In previous postings having looked at the different month of May celebration we continue with this guest-article.
Painting of a hobby horse with morris dancers beside the Thames at Richmond, Surrey, c.1620
Guestwriter Chris Pearce also looks at the origins in ancient pagan festivals and in crop and pastoral cycles in many societies across Europe. going from Walpurgis Night, Bealtaine or Beltane, also spelled Beltine, Irish Beltaine or Belltaine, also known as Cétamain, festival held on the first day of May in Ireland and Scotland, celebrating the beginning of summer and open pasturing, up to the Floralia festival, Obby-Oss or Hobby horse, going into the days for Mary.
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To remember
Druids celebrated May = day of their Bealtaine, or Beltane, festival or feast = similar ceremony = Walpurgis Night in Germany + surrounding areas
religious aspect of May Day > worshipped goddess of flowers, Flora => Bealtaine became part of Floralia festival
During the Puritan era 16th /17th centuries, May Day became more of a secular celebration
The Chickens, Jack in the Green Festival Every May Bank holiday Monday this parade is held as part of the Jack in the Green Festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
United Kingdom, as in many countries, May Day or the first Monday in May = public holiday. Originally feast = celebrated new crops + springtime fertility > many of these gatherings, popular tradition dancing around the maypole = wooden pole driven into the ground + adorned with ribbons, flowers + other decorations which vary between regions >Dancers hang on to the ribbons + weave around each other as they circle the pole, men or boys in one direction and women or girls in the other => pole entwined with ribbon + participants finish up at its base
Morris dancing = another favourite traditional activity on May Day = choreographed dance by groups of dancers with sticks or pieces of cloth, sometimes performed around a maypole or as part of a parade.
(originally published to Helium writing site, now gone)
May 1 is known as May Day. It has its origins in ancient pagan festivals and in crop and pastoral cycles in many societies across Europe. May 1 is the start of the warmer six months of the year in the northern hemisphere after often bitterly cold winters and this was cause for celebration with bonfires and dancing. The Druids celebrated May 1 as the day of their Bealtaine, or Beltane, festival or feast. At the same time, Germany and surrounding areas celebrated Walpurgis Night, a similar ceremony.
The religious aspect of May Day continued after the Romans arrived in Britain. They worshipped their goddess of flowers, Flora, on this day. This ceremony had been conducted in romanized Europe for some time. In Britain, the old customs of Bealtaine became part of the Floralia festival. During the Puritan era in the 16th…
In the 60s of last century, the fertility rite with the maypole tradition was popular, but half a century later it became very quiet around this tradition. May 1 has been overcome by the party of the socialist movement. On that first day of the month of Spring everywhere you can find the call for social movement in which the ordinary man, the worker is put in the spotlight. After Labor Day, celebrated by the atheists, socialists and communists as well as many workers, the Catholic community can not fail to show that it cares about the working man. In 2008, May 1 was falling in the same weekend of Ascension so that when all the workers movements gathered together on the same day.
On the evening of the “national memorial” for all the victims killed by war, the day before the “Liberation Day” on May 5, one thinks in Belgium on the eve of Rerum Novarum how the Belgian government tries to bring in cuts on spending by taxing the ordinary man but leaving those with lots of money and the multinationals untouched.
The feast of Rerum Novarum (literally ‘about new things, or “acting on the Condition of Labor”) is named after a key text in the history of Catholic social thought, established by Pope Leo XIII, in which the position of the church on issues relating to the proper relationship between capital and labor is established. Traditionally the Christian labor movement gathers on the eve of Ascension Day to commemorate Rerum Novarum and send out a powerful symbol of the Catholic tradition of social concern.
The vision set by the encyclical emphasizes the rights and obligations that bind together the owners of capital and workers. Throughout the encyclical, Pope Leo XIII articulates the inherent dignity of labor and worker issues that were taken up by successive popes in later encyclicals, especially Pacem in Terris and Centesimus Annus. Even rejects Rerum Novarum both radical socialism and unbridled capitalism, offered a vigorous defense of both private property and the right of workers to unions, among other forms. The document published on May 15, 1891 is considered the first modern social canon of the Church, because it meant a renewed understanding of the need for the Church to offer its critical reflection on the social issues of the day.
Last night Beweging.net in response to Rerum Novarum asked for a
in the speech by Chairman Patrick Develtere. According to him, all social groups are being targeted, except the wealthy.
“Today all groups in society seem endorsed, in a rotation. One group some more than others. There is only one group that seems to get away with it, not feeling the pinch -.. And those are the wealthy”
he said in Kortenberg.
The major problem in Belgium is that we are stuck with a very greedy government, that constantly has increased taxes on incomes and managed to acquire more and more taxes to purchase goods. In Belgium we find people with multiple homes who are almost not taxed while these without dwelling are very highly taxed. That income taxes are very high and low on power, denounced the president of the former ACW. He sees no reason to tax from rental or capital earned one euro less than one euro salary.
While the Christian labour movement has called, more than once, for a tax on capital, warned ACV chairman Marc Leemans also for new cuts.
Processions
Of the many processions the Procession of the Holy Blood (Heilig Bloedprocessie) in Brugge (Bruges) is the largest religious catholic procession for that day and dates back to the Middle Ages. It emerged as a civic ceremony by the late thirteenth century and has as centrepiece the Relic with the Precious Blood of Jesus, a cloth with coagulated blood of Christ Jesus, brought to the city by Thierry of Alsace after the 12th century Second Crusade. This year 60 000 visitors saw more than 2000 participants in a style dating back to Bruges’ golden age (15th century), when Bruges was one of the most important harbours north of the Alps, and also a bustling commercial market and residence of the Burgundian dukes.
Ascension, Pentecost and communions
Normally one sees in May many groups plan their annual meetings. According to the fall of 14 Nisan there are Jews and true Christians who gather to celebrate the liberation from Egypt and keep a reading marathon around the spoken words of God and the provision of a solution against human slavery. (This year 14 Nisan was on April 22, but as usual the three days around the Catholic Pentecost are also used to hold a three-day conference and to achieve such talks because people should not have to go to work.)
Last year the Catholic Church intended already to give more time to young children and families to get to know what to believe means and to give them more Catechetical preparation as a process, a specific process that one goes through and that gets everyone involved: parents, siblings, and the whole community. In the expectation that believers would get more familiar with who Jesus is and what it can mean for their faith life.
This takes time and can not be handled in a few months.
said Monsignor Jean Kockerols, auxiliary bishop for Brussels.
In 2015, they tried with a two-year preparatory catechesis, with confirmation and first communion to coincide and to be celebrated around the age of ten years, to implement the third or fourth grade. But this did not go down well with the majority of Belgians who actually do not have much faith but want to celebrate a first and solemn communion tradition. Three years older than what might be common for a first communion might still go, but two years younger than hitherto the case for the solemn or second communion with then at the age of eighteen again a confirmation (Chrismation) seems to them too late and unnecessary for that ” forming “while the performance at ten is too young to be a rite of passage from innocent child to a child that should have enough understanding, a good sense of good and evil, and should provide an introduction to adult life.
A 1949 group photo of children at their first communion
Today, May 5 is for Catholics Ascension, which traditionally, is also a communionday. Supposedly Catholic families want their children between 6 and 8 years celebrating their First Communion, and have them accepted by the community as a full member of the Catholic Church. A large proportion of young people between 11 and 16 years repeat their choice for the Catholic faith in a solemn communion. Usually they do it together with the confirmation.
Just as Baptism and First Communion Confirmation is a sacrament. But the number of young people to be confirmed is dropping spectacularly, by 30 percent in ten years. The decline is greatest in the diocese of Antwerp, and the smallest in the dioceses of Bruges and Hasselt.
Until the early 20th century children went for the first time to communion after their confirmation. But for the children of practising parents it was was sad to have to wait so long. Therefore, the First Communion has moved forward. And therefore the solemn communion arised: as a rite by which admission to the church, established previously in infant baptism, is said to be confirmed (or strengthened and established in faith).
Stijn Van den Bossche, as theologian linked to Inter Diocesan Commission for Catechesis says
“The confirmation is a rite of passage. People ask for it. Just like baptismtraditionally belongs to the birth of a child. Now still 60 percent of parents have their children baptized with us. It is a natural historic development that the Catholic Church rituals are organized here. There is little else on offer. “
But it is the tradition that it has on the faith and the people are not so much interested in another, or any belief in a god. But they want to allow the children a party with gifts, to make their children feel they belong there and are part of the same community. “To belong to the community” is the main argument.
Van den Bossche continues to hope that in the longer term the Brussels example will be followed anyway.
The 5th of may, when it is no Ascension day is taken as prayer day.
Catholic Schools and Islamisation
The day before Ascension (the feast of the Ascension of Jesus) “a balloon with lots of wind” said the Catholic Education Board wanted to give Muslims and other faiths a prominent place in schools with provision of their own places of worship. As we could hear and read about the plans it looked like the Catholic Comprehensive School will actually create something that already “exist in the system and where community education should stand for. That then means that it makes itself superfluous throughout the education system if the state already attained a general education for all species in our society.
Ook Open VLD kan zich niet vinden in het voorstel van de Guimardstraat. Onderwijsspecialiste Ann Brusseel vindt,
“Men maakt handig gebruik van de moslimgemeenschap om de secularisering van de maatschappij tegen te gaan” .
That the Guimardstraat (Guimardstreet) knocked off one’s feet, through Director General Lieven Boeve the day before Ascension Day presented one of the foundations of his project – and thus by extension of the Flemish community – for Bart De Wever has been a mistake proposal and proof that Catholic education has ruled itself out by showing
“That a distinctive educational project for them is not needed.”
Open VLD also can not agree with the proposal of the Guimardstreet. Education Specialist Ann Brusseel says,
“It makes good use of the Muslim community to counteract the secularization of society”.
Vlaams Belang Chris Janssens points out the threat of the high influx of refugees and the determination of the growth of the Islamic faith. He says
“The plans are, given the rapid increase in the proportion of Muslim pupils in our education, de facto comes down on a voluntary Islamisation.”
One month before the start of Ramadan (June 6) and two months before the Sugar Festival (July 6) Islamic smoke has come above the Catholic celebrations this year and there is embezzlement by the current poor economic situation. When one walks around in the municipalities it is seen that the tents of previous years have adopted smaller forms and the decorations for the ceremony of the communicants declined dramatically.
May 15
On Sunday, May 15th, many Christians will celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost 10 days after Ascension Day is “50 days” and seven Sundays after Easter, but looking at it today the spirit is out of the bottle.
May 31 Mary-Visitation
The visitation by Jacopo Pontormo (ca. 1528)
The festive season will conclude on May 31 with the celebration of Mary‘s visit to her cousin (Elizabeth) Elisabeth, which is described in the Gospel of Luke (1, 39-56). This Feast of visitation of Mary or Mary Visitation, remembers at the time of the visit, Mary is pregnant with Jesus and Elisabeth of John the Baptist. Elisabeth sees Mary, when the child jumps on her lap filled with the Holy Spirit, she says to Mary:
“The most blessed of all women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Mary responds with a hymn of praise to God, the Magnificat. Elisabeth’s words are contained in the Hail Mary, a prayer loved by Catholics.
At least the sun is showing it warmer rays and embraces us like mothers do. In several countries the month of May is the month where mothers are honoured. In several Catholic countries or regions the 15th of August is mothers day. (In our family the 15th of August was always that special day for coming together with the whole family honouring the mother who spent so much energy of her life in taking care of the next generation.)
In Dutch there is the saying: “In mei leggen alle vogels een ei”, “in May all birds lay an egg” pointing out to the season where good thoughts and many new adventures get their start.
Brocken Spectre from the summit of Meall an Fhudair (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After Walpurgisnacht or Heksennacht or Hexennacht (literally “Witches’ Night“) the night of 30 April,when the people in Northern Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Estonia) remember how the witches came together at the Brocken spectre the highest peak in the Harz Mountains (3,747 ft or 1,142 m high), a range of wooded hills in north central Germany between the rivers Weser and Elbe. The Brocken spectre is a magnified shadow of an observer, typically surrounded by rainbow-like bands, thrown on to a bank of cloud in high mountain areas when the sun is low. The phenomenon was first reported on the Brocken.
In Germany the holiday is celebrated by dressing in costumes, playing pranks on people, and creating loud noises meant to keep evil at bay (You can compare it with Halloween). Many people also hang blessed sprigs of foliage from houses and barns to ward off evil spirits, or they leave pieces of bread spread with butter and honey, called ankenschnitt, as offerings for phantom hounds.
In Catholic countries many of those traditions are taken into the church rituals and people put ‘palm’ (buxus cuttings) around the house to protect their belongings.
People at a Vappu picnic in Kaivopuisto in 2008
In FinlandWalpurgis Night and May Day are effectively merged into a single celebration that is usually referred to as Vappu and that is among the country’s four biggest holidays along with Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and Midsummer (Juhannus). It is the biggest carnival-style festival held in the streets of Finland’s towns and cities. Initially, Walpurgis Night was celebrated by the Finnish upper class. Then, in the late 19th century, students (particularly engineering students) took up its celebration. Many lukio (university-preparatory high school) alumni (who are thus traditionally assumed to be university bound), wear a cap. One tradition is to drink alcoholic beverages, particularly sparkling wine or sima, a home-made low-alcohol mead, along with freshly cooked funnel cakes.
Children dancing around a maypole as part of a May Day celebration in Welwyn, England
Walpurgis Night bonfire in Sweden
In many regions it is a special month to celebrate the gods and to invoke their goodness.
May Day on May 1 is such an ancient northern hemispherespringfestival and usually a public holiday. After having looked at the witches and having hold ‘revels with the devil’, people now turn to their masters and gods of nature. In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires is still kept alive to celebrate the coming of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called “Easter fires” (Osterfeuer).
In several villages the goddess of the flowers and of the renewal of nature is celebrated and Maypole dancing is part of the “Þrimilci-mōnaþ” or “Month of Three Milkings“. Also known as Ashtoria Day in northern parts of rural Cumbria people hope for nice weather to have a celebration of unity and female bonding.
In several places where there is water a Flower Boat Ritual is hold, like in Kingsand, Cawsand and Millbrook in Cornwall.
In Edinburgh, the Beltane Fire Festival is held on the evening of May eve and into the early hours of May Day on the city’s Calton Hill. An older Edinburgh tradition has it that young women who climb Arthur’s Seat and wash their faces in the morning dew will have lifelong beauty.
This year the Floralia Gent show or the 35th edition of Floralies took place from 22 April to 1 May 2016, in the Arts Quarter of Ghent (Citadelpark, Sint-Pietersplein, Leopoldskazerne and Bijlokesite) where flowers and plants intertwined with prestigious landmarks in the city.
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In the capital of Belgium it will be in the Summer that a carpet of 75m x 24 m brings 1,800 m2 of begonias, or around 300 cut flowers per m2! Every other summer, on the weekend of August 15th, the Flower Carpet offers a chance to stroll across the Grand-Place, a jewel of Gothic architecture, to inhale the fragrant scent of the begonias and admire its details. This extraordinary spectacle is made complete by a visit to the balcony of the Town Hall, which offers a wide-angle view of the work. A musical theme is especially composed for each edition. A concert is given on the Grand-Place every evening and accompanies a magnificent sound-and-light show. A hundred volunteers assemble the carpet in 4 hours. The first Flower Carpet of Brussels was created in 1971 and has been a showstopper every two years on the Grand-Place since 1986.
For atheists or those who did not believe in gods the day, being a holiday was taken to come together to talk about our society and how work and family-time had to go together. Labourers and the working classes are put in the picture that day. The date was chosen for International Workers’ Day by the Second International, a pan-national organization of socialist and communist political parties, to commemorate the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago on 4 May 1886. { Foner, Philip S. (1986). May Day: A Short History of the International Workers’ Holiday, 1886–1986. New York: International Publishers. pp. 41–43. ISBN0-7178-0624-3.}
Various socialist and communist organisations hold parades in different cities on that day to react to what is going wrong in the country and for telling the politicians what is really needed for the people.
After the 1st of May, labour day, when no labour is done for most of the people, they soon could find themselves either in a full week free (half term holiday or bank holiday) or could face a long free weekend starting with the 4th or Vetran Day or with the 5th of May (for Catholics the feast of Jesus bing taken up in the skies), in several countries the special “Cinco de Mayo“, the Mexican army‘s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín, followed by the May 8 “Mother’s Day” and on the 15th of May for many “Pentecost” followed by Pentecost Monday. In several countries one or the other day of the month is also taken to remember the war days and as such we had yesterday and today Remembrance and Veteran days plus on May 21 “Armed Forces Day” followed by May 30 for many countries another “Memorial Day”
In the Chinese Zodiac, 2016 is the year of the Monkey (Yang Water) whilst for the Native American Zodiac the 5th and 8th of May, 2016 shall fall under the Beaver.
Moms to look at! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On that mother’s day, people can remember the birth of Harry S. Truman (US President), David Attenborough (British broadcaster), Sonny Liston (Boxer) and Enrique Iglesias (Singer). By that day of mothers, from the writing of this article, 345,600 seconds will have passed between now and the 8th of May, the earth having travelled approximately 178,329,600 miles through space whilst perhaps 4,147 meteors shall have entered the earth’s atmosphere.
We all have a special connection with our mother, she being the one who brought us unto this life. We can never never outgrow her and no one shall ever be able to deny the roots of that special person who is responsible that we are. It is to that person we should be grateful for what we are today. Your mother made you. Thanks to her you got an education, got to know things about yourself and those around you.
Often it are also those mothers who take care that there is plenty of food on such festivals as mentioned above. Mostly it are they who make the best of a special day by providing the best of food.
In a way every day of the year should be a mother’s day.
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Recent Posts on the other Lifestyle Magazine: Stepping Toes
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Het mag dan wel een mooie gedachte zijn om een kerk te houden en te prediken, maar hoe men het draait of keert vraagt zoiets heel wat geld. En dat geld ligt niet zo maar voor het rapen. Maar iedereen moet beseffen dat elkeen op een of andere manier een steentje kan bijdragen.
Jezus heeft de autoriteit van God gekregen om te spreken en te handelen in Zijn Naam. Vervolgens heeft Jezus zijn volgelingen verzocht hem en Gods Werken kenbaar te maken in de wereld. Daarom proberen de Broeders in Christus ook zo veel mogelijk mensen te bereiken om het Goede Nieuws van het Koninkrijk kenbaar te maken.
Mogelijk hebben Jehovah’s Getuigen een totaal verkeerd beeld van de leerstellingen van de Broeders in Christus of Christadelphians door dat zij en hun Wachttorengenootschap onze lectuur onvoldoende kennen doordat ze het ook niet lezen en onvoldoende praten met onze leden over onze inzichten. Als laatste in de reeks “Het Wachttorengenootschap over Christadelphians” bekijken wij het komende Koninkrijk en onze visie daarop.
Het doet ons verdriet dat het Wachttorengenootschap verkeerde dingen over het christadelfianisme aan haar leden geeft. Hopelijk hebben wij u in dit en voorgaande artikelen al bepaalde zaken kunnen rechtzetten. Wij hopen echter dat u hier verder nog andere artikelen zal gaan inkijken. Houdt dus niet op met hier te lezen maar durf verder te lezen ……
Één van de kardinale fouten in het christadelfianisme zou de Christadelphians hun leer zijn rond het ontstaan van Jezus. De Bijbel geeft hen echter gelijk dat Jezus een nakomeling van Abraham en David zou zijn en niet voor hen zou bestaan hebben of een voorouder van hen zou zijn.
Bible prophecies do not deal only with the ancient past. They also accurately foretell events that are taking place in our day. But at the moment we focus at numerous prophecies preserved in the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly called the Old Testament) which long before the man was born told about events which would happen in his time and around him, his betrayal, humiliation, torture, execution, death, and burial. From those writings of the Old and New Testament nobody should have doubts who that man is who is called Immanuel, the son of man and Messiah, born out of the root of Jess in the tribe of king David.
In Scripture, all things are directed towards a man who was a servant of servants, in whom people should come to have faith. First we saw the connection with Eve and her seed, and in this article you may see the connection with Abraham.
Already in the Old Testament we find the focus on a son of man who is called the son of God, who shall be the most pure set apart (holy) servant of God who was been told about in the Garden of Eden, to be the one bruised.
Many Old Testament writers wrote about the prophet to come, about whom is spoke in the book of Moses and who shall be the special “Seed of a woman” given by God and who will bruise Satan’s head whilst his heel would be bruised with nails on the wooden stake.
Jewish and Christian literature since the time of Yeshua or Jeshua have pointed to Genesis 3:15 as the first reference to the Messiah in the Torah. Genesis 3:15 NHEBJE I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his […]
Recent Posts: Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten
After the horrible experience, having seen how their beloved master had died on the stake, the apostles had retreated themselves. The women who had watched the impalement from some distance got the courage to see if they could not give their friend a proper burial before the high holy day. “30 Therefore, when he had […]
All the time when the by Jesus chosen disciples followed him, they had several times doubts concerning his position and were convinced he was going to save them from the Roman oppressors. They were willing to see in Jesus that promised Massiah/Moshiach or Messiah (the anointed or christou / kristos / Christ), but thought him […]
We have come to the point where the people in Jerusalem had seen that the man of flesh and blood, Jeshua ben Josef, also known as the son of man and son of God, came to his death at the wood of execution. When Jesus walked around preaching about his heavenly Father and times to […]
Matthew 27:62-66 – Guards Seal the Tomb Against an Imposter MT27:62 On the next day – after Preparation – the religious hierarchy and Pharisees assembled together before Pilate, MT27:63 saying, “Lord, we remember that plotter[1] said when he was alive, ‘After three days I will be raised up.’ MT27:64 So, command that the grave be […]
Matthew 27:57-61 – Jesus’ Body Given to Joseph of Arimathea || Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-55; John 19:38-42 MT27:57 Now as evening was approaching a rich man[1] named Joseph of Arimathea,[2] himself a disciple of Jesus, MT27:58 approached Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate gave the command[3] to release [the corpse]. MT27:59 Receiving […]
Recent Posts by bible Scholars: Bijbelvorser = Bible Researcher
Continuing using some of our brethren’s writings from the past to give some answers to questions posed by our readers, and to show some ideas of how was thought by certain brothers in the past. We want to remind you that those writings do not always present the general thought of today. Answers Concerning Prophecies […]
Answers Concerning Prophecies and things future #23 Elijah Before Christ There is nothing in the Bible that leads us to expect that Elijah will be on the earth before Christ. All that appears evident is that Elijah will have a preliminary work in connection with Israel. In a similar way, John the Baptist, although the […]
Answers Concerning Prophecies and things future #22 Wounded in the House of My Friends “2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause […]
Answers Concerning Prophecies and things future #22 Micah’s Forty Years Because God said: “According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things” (Mic. vii. 15), it is no warrant for reading into the statement a period of forty years. It is all a question […]
Answers Concerning Prophecies and things future #21 Messiah the Prince A careful consideration of the other portions of Scripture, in which the Prince is referred to, convince us that “The Prince” spoken of in Ezekiel xliv. 3, and Daniel xii. is none other than the Lord Jesus; to wit, “The Prince of the kings of […]
First of all to come to a good relationship with some one, one has to talk with that person and has to listen to what that person has to tell. God talks to the people by the way of His Word, presented to mankind by the many Bible translations, so that most people can read […]
The One Who created everything and Who gave His Word, did all He did with a purpose and out of love. The Bible teaches us that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Everything God does is motivated by love. Out of love created man in His image also with the intention to have a good relationship […]
In the previous writings we saw that the Divine Creator gave His Word to the world so that people could come to know Him. The Bible is a gift from God. It gives us information that we can’t find anywhere else. For example, it tells us that God created the heavens, the earth, and the […]
The man who loved the Law of the Elohim (Ps 119:97) and was known by God to be a righteous man, blessed and praised his Bo’re and was willing to do everything that Hashem wished him to do. Those wanting to fall under the promises made to Abraham should be people following in the footsteps of Abraham, having the Faith in the same God as Him.
We are given God’s Word in the Torah, to have a light of guidance and to have some good instructions to build up our lives and to help others to grow and join us on the path to the Elohim Hashem Jehovah.
After a respected Jew was falsely accused of stealing the royal curtains from the governor’s palace, the entire Jewish community of Prague was in mortal danger. But after miraculous intervention, the real culprit confessed to the crime, sparing the Jews of the city.
Is it possible to fulfil one’s obligation for Hanukah with electric light bulbs since it does not contain oil or a wick and is not reminiscent of the Menorah lighting in the Bet Hamikdash whatsoever.
Originally posted on Netzarim Emunah: The Days of Chanukah- Days of Faith As opposed to the other holidays and festivals which were already existent since Hashem gave the Torah to the Jewish nation, the holidays of Purim and Chanukah were brought about through two wicked men, Haman and Antiochus. Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l writes…
A video giving an introduction to the Jewish holiday of Purim, talking about all of the great traditions of one of the most fun holidays in the Jewish calendar.
De Joodse gemeenschap in België en Nederland kan niet ontsnappen aan het coronavirus, maar is er zich wel bewust van dat er een hele kleine groep is die het moeilijk heeft met de beperkende maatregelen, terwijl de meerderheid zich wel aan alle veiligheidsmaatregelen houdt, en er zelfs gebruik van maakt om te reflecteren over de avondklok ten tijde van Moshe in Egypte.
17 Tevet (1728) – Shearith Israel, the first New York synagogue, erects its first building in Lower Manhattan. In 1654 in New Amsterdam a group of Spanish and Portuguese Jews who fled the Inquisition and others who arrived from Dutch Brazil formed a meeting group. As oldest Jewish congregation in the United States they held […]
Originally posted on common or garden theologian: Artist Illustration of Dragon entering the Martian atmosphere before landing (2015). Original from Official SpaceX photos. Millions of years ago Mars had a magnetic field and an atmosphere, but both are long since gone, so it is not presently inhabitable. Genesis 2:5-9 (ESV) When no?bush of the field[a]?was…
Passing of Maimonides (1204) Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, Talmudist, Halachist, physician, philosopher and communal leader, known in the Jewish world by the acronym “Rambam” and to the world at large as “Maimonides”, passed away in Egypt on the 20th of Tevet in 1204 (4965). On his gravestone were inscribed the words, “From Moses to Moses, […]
Originally posted on Kim in de pen blogt: In een poging om de rellen van de afgelopen week te verklaren maakte criminoloog Ferwerda een onderscheid tussen ‘echte’ relschoppers en ‘de mannen die eigenlijk niet wilden dat het ontspoorde maar uit sensatie kwamen kijken’. Hij noemde die groep ‘brave huisvaders’: ‘De groep brave huisvaders, zoals ik…
Originally posted on Vlierbloesem: Nederland heeft niet als enige land een probleem met het vaccinatie programma. De aanpak van de vaccinatie wordt veel besproken. Beschikbaarheid van vaccins wijzigt ook voortdurend. De Europese Unie heeft laboratoria geholpen snel onderzoek te doen naar vaccins tegen de nieuwe Corona virus mutaties, door vooraf te betalen voor de nog…
Terwijl de wereld op hol lijkt te slagen, kunnen wij enkel hopen en oproepen dat er genoeg mensen met gezond verstand zich aan de beperkende maar noodzakelijke coronamaatregelen zullen blijven houden.
Internet gebruik en vergiffenis op de Sabbath Groot probleem in de Joodse gemeenschap over internet verbindingen voor virtuele diensten is dat een groot deel van hen geen computer gebruikt net als dat zij die dit wel hebben, deze zeker niet gebruiken op de Sabbath of sjabbos. De sjabbes is voor velen ‘heilig’, zodat zij zich […]
Het coronavirus heeft ook haar weerslag voor vele geloofsgemeenschappen. Zij die zich aan de Ene Ware God willen opdragen hebben nu soms het gevoelen dat zij hun God te kort doen doordat zij niet meer het gebod van samenkomst en gezamenlijk gebed kunnen volbrengen. Zij voelen zich ver van hun thuishaven dat onbereikbaar lijkt geworden.
When having many questions an interesting blog to look at: their old and more recent Posts: Questiontime - Vragenuurtje
Volgens de Bijbel is de mens geschapen naar het beeld van God. Allah schiep de aarde en alles erop en eromheen. In plaats van dankbaar te zijn voor wat de mens van hun Schepper ontving, twijfelden ze aan Zijn autoriteit en wilden ze net zoveel kennis en macht hebben als Hij. Daarom aten ze van […]
According to Scriptures man was created in the image of God. Allah created earth and everything on it and around it. Instead of being thankful for what man received from their Creator, they doubted His authority and wanted to have as much knowledge and power like He has. Therefore they ate from the Tree of […]
The intention of this site was to be able to find answers to some serious questions and to know what others thought about it. But there were no answers from others and silence continued to form the fog.
Bedoeling van deze site was op enkele ernstige vragen antwoorden te kunnen vinden en te weten hoe anderen er over dachten. Maar antwoorden van anderen bleven uit en stilte bleef de mist vormen.
In this world we shall become even more confronted by people, be them politicians or church-leaders who would love to tell us than matters or different than we see it. Many of them will give the lie to make sure they would be more popular and receive more power. We must know that we shall […]
Recent Posts: Unmasking anti Jehovah sites and people
At the beginning of our contemporary age a son of man was hailed, by some triumphantly praised as a king entering Jerusalem, by others regarded as a dangerous person undermining their power. About 2 000 years later it are still religious leaders who do not want people to come to know that Nazarene man or to accept him as the son of God and future King of this world.
Jesus told his disciples that he will return only once and that when he does, after a time of great tribulation, it will be visible to everyone and be followed by immediate and dire consequences for those unprepared and for those who were adversaries of God.
The disciples expected that Christ would “come” as King, with a royal presence, and to remove the Romans and thrown down the corrupt temple, all at the same time and soon! It was a disappointment for them it turned not out that way, but they came to understand we could have an even much better future because of what Jesus had done. Though they also became convinced of the necessity to be prepared for the time that Jesus would return and that each believer could add by his effort of preaching, to bring the time closer.
my kop draai nog in die rondte ek kan nie die omvang van wat gebeur het beskryf nie as ek my joernaal oopmaak en my pen optel slaan die woorde toe ek wil vir nou eers net hier bly hier in die Hande van die Wonderwerker 26 Desember 2020 ek het haar drie-en-twintig dae laas […]
dag 1 tot 4 Ons het saam besluit dat ons eers sal wag. Vir niemand sal sê dat die paneel die aand van 20 Oktober oor ons lot sal beslis nie. Dis eers later dat ek besef hoe betekenisvol die datum is… 20-10-2020 Woensdag-oggend een minuut oor agt sê die suster vir my ons oorplanting […]
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Biblestudents – Bijbelstudenten
A Google Site presenting the Biblestudents with articles in English and Dutch – Voorstelling van de Bijbelstudenten met artikelen in het Nederlands en Engels
Christen Focus
Vanuit de Bijbelonderzoekers oogpunt kijkend waarop de mens hoorrt te focussen
Getuigen voor Christus
Tegenover de Getuigen van Jehovah zijn er ook de Getuigen voor Christus die Getuigenis afleggen voor Christus en zijn God Jehovah.
Relating to God wordPress Blog
Proving there is Only One True God which should be honoured and followed and how we can come in a better relationship with Him by following His only begotten son Jesus Christ as the Way to God.
Unmasking anti-Jehovah people
Debunking all the false sayings of those who fight against non-trinitarian groups and people
Blogroll
Hoop tot leven
Platform van Marcus Ampe voor hulpverlening en hoop geving
Christadelphian
Belgian Christadelphians
Google site with articles in English from the Belgian Brothers in Christ or Christadelphians
C4All
Christ For All – Presenting ways to find Christ in your life
C4U – Christ for you & Christadelphians for you
Site of Brothers and Sisters in Christ, who love the Creator and His creations and want people to show who is the way to Him and to His Kingdom where there shall be peace for ever.
Our World
News and thoughts about what is happening in the world, brought by the Free Christian Marcus Ampe. – Een kijk op het wereldgebeuren vanuit het standpunt van de Vrije Christen Marcus Ampe
Relating to God wordPress Blog
Proving there is Only One True God which should be honoured and followed and how we can come in a better relationship with Him by following His only begotten son Jesus Christ as the Way to God.
Immanuel Verbondskind
A site where issues of Judaism, Christianity, Islamism, their search for continued authenticity and relevance for today are discussed and looked at the position of the Jeshuaist community wrestling with the non- or anti-religious world
Jeshuaisme
Het Jeshuaisme brengt volgers van de Nazareense rebbe Jeshua (door velen beter gekend als Jezus Christus) te samen en verenigd Jehudiem (Jehoediem) of Joden zowel als goyim of niet-Joden en doet een oproep naar alle soort gelovigen en niet-gelovigen om Je
Jeshuaist
Personal pages of a Flemish Jeshua-ist – Persoonlijke paginas van een Vlaamse Jeshuaist
Jeshuaist communities
A community of real followers of Christ, assembling for sharing the Good News of the works of the Moshiach Jeshua and his heavenly Father the Elohim Hashem Jehovah.
Jeshuaist Focus
Uiteenzetting hoe eenieder tot het Volk kan behoren dat het Koninkrijk van god zal mogen binnentreden
Jeshuaisten – Jeshuaists
Een plaats van en voor liefhebbers van de Joodse Nazarener rabbi Jeshua om het bijbelkennis te versterken. – A site of and for lovers of the Nazarene Jewish rabbi Jeshua to strengthen their knowledge of the Scriptures.
Jeshuaists (or Yeshuaists)
Jeshuaists (or Yeshuaists) are followers of the Nazarene rebbe Jeshua who presented himself as a sent one from the Adonai Most High Elohim, Hashem Jehovah.
Jeshuaists for Jehovah
Followers of the Nazarene rebbe Jeshua witnessing for him and his God, the Only True God of Isrrael, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah.
Our World
News and thoughts about what is happening in the world, brought by the Free Christian Marcus Ampe. – Een kijk op het wereldgebeuren vanuit het standpunt van de Vrije Christen Marcus Ampe
Stepping Toes
A Lifestyle magazine which can be for some a provocative site created by Marcus Ampe
Of the many processions the 
Today, May 5 is for Catholics 
This year the Floralia Gent show or the 35th edition of Floralies took place from 22 April to 1 May 2016, in the Arts Quarter of Ghent (Citadelpark, Sint-Pietersplein, Leopoldskazerne and Bijlokesite) where flowers and plants intertwined with prestigious landmarks in the city.
For atheists or those who did not believe in gods the day, being a holiday was taken to come together to talk about our society and how work and family-time had to go together. 
After the 1st of May, labour day, when no labour is done for most of the people, they soon could find themselves either in a full week free (half term holiday or bank holiday) or could face a long free weekend starting with the 4th or Vetran Day or with the 5th of May (for Catholics the feast of Jesus bing taken up in the skies), in several countries the special “
alsowritten
Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten
belgischebroedersinchristus
Bijbelvorsers
Christadelphians
Guestspeaker
Immanuel Verbondskind
jeshuaist
Vragensteller - Inquirer
lizaborstlap
Marcus Ampe
Success Inspirers' World
Relating to God
