a Christian
  46. Two states of existence before God
  47. Humility and the Fear of the Lord
  48. A Living Faith #8 Change
  49. A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
  50. Be happy that the thorn bush has roses
  51. Life in gratitude opens glory of God
  52. Not he who prays most or fasts most is the greatest saint

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Related

  1. The roles of Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah
  2. Life: In Progress
  3. Mid-Year Realizations
  4. Goals without Plans are just wishes
  5. Living within a Battlefield
  6. Spiritual life or Spiritual Death and the Zombie Apocalypse!
  7. People leave
  8. Living Intentionally
  9. Ego vs Spirit
  10. 1061 Goodness
  11. 1062 Badness
  12. Pace
  13. When Childhood Isn’t Fun or Easy
  14. The Key to Successful Living
  15. Week 4: How You See Your Job
  16. Change for God
  17. Thought For The Day The Twelve Steps are foundation stones for the recovery process. Foundation stones are designed for building on.
  18. No Fear…
  19. Marching orders.
  20. God’s Way Works

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Positive thoughts, Quotations or Citations, Religious affairs, Social affairs, Welfare matters

Facing our existence every day

Every day we are confronted with ourselves again. Every day again we are again confronted not only with ourselves but also with those around us. Everyday we do meet again new challenges, have to affirm again our values.

Attitude / Golden Gun

Attitude / Golden Gun (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This world which challenges us brings us day in day out some new adventures. We can try to tackle them or try to escape those things which we do not want to see. But covering our eyes is not helping us nor getting such things we do not want to see away. Living in this world we should be aware of what is going on in it. We can not stand at the side, not wanting to be involved or just letting everything happen. Those things which we consider wrong demand an action. And we should take action. Though there are several Christians who think we do not need to do any works, because we are saved, we should not let everything pass along like nothing wrong happens. That what is not according to the Law of God, that what cannot be justified demands reaction. We should open our eyes to what happens in the world and should react appropriate.

Having us to react will demand strength and courage. It shall also demand an attitude to be taken. And that attitude should always be in accordance to the attitude our master teacher Jeshua wants his followers to have.

Attitude (EP)

Attitude (EP) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every day we do have to face our inner self and find the core of our own business, our own being, our own strive, our own goal. Every day again we do have to face how we are wanting to build up our own life and our own future. It is naturally so that in case we do nothing we cannot do something wrong (we think). Not doing anything, letting it all pass, is witnessing of taking an attitude, which is not the right attitude. Rabbi Jeshua and his disciples taught about the essence of taking action and doing things. The master teacher gave several examples how people lost their opportunity to take part of the celebrations, the wedding or the entrance to the Kingdom.

The grace of salvation has been given to the whole mankind, but each individual has to do something with it. When we are willing to receive that marvellous free Gift, we do have to be thankful for it and do something with it. When we just leave in the cupboard, untouched it shall be of no service for us.

It is an Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity but lots of people do not see or appreciate the value of it, or take it for granted that now they have received it they do not have to do anything any more. Oh, how are they mistaken.

Each day we are confronted again with many ideas … our mind wandering about. Even a baptised person can have thoughts which are not in accordance with God His Will. Though they may be convinced that they have done away with the old life, that old life simmers slowly and little tinkly lights may be very attractive. More than once in our life bitterness, wrath, and even anger, does want to come along our path. We also can have moments where clamour and evil speaking may be lurking around our own corner. All those things we are asked to put away from us, with all malice. And that requires an action, which is a work to be done.

There are also days that we wake up and feel as if we have a broken heart. Though we may know that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul. Each time we left our mind wandering in the wrong way we do know we can repent, i.e. take an action, making the effort to see that we were wrong and that we do have to ask for pardon. It demands an action to see what we did wrong (i.e. doing a work) and when we know what we have done wrong we have to repent about it (again doing a work).

Painting "Kampen for tilværelsen" (S...

Painting “Kampen for tilværelsen” (Struggle for existence”) by Christian Krohg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Often because we ourself do have to endure so much pain we want others also to have pain. Often we also want to have many good things others may have and desires others to have some of our bad things. Such desires are often around us to cause pain. We can have feelings which hurt others or can bring them into distress. Yes, we must be aware that we can get up in the morning with allowing to grow in our mind the

“intent to commit an unlawful act or cause harm without legal justification or excuse.”

This makes our own self the sick self. The self what needs healing. the healer is always around, but we have to come to him (which demands an action or work).  Without coming to the Saviour Jesus Christ we shall be nothing and will have it so much more difficult in our life. he is the Way to God and he is the one who can guide us through difficult times, putting our hands in the hands of his heavenly Father.

Every day we wake up we should know that God is willing to be close to us and that He is really concerned with what is going on in our heart and mind. Be aware, He knows much more than we allow others to see, hear or feel, what we think or want to do. Even when we do not carry out malicious acts against someone, but carry such thoughts in our mind, God knows it.

You ought not to secretly wish that something bad would happen to any person. Rejoicing in some misfortune that befalls someone else is also evidence of malice. And that is something God detests.

Harry Ironside.jpg

The dispensationalist Plymouth Brother Harry A. Ironside

The Canadian-American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author Harry A. Ironside said every Christian has an obligation to put away all malice.

“If you do not live up to that, you are not living a real Christian life. This is Christianity lived in the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Gospel Light Society writes

You might feel like the malice in your heart is justified because of what someone did or said to you. But, you must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and bring your feelings under the authority of Christ. You must choose to put on the new man who will not walk in maliciousness, but in a spirit of love and forgiveness toward all. {How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)}

Every day we have to face the new life lying in front of us. Having done away with the old life, we should try to do our utmost best to live in accordance to God His Wishes, not following man’s doctrines but following Biblical doctrines.

George Cuff wrote:

There are sins from the former life that simply must be denied,
Things the godless revel in, that a believer must sweep aside.
Immorality of every kind, impurity, lust and greed;
You will be bound to idolatry if scripture you fail to heed.

You must also rid yourselves of anger, malice and rage.
Watch your speech carefully. Do not in profanity engage.
You threw off the sinful man who reveled in foul deeds;
The new man is renewed in mind, empowered by Christ indeed. {How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)}

Empowered by Christ Jesus we should find every day the fresh living water, empowering to continue in the right way, trying to finish the race, lying in front of us.

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Preceding articles

Our existence..

You Matter

Running challenge and the City build by the Most High Maker

For mams and dads it is also back to ‘normal’

Benefits of Positive Thinking

What IF you’re only driven by stress?

Failures, mistakes and Initiatives for Excellence and success, Working towards turning a Dream of yours into reality

There can only be hope when there is a will to be and say “I am”

The Goal

Our life depending on faith

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Additional reading

  1. Life is like a ten-speed bike.
  2. Suffering produces perseverance
  3. Your purpose explains what you are doing with your life
  4. If we view the whole world through a lens that is bright
  5. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
  6. Thought for September 8 Weak but standing strong in the ground swell
  7. 30 things to start doing for yourself – #6 is vital.
  8. Choices
  9. Live …
  10. Luck
  11. Who are the honest ones?
  12. Being prudent – zorgvuldig zijn
  13. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
  14. Not liking your Christians
  15. If there is bitterness in the heart
  16. Sow and harvests in the garden of your heart
  17. Don’t Envy the World
  18. Blindness in the Christian world
  19. Blinkered minds
  20. Never making mistakes because never doing anything
  21. The Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity
  22. Infinite payment of sin by the son of God
  23. As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
  24. Only I can change my life
  25. The inspiring divine spark
  26. If you think you’re too small to be effective
  27. If we, in our prosperity, neglect religious instruction and authority
  28. Holiness and expression of worship coming from inside
  29. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  30. Grow strong in weakness
  31. Being aligned with above
  32. Points to remember of philosophy versus spirituality and religion
  33. It is a free will choice
  34. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
  35. Your life the sum total of all your choices
  36. Believe and speak and act in ways which show we have life in Christ’s name
  37. Behold, My mother and My brothers!
  38. Saved through grace not through keeping rituals
  39. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
  40. God’s will is that all sorts of men should be saved
  41. A goal is a dream with a plan
  42. Looking for a primary cause and a goal that can not offer philosophers existing beliefs
  43. Inculturation today calling for a different attitude
  44. Coming to the end of the year
  45. Dynamic goals must always rise out of authentic needs
  46. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
  47. Faith antithesis of rationality
  48. Faith, storms and actions to be taken
  49. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
  50. A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
  51. A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus
  52. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal
  53. Try driving forward instead of backwards
  54. Priority to form a loving brotherhood
  55. Discipleship to look at
  56. Don’t be the weakest link
  57. The Big conversation – Antagonists
  58. Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church
  59. Williamsburg Conference 2015 December 27-31 Joy and Gladness
  60. We should use the Bible every day
  61. Religious people and painful absence of spring of living water

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Further related

  1. Grace
  2. Salvation – He [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it
  3. Instantly Healed, Saved and Baptized
  4. “Looking For Jesus” – “Dead Works”
  5. (Part 2) Can A Christian Lose Their Salvation?
  6. A New Life of Righteousness
  7. saved to serve
  8. Breathe in, out!
  9. How Vulnerability Can Bring Us Beyond Ourselves
  10. The Power of a Grateful Heart – Weakness Gratitude
  11. Afraid Of The Unknown
  12. No Retreat, No Surrender!
  13. Excerpt from a novel
  14. FFfAW: Promises
  15. 100 Days of Happiness and 90 Days of Kicking Fear in the Face ….
  16. No Complain November
  17. The Sandbox Writing Challenge #50 — No fair peeking!
  18. Week 6: Opinions-Opinions-…oh No!
  19. He Tries
  20. If At First You Don’t Succeed
  21. What Fills Your Personal Lamp? Personal Gratitude Challenge-day 2
  22. “Start the daily practice of not letting the little things bother you! If the little things ruin you, what’s going to happen when the big things come along? Start practicing now for your big challenges in life.”
  23. Skirting the hard stuff
  24. Message from the Universe: Becoming the person you’ve dreamed about!
  25. A Night To Dismember
  26. Remembering to Pause
  27. First Things First…
  28. Easy
  29. Quote Notes
  30. Are you okay?
  31. True Power
  32. Bad Reaction
  33. Good Grief!
  34. Are You Ready?: Part 3
  35. When God gives up
  36. Daily Verse
  37. Sin Makes You Sick
  38. A Change In Perspective
  39. We Are Dust
  40. Daily Bread – Draw Nigh
  41. Daily bible passage – 11/3/16
  42. A Warning of God Concerning the Ungodly
  43. Ezekiel 28-30; John 10
  44. My hope is in the Lord
  45. Christ’s Blood Shed for All Men
  46. I cry for you 
  47. For God So Loved The world…
  48. Come to Me
  49. How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Being and Feeling, Crimes & Atrocities, Ecological affairs, Juridical matters, Lifestyle, Political affairs, Reflection Texts, Religious affairs, Social affairs, Spiritual affairs, Welfare matters, World affairs

Maybe it is About Me

We may find lots of denominations in the world which have churches full of life but also with churches which are like deadly silence and not bringing forth fruitful seeds.

All people should know it is not a group thing but a matter of personal growth and personal relationship with God. Without knowing God ourselves we cannot convince others about Him. We need first to know the person of God, Who He is, what His character is like, before we can go out and convince others of This marvellous Supreme Being.

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Today we have a look at Rebecca Preston her life and experience. From the time she was a young child she had already a sense of God’s presence in her life which was strong.

Even at that early age, I was convinced God was near me and heard me as I spoke to Him.

she writes.

We can imagine that her journey in the faith has been like many others, up and down, and that when she moved places she once again had to find a church where she could find herself at ease. Probably she like many of us had to search for a place where the love of Christ could be felt and where there were enough people willing to give help to another for enabling each person in that community to grow in the faith and to make every person

“to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to the personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship.”  (William A. Barry and William J. Connolly) {Spiritual Direction}

For her

After a time of disinterest in Junior High, the way to God again opened up clearly as I became involved in the Youth for Christ movement.”

Wanting to go to a Christian College, but also not wanting to stir up disagreements within the family, she went to school for Nursing and became a nurse for a short time.

I soon discovered that I was not well suited to that role.  I left and became a full time mom and housewife, picking up odd jobs along the way.  But my desire often turned towards learning, and the craving to know more about how God moves among His people in our day. {About Rebecca Preston}

When God calls some one the voice may be stronger than the voices in this commercial materialistic world. Her desire often turned towards learning, and the craving to know more about how God moves among His people in our day took her and when her youngest was sent off to college, she also returned to school, finishing her BA.  Soon after, she entered into Biblical Theological Seminary. She came to earn a certificate from Karios School of Spiritual Formation.

We go back with her about a decade ago, when her husband and she started at a new church, had a meeting with the pastor and during the exchange, the pastor said to them something that was at the heart of that church’s mission.

English: A-9 oxygen mask with B-6 winter helme...

A-9 oxygen mask with B-6 winter helmet, WW2 vintage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recently, she took a trip across the country and got to look up as the oxygen mask portion of the announcement was on and suddenly got struck with the message that she cannot be really useful to anybody until after she puts the mask on myself first.

We too should take notice of that warning which accounts also for the message for life, for our relationship with God.

  • not useful to anybody until God = top priority.
  •  love for God = key to everything
  • need to spend time with God
  • practising silence with God

 

  • God of the Old Testament = same God that Jesus loved and called Father
  • need to make memories with God
  • need to respond to his love for us.
  • as the oxygen mask helps to remain focused + alert => love of God leads to authentic and lasting usefulness for the Kingdom of Heaven.

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Gardens of the Soul

About a decade ago, my husband and I started at a new church. As was our custom, we asked for a meeting with the pastor.  The pastor came to our house and we had a delightful conversation about this new church, a church like we had never attended before.  During the exchange, the pastor said to us something that was at the heart of this church’s mission.  He said, “After all, it is not about us.”  We nodded in agreement.

But as time has gone on, I’ve begun to chaff a little at this statement.  It doesn’t sit as well as it once did.

Recently, I took a trip across the country.  I just may have gotten to the place where I don’t pay much attention to the safety demonstrations that occurs on every airplane flight.  These days when I am seated, I quickly notice my proximity to the exits…

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

From Guestwriters 2015 in review

From the start in 2014, April the 26th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2015 finishing our first year

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

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

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

Treats, fear and discussions in 2015

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

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

A place for a Higher Being and for His Creation

Svenska: "Stockholmsfyrens" ungefärl...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Statistics for 2015

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

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

For 2016

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

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

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

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

Here’s an excerpt:

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

Click here to see the complete report.

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Preceding: 2014 in review

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Additional reading

  1. A look at materialism
  2. Our you taking a step back to think
  3. US must do more to protect its children
  4. A year coming to its end and our Spiritual Senses
  5. Summary for the year 2015 #1 Threat and fear
  6. Summary for the year 2015 # 2 Strewn with corpses and refugees
  7. 2015 In the Picture
  8. 2015 Human rights
  9. 2015 Health and Welfare
  10. 2015 Ecology
  11. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
  12. Greenpeace demands scale up of ecological farming
  13. Building a low-carbon world: the sixth industrial revolution
  14. Republican member of Congress from Arizona to boycott pope’s address over climate change
  15. Vatican meeting of mayors talking about global warming, human trafficking and modern-day slavery
  16. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #1
  17. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #2
  18. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #3
  19. 2015 Summit of Consciences for the Climate
  20. A Miracle of Unity at COP21
  21. Charlie Hebdo
  22. Belgian Bible Students review of 2015
  23. Bijbelvorsers Blogging annual report and 2015 in review
  24. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
  25. Before you blame All Muslims for the terrorist attack in Paris
  26. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
  27. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
  28. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
  29. Hidden potential for helping others
  30. Only one person who has the power to cast the deciding vote that will kill your dream
  31. Have faith in your faith…doubt your doubts
  32. The inspiring divine spark
  33. Healthy life can be found in sacred books
  34. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation
  35. A Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn’t
  36. A heart in the right place and brightly burning faith
  37. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness
  38. If you want to go far in life
  39. Spread love everywhere you go
  40. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
  41. The truest greatness lies in being kind
  42. Kindness
  43. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
  44. Be kinder than necessary
  45. He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass
  46. Taking care of mother earth
  47. No curtain placed over tomorrow

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Further about what happened in 2015

  1. MSN 2015 in review
  2. 2015 in review: Memorable Journeys on EP
  3. 2015 Wrap Up!
  4. My most difficult travel moments of 2015
  5. The 2015 Eternal Hunt Awards, pt. 2: The Hobbyists
  6. Stay within the lines – or not!
  7. coloring to de-stress; I’ve joined the craze!
  8. Art and the Holidays
  9. Whatever Is Lovely
  10. Intuitive Coaching 101–Zen & The Art of Coloring Books
  11. Adults Coloring Kaleidoscopic Creatures
  12. Unique Sugar Gliders Chinchillas Reptile Adult Coloring Books
  13. Adult Coloring Worldwide & Tangle With Jessica Palmers Hidden Treasures
  14. What Amazon’s 2015 Bestsellers Say About Us
  15. Winter 2015: The rest of the field…
  16. Grandad, I can smell you …
  17. Kaleidoscope of 2015
  18. Reflecting on 2015
  19. My 2015 In Year Review
  20. 2015 In Review… (adventuretimealpacamybag)
  21. 2015 In Review (ingridandjimmy)
  22. 50 Things that made me smile in 2015
  23. The Year That Was…2015
  24. Favorite-est things from #2015
  25. Be Looking at 2015 in review
  26. 2015 in Review: Paradise River, Dusk
  27. The Obsessive Viewer Podcast – Ep 148 – 2015 in Review – Best and Worst Movies of the Year and Viewing Stats
  28. Looking Back at 2015
  29. Year in Review
  30. New Zealand’s 2015: the year we hid from a world in need
  31. End of the Year Survey 2015!
  32. 2015 in transit
  33. A New Year: 2015 In Review and Plans for 2016!
  34. Bye bye 2015 and welcome 2016
  35. Start 2016 with a Backwards Slide
  36. Let’s Commence to Coordinate our Sights
  37. Flee from Idolatry

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

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

At last the sun has shown her face and people can really get a feeling of Summertime.

Summertime also includes the time to have pleasures to do whatever one chooses, and finding the pleasure one enjoys from his or her actions.
It is a time when lots who have have faith in themselves take time to be on their own at the swimming pool or some relaxing place. Under Christians we also can find those who have been told by well-meaning but errant advisers, “God helps those who help themselves.”
They spend their lives dependent upon their own abilities, or wisdom, or knowledge expecting that God will stand by as a faithful servant to bless all of their endeavours whether it be His will or not. Others may look at others, thinking they can be the way to success. They prefer to put their faith in others. We may wonder why they do not trust themselves not more. Did they get blinded by the fact that certain individuals possesses great knowledge, or apparent wisdom, power, or even anointing? In our society we can find many who look up at others, like they are gods and lift them up more highly than they ought and bestow their faith in a human being.{1}

Too many people put all their faith in the world, instead in the Creator of the world. Summertime is often a time to reflect. It is the time to take a rest and to forget all the worries of daily stress and work.

In the Summertime (Thirsty Merc song)

In the Summertime (Thirsty Merc song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People can put their daily worries about work and getting some income aside. It is time for relaxation and meditation. Not bad to take time to reflect on different matters. It is also some time to consider what is worthwhile in life and which direction to take further.

Summertime is also an ideal time where people have time to do some reading and to take time to go and see things. Many go abroad and look far a way from home for better pastures.

Like Caroline Kepnes there may be people thinking

“There is no better boost in the present than an invitation into the future.”

In this present time lots of people totally lost connection with the Maker of the universe. But why not making use of the free time now to go and read His own Words, which are recorded for mankind so that they can progress and learn the way to go. In the book of books is the way shown to come closer to the Maker of everything and to find eternal happiness.

When taking time to read the Bible you will be surprised how it can open your eyes and give a clear picture of this present world and how you can have a better life than this world is trying to present you.

There is also the calling sound

And the “invitation into the future” goes out right now. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20) {2}

Jesus saves net writes:

Let us not question God our creator, but let us embrace His salvation plan given to us through His Son Jesus, many say, you have a mind of your own and you should decide for yourself. {3}

Lots of people have decided to go for the world’s temptations and to enjoy whatever they can get today. They are not so much interested in the future and prefer to live the day like it comes. They do not see the folly of man which is greater than man’s wisdom.

Now we can find time to meditate on the way the world is evolving and the way we want to go in this world. We should consider taking time to investigate the matters of life and the way we want to go. Do we want to cling to the materialistic world or rather cling to Him Who gives life and surrender to His will than rely on our limited perception of life. {3}

Summertime is an ideal time to reflect if we in our lives, our works or even our conversation, could shine and bring blissful rays over unto others. It is a good period to question ourselves and to check if we managed to bring honour to God throughout the previous year. It is time to reflect if we have not failed to do the Will of God. {4}

When we do what God desires, we will naturally Glorify Our Lord and Our Friend, which will bring honor to The Father. {4}

To be able to do what God desires from us, we should get to know what He really wants. We should take time to find that out. Now in Summer, when we do not have to go to work, we can use the free time to take some moments to read in the Bible. The extra free time should not only give us opportunity to see other places, travelling to widen our horizon, but also to educate ourselves.

Going other places, meeting different people, we should make use of the free time to enlarge our knowledge about others and about God. It is also time to show others the right attitude of a Christian and to let them feel and see that we are Children of God.

Let everything we do brings honor to His Name. {4}

Looking at all the marvellous things we can encounter on our voyage or on our Summer-holiday we can see the Hand of God in all of this. then we also should take some time to thank Him for all this, we can enjoy.

In the place of difficulty, one is thrown off balance and then people find they need help and often than they call unto God, but when at pleasure time and when everything seems to go smoothly, many forget The High One. Also now when at ease it is a good time to take time for our Creator and to turn to God in humility and need.
The walk of faith is not a journey of those who have it all together. (One might suggest that too often, we have acted otherwise.) {5}
One act of faith is doing works of faith, because without works faith is death. To keep the faith alive we also have to nourish it. Now you can sit back and relax, please to take time to pick up the Bible and to read in it daily. Even if it was only for reading one chapter a day and to meditate on it, you shall find it shall give you spiritual food, which shall make you wiser and stronger.

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Notes + elements discussed in other writings:

{1} The Faith Life (Part 4: Faith’s Direction and Location)

{2} An Invitation into the Future

{3} God is in control

{4} Reflective Moment “Glory To Our King’

{5} Column: Giving words to our prayers

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Preceding:

Summermonths and consumerism

Psst! Spread The Good Word!

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Additional readings:

  1. Relapse plan
  2. Making time for prayer in Summerholiday
  3. Holiday tolerance
  4. A tongue to speak slowly and well-considered
  5. Humility and the Fear of the Lord
  6. Wisdom lies deep
  7. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
  8. Not able to make contact with God because to busy
  9. A question to be posed
  10. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
  11. Actions to be a reflection of openness of heart
  12. Growth in character
  13. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
  14. How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace
  15. Appointed to be read
  16. Bric-a-brac of the Bible
  17. Glory of only One God Who gives His Word
  18. Bible, helmet of health, salvation and sword of the spirit
  19. We should use the Bible every day
  20. Feed Your Faith Daily
  21. A Bible Falling Apart Belongs to Someone who isn’t
  22. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
  23. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
  24. The manager and Word of God
  25. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora
  26. Even in tough times remembering the blessings
  27. Get up in the morning and pray for the Lord’s blessings
  28. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
  29. Happy who’s delight is only in the law of Jehovah
  30. Youth has difficulty Bible Reading
  31. Be an Encourager
  32. An ecclesia in your neighbourhood

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

Français : Portrait de Thalès issu d'une éditi...

Portrait of Thales from a edition of Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius, 1761. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

How many people like it to be at their ease not to worry or to think themselves, finding it easier to live by human doctrines allowing them to enjoy human traditions and be part of the majority.
How many are not blinded by such human doctrines?

 

 

 

Purplerays

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Photo & Text credit: Garden of Illumination on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-of-Illumination/1433140463620723

“Every doctrine that is caught up with some sort of lie is enough to cast people into misfortune!
It doesn’t always have to be related to cruelty and vice.
Falsehood darkens the pure knowledge of God.
It is like dark clouds covering the sun.”

(The Great Pyramid Reveals its Secret – Roselis von Sass)

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