Tag Archives: Reading the Bible

It’s the Little Things that Matter

by: Alex Cervantes

It is so important to make time in our lives to feed our faith. Alex advocates how faith grows when it is exercised, when it is stretched and challenged. Much like how we grow physically and mentally through day-to-day work, our faith grows the same way. Whether it’s through reading our Bible and prayer, or how we interact with people we meet each day, our faith can grow by doing the little things.

 

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Preceding

Why are you afraid?

You don’t have to walk through the fire

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Find also to read

  1. Fear of failure, and fear of the unknown
  2. Faith antithesis of rationality
  3. Faith Launch 2020
  4. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
  5. Are you religious, spiritual, or do you belong to a religion, having a faith or interfaith
  6. The longer you wait
  7. Gaining deeper understanding
  8. Faith because of the questions
  9. Have faith in your faith…doubt your doubts
  10. A heart in the right place and brightly burning faith
  11. Improving the world by improving the Faith
  12. Coming of Age in Christ
  13. The chosen ones to fear or not to fear
  14. Faith, storms and actions to be taken
  15. Many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus
  16. Through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe
  17. Background of Faith
  18. Ability (part 2)
  19. When having taken a new direction in life, having become a Christian
  20. Summer time to spend some more time at the growing process of your faith
  21. United people under Christ

2 Comments

Filed under Crimes & Atrocities, History, Lifestyle, Religious affairs, Social affairs, World affairs

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

5 Comments

Filed under Questions asked, Religious affairs, Vragen van lezers

2 Easy Ways You Can Fit Daily Bible Time into Your Busy Life

Bobby Jamieson

I believe every Christian should strive to carve out time dedicated to Scripture reading and prayer every day. But for many of us, devotions aren’t very daily. Some people, like mothers of young children, have excellent reasons for this. Others, like many college students, not so excellent.

If you struggle to fit in a daily quiet time, the open spaces in your schedule can be great places to squeeze in the Bible. Even if you have a robust devotional life, you can still cram the Bible in wherever and however you can. Wedge it into the gaps in your schedule. Stuff it into the in-between places, the nooks and crannies of unclaimed time throughout your day. In other words, fit the Bible into the margins of your life.

I don’t mean push the Bible out to the margins of your life, as in, “Quit making the Bible so central in everything you do!” But all of us, even the busiest, have open spaces in our lives where God’s Word can be given a place.

How many minutes a day do you spend waiting in line, washing the dishes, or driving?

Or, how many minutes do you spend on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?

Each of those numbers will give you a rough idea of how much Bible you might be able to squeeze into your daily routine. Is it a sin to browse Facebook or carry on a game (or six) of Words with Friends? Not necessarily. But if you regularly find time for those hobbies but only irregularly find time for God’s Word, what does that say about your heart? What is it that you’re craving more than the nourishment of every word that proceeds from the mouth of God?

Often in the marginal times your attention is partially occupied by something else: commuting, chores, errands, and so on. You might not have your reading chair, slippers, and cup of coffee (or tea) handy. You might not even have your hands free to crack open a physical Bible. But here are at least two ways you can fit Bible intake into times like these.

1) Listen to an audio Bible
A number of Bible apps and online Bible resources come with free, quality audio Bibles. (For example, these are at BibleStudyTools.com.)  If you’ve got twenty minutes while you’re riding the bus or picking up your kids’ toys after bedtime, you can listen through several chapters of Scripture. If you’ve tried and failed to make it through a Bible-in-a-year plan, why not supplement your reading with listening? You might find that listening to Scripture while doing something else actually aids your focus on the Word.

2)  Memorize Scripture
Listening, of course, is one way to do this. If you’ve got a fifteen minute commute to work in the car, you can listen to Ephesians 1 five times. Do that every day for a week, and you’ll be well on your way to memorizing the entire, magnificent chapter.

Do you have any consistent windows of time when you can fit in Scripture memory? Maybe a treadmill workout, or walk to the store, or washing dishes at night? All you need in order to memorize Scripture is the ability to mutter the verses out loud and occasionally glance at your pocket Bible or phone to check the wording.

Whether it’s listening or memorizing or good old-fashioned reading, there are all kinds of ways you can fit the Bible into all kinds of times during your day. Think of those gaps in your day as loose change. You could simply leave them lying around, or you could invest some of them in God’s Word and see what they add up to in six months, or a year, or ten years.

You may not be able to fit the Bible into every single spare moment of every single day. I certainly don’t do that, and I don’t know anyone who does. But too many Christians’ daily routines include no Bible, and something is infinitely better than nothing—especially when it comes to taking in the Word of God.

If you’re looking for a way to start, pick one window of your day when you can fit Scripture in, and try to do so every day for a week.

Time with the Bible is time well spent. How can you fit more Bible into the margins of your life this week?

Bobby Jamieson is a PhD candidate in New Testament at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God (Crossway, 2013).

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Filed under Religious affairs

3 Keys to Reading the Bible with a Fresh Perspective

It is a new year, and no doubt many have made it their ambition to read the Bible more often this year. What nobler resolution could someone have?

But many people will give up in mid-February, when they are slogging through Leviticus and are halfway through their third straight gospel tour. The passages that seem redundant and unexciting tend to drown our Bible reading goals.

How can we keep our Bible reading fresh – even the parts that don’t stir us at first reading – so that we don’t give up on our resolution to read more? Allow me to share a few suggestions.

1. Remember that God’s word is alive

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active.” Just like God himself, his word is full of life and is always doing something. That means, to state the obvious, that God’s word is never dead or inactive. And that is just as true for Leviticus 3:16 as it is for John 3:16.

The implication is that we can come to every passage with a sense of anticipation that God will work through it. That doesn’t mean we will necessarily finish our Bible reading with intense spiritual feelings. But it does mean that we can be assured that no matter what we read on a given day his word will not return void (Isa. 55:11).

2. Pray for God to open your eyes, and trust that he will

The psalmist prayed, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psa. 119:18). He recognized that without God’s help, it would be very easy for him to read God’s law and not come away marveling at how great God is. He needed God to give him eyes to see the wonders of his word.

The same is true for us, of course. We must not read our Bibles without asking God to enable us to see the amazing things in it. I confess that this is something that I sometimes forget. Being somewhat of a task oriented type of person, I’ll sometimes sit down at my desk to begin preparing a sermon only to realize an hour later that I had forgotten to ask God to speak to me and lead me to the message he wants delivered on Sunday. It is by God’s grace that I can even recognize my self-sufficiency. I must stop and repent of my prayerlessness, and then ask God to “open my eyes” before I resume my study.

3. Read with a God-centered attitude

It’s very easy to read God’s word with an emphasis on you. What am I going to learn? What am I going to get out of this? How am I going to apply this?

But as you grow as a Christian, you grow less concerned with yourself, and more interested in loving God and neighbors. This gradual self-emptying process gives a perspective that comes to Scripture with a desire to see more of God and less of yourself.

Take, for example, Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Instead of focusing on the “I can do” part, what if you meditated on the “him who strengthens me” part? Your mind will be prodded to meditate in a fresh way of God’s grace to enable you to make it through your trials and empower you for your successes.

Don’t let dull days get you down

As much as it would be great to have an amazing spiritual encounter every time we read the Bible, I admit that is not always my experience. Sometimes nothing “hits” me. But I know that my emotional response is not what makes God’s word do its work in my life. That’s the Spirit’s job.

So if you find that there are some days where your Bible reading seems less impactful, don’t be discouraged. You and I have only to be faithful to read God’s word with the thirst of a deer panting for water. More times than not, when we open the Bible with that kind of neediness the streams will taste quite fresh.

Eric McKiddie serves as Pastor for Gospel Community at the Chapel Hill Bible Church He helps pastors grow as well-rounded ministers of the gospel at his blog, Pastoralized, and through sermon coaching.

2 Comments

Filed under Lifestyle, Religious affairs

A vital question for believers

At Selah Ministries they ask

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

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

Lis from Selah Ministries which says it

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

brings up as next question

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

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

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

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

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

There are people who say

Faith can not come by hearing

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

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Preceding

Consider your own journey in life

May we have doubts

Hatred and hostility against God

Arguments about believe and About Christianity versus Atheism

On the Edge of Believing

Fear in your own heart or outside of it

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

Mishmash of a legal code but importance of mitzvah or commandments

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Additional reading

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

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Related

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

35 Comments

Filed under Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Religious affairs

Summer holiday time to knock and ask, and time to share

In the daily Bible readings our chapter in Matthew today unfolds to reveal powerful personal lessons – principles we must live by, though in the chapters of the first book of Samuel we also see that it was not always easy for the preferred one of God, David! He also was victim of human jealousy [v.8-12].

In these summer-months we do have time to examine ourselves and the situation we are living in at the moment. We can check if we kept to Jesus his sayings or if when we had certain needs or wanted to receive knowledge if we did ask like Jesus advices us. Often when we are at work we do not have time enough for God’s Word. It might not always be easy to have us every day to pick up the Bible and to read in it and to take time enough to let our thoughts wonder over the Biblical text. Now when the Summer holiday comes to us we have no excuse. Now we should have enough opportunity to read in the Bible but also to talk to others bout different things, including the Word of God.

Summer time often gives us opportunities to come at other places, where nobody might know us, where we do not have to fear talking about our faith and to show others how we love God.

We can ask God to help us to get insight ourself but also to give us strength and opportunities to give others insight in His infallible Word. We might be assured when we dare to ask Jehovah God will provide, when our heart is in the right place with Him.

“·Ask [Keep asking], and ·God will give [L it will be given; C the passive verb implies God as subject] to you. ·Search [Seek; Keep seeking], and you will find. ·Knock [Keep knocking], and the door will open for you. ·Yes, [L For; Because] everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who ·searches [seeks] will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

“If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? 10 Or [L which of you] if your ·children ask [or son asks] for a fish, would you give them a snake? {Matthew 7:7-10 Expanded Bible (EXB)}

When we long to have knowledge in the Holy Scriptures God is not going to withhold it. He is not going to detain us and leave us without Biblical knowledge if we really want to have such knowledge. Though in such circumstance God wants us to open our mind and when we encounter matters which we have learned at school or in the past in our religious environment, but which are based on human doctrines, God wants us to choose for the Biblical doctrines and to put those human and false teachings aside. We have to show to God that we are willing to learn what He wants to say to us and what the Bible puts openly in front of us, words black on white and no misty myths of the world.

For many it may not be easy to put away all such false human teachings, but that is what God requires, not to be of the world but to belong to the world of God.

Knowledge will be given to you when you are prepared to seek honestly and with the will to learn Godly Truth. When you open your mind, ask God to help you, He will provide and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you.

Keep Pursuing What You Need From God. He Will Give You Good Things

“Be asking, and it will be given to you; be seeking, and you will find; be knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone asking receives; and the one seeking finds; and to the one knocking, it will be opened. Or what person is there from-among you whom his son will ask-for bread— he will not give him a stone[a], will he? 10 Or indeed he will ask-for a fish— he will not give him a snake[b], will he?

  1. Matthew 7:9That is, something useless.
  2. Matthew 7:10That is, something harmful. {Matthew 7:7-10Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)}

For everyone, also you, who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds. So you only have to be prepared to be willing to find and to ask God to help you find it. But you too should help others to find it. So what you have uncovered may not only be your secret. Even when we will realize our failure to see the Biblical truth because we wanted to hold fast so much to denominational teachings, noticing it so late in our life, we better accept it that it is better late in life than never, to come to the Biblical truth.

Out of compassion and love for the other, we should try to let others know the Word of God and show them what is really written in it. One of the tasks given by Jesus was to go out and preach. When we do understand what the Nazarene man Jesus has really done, we should tell others of this incredible act of self-renunciation. We should tell others about his self-sacrifice and how he is not the God we should worship but the Way to God, the Only One True God of gods Whom is the Only One to be worshipped and praised above all.

Jesus expects everyone who hears these words of him to do them!

24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and is doing them will be-like a wise[a] man who built his house upon the bed-rock.

  1. Matthew 7:24Or, prudent, sensible. {Matthew 7:24Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)}

Let us be wise in the Lord and show the world how we want to be partakers of the Body of Christ and follow the same God as Jesus had. In the knowledge that the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, we should be aware that though salvation is given to all the world also shall have to see that those who find that entrance to the Kingdom of God shall be just a few. We should know and let others know that wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss.

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. [L Because] The gate is wide and the road is ·wide [broad; spacious; or easy] that leads to ·hell [L destruction; ruin], and many people enter through that gate. 14 But the gate is small and the road is ·narrow [or difficult; hard] that leads to true life. ·Only a few people [And there are few who] find that road. {Matthew 7:13-14Expanded Bible (EXB)}

For those few we have to invest our free time and do what Jesus expects from us, making sure that we are not a foolish person in his eyes, because he shall watch us and in the end days shall judge over us. Let us listen to Jesus his words:

Matthew 7:25-29Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)

25 And the rain came down, and the rivers[a] came, and the winds blew— and they fell against that house. And it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the bed-rock. 26 And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew— and they struck-against that house. And it fell, and the falling[b] of it was great”.

The Works of The King: Divine Power In Action28 And it came about that when Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astounded[c] at His teaching. 29 For He was teaching them as One having authority, and not as their scribes.

  1. Matthew 7:25 That is, rivers of flood waters.
  2. Matthew 7:27 Or, collapse, downfall.
  3. Matthew 7:28 Or, overwhelmed, amazed, astonished.

{Matthew 7:25-29Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT)}

When having found Jesus his words and having gone deeper into them, finding the Words of his heavenly Father, we should build our own life on them and create the foundation for ways for others also to come closer to God.

There are many ways – travel in our world has never been more readily possible, but whether nearby or further afield, we must, as we read two days ago in Matthew 5,

16 In the same way let your light shine ·before others [for people to see], so that they will see ·the good things you do [L your good deeds/works] and will ·praise [glorify; give honor to] your Father in heaven. {Matthew 5:16 Expanded Bible (EXB)}

Take some time this holiday to have some work done for Jesus and his God that they and the world may see your good works and glorify your Father in the heavens.

Let us also make sure that we tell others what is in the Word of God and have us honestly trying to have our faith in God shine as a strong light before others, so that on that day when Jesus returns we do not have to be ashamed and do not have to say like many who will say to him

… Lord, did we not prophesy (preach) in your name…?”

Having Jesus to look at them and responding that they have to depart from him because he does not want to know of them.

22 On ·the last day [judgment day; L that day] many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ·we spoke for you [L Did we not prophesy in your name…?], and ·through you we forced out demons [L cast out demons in your name…?] and did many ·miracles [L mighty works in your name…?].’ {Matthew 7:22 Expanded Bible (EXB)}

We do not have to show extra-ordinary things to others, not doing miracles. We only have to honestly tell them what we believe and show them what the Bible says.

These days when we might have more free time, let us make sure that we take some free time for God and to show our love for God to others.In the knowledge that “many are called, but few are chosen” let us belong to those “few” that will hear the words we read today in Isaiah 62,

Isaiah 62:11-12 Expanded Bible (EXB)

11 The Lord ·is speaking [announces]
    to ·all the faraway lands [L the end of the earth]:
“·Tell the people of Jerusalem [L Say to the daughter of Zion; Zech. 9:9],
    ‘Look, your Savior is coming.
He is bringing ·your reward to you [L his reward with him];
    ·he is bringing his payment [his recompense/reward is] with him.’”
12 ·His people [L They] will be called the Holy People,
    the ·Saved People [Redeemed] of the Lord,
and Jerusalem will be called ·the City God Wants [L Sought After],
    the City ·God Has Not Rejected [or Not Abandoned; Deserted]. {Isaiah 62:11-12 Expanded Bible (EXB)}

If you knew how much God loves you, you would be happy to receive and share His love with others and would be pleased to have others also coming to know Him and His great Love.

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Preceding articles

Summer holiday

May we have doubts

Facing our existence every day

What Are You Seeking?

High time to go out telling the world about Jesus

7 Ways To Become A Better Christian

What Should I Preach ?

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Crisis man needed in this world

Refusing to Be Silent

Go Ye!

To proclaim the day of vengeance

Proclaiming: a task given to Christians

Go! Proclaim! Testify!

Scriptures and Thoughts about: Proclaim

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Additional reading

  1. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
  2. God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind
  3. Do You Expect God’s Answer
  4. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #17 Sorts of prayers
  5. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #18 Fulfilment
  6. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
  7. We should use the Bible every day
  8. Bible in the first place #2/3
  9. Loving the Word
  10. Necessity of a revelation of creation 8 By no means unintelligible or mysterious to people
  11. Necessity of a revelation of creation 11 Believing and obeying the gospel of the Kingdom of God
  12. Atonement And Fellowship 6/8
  13. Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan
  14. Fragments from the Book of Job #3: chapters 21-26
  15. Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still
  16. Obtain favour from Yahweh
  17. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
  18. Blogging in the world for Jesus and his Father
  19. Sharing thoughts and philosophical writings
  20. Going deep into cultures to reach lost people
  21. Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
  22. How do I know if I’m called to ministry?
  23. Priest, scribes and others with authority
  24. Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom
  25. Oratory Style
  26. What Should I Preach ?
  27. When not seeing or not finding a biblically sound church

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Further reading

  1. Here for a cause, anointed with a message the world needs to hear
  2. Motives behind Criticism are often more Important to deal With then the Criticism itself.
  3. Special Sundays!~Matthew 7:7~
  4. Which Story Do You Want To Live?
  5. Share Jesus
  6. Are you judging people by what they look like?
  7. Do to others…
  8. There is a wolf nipping at your soul
  9. “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.” ~Jesus
  10. Matthew 9 – Stepping forth in courage
  11. Matthew 11 – Praise and trust
  12. Matthew 14 – Prayer, Faith & Action
  13. By His Grace
  14. The Journey of Love and Commitment 
  15. Strengthen Yourself In Your God
  16. “Following Jesus” (Matthew 4:18-22 sermon)
  17. “What We Have Seen … We Proclaim”
  18. “Reaching, Teaching, Caring: Following the Footsteps of Jesus” (Matthew 4:23 sermon)
  19. A Day in the Park
  20. The Goodness of God
  21. Count Your Blessings
  22. The call to serve
  23. See you next time
  24. Christianity is a Learned Experience
  25. Biblical Application
  26. Biblical Revelation Knowledge On Spiritual Warfare
  27. The Gospel of The Kingdom
  28. Do We Really Know God?
  29. Bible Study: Insights on the Sermon on the Mount: The Contrasts
  30. Awaken
  31. 8. Doors and Destinations
  32. Meditation – Choices
  33. The Path of Love
  34. Life’s Narrow and Wide Gates
  35. Love, Entering the Narrow Gate.
  36. The Narrow Way
  37. Religious Theology – The wide gate!
  38. Shifting Sand
  39. Exodus 10, Job 28, Luke 13, 1 Corinthians 14
  40. How to choose between the wide and the narrow
  41. The Narrow Gate
  42. against the stream
  43. Taking responsibility – the narrow gate that leads to life
  44. How to choose between the wide and the narrow:part 3
  45. Difficult is the Way that Leads to Life
  46. Those Who Find It Are Few.
  47. Guard My Feet Lord ~
  48. Two Gates
  49. The Narrow Gate
  50. The Protestant – Catholic divide – The Narrow and the Wide Gates
  51. The Crumb That Turns Stale With Time
  52. Only dead fish swim with the stream
  53. The narrow gate and the postmillennial hope
  54. The Grand Reception
  55. Lord, will only few people be saved?

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Being and Feeling, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Religious affairs, Spiritual affairs, Welfare matters

Not missing your appointment in 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perhaps it is

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

book-1209805_6401Not many people do know why and how important it is to come to read the Bible. Many have no idea how to start doing it. At my first series I look on this matter “Reading the Holy Scriptures“. In it I try to show how reading the Bible is a way of  hearing God’s Word and a way to let us be strengthened. It is a way to allow ourselves to grow whilst we are guided by the One Who knows everything. He is the Omnipotent Who is pervasive, extensive, omnipresent and willing to help us at any moment of the day and night.  He is the Most Trustworthy Supreme Being Who is prepared to be there for us whenever we need Him. He is the One Who can tell us how to prepare for life and is willing to show us what to do and how to serve Him. We can turn to the Bible in times of sadness, joy, worry or bereavement and receive comfort from Gods word.

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

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

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

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

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Please come to find following articles on Immanuel Verbondskind:

***

Wishing you a happy and blessed spiritual New Year

***

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

from-guestwriters-vision-and-mission-20161231

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Find additionally

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

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Further reading

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

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God Loves All People

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

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

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

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

Nothing else can compare to You.

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

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

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

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

She also writes

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

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

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

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Filed under Prayers, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs

7 Ways To Become A Better Christian

Having the Spring-cleaning it is also not bad to do some Spring cleaning in the heart and mind.

Coming closer to the days for which the Bible warns, looking forward to be able to cope in harder times to come, we should work on it to become a better Christian and to get others into the faith. Attracting others to the right faith can only be done by giving a good example and by a good knowledge of the Right Faith and sharing the Truth.

In the knowledge that religion is a man-made thing we should take care to be grounded on Biblical teaching, liberated from all those human doctrines, which only are a burden to the fulfilment of our religious ways of living.

Lets make sure that more people can hear the Word of God and come to see “Who is who” and get to understand that there is only One True God (Jehovah) and only one mediator between God and man (Jeshua = Jesus Christ, the Messiah).

 

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Preceding

Get the lenses out to getting closer again

Happy First Day of Spring: Spring Cleaning!

Something Needs to Change!

The works we have to do according to James

Your Future

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Reggz Magazine

There are a myriad of ways in which one can become a
better Christian. Outlined below are some ways to attain a better relationship with God.

1. Devote every second of your life to Him and His
ways.

2. Keep your trust in the Lord.

3. Read the Bible day and night, as stated by
Joshua chapter 1 verses 8.

4. Understand that there is no such thing as a ‘utopian society’. Thus, as Christians, we are soldiers of God and should preach the word to those who have fallen behind.

5. Do not be a sanctimonious Christian. We are all humans. We all sin. We are far from flawless. If you become a sanctimonious Christian, there is a possibility that you will turn people away from God rather than towards Him.

6. Have faith not in religion, for it is man-made. It is a tool employed by humans to…

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Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer

Today there is still lots of commotion about works and faith. Still too many Christians do think they do not need any works.
The Catholic church, we must say, has from the beginning seen that certain works were necessary. One can not become a Christian without putting the previous life of sin away by having regret, asking for forgiveness of sins and taking steps to show regret (an act to be taken), opening oneself for remission by going for a baptism (a work).

Not only Rome sees baptism as a channel of sanctifying grace, as the primary instrumental cause of justification, and the sacrament of penance, whereby congruous merit is achieved through works of satisfaction, as the supplementary restorative cause whenever the grace of God’s initial acceptance is lost through mortal sin.

Not only for the Roman Catholics believers save themselves with the help of the grace that flows from Christ through the church’s sacramental system. Several other denominations request that people change their life once baptised (which sometimes demands lots of works). Other protestants groups do forget that it is impossible that a Christian would keep living the same sinful life as before his or her baptism. It is an illusion to believe that we are saved by the blood of Christ and would not have to do any works any more because we would go to heaven or always will be allowed to enter God’s Kingdom.

First of all the Kingdom will be here on earth for most of us. And Jesus showed us with his parables the danger of loosing the entrance through the small gate of life in eternity.

Justification may be given free, like people can win a lottery, but if they do not do anything with the price, they will be nothing with it.

For example if I would give you a limousine you are nothing with it if you do not use the key and turn the motor on (a work). Before you can go into the traffic you have to learn the road code and have to learn to drive. Then you will have to drive (doing a job) and shall have to be careful in traffic (taking attention), going to some place (trafficking).

Also with faith we do need to come into the faith (a work), trafficking, having to keep our faith (demands work), read the Word of God regularly and study it (demands work) we have to be careful to keep the code of God, His regulations and ordinances (keeping to the commandments requires work). Jesus also gave the order to go out in the world to proclaim the Gospel of the coming Kingdom (which demands a work) and to come together regularly, i.e. meeting with each other, which demands also some work.

For those who think they do not have to have self-control (which demands work) we must disappoint them. If they keep lying, bullying, stealing, fornicating, murdering, they shall miss the entrance of the coming Kingdom.
If they think it will be so easy in this system of things, we also must disappoint them, because also when baptised there shall be temptations, suffering and so on, which demand stamina to continue (work) in the faith.

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To remember

Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” Galatians 3:11

=> =  we do have to be righteous to be able to live by faith

The author tells us:

  • doctrine of justification, storm center of Reformation = major concern of apostle Paul = heart of gospel (Rom. 1:17; 3:21-5:21; Gal. 2:15-5:1) shaping both his message (Acts 13:38-39) + his devotion + spiritual life (2 Cor. 5:13-21; Phil. 3:4-14).
  • > other New Testament writers affirm same doctrine in substance => terms in which Protestants have affirmed + defended it for almost five centuries are drawn primarily from Paul.
  • Justification = judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly persons, Rom. 4:5; 3:9-24) > accepting them as just => putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself.  > => justifying sentence = God’s gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:15-17) = his bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor. 5:21).
  • God’s justifying decision = judgment of the Last Day, declaring where we shall spend eternity
  • necessary means, or instrumental cause, of justification is personal faith in Jesus Christ as crucified Savior and risen Lord (Rom. 4:23-25; 10:8-13).
  • As we give ourselves in faith to Jesus, Jesus gives us his gift of righteousness, so that in the very act of “closing with Christ,” as older Reformed teachers put it, we receive divine pardon and acceptance which we could not otherwise have (Gal. 2:15-16; 3:24).

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Preceding articles

Luther’s misunderstanding

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

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

Restitution

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Additional reading

  1. The business of this life
  2. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
  3. Believing in the send one and understanding that one does not live by bread alone
  4. Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
  5. Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan
  6. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
  7. People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life
  8. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
  9. Christ’s ethical teaching
  10. Being Justified by faith
  11. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  12. Faith and works
  13. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #8 Prayer #6 Communication and manifestation
  14. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying
  15. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
  16. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
  17. Running away from the past
  18. Malefactors becoming your master
  19. Be holy
  20. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
  21. Love for each other attracting others

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Further related articles

  1. No Regrets
  2. Day 19: Things to regret
  3. Access: Denied
  4. Giving our regret to God
  5. Reminisce
  6. Life is like a river
  7. Questions & Answers About Lent
  8. Godly Sorrow Leads Us on to a Glorious Celebration of the Gospel
  9. A Threefold Malice
  10. Reconciliation
  11. Penance – Chapter One
  12. Wednesday of Septuagesima week: O, Merciful God! Have Mercy On Me The Fallen One!
  13. CFP: Discipline and Excess (Cambridge Friday, April 15, 2016)
  14. That kind of Franciscan
  15. The Savior of the World
  16. (01/07/2016) Salvation Only Through Christ?
  17. My Take on the Gay Marriage Bill.
  18. Missing the Mark
  19. Leading people astray!
  20. Tips for Gracious Living: Bad Driving
  21. Unfaithful fornicating adulterating Christians will perish
  22. We don’t meet God 1/2 way.
  23. The Salesman
  24. Actions are the Megaphone of Words
  25. The Justification of Abraham
  26. (01/13/2016) How To Treat Unbelievers?
  27. Tuesday Devotional: Revelation 2
  28. Fashion advice?
  29. (12/31/2015) By Faith, Not By Interpretation?
  30. Faithfulness
  31. Seeing Christ
  32. Faith in Action

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Verlore seun

Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” GALATIANS 3:11

The doctrine of justification, the storm center of the Reformation, was a major concern of the apostle Paul. For him it was the heart of the gospel (Rom. 1:17; 3:21-5:21; Gal. 2:15-5:1) shaping both his message (Acts 13:38-39) and his devotion and spiritual life (2 Cor. 5:13-21; Phil. 3:4-14). Though other New Testament writers affirm the same doctrine in substance, the terms in which Protestants have affirmed and defended it for almost five centuries are drawn primarily from Paul.

Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly persons, Rom. 4:5; 3:9-24), accepting them as just, and so putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself. This justifying sentence is God’s gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:15-17), his bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus’ sake (2…

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

Another Beginning

Having to go back to school gives us an occasion to meet more people than we would do when in our family, staying in our own habitat, enjoying our little cocoon.

A view of the academic wing of BOHS.

A view of the academic wing of BOHS. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Going back to school or to work shall bring us again on the streets, taking public transport, facing many different faces each day, meeting again old but also new faces.

In the school-year we shall have many occasions to meet people to hear to them but also to talk to them.
We also should take many opportunities to talk about that what is deep in our heart and gives us a fury love.

Being in the world does not mean we do have to be off the world and have to take part in all those things which we should consider not applicable. So, again we shall have to make choices and show to others which High-Way we want to go.
This shall create again some new important moments for us to witness.
Let us not forget to proclaim that Good News which gives us hope and gives us every time over and over again some new energy.

*

Remember:

  • reflect upon the summer and think about the hopes
  • encouragement can go a long way
  • a small hug or word can change an entire day around
  • make an effort to read Scripture every single day
  • do not walk in step with the wicked
  • do not stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers
  • set goals for yourself
  • Be an encourager

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Preceding:

Helping each other with prayer to start the new academic year

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

The Door is Open

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mingle with mo

Endings are a great way to begin. Today marks my last day of summer. I am sad to see it go, but I am happy to embrace the new school year ahead. Tomorrow morning I will be loading up the car, packing it extremely tight just to fit everything I “need” and I will make the journey back to campus.

As the handful of hours I do have left pass by, I cannot help but reflect upon the summer and think about the hopes I have for my sophomore year. I had a wonderful summer filled with work, trips, family and friends. I explored the west coast of Michigan, flew on 5 different planes, found out that LAX does not have a lot of food choices and a saw a black bear in the Smoky Mountains. This summer was special to me and it gave me a lot of memories…

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An uncovering book to explore

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

"WHICH BOOK, HOLY BIBLE" - NARA - 516150

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

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

Many want others to believe that it is

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quadruple combination opened to the Book of Is...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good luck with it.

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Preceding articles:

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do lis

Genre – Playing by the Rules

The Need to Understand Genre

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

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Additional reading:

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

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The Need to Understand Genre

When we look at the Book of books, the Bible, as we said in the previous article, it is important to take the words and genres as they are written down and passed on from one generation unto the next.

The Gutenberg Bible displayed by the United St...

The Gutenberg Bible displayed by the United States Library of Congress, demonstrating printed pages as a storage medium. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God is a God of order and did not give His Words in such a form that ordinary people would not be able to understand it. It is written so that every person can get wisdom out of it.
It is true it is not directly written for us in this time, but has to be looked at writings for those times when those people were living in total different conditions than we now.

God has communicated His message to special individuals over thousands of years. But he wrote first for them, in their time and in their culture. He preserved the message for us, but it was first written to another people in another time. {The Bible is simple… right?}

In the knowledge that they had a  different cultural background to us, we should look at those writings from that standpoint.

The original audience was an ancient one. They knew nothing of the science, technology, medicine, and other things that define our modern world. They knew little of democracy, and literacy was not widespread. It is only in the modern era, from perhaps the 18th century onwards, that literacy has been common. Even today literacy is not as widespread as it should be. Consider then that the original audience most commonly would have heard rather than read the text! {The Bible is simple… right?}

As such the text often was intended to be of a format that people could easily remember. For this reason stories instead of literal or scientific reviews of happenings were a good way. Most important for the Biblical writers was to bring over the message of God. To convey His message and to bring it in such a way people at that time could understand it. Therefore we also should look for the intentions of the writing and for what is being emphasised in the passages.

One of the most important aspects of the human side of the Bible is that, in order to communicate his word to all human conditions, God chose to use almost every available kind of communication: narrative history, genealogies, chronicles, laws of all kinds, poetry of all kinds, proverbs, prophetic oracles, riddles, drama, biographical sketches, parables, letters, sermons, and apocalypses.

To interpret properly the “then and there” of the biblical texts, one must not only know some general rules that apply to all the words of the Bible, but one also needs to learn the special rules that apply to each of these literary forms (genres). The way God communicates the divine word to us in the “here and now” will often differ from one form to another. For example, we need to know how a psalm, a form often addressed to God, functions as God’s word to us, and how certain psalms differ from others, and how all of them differ from “the laws,” which were often addressed to people in cultural situations no longer in existence. How do such “laws” speak to us, and how do they differ from the moral “laws,” which are always valid in all circumstances? Such are the questions the dual nature of the Bible forces on us.

Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Fourth Edition.; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 26–27.

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Preceding articles:

Genre – Playing by the Rules

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do list

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Additional reading:

  1. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
  2. The faithful God
  3. Have you also been deceived
  4. Increased in wisdom in favour with God
  5. The very very beginning 2 The Word and words
  6. Necessity of a revelation of creation 2 Organisation of a system of things
  7. Necessity of a revelation of creation 3 Getting understanding by Word of God 1
  8. Creator and Blogger God 11 Old and New Blog 1 Aimed at one man
  9. The Metaphorical language of the Bible
  10. Background to look at things

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Genre – Playing by the Rules

English: religion - composition old bible book...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Preceding:

Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities

Inner voice inside the soul of man

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Holiday making and dreaming

Home-stayers and their to do list

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Additional reading:

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

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Biblical Cogitations

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

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

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

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Holiday making and dreaming

We have entered a time when people go away from their own private environment and go into the wide world to enjoy their free time, hoping to have a marvellous Summertime. There is vacation time which can bring a “staycation” or bringing some time to go here and there or even further away, crossing boarders. For some it may be the maximising time for others the minimizing time.

When away from home many are not afraid to show their other ‘me’ and present themselves to others like they would not do in their daily working life. It is at their holiday time we often can see them more becoming like they really are. We can see then the man or the animal coming out of the person. Holiday time is the time that men can be seen as lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Seeing such people we should know better and from such turn away (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

So rude and crass has our society become that there is little acceptance of personal responsibility for what anyone says to another, or even the sense or feeling that, “Wow, I wouldn’t want someone to insult what is sacred to me, so maybe I ought not approach another (especially someone I don’t even know!) in that manner just because I have a case of ‘screen rage’.” (If anything is thought of as sacred anymore, that is…) That’s like road rage – the perception that it’s OK to curse, or yell at, or insult someone just because you are encased in something the size of a Sherman Tank, so you feel safe. The other person cannot reach through your computer screen or the windshield of your big SUV to strangle you, so it must be OK. Not! {Proverbially Speaking / Chapter 21}

Already in the normal working hours, time at home, many people do not show interest in God, but when away we do hear some making jokes about believers, be it Christians, Jews or Muslims, and mocking at holy scriptures.

It is a time when we can see and hear more people scorn and shun the Bible and openly renounce it, although they have never actually read it.

Within The Holy Spirit looks at those people who do not want to have a connection with the Maker of this universe, and writes:

It would seem to me that they might be at least curious about it – enough to open up a copy and find out for themselves – even if simply from the perspective of a good whodunit, or as something controversial that you might want to check out. {Proverbially Speaking / Chapter 21}

Lots of holidaymakers do like to complain to others about their country, their government and want to let others know how better it is somewhere else.
In case belief comes on the tip of the tongue guests leave or do find a possibility to attack those who have faith in that what is not seen. Many deny the little piece of heaven within themselves which has a sparkle with Divine Radiance itself! Then we can find many who have forgotten that little attic in their own personal life, where many treasures are.

The holiday season may be for many the escape gate to heavenly dreams.

Making intuitive art, as far as I’m concerned, is a means of “dreaming while you’re awake.” The whole process acts like meditation or contemplation – it bypasses all the mental clutter [drifting thoughts,worries, obsessing, anxiety, negative emotions, and so forth] and takes you right into the Heart and Center of your Soul. It’s here that you may meet with your Higher Self, your Inner Creator and all the spiritual and life changing awarenesses you may be looking for. {The ART of Conscious Dreaming, or the ART of Dreaming Awake}

Holiday time is also the time of getting lots of impressions and experiencing lovely explorations. On holiday one is left with distinct impressions and with many different meetings, with perhaps making new friends. Having time to reflect and looking from a distance on the own life and at the house environment, the traveller “sees” his or her own meaning in the art of travelling and in the art of being.

Often these meanings can provide confirmation of such things as where you are in life, or where you need to move forward, or what on Earth is happening to you for “Heaven’s” sake, and other useful answers you may be seeking!  {The ART of Conscious Dreaming, or the ART of Dreaming Awake}

Surprisingly these meanings can be multi-layered, as the person becomes increasingly aware of him or herself as a far more expansive Being than he or she may have ever realized before.

It is possible to practice the art of dreaming awake wherever you may be – on a bus or plane, waiting in the doctor’s office, or just grabbing a quiet moment to retreat to the kitchen table with pen and sketch pad in hand, while the kids are doing their homework or watching their favorite television program.

However, I would recommend that if you desire to commit to taking this inner treasure hunt seriously, that you carve out some “sacred space” for yourself, and at least a half hour per day when you can distance yourself from routine concerns and commitments, and insist upon committing to this on your own behalf! {The ART of Conscious Dreaming, or the ART of Dreaming Awake}

With all the dreaming going on it is not bad to have your mind also going into higher spheres trying to reach higher goals. For this the Book of books, the Bible, the infallible Word of God can help.

Most people are sort-sighted, looking for the treasures on earth and not interested in treasures for much later in future.

There is no understanding or acceptance of the need to be saved, about the redemption through Jesus Christ, or its implications for mankind.

This is simply not a part of the program for so many people who are into “metaphysics” or what they like to call “spirituality”. The preference in these circles seems to be personal power and/or the attainment of what feels good. A birthright has been exchanged for a bowl of porridge! {The ART of Conscious Dreaming, or the ART of Dreaming Awake}

At our usual times, at home, at work, most people do not feel like it to take up the holy scriptures. Lots of people do not know that the Bible is a treasury. In that book they shall be able to find many answers to their many questions. Though often man prefers to ask their questions to other people.

One thing about human beings is that many of us have little natural inclination toward reading the instructions or asking directions. I’ve found this to be true of myself from time to time, I’ll be the first to admit. Although at the end of the day, after enduring a lot of frustration, I may succumb and surrender, humbling myself to opening a set of instructions on some “smart” device which has me baffled. A good example of this is the cellphone or other 21st century inventions which have become the mother of “need”. I may or may not open the book, read, and heed – depending on the degree of frustration I’ve experienced going about things by the seat of my pants. {Insurrectionists And Instructions}

Most people do know and want to do it the Frank Sinatra way, going for ‘my way’.

Humanity seems notoriously hands on when it comes to doing things “my way or the highway”, as we grapple with life and its challenges.

It’s been said that some think they have evolved beyond the “consciousness” where they need any guidance at all from any external Wisdom, especially that silly old Bible or God. No, we’re far too advanced for that. It’s irrelevant for our time, except maybe for the backward. Besides, all we have to do is “go within” where the font of all wisdom is to be found. One has to ask, what is the source of that sort of arrogance? {Insurrectionists And Instructions}

On holiday you may hear several people finding religion a dangerous business. Many think it is the cause of all wars. Others might find that religion is entertainment.

You know – the parlor games crowd. Dabbling with no commitments. Spiritual one night stands. Tarot readings, newspaper astrology, palm readings… reading everything but the Bible. Seances, visiting haunted buildings, dancing in circle under a full moon, spoon bending, retreats and workshops on how to discover or enhance your psychic abilities or see auras. This is the group that objects most vehemently to the word religion for some reason. No, we are spiritual. {Cross Purposes 30 / Reasons For Religion}

Summertime meeting time on the beach (2012 Art Belgian Beach exhibition)

Summertime meeting time on the beach (2012 Art Belgian Beach exhibition)

On the other hand it also a time where we can get others interested in the unseen. Several people do have a curiosity about the “unseen”. Away from home and work some might be more at ease to talk to strangers about those matters we so often do not understand. They might find it not such a bad time to involve themselves in metaphysical research.

The word itself simply means “beyond the physical”. There are many branches of metaphysical science. It’s essentially the study of how the unseen – “energy” – effects the realm of matter, what we can see. It is the study of the interplay of cause and effect of the unseen on the seen – prayer, positive thinking, science of mind, affirmations, and the like. Personally I do not actually regard this as a religion, except to add that paradoxically all religions have metaphysical practices and tools. Metaphysical science observes and theorizes how religious practices work, for example, how does prayer or ritual effect physical situations? Yet it would also include the effects of light or color (art and symbolism), sound or vibration (music), within integrative healing settings. {Cross Purposes 30 / Reasons For Religion}

Leaving behind the mess at home, people on holiday love to have the luxury of waiters and chambermaids taking care of them.

For the spiritual supply they have to take care themselves. They can go see places but next to it they need filling their mind with words from books.

One of the best books to supply necessary food is the Bible and now we can take much more time than at work-time.

… many things are written, spoken, and ruminated on today concerning what we think we don’t have, or what we’re afraid we’re going to lose… or all the awful things someone else is doing which violate our rights and the like. {Upbeat 1}

Lots of ideas are interchanged on holiday. Thoughts from many cultures. Lots of jokes may be made but lots of fears may be shared as well.

Listening to or reading many of these heavy gloom and doom reports, and political agendas, although they may be very informative, can have a real down and outer effect on us – especially if we’re sensitive and caring about what happens to our loved ones, other people in our life, and ourselves as well. I do in fact have to wonder if the propaganda mill has allowed some of the commentators to spill the beans as they do, because of the fearful effect it has on people. Being bombarded with fear tears down good moods, self confidence, creates apathy, anxiety, compromise, and the like. It can make your plate seem more full than it really is.

It really is a mind over matter issue in many ways.

Thus we find that we must really be very cautious about how much of this kind of thinking we partake of every day, or even how much we dwell on our own personal issues and problems. {Upbeat 1}

Summertime is the good time to fill in the absence of God and to take time to operate out of fear or turn to the source of love, the choice is and always has been yours.

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Preceding articles:

Summerholiday season time to read the Bible

Psst! Spread The Good Word!

Next: Home-stayers and their to do list

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Related articles:

  1. People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers
  2. How we think shows through in how we act
  3. Knowing where to go
  4. Try driving forward instead of backwards
  5. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses

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Find more about these subjects at other websites:

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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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Filed under Lifestyle, Religious affairs

The faithful God

In the world to day many have drifted far away from the truth. Lots of people do not want to see the relation of what happened in the garden of Eden at the beginning of times and what was promised there.

Several people may believe in the promise made over there but still think that one Messiah still has to come. Others do not want to believe the Creator was able to make perfect human being who could follow His commandments and therefore He would have to have come down to the earth to fake his death and to fake that He was taken out of the dead.

Scriptures tells us that man nor death can do God anything. That truth is overlooked by many man. They seem to forget that God is a loving God Who keeps His promises and Who says things how they are, not wanting disorder, but order like He created order out of chaos. that was part of His creation and is still part of His Plan.

Our hopes should be in that Plan of God which shall come to be fulfilled. The adversary of God is always around trying to confuse people and to bring them on the wrong path, making them worshipping some else than God the Divine Creator of heaven and earth.

It is Jesus who invites us to come and sit at his table. Jesus and God are knocking at our doors. Jesus is the Way to God and the Way to the Kingdom of God.
With the birth of Jesus the kingdom came near and people had to come to see the messenger of God, who was promised already long ago. Many did not want to see in this miracle-worker the man of God, the prophet who would trample the figurative snake, making an end to its killing snakebite. With Jesus’ death became nailed at the wooden stake, but people still had to come to accept his offer, like his heavenly Father accepted the ransom offer.

Jesus asked us to become one like he is one with the Father. That is not such an easy task, because Jesus managed to do the Will of God and did put his will totally aside to please the Only One God. Naturally in case Jesus is God he always would have done his own will, but here we have a man of flesh and blood who was wiling to put himself totally aside for helping others, for having the best relationship with the Creator.

We too should go for that best relationship with the Divine Creator Deity. He is the One Who calls and has given us His only begotten son so we may be cleared of our sins. Like Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father and taught us to pray we too should pray to god and only worship Him.

The best way to come to see who is Jesus and who is his heavenly Father and what God has prepared for us, we best read regularly the Bible and study it carefully. By letting the Word of God come into our mind and in our heart, the Spirit of God, God His Force can work in us.

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Preceding articles:

What is the truth asked also Pontius Pilate

Truth, doubt or blindness

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Find additionally:

  1. Wishing to do the will of God
  2. Christ begotten through the power of the Holy Spirit
  3. Jesus and his God
  4. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus

 

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  • Citizens Of Another World (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
    True Christians are pilgrims and strangers in a strange land. Not only is our citizenship in heaven, but positionally we are now seated in Christ Jesus in the heavenlies.
  • Why Faith? (conquerorshots.com)
    The Greek word for faith is pistis. The meaning is the conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it

    1. relating to God

      1. the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ

    2. relating to Christ

      1. a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God

  • Psalm – Song Book of Praise (africanaprincess.wordpress.com)
    God is our creator, father, healer, mother, friend, provided, helper, judge,etc… He gave his only son Jesus to die for our sins. God sees us through Jesus and not our sinful nature.  Without the sacrifice we would be lost in sin. But God! But God!
  • Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth ! (tonysonblogger.wordpress.com)
    It’s as if the Creator had no sense of fair play and justice – unbelievable!  If it is true, then, were certain souls sent down to earth from the Heavens to suffer poverty, pain and misery on attaining the human form for a predestined period of time?
  • “I go to prepare a place for you.” (christianity201.wordpress.com)
    Some will imagine Jesus as a Master renovator, but that is not really what is happening here. As one Bible scholar points out, Jesus “goes” and His journey begins at the cross. It is there that the preparations begin. It is there that we find, not the Master Renovator, but the Master Redeemer. There is wood and there are nails, but this project is like nothing Mike Holmes has ever tackled. This is not about Jesus making the afterlife fit for us, but about Jesus making us fit for eternal life with God. It is about Jesus dying on the cross so that we could live with God in His home. It is about Jesus rising from the dead, so that one day we will rise to discover that

    the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; (Revelation 21:3 NRSV)

  • I Have Sinned (4110fearnot.wordpress.com)
    Everyone sins; everyone falls short (Romans 3:23). That’s the bad news. But the good news is that Christ Jesus has built a bridge over the gap that was created by sin. God is holy and He can’t stand sin—sin is anything against God. So as we sin, we are moving ourselves away from God. The blood of Christ was poured out for each one of us to have a way to be righteous (right with God). Only if we believe in Him are we saved from the sin punishment. Even so, we must continue to repent for our sins and recognize our constant need for Jesus Christ.
  • The Essene Gospel of Peace: The Early Teachings of Christ – part 2 of 3 (vaticproject.blogspot.com)
    The Essenes left Jerusalem  to rid themselves of the pagan influences of the Greeks and the Romans, after founding a community of like minded essene worshippers, at the Dead Sea.   These teaching were apparently an extension of the 2 greatest commandments about love and the rest of the 10 commandments.  Some of the sayings in here we have heard or read many times before and were the foundation for our legal system.
  • Empowering Thought for Today: Strategies Satan use against your Prayer Life! (crosbyp12003.wordpress.com)
    rayer is more than words and time.  Prayer is action!  Prayer involves faith and faith without works is dead( scripture).Prayer is the most attacked by the kingdom of darkness. Prayer tears downs strongholds and invisible kingdoms. If a believer has no prayer life it’s like saying they have no oxygen and connection to their lifeline.
  • Look – the Messiah! (betsybeadhead.com)
    People will say ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ Don’t listen to them or go where they show you. False messiahs and false prophets will gain prominence and will mislead a lot of people by performing great signs and wonders. Even the elect are at risk of being led astray by them.”
  • Treasure in a Suitcase (blueskiesandlollipops.wordpress.com)
    The life Jesus lived was of one brings Heaven’s reality to earth, of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. When there was lack, He brought provision. Where there was affliction, He brought freedom. When there was sickness, He brought healing. Where there was death, He brought life. Bill Johnson wrote this “What is free to operate in Heaven – Joy, peace, wisdom, health, wholeness, and all the other good promises we read about in the Bible – Should be free to operate here on this planet.”

The Father's Heart

“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

Deuteronomy 7:9NKJV

The Lord is faithful to His word and to every promise.  This is why it is so important for us to be in the word every day reading it and meditating upon it.  God’s word is filled with promises and testimonies of individuals who trusted in the Lord with all their heart and that He was faithful every time.  His word is the food and sustenance of our spiritual lives.  We must feed on it daily.

The enemy will often times come to us and lie to us and tell us that the things the Lord has promised us and created us for will never come to pass.  They are simply lies and every lie of…

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Filed under Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs