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.
*
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.
***
***
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.
+
Lifestyle and Readers Digest Magazine founded by Marcus Ampe on the 26th of March 2014
Welcome
New to this site. You may like to read this first
If this is your first time you visit us, you might like to know about our aims and intentions.
This site does not want to be a specific religious site, though now and then religious articles may be presented. The main interest on this site is about worldly matters, social affairs and the behaviour of human beings in this universe.
Our aim is to bring first articles about our responsibility in the progress of human relations and peace involvement.
Please find to read about our aims and aspirations:
Messengers of Peace and Positivism – Boodschappers van Vrede en Positivisme
We belong to the Bloggers for Peace and you can join them too. (Click on the picture to know more and to connect.)
Club members their own blog-writings – Clubleden hun eigen persoonlijke blogs
Articles by Guestwriters members – Artikelen bij Gastschrijvers leden
Most club members "From guestwriters" do not have their own blog, but shall write under their own name as "Guestspeaker" on the Lifestyle magazine Stepping Toes.
Those who do have their own website can be looked at underneath:
Please do find those independent authors their recent postings on their own website:
Van de schrijvers die een eigen blog hebben kan u op hun site als laatste artikels vinden:
Recent Posts on the other Lifestyle Magazine: Stepping Toes
Vervolg van Bijbel en Wetenschap – Geloof en onderzoek een wetenschappelijke benadering Het bewijs van Gods bestaan 1. De weg van veel goden naar geen God 2. De weg van de filosofie Bij de discussie over de vraag of je Gods bestaan wel of niet kunt bewijzen, of zelfs maar zou moeten bewijzen, moet je […]
Vragen naar het goede Nu kwam er iemand naar Jezus toe met de vraag: ‘Meester,wat voor goed moet ik doen om het eeuwige leven te verwerven?’ Hij antwoordde: ‘Waarom vraag je me naar het goede? Er is er maar één die goed is. Als je het leven wilt binnengaan, houd je dan aan zijn geboden’. […]
“Many in the church have turned their back on serious study, and have embraced an anti-intellectualism which refuses to learn anything from scholarship at all lest it corrupt their pure faith. It is time to end this stand-off, and to re-establish a hermeneutic of trust (itself a sign of the gospel!) in place of the […]
Many who call themselves Christian do like to follow Augustine, even more than Christ. they do agree with him that reading the Bible is no longer necessary once God had fully cultivated faith, hope, and love in us (On Christian Doctrine, 1.39). In other words, according to them, once we are mature in Christ, the […]
Pew Research Center asked thousands of Americans where they find meaning in life. Their responses were rich, thoughtful and varied. Here are just a few examples of what they told us… “That’s a gosh darn big question for a survey like this, I’m used to the check boxes. I find meaning in career, family, spiritual […]
GOD DESIGNED HUMAN NATURE FOR LOVE By Jesse Morrell Everything God created has a function and a design. God created human nature. Therefore, human nature has a proper function and a design. What is the proper function that human nature was designed by God for? “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by […]
Nederlandse Reformatorische christenen beweren dat wij mensen vanuit onszelf niets zijn. Dat zou maar heel erg zijn. Gelukkig is dat niet zo en mogen wij er op aan dat elk menselijk wezen, gelovig of niet gelovig, wel degelijk “iets” en zelfs “iemand” is. Ieder individu heeft een eigenwaarde en heeft ook iets te betekenen in […]
President Trump, long a trafficker in anti-Semitic stereotypes, treated American Jews to a classic anti-Semitic canard Tuesday afternoon. When asked about two Congresswomen, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, who had been barred from Israel at Trump’s own behest, he broke out an oldie but a goodie from the closet of anti-Semitic tropes. “Any Jewish people […]
Gelooft u het getuigenis van God, zijn Zoon en zijn dienaren? #2 Zonde. Overtreding van Gods wil Omdat God de mens maakte met een vrije wil, en daarmee vrijheid om te kiezen, kunnen wij zowel doen wat Hem behaagt als mishaagt. Dit laatste noemt God zonde. Maar wat is zonde precies en hoe komt deze […]
Het bewijs van Gods bestaan 1. De weg van veel goden naar geen God Een in het kader van ‘Bijbel en Wetenschap’ telkens weer opduikende vraag is: kun je Gods bestaan wetenschappelijk bewijzen? Of heeft de wetenschap juist bewezen dat Hij niet bestaat? Er zijn in principe twee manieren waarop je de beantwoording van zo’n […]
Thoughts by and a Look at the world by Marcus Ampe on: Marcus Ampe's Space
We may not forget that reducing the greenhouse gas emissions shall not only have an impact at global warming of 1.5, 2, 4 and 6°C but shall have implications for food, water security, energy security, flooding, infrastructure, ecosystems, health, and human migration. The increase in global mean surface temperature (GMST), which reached 0.87°C in 2006–2015 […]
Already months we can find youngsters coming on the streets to wake up politicians, opening their eyes for the miserable predicament for our climate and conservation of plants and animals. This week, leaders from some of the most heavily polluting industries on the planet – shipping, aviation, iron and steel to name a few – […]
The European Union is only e very tiny part of the world surface. In that Union loads of languages are spoken and it is very important to come to a harmonious co-existence of 24 official languages. It is one of the most distinctive features of the European project. Multilingualism is not only an expression of […]
Great-Britain has its own Trump, who likes to put the whole country at his hands and the European Union at his feet. Boris Johnson is fully aware that he does not have the backing of the House of Commons. Like with so many other matters, he tried to ignore it. Because he felt it would […]
Seventy-six years have passed, but few people have ever heard of Mann, even though she could easily have become a hero and a symbol. Perhaps her story sounds too far-fetched; perhaps it was simply shunted aside by the many other stories of heroism and horror in the Holocaust. But on September 1, the 80th anniversary […]
“Without a single change in the law by Congress, the Trump public charge rules mean many more U.S. citizens are being and will be denied the opportunity to live together in the U.S. with their spouses, children, and parents,” said Ur Jaddou, a former Citizenship and Immigration Services chief counsel and now director of the […]
Originally posted on Croatia, the War, and the Future: Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, President of Croatia (L)Ivan Penava, Mayor of Vukovar (R)Photo: uredpredsjednice.hr When the Constitutional Court of Croatia (of any country) evidently and blatantly misses the beat of its own country’s heart (and reason for existence – in the case of Croatia that reason is victory…
An excerpt from A Sound Mind by Brother L. G. Sargent, page 155 A man on a journey on foot mounted a hill. From its crest he could see his destination glinting distantly in the sunlight, a city set on a hill. In between he could survey the country he had to go through – […]
Soon we enter 2020 and yesterday we took a special moment to show our thankfulness to the Sovereign Maker and Giver of all things. The beginning of this century looks just a few steps behind us, time seemingly going faster and faster as we get along being confronted with the daily troubles of politicians and […]
In the past, God spoke to our forefathers by the prophets at many times and in many ways. Throughout the times He never stopped speaking to those who wanted to listen to Him. He is always prepared to give a listening ear to those who are asking for Him or who want to have an […]
De Gezalfde spreekt ‘Het besluit van de HEER wil ik bekendmaken. Hij sprak tot mij: Jij bent mijn zoon, ik heb je vandaag verwekt’ (vs 7). We zien hier een verdere verwijzing naar de belofte die aan David was gegeven. Naast de belofte van een eeuwig koningschap zei God tegen David: ‘Ik zal een vader […]
“Toen zei Ik: zie, hier ben Ik, in de boekrol staat van mij geschreven” Psalm 2: ‘De messiaanse koning’ In de NBG’51 vertaling vinden we dit opschrift boven Psalm 2. Deze beschrijft een tijd waarin Christus regeert (‘de Heer en zijn gezalfde’) envooral de reactie van de wereld daarop. ‘Christus’ is Grieks voor gezalfde. In […]
Recent Posts by the Brethren in Christ: Broeders in Christus
Er is slechts één ware God. Hij is een eeuwig alwetend geestelijk wezen. Hij is degene die geen begin (geen geboorte) en geen einde (geen dood) heeft Die de Schepper is van het universum. Jehovah God is de Allerhoogste, Allermachtigste Die is de Almachtige Maker en Voorziener is. God is volledig Soeverein. God is […]
De boeken van het Nieuwe Testament laten ons zien welk een unieke persoon Jezus Christus is: Toen Paulus hem in een ‘categorie’ moest plaatsen, noemde hij hem: Man, de Mens. Jezus zelf noemde zich de ‘Zoon des mensen’; een koninklijke titel die in verband staat met wat in Daniël 7 over hem geschreven staat. Maar […]
Een kijk op de onberispelijke Zacharias of Zakariya, tempelpriester en vader van Johannes de Doper, die de profetie uitsprak die bekend is geworden als de lofzang van Zacharias.
We nemen een kijk hoe een man beproefd wordt en moet leren hoe met God en zichzelf om te gaan. Zoals met de Bijbelse voorbeelden is het ook met ons dat in de praktijk blijkt dat we geneigd zijn te reageren alsof we God minder nodig hebben als alles goed gaat, maar zodra we het moeilijk hebben roepen we Hem aan.
Lots of people have a lot of difficulties to come to accept the Biblical Truth. Those who call themselves already Christian are the most difficult to convince that the real Christian has to hold on to other teachings than the standard or main church teachings. Lots of Christians think they are saved for ever, when […]
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 […]
The first human beings had chosen to go their own path. As any good father would do when his children had done something wrong, God punished them. But as a loving Father He in His great mercy promised for a solution and preserved David’s bloodline and the Messianic promise. Mankind had chosen Yet, we each […]
Recent Posts: Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten
Matthew 23:37-39 – Jerusalem, Jerusalem – Your House Is Abandoned! || Luke 13:34, 35 MT23:37 “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Killer of prophets, stoner of those sent [by God] to her. How often I wished to gather your children together just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings – but you did not wish it. MT23:38 […]
Matthew 23:33-36 – Treatment of Future Prophets || Luke 11:49-51 MT23:33 “Serpents, born of vipers,[1] how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?[2] MT23:34 Because of this, look! I am sending to you prophets, wise persons, and scribes.[3] You will kill some of them, others you will impale, and still others you will scourge in […]
Matthew 23:29-32 – Woe 7: The Only Good Prophet Is a Dead Prophet! || Luke 11:47, 48 MT23:29 “WOE to you hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees because you build the graves of the prophets and decorate the memoriums[1] of the righteous. MT23:30 You also claim, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers we […]
Matthew 23:27-28 – Woe 6: Whitewashed Graves MT23:27 “WOE to you hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees because you are like whitewashed graves[1] which outside seem to appear beautiful but within are full of the bones of the dead every uncleanness![2] MT23:28 Just so you also give the appearance to others of righteousness[3] but inside you are […]
Matthew 23:25-26 – Woe 5: Greed and Uncleanness || Luke 11:39-41 MT23:25 “WOE to you hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees because you cleanse the outside of the cup[1] and the plate but inside they are full of grasping and lack of [moral] strength.[2] MT23:26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish so […]
Recent Posts by bible Scholars: Bijbelvorser = Bible Researcher
Een kijk op de ongeveer 250 meter onder zeeniveau liggende oudste stad ter wereld, op de Westelijke Jordaanoever, niet ver van de rivier de Jordaan en ongeveer 15 kilometer ten noordwesten van de Dode Zee. Jericho is beroemd in de Bijbelse geschiedenis als de eerste stad die door de Israëlieten onder Joshua werd aangevallen nadat ze de Jordaan waren overgestoken (Joshua 6). Na de vernietiging door de Israëlieten werd het volgens het Bijbelse verslag verlaten totdat Hiel, de Betheliet, zich daar vestigde in de 9e eeuw VGT (1 Koningen 16:34).
Join in the #BibleCelebration! Today is International Day of the Bible, the day set aside for Christians all over world to take a few moments to read or listen to passages from the Bible together with friends. Wherever you are today at noon (your local time), we hope you’ll participate. Bible celebration 🎉 When you […]
De grote verteller Jezus vroeg zijn tijdgenoten ‘Hebt u niet gelezen’ en ‘Staat er niet geschreven? Zo maakte hij duidelijk dat het geschreven woord van God boven alles staat en dat het belangrijk is onderscheid te maken tussen wat God heeft gesproken en de menselijke opvattingen daarover. “Dan zullen wij op de wolken worden weggevoerd […]
As Bible scholars, historians and archaeologists we would always love to find the most hidden places and love to come to know more about what happened in the past. We are fully aware that archaeology doesn’t provide 100% certainty on what we are looking for or on what we find. With our hands we are […]
When driving through Gaza one cannot miss all the damage of the ongoing battle between Hamas and Israel. Gaza has a “second face: the face of culture, the face of tourism,” says Hassouna, who teaches archaeology at Gaza’s Islamic University. “We want to be Gaza open, for the people, for the world. Only that.” Records […]
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 […]
Elul, the month to reflect and to prepare oneself to perfect oneself plus preparing oneself to enter a new phase in facing the Elohim, coming closer into the Divine presence.
The surest way of ensuring our happiness and success in life is by devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to learning what God expects of us (by studying His Torah), by addressing our prayers directly to Him, and by fulfilling His will.
Er bestaan hemelse figuren die als taak hebben boodschappen van God over te brengen naar mensen. Maar hiertegenover staan ook mensen die door God als een bode worden uitgestuurd om zo mensen te waarschuwen. We moeten proberen een duidelijk verschil te maken tussen die karakters.
Tegenover de alwetende God staat de niet-wetende man van vlees en bloed die alles van kindsbeen af moet leren. Gods zoon moest zo ook alles leren en wist heel wat dingen niet daar het enkel aan God is gegeven om deze te kennen en het zelfs aan de zoon van God niet toekomt om dat te weten.
Joden indien zij hun oude Geschriften diepgaand onderzoeken kunnen tot de ontdekking komen wie de lang beloofde Messiach is en kunnen daarbij ook voldoende redenen vinden om die Messias of Christus te volgen en deelgenoten te worden van ‘zijn lichaam’ en alzo als Jood voor Christus door het leven te gaan.
In het Joodse geloof zijn er de apart geplaatste boeken maar ook legendes welke vertellen over de man Abraham welke wij als onze aartsvader aanschouwen, omdat de elohim hem heeft uitverkoren om de vader van velen te zijn.
De Bijbelse naam Abraham betekent ‘verheven vader’. Dit was de Chaldese naam van Abraham. Toen Abram door God werd gekozen om de stamvader te worden van Gods volk, werd hij Abraham genoemd, wat ‘vader van vele volken’ betekent.
Adam mag dan wel de eerste man zijn die de wereld kent, maar voor ons geloof is de nomade wiens naam van Abram naar Abraham verandert is door God veel belangrijker.
In voorgaand en volgend bericht gaan wij dieper op die Bijbelse figuur in.
In ons geloof kijken wij gerust ook naar het begin aller tijden maar betreft ons geloof nemen wij anderen dan Adam en Eva als onze grote voorouders. Hij die voor ons de eer krijgt om onze aartsvader te zijn is Abraham.
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
In Scriptures people are asked to teach their children diligently and to go out to tell everybody and to reason about the importance of faith in Christ, Jeshua or Jesus Christ being the sent one from and son of God bringing people to God and to salvation..
Not many obey the Word of God and even fewer people are prepared to speak about it. Real Christians as followers of Jesus have to follow up the task given by Christ to go out into the world, preaching the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.
2000 years ago Jesus spoke about such teachers who think they are the only ones who can explain the Bible. Today people should be aware that it is the Scriptures itself that can explain everything and that it is Jeshua, Jesus Christ, whom we should follow as the most perfect teacher.
It is not just of this present day that real followers of God and of Christ were not liked so much and that church leaders wanted people to have in control and being considered as important persons to be spoken to by their tittle.
Coming closer to the Latter days we should know about the necessity to proclaim the Gospel or to go out to preach the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God, even when we may encounter many who would like to do everything to discourage us and to put us in a bad light.
it is such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother that’s why the world calls her a grandmother jou pa en ma het my lankal laat weeten ek moes jou snoesigweligin my hart laat groeiek het die dae getelwat later wekeen nou maande geword hethoe kan my hart jou langer omsluit? jy […]
ek onthou eendag lank gelede toe ek my eie gastehuis bedryf het was die kamers vol en ek was alleen op die werf in my haas het my voet aan die plaveisel vasgehaak en toe ek neerslaan nerf af het ek net so bly lê toe ek opkyk toe sien ek die mooi tuin en […]
When you have a Facebook account, you may also connect to following Facebook Pages ("Like" them), to get updates of newly published articles.
+
Wanneer u een Facebook Account hebt kan u de volgende Pagina's ook "Leuk" vinden en aangeven dat u berichtgevingen wenst te ontvangen zodat u steeds op de hoogte wordt gehouden van nieuwe publicaties.
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
Bijbelvorsers
Christadelphians
Guestspeaker
Immanuel Verbondskind
jeshuaist
Vragensteller - Inquirer
lizaborstlap
Marcus Ampe
Success Inspirers' World
Relating to God
