Learning from ourselves

Often it are the setbacks that bring people back with their feet on the ground and have they rethink about their position in this world and in their life.

The most difficult part in our life is often to liberate ourself from the chain of vanity that may have caught us, and to get to learn that we better have to become an instrument in the Hands of our Creator, following His path He has laid out in front of us.

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To remember

“You teach best what you most need to learn.”  = line from Richard Bach’s book ‘Illusions’ running through mind

Marianne Williamson frequently shares very personal stories about her honest trials through life which makes her advice all the more more palatable

• We share in our own ways + we learn in our own ways

 

today’s lesson = Humility.

• ego wants to (and has been) defending self, making excuses, + trying to justify own actions
• making way through personal feelings of remorse, embarrassment, + confusio
• often advice we give to others = exact advice we need ourselves.
• hold ourselves to some ridiculous standard of “perfection” => too self-conscious to admit struggle with things we advise others to do.
• listen to ourselves +  realize things we passionately want to teach other people = things we, ourselves, truly want to learn + embody =>  vigilant level of self awareness + honesty

enhance + deepen relationships with others + ability to impact them in a positive way

1)  Be Honest

2)  Have Compassion

3)  Stop Trying to be Perfect =>  sense of freedom

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Preceding

I is for Incompleteness

Timeless Insights on Humility

Adar 6, Matan Torah remembering the giving of Torah

In the people of God their year 2448 (1313 BCE), on the 6th (or 7th) day of the third month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar, Sivan, after Moshe was called up at the mountain of Sinai, God told his chosen one what to tell to the people. With the Shemoth or  Exodus from Egypt only three months in the past, the Jews arrive at Mount Sinai to hear a terrible noise and to see flashing lights. They saw a mountain which was been touched and burned with fire and to blackness and to darkness and to tempest.

“Now all of the people were seeing the thunder-sounds, the flashing-torches, the shofar sound, and the mountain smoking; when the people saw, they faltered and stood far off.”
(Exodus 20:15 SB)

“The people stood far off, and Moshe approached the fog where God was.”
(Exodus 20:18 SB)

Moshe having entered into the thick ‘darkness’ of the clouds, came to hear the Voice of God, the Most High Divine Creator. God spoke to Moshe

“… Say thus to the Children of Israel: You yourselves have seen that it was from the heavens that I spoke with you.”
(Exodus 20:19 SB)

V11p133004 Torah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There God gave to the Children of Israel what is by most Christians known as the “Ten commandments” but would be better referred to as the (literal translation) ““The Ten Sayings” or Decalogue. These Sayings including more than ten actual mitzvahs. Later Jeshua would tell that he has come not to take that Law away, like so many christians think, but to explain it and to fulfil it.

“Do not suppose that I came to tear-down the law or the prophets; I did not come to tear-down, but to fulfil.”
(Matthew 5:17 MLV)

“But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one serif of the law to fall short.”
(Luke 16:17 MLV)

“Now I am saying this: the law, which happened four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not invalidate a covenant* validated beforehand by God in reference to Christ so as to do-away-with the promise.”
(Galatians 3:17 MLV)

Many thousand years ago God found it time that what He wanted people would know very well what He expected from them. He wanted to make it clear to them what His expectations were.
He made it clear what He wanted man to keep to.

For those who doubt it, or use graven images in their worship places God made it clear He does not like such things.

“You are not to make beside me gods of silver, gods of gold you are not to make for yourselves!”
(Exodus 20:20 SB)

No body, who wants to be a child of God, may have more than One God before him or may become unequally yoked with unbelievers and take part in pagan rites and pagan festivals (like Halloween, Christmas, Easter, just to call a few).

It was on Sivan 2 that the Almighty God tells Moshe that He not only wants to give the Jews the Torah, but also wants to make them His chosen, set apart or holy nation, who will follow His commandments. The Jews wholeheartedly agree, replying,

“All God wishes we will do.”

On the third day of the month Moses relays the Jews’ answer to God and then returns to the Jews to tell them that he will be the messenger for the Ten Sayings; that what God told him up high on the mountain.

This weekend, Adar 6, 5777, we remember the giving of Torah and this transitional moment in our history — a moment known as Matan Torah (the Giving of the Torah). No longer were we merely the descendants of a great man named Abraham, or simply a Middle-Eastern people known as the Israelites. We had now become God’s people, chosen to learn His Torah and keep its laws. It’s a moment we celebrate every year on the festival of Shavuot, and this year will take place from May 30–June 1.

The Torah and Talmudic sources describe the delivery of the Ten Commandments as a unique experience — complete with thunder, lightning and a smoking mountaintop — and an event of historic significance. Yet the Talmudic account itself actually makes it quite difficult to understand what was so earth-shattering about

“the giving of the Torah.”

It was not that people did not yet know God’s Will. A significant body of legislation and moral lore was already in existence long before the historic event described as “the giving of the Torah.” Indeed, even without the Talmudic tradition it would seem that all of the Ten Commandments given at Sinai are either philosophical axioms (e.g., monotheism), moral imperatives and ideals (e.g., do not murder, do not steal, honour your father and mother, do not covet), or previously received mandates (e.g., the Sabbath). In other words, not the sort of material that would seem to warrant a divine revelation — and certainly not one of such grandeur.

But we should know that it was no simple handing over a book of lore …  God gave man the basic rules to live by, the Ten Commandments.

Please do understand, though the name of the event — the Giving of the Torah — implies that the entire Torah was given that day, this is not the case. In fact, only the Ten Commandments were taught to us that day, and even they were only transmitted verbally. The physical luchot—the tablets — were not given for another 40 days.

Nevertheless, the name remains, as it marks the day the Elohim began the process of giving us the Torah. In that light we should remember this weekend which great gift we were given so that it would be much easier for us to know how to keep in line with God’s desires.

First we were taught the Ten Commandments. Then, Moses stayed on Mount Sinai to learn from God, for 40 days. We too can take such 40 days to meditate and wonder about our relationship with the Most High. You can call it a time of reflection. Also Jeshua took such a time to think about what God wanted from him and his followers. He too had gone in the desert for 40 days to contemplate. Jeshua also took time to cogitate and was not afraid to deny the requests from others to denounce God or to test God. Also God’s people had to wait such a long time before they saw Moshe back. Though they proved not to be as strong as Moshe and Jeshua, Jesus Christ, who thought it most important to do the Will of God and not his own will. Though it is clearly impossible for Moshe to have learned ‘all 385 commandments’, he did learn the rules they are based on, and so it is considered as if he actually learned them. On stone tablets the basic 10 sayings cover most rules. The rest of the Torah was communicated in stages throughout the Jews’ 40-year sojourn in the desert.

In short we could say

The Ten Commandments

1. Believe in Only One God.
2. Do not believe in other deities.
3. Do not take God’s name in vain.
4. Keep Shabbat.
5. Honour your parents.
6. Don’t murder.
7. Don’t commit adultery.
8. Don’t kidnap.
9. Don’t give false testimony.
10. Don’t covet another’s possessions.

The Ten Commandments, In SVG (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This our the basic rules for man to follow. The 4 first ones you could consider laws believers in God should follow, but the 5th until the 10th commandment form the basic rules for all people, who should take care to be able to live with each other in the best and most peaceful conditions. By obeying those given ethic laws for humanity man should be able to live in peace.

Although Matan Torah is known as the time when God gave us His Torah to study and keep, there were a few Israelites who had kept the entire Torah of their own volition before Matan Torah.

Now the moment had come that the Elohim Hashem Jehovah asked man to take the act of making a conscious choice or decision. It had become time man had to show for Whom he wanted to stand. From the beginning of times God had given man freedom to act or judge on one’s own. Now it is time for man to show that he has the ability or power to discern what is responsible or socially appropriate.

Man has to make the choice how he is going to behave in a community. He has to choose the position he is going to take opposite others and how he is going to treat them.

Before Matan Torah, those who observed Torah did so entirely of their own accord. It was their own choice and we can not tell in what way they wanted to do it. We can only guess how they saw it as a matter of having a good relationship with the Divine Creator.

Probably their connection to God, therefore, was only as deep as their understanding and feeling. Like today people who come into the faith cannot know yet all what they have to keep to and have to go on a path of learning to come to know what God really wants from them.

The Title page of Mishnah Torah by Moshe ben Maimon haRambam, published in Venice in 1575 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For us tonight having Matan Torah in our mind, we look at the time the Elohim connected His Essence to the Torah and gave it to mankind and as such also to us. Each of us has the own responsibility now to decide to accept that given Torah or to deny it. Each of us should see how The Law of God is our safeguarding but also our inner set apart (holy) contact with the Most High. When we observe the Torah, therefore, we are connected to God’s essence, no matter who we are and how much we understand or feel. {Likutei Sichot, vol. 28, pp. 11-12.}

Fear may have seized those at the fields before the mountain of Sinai, but we should not be in fear, because “God has visited his people!” and given His instructions so that they could live according to the Wishes of God. We should know that in every place where God’s Name is recorded He will come to us and will bless us.

“Moshe said to the people: Do not be afraid! For it is to test you that God has come, to have awe of him be upon you, so that you do not sin.”
(Exodus 20:17 SB)

“A slaughter-site of soil, you are to make for me, you are to slaughter upon it your offerings-up, your sacrifices of shalom, your sheep and your oxen! At every place where I cause my name to be recalled I will come to you and bless you.”
(Exodus 20:21 SB)

“I will make a great nation of you and will give-you-blessing and will make your name great. Be a blessing!”
(Genesis 12:2 SB)

“So are they to put my name upon the Children of Israel, that I myself may bless them.”
(Numbers 6:27 SB)

Moshe wrote down the Words of God and that way even today we can read what God wants from His creatures.

“Now Moshe wrote down all the words of YHWH. He started-early in the morning, building a slaughter-site beneath the mountain and twelve standing-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel.”
(Exodus 24:4 SB)

Moses repeated the commandments to the people, detail by a Carolingian book illuminator circa 840 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Preceding articles

Our life depending on faith

God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace

Mishmash of a legal code but importance of mitzvah or commandments

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

Whoopi Goldberg commandments and abortion

29. Laws that Value People

Responsibilities of Parenthood for sharing the Word of God

Luther’s misunderstanding

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Additional reading

1. Statutes given unto us
2. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
3. Necessary to be known all over the earth
4. God-breathed prophetic words written torah and the mitzvot to teach us
5. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
6. Displeasures and Actions of the Almighty GodJudeo-Christian values and liberty
7. Not trying to make the heathen live like Jews #1
8. Hello America and atheists
9. 1,500 to 1,700 years old Chiselled tablet with commandments sold at auction

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Further reading

1. Our Competition With God
2. A Summary of Exodus
3. February 6, 2017-The Beginning of Law’
4. Intro to the Ten Commandments or The Ten Words
5. Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-17
6. Exodus 24:12-18 Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights
7. The first commandment – Putting God first
8. God verses our gods
9. God’s nature revealed as Law
10. The 10 Commandments
11. The Ten Commandments
12. The Ten Commandments and Prophesy
13. Daily Prompt: Ten
14. Do You Keep the Ten Commandments
15. 10 Rules Worth Following
16. Ten Commandments
17. Do the Ten Commandments apply to Christians?
18. The beginning
19. Can the Old Covenant be abolished if the Ten Commandments are not?
20. “The Catechism in Six Parts: The Ten Commandments”
21. How Not to Learn from The Bible
22. God the Father – “I did not create you so that you could do whatever you want…”
23. Want What You’ve Got! (Lent)
24. Christian Parenting, Ten Commandments, and Les Miserables
25. It Depends
26. Idolatry & The Shack
27. Honor Your Parents
28. What I’m Reading: Are You Normal?
29. Simple Standard
30. Rules of the Road
31. Sabbath, Creation, Guarding and Observing
32. Top Ten Secrets From The Foundation Of Our World
33. Simply following the Ten Commandments isn’t enough
34. Seven Fundamental Practices: Sabbath Rest
35. Sermon: Who Do You Love?
36. Love and the Meaninglessness of Scripture
37. Lying
38. Lust of the eyes
39. Morality and neurochemical impulses
40. Shorty*: What Ultimately Comforted Job?
41. Jesus Christ – “Remember, you are not here to please man with your actions but God – God’s Laws never change”
42. I’ll Do It My Way -the terrible harvest of moral relativism

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High time to show the way to peace

Vagabonds of the Western World (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The world has always known people who had problems with their relationship and even went to fight with each other because they wanted things of the other person. Wars have been a common thing for humanity. In the West we may be pleased after World War II the fighting was less than in previous centuries, but still lots of internal battles make many lives sour.

In the West, though, there are many who call themselves Christian and even say the Western World belongs to the Christians and Is or should be Christian. When they are afraid Muslims would take over they should more question themselves how it is possible that so many people do want to leave Christendom for that other religion.

This year we do remember that it is 2020 years ago that rabbi Jeshua, Jesus Christ, was born. At that special occasion we should better question what mankind made of that man and what they did with his teachings.

Rabbi Jeshua was a man of peace, who did not favour one for the other but thought and treated everybody likewise. For a good or even a bad person this rabbi had always an ear and was always ready to help. All his teachings were about an unmistakably Great Love. The great master teacher, who came to be known in the West as Jesus Christ, was a man of action and not of words only. His words were like balsam. In his words there was no place for hatred or jealousy. He was an example of humbleness, tenderness, full of love and kindness. He was not a bringer of war but a bringer of peace.

When people also would follow his teachings they would have less problems and there would be less friction or peevishness.

This image was selected as a picture of the week on the Malay Wikipedia for the 44th week, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today, we have reached an era of which the Bible warns mankind. We too should take heed and see what is going on, as signs prophesied in the Book of books, the Bible. Noticing all those signs of coming troublesome times we should be fully aware that we best make work of those tidings Christ Jesus has brought to mankind.

When all those who say they are Christian, which should mean they are willing and doing what Jesus asks from them, following his teachings and his example, they should know that as all different body parts together they should make one strong healthy body, the Body of Christ.

When all Christians would start in their own surroundings already trying to create that peace of Christ, also trying to accept other Christians and willing to work together with them, the world would become a much better place.

Christians should show others that Jesus is not only the Way to God but also the Way to life and to  world peace. With Jesus we shall be able to find a (restored) kingdom, where there shall be no grudges, no jealousy, no fighting. One might be surprised how it could still be in reach.

Please do not wait any longer. Do not postpone. Tell others about that man born 2020 years ago and show them why we should put our eyes on him. Let others see why that Nazarene man was so important for mankind and let them understand he is the only working solution for mankind. Jesus is the way, and all should know it!

How more people shall come to Jesus how more people shall be sharing that similar love of Jesus with each other, and as brothers and sisters of each other in the Body of Christ they shall be able to bring soft gently swaying waves of peace. and that peace shall be much stronger than what others try to get with their fighting.

All will have to know that Jesus will conquer, and that he will become the new King of kings. In him we do have our mediator between God and man and our high-priest. He has ear and eyes for us and in him we should trust.

Let us proclaim who he is, what he has done and why the whole world need him. In him is our peace, which we should radiate so that others also become affected with it.

It is really “High time to devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship”, plus “High time to go out telling the world about Jesus” and hight time to join hands for showing the world that those who love Jesus can come together in peace and co-operate with the best intentions to come to a better world, were peace shall reign.

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Preceding articles:

High time to devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship

High time to go out telling the world about Jesus

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Additional articles

1. In a few days time it will be 2020 years ago that the Messiah was born
2. 2020 years since
3. 2020 years ago, the road was opened
4. When Bad Things Happen
5. Redemption #1 Biblical doctrine of salvation
6. Redemption #2 Biblical solution
7. Redemption #7 Christ alive in the faithful
8. Redemption #8 Righteousness by Faith
9. Redemption #9 Only way
10. The Right One to follow and to worship
11. Knowledge of Christ and fear for God
12. Through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe
13. The stone of essential truth
14. the Way to life
15. Relating to God is it possible + Relation with God
16. Man’s plans prevailed by God’s purpose
17. Religious people and painful absence of spring of living water
18. Be humble like Christ
19. Humbleness
20. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
21. If you want to go far in life
22. Kindness
23. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
24. God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind
25. Kingdom of God what will it be like
26. True riches

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Further reading

1. God, Alone, Sovereignly Chooses His Eternal Family
2. God’s Marriage: The Father And Son
3. Unraveling Guilt With God’s Holiness
4. Lent Day 23: I Declare My Ways Are Smooth, My Path Is Straight. I Will Not Stumble
5. Only one way out
6. The Way
7. R.C. Sproul quote
8. This is the way
9. The Way home Psalm 56:3-4 Luke 13:22-30
10. Discouraged? Run to Jesus!
11. Jesus sees me as …
12. Grace and Restoration
13. “Flow through Me”
14. “That They May Be One”
15. Jew or Gentile: You Are All One in Christ Jesus
16. Disciplinary Treatises—(4) The Communion of the Body, by Scott Cairns
17. The Body of Christ
18. The Body of Christ : God’s ultimate intention for our life
19. Body of Christ: Nothing Will Be Wasted, by Francis de Sales Wagner
20. The Living, Growing Body of Christ
21. Becoming Community
22. Who Runs the Church?
23. Beware of a Spiritual Cancer in the Body of Christ
24. Has the Church become a pathetic loser?
25. The Apostasy
26. Are We A Healthy Body?
27. Measuring the Fullness
28. Oneness of the Church
29. Unify
30. On marriage for priests.
31. Sometimes, Instead of Bread, I Ask God for Stones
32. What love is this?
33. Until Christ Is Formed
34. Standing in the Gap
35. Prayer For Oct. 22nd
36. “Do I have to pray, read the Bible, go to church, etc?”
37. Revival, or something that looks like it
38. Running Toward The Goal
39. Ignatius of Antioch: “love incorruptible”
40. The Perfect Wheel
41. Spiritual Formation, Gossip and Presidential Campaigns
42. October 26 – I Never Knew You
43. Summing Up
44. Horrendous Things are Under Authority
45. Peace. Comfort. Love. Joy. Over coming the heartache.
46. A Fresh Look at the Lord’s Prayer “Your Kingdom Come”
47. No Matter
48. Sunday Bun! At SAllome Point in the Future
49. Religion vs Relationship
50. Why Christianity Isn’t a Solo Act
51. We have all the answers, we must go and answer all the questions!
52. For the One whose name is higher than them all
53. Kingdom???
54. Thy Kingdom Come
55. Know your saviour
56. Kings and kingdoms
57. 4 Shots From 4 Films: An Epic Birthday Salute
58. Open Wide the Gates
59. The Justice of God – Isaiah 33:22
60. All Glory To Jesus
61. Recapturing The Holy Awe

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When looking for God or wanting to relate to the Most High Divine God

For those who want to look for God, want to find the way to God and want to connect to Him when they found Him, there are two new English and three Dutch websites to help them on their road to a peaceful life full op hope.

On March the 9th of the year 2016 the small community of God loving people in Belgium, united under the Cornerstone Christ Jesus, presented “Relating to God” on a Weebly site and “Relating to God – Blog” on WordPress.

Relating to God (Christadelphian Weebly site) by the opening 2016 March 9

Openings article for the WordPress Blog “Relating to God” on March 9, 2016

Both sites could be considered siblings. together they form one unit, offering people all over the world the possibility to find more about our relationship with our surroundings (nature and people around us) and with the Source of all the things around us (the Divine Creator).

We also want to show people the Way to God, the Nazarene Jeshua who managed to put his own will aside to do the Will of God. Like him we should try to put our own will aside and to make us strong enough to leave the human traditions and human dogma’s for what they are preferring to stick to Biblical dogma’s, set-apart teachings of men of God, listening to the sacred Words of God Himself.

We do hope several people may come along and find some interesting material which can help them on their quest to God or to find assurance to be on the right track. Together we should help each other to find comfort in Biblical teaching and support each other in the preaching of the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.

In Dutch similar content is presented in a triptych. Each individual website concentrating on one subject: 1. Looking for God: Op zoek naar God; 2. the Way to God: De Weg naar God; 3. Finding God: God vinden.

We kindly invite you to come along, visiting those sites and perhaps leaving some note behind or subscribing to some of them.

Yours truly,

Relating to God

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The Grange, Omagh In every grown-up man there’s a small boy wanting to get out. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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The Mountain: Radical Love

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

 Love God by loving people, even your enemies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew 5:38-42

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

Jesus concluded:

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

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

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

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We should remember

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

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

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

Then the author says:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Preceding articles

Illusion of control

First man’s task still counting today

He who knows himself, is kind to others

Luther’s misunderstanding

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

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

The Mountain: Radical Obedience

Restitution

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Also of interest

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

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Further related articles

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

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‘I try to keep my hate in check. If you can’t hate, you can’t love.’

The author of this article thinks religion has robbed us of freedom to think and listen to our inner selves, but true Christianity demands just that. The Divine Creator requests us to place ourselves in the whole universe and to go deeper in our inner being. God demands us to come to know our own “I” and to make it not a “selfish I” but to come to an acceptable relationship with those around us.

The author also ask us to imagine a life where equality existed and institutions crumbled, which “is what keeps him pushing along”.

Those who read and come to know the Bible shall not be “misguided souls who choose to work in prisons” but the opposite shall become liberated beings who are no slave any more of this world. For them they shall know that no human being can do them something very bad. Even when they would take the life or the person this would not be the worst thing, because once death all suffering shall be ended and life gone, the person having done the killing not having accomplished much more and not been liberated himself of the agonies which are bothering his mind. The opposite he (the murderer) shall have some extra worries or bad dreams “en plus”.

To the Inside-Outside Alliance group of people who claim to be trying to support the struggles of those inside (or formerly inside) Durham County jail, and their families and friends, we would advice to revise their idea about religion and ask them not to take away the dreams of a better life which really can come true when a person does find the right religion.

By pushing all religion into the corner and to consider it evil is taking away the right of the prisoner to have a hold or guidance to become a better person or for the one who is imprisoned unlawfully to see the good his imprisonment may bring to his other inmates. Because even imprisoned we can do good to others and should be doing good to others. Even when we may be literally chained we do not have to be spiritually chained and even when they would put us in an isolation cell we can be very free when we are willing to make ourselves strong enough so that the other his limitations on us do not obstruct our self-development and our own being.

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To remember

The theory of will power

cause of demoralization in prisons:  All transgressions of accepted moral standards = to lack of a strong will

majority of inmates of prisons = people who did not have sufficient strength to resist the temptations surrounding them or to control a passion which momentarily carried them away.

In prisons = monasteries = everything done to kill a man’s will => no choice between one of two acts ==> whole life regulated + ordered in advance => to swim with the current, to obey under pain of severe punishment.

will power disappears

prison = done everything to kill inner strength > make him docile tool in hands of those who control him

penal system based on the deprivation of individual liberty

 

sound of chains + steel banging all the time = enough to test the strongest will = will break you

all we can do = give advice to people +live a moral life.

Misguided hate can hurt

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Preceding articles

Remain lovingly = No path for softies

Crying is good for inner self!!

A little ray of sunshine.

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Additional reading

• Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ

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Amplify Voices Inside

Kropotkin wrote a lot on the wrongs of prisons. These two paragraphs hit the nail on the head for me. Sadly I feel these effects.

The theory of will power

“There is another important cause of demoralization in prisons. All transgressions of accepted moral standards may be ascribed to lack of a strong will. the majority of inmates of prisons are people who did not have sufficient strength to resist the temptations surrounding them or to control a passion which momentarily carried them away. In prisons as in monasteries, everything is done to kill a man’s will.

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From Guestwriters 2015 in review

From the start in 2014, April the 26th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In 2015 finishing our first year

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

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

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

Treats, fear and discussions in 2015

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

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

A place for a Higher Being and for His Creation

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

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

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

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

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

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

Statistics for 2015

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

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

For 2016

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

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

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

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

Here’s an excerpt:

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

Click here to see the complete report.

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Preceding: 2014 in review

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Additional reading

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

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Further about what happened in 2015

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

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Related articles

• Looking for writers for two Lifestyle Magazines
• Do you have a writer or presenter in you?
• Our Inner Voice
• Christians fail there where Muslims succeed
• 2015 BASS Awards Winners – FULL LIST
• Top Ed-Tech Trends of 2015: The Compulsion for Data
• Time to connect the next generation
• Beth Hersh Goldsmith, human rights advocate, community activist, 58
• garden journal galleries
• Video Roundup: Elevator Pitch Awards 2015

Summermonths and consumerism

Summertime seems to have difficulties to show her face this year. Over a few days the days will shorten again and we did not have yet some real good nice warm days.

In the supermarkets they feel the consumption of meat not taking off like they want and therefore they are presenting special bargain prices, advertising against other trying to present the cheapest products. If they would be the best products would be an other matter. Also if they would be produced in a decent ethical way is for many of no concern.

We can imagine Middle School teacher Bob James throughout the year has to face his pupils with all sorts of gadgets, disturbed and tempted by lots of consumer products and market activities.

Real teachers do find it necessary to help others. Bob James also is firmly convinced that all of us need to be more proactive in helping others.

We need to help them when disaster strikes, when they are recovering and then when developing their lives to be the people that God intended them to be. We are meant to be independent of all except for God. On Him alone should we be dependent. Thus, as I seek to help others, I seek to move beyond mere relief and am focusing on rehabilitation and reconciliation. We are to be reconciled with God, with our fellow human beings and with our environment. If any one of these is missing, we will have problems. This is a tall order, but I will always seek to bring reconciliation. {About Me}

He, like many teachers are daily confronted with the non-interest for God, is probably also seeing that today the kids, but also their parents, have made new gods and have more interest in the material belongings than the spiritual.

The Human Use of Human Beings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In previous articles on this blog we pointed out to this behaviour which is destroying our society like CO poisoning, not seen, not smelled, not heard. We are living in a society where eyes are directed on gaining capital, even if we need not to take notice of necessary protection for man or do not mind bringing shortage or harm to others, to get more money.

Our economy is based on consumerism. Ads are designed to appeal to people like me and make me not just want, but Need, the latest thing – whether that be a soft drink or the latest model car. {June 8 – What I Really Need}

In the years straight after the World Wars people seemed to know again the value of the necessities of life. Folks appreciated again the small things. (We remember sitting with three on a bench, having one study book, which we savoured like the best we could have to receive knowledge. We never wanted to have it for ourselves alone and where pleased when we could share things with others.) They were pleased with what they could get. They also wanted to show to others who they were and used their cloths to present their identity.

Today everybody seems to be hiding behind their clothes. They now have to be from one or the other brand, design and colour which is in fashion. All want to belong to the group and hide their own self behind brands which are ‘in’. Everything must be dictated by the market. Nobody wants to go against what the market dictates.

RedEye Sailboat one of the things people like to have for enjoying themselves and to show off (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Summer this is made even more clear by everybody wanting to go in the garden and show off with what the market advertises and wants to press on everybody. As such, once it is beautiful weather, we can not sit outdoors without having to smell all the combustion products, from the people who do not know how to use properly those advertised and bought barbecue sets.

Having holiday also became equivalent to travelling. When people to day are saying they go on holiday, they mostly mean and want the other person to think they are going to travel abroad. For many taking a holiday in the own garden or in the own country is not having a holiday any more. The market made them to believe to relax and to take vacation or to take leave has to be going abroad and spending a lot of money at enjoyment, entertainment parks, luxury meals and pampering and health treatments.

People have to believe they only count in this society when they can show that they are using the latest gadgets and are ‘by the time’. All people who have not the newest things are ‘old’ or ‘out of date’. They best are ignored or put aside, as not being the right people to associate with. Or they are laughed at as old fashioned or ‘nerds’.

Bob James remarks:

How easily we buy the latest thing and throw away the old. One of the problems is that we not only throw away things, we also tend to throw away people or relationships if they don’t “meet our needs.” {June 8 – What I Really Need}

Those needs have become very selfish. Everything is directed to the ‘I’ and to the ‘what can I gain from this relationship’. Most people want to associate with other people in such a way that they may be sure others will find them interesting for the knowledge and acquaintances of such people. Most relations are build on the use they can provide for the self. Not the giving away has become important, nor the meaning something for some one else, but the meaning for the person him or herself, has become the landmark.

Clearly the focus of most people came on to the wrong things. This also made many relationships not last and break down. Often we see the other person has become of no real value, when not usable any more. We see that at work. As son as a person gets to ‘old’ or to ‘experienced’ and to ‘expensive because of ‘seniority’ he is made redundant.

But also the material things do not get time to stay in use as valuable. As soon there is a new model, the old one is considered as ‘passée’ .
Most people have placed their mind on things which are disposable.

What we should be thinking about is not “things,” but people. {June 8 – What I Really Need}

writes Bob James.

What we should be focusing on more than anything is our relationship with God. {June 8 – What I Really Need} (Though in his article gives a quote about focussing on Jesus, who is not God but the son of God, but who also deserves our attention.)

Today, we can see that a lot of people who are debtors to the material things of this world. Most have forgotten that their body should be a temple, a place for clean things. Natural products for many are a laugh-stock. Biological products for many are either for the ‘loonies’ or have become a way to show off, because they are much more expensive and a way to proof they can afford it and belong to such a class of people, having enough money to buy such things.

Instead of respect for nature and respect for the Creator of all those things man shows more interest to the highly perishable idols presented on television and more and more on the internet, which brings totally new sorts of idols in the living room. All those living according to flesh, often forget that they too, like anybody else, are going to die, but if in spirit they kill the deeds of the body, and that they have much better prospects. For those who live in the spirit can find real intense worthwhile life.

Part of our problem with this issue is that our desires have been made to seem like needs. If we began each day with a focus on Jesus Christ, many of those things we think are “needs” would be shown to be desires. {June 8 – What I Really Need}

Christ Jesus is the man of flesh and blood who gave the world an example how to live according to the will of the Only One God, Whom we should consider the Most High and the Most Valuable. Jesus knew he could not do anything without God. Jesus never did his own will but always wanted to do the Will of God.  Today most consider God a flaw or useless invention.

Lots of people, having all those modern gadgets still do not feel happy. Having so many things they do not yet feel satisfied. They still have a hunger …

They are starving for the real better thing which they do not seem to see by the mist of consumerism. Lots of people are running into problems when they work so hard to take care of all their desires for material things, that they forget to spend more time to build up good relations.

Most people do not see or forget about what they really need.

Bob James thinks about a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, but seems to forget an even more important relationship, namely that with the heavenly Father of Jesus, the Only One True God.

This world needs to find the way back to God. It has lost connection with the Creator. The world has become strayed. We have to take care we become not astray by the temptations around us.

Keep your eyes on Jesus and as such find the Way to God and the way to God’s Kingdom.

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Preceding articles:

Lonely in the crowd

Misleading world, stress, technique, superficiality, past, future and positivism

Less… is still enough

Less for more

Contentment: The five senses

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory

The Cares of Life

The natural beauties of life

Engagement in an actual two-way conversation with your deities

Just be yourself…

A Snippet of Advice on Cultural Analysis

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Find additional literature:

1. Capitalism
2. Increasing wealth gap of immense proportions in the Capitalist World
3. Classes of people and Cronyism
4. Uncertainty, shame and no time for vacillation
5. Because men choose to go their own way
6. Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #9 Consumption
7. A risk taking society
8. What IF you’re only driven by stress?
9. Ecological economics in the stomach #2 Resources
10. How do you keep people from stealing your joy?
11. 2014 Social contacts
12. Justififiable anger or just anarchism
13. Ability for a community to come back from a crisis
14. Green Claims in Europe
15. Greenpeace demands scale up of ecological farming
16. Happy International Happiness Day!
17. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
18. Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual
19. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
20. Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite
21. How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice
22. Sharing thoughts and philosophical writings
23. Lovers of God, seekers and lovers of truth
24. Fools despise wisdom and instruction
25. In a world which knows no peace sharing blessed hope
26. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
27. Cleanliness and worrying or not about purity
28. Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket
29. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
30. Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach
31. Bringing Good News into the world
32. How should we preach?
33. Thanksgiving wisdom: Why gratitude is good for your health
34. Food as a Therapeutic Aid
35. Remember there’s a light in the next day
36. It is a free will choice
37. To know Christ is filling life with meaning
38. Heed of the Saviour
39. Songs in the night Worship God only
40. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

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Related articles

• The Human Vocation: To Love Creation as God Does
• Men And Women TOGETHER – Imaging God FOREVER!
• Acts 5:27-29 – The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.
• Blesses is the one…
• Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips
• How programmatic advertising affects ad sales teams

Of old and new ideas to sustain power and to feel good by loving to be connected and worship something

Of old, people have been looking for reasons of their existence and how everything came into being. Because there were and are so many things people could not understand they created themselves super beings, called gods, overlooking to go beyond a manifold of gods finding the Most High Supreme Being.

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

Creating mysterious stories could sooth many minds. Many creation myths can be found and other gods than creating ones were also thought of by man. Around the worshipping of those gods came into existence that what we call religion. For many those religions gave some answers, although somewhat inaccurately and told people how to live and work, and they provided for many a nice and easy way for getting control over people by the stories they fabricated. As such we also find in Christendom leaders who love to control their God-fearing population.

Throughout history we can see that the worship system was used to control people and to create reasons to go against other people. Though to say

“religion has been the leading cause of war and death throughout human history.” {What has religion done for us?}

would be taking it to far. (Much more than one bridge too far.)

In this time several people also get a wrong idea about certain old books. There are even people who think the bible is only 2000 years old, like ‘counter creationist‘ gives the impression in his article “Why? just why?”. The biggest part of the book he is referring to (The Bible) is much older then the two millennia. He also seems to be very confused about the Nazarene man spoken in those books. He considers that man to be a god-man according to those books, which is contrary to everything what is written in that Book of books and Best-seller of all times, about that person, though he is called son of man and son of God. But “son of God” is totally something different than “god son“. We do agree many made that man into their god and made statues of him, where in front of them, they bow before and in certain countries is even food and clothes given to him and to his mother-statues in little chapels along the road.

In certain countries it even has become very dangerously around those religions; In that Old Book of books this is even prophesied. In it we can find it as one of the signs that the third and last World War will be coming. There is written that earthquakes and tsunamis would be more frequent and after children would rise against their parents, religions would come up against each other. Clearly we can see many religions fighting against other religions and in each religious group we can find many subdivisions which go against each other and even are prepared to kill for it.

1 September 2010. During Middle East negotiations, Mubarak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel look at their watches to see if it is officially sunset; during Ramadan, Muslims fast until sunset. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To say it is religion that causes the killing is totally wrong and goes beyond reality. To give one example, just for one country because we know those official cyphers, in Belgium in 2013 there were about 756 terrorist attacks. Of them there were only three by religious people. Of those religious people there was only one attack made on religious grounds, by a fundamentalist (by coincidence a Muslim fundamentalist). This means the majority was made on non-religious grounds by non-religious or atheist people. To generalise that all atheist would be terrorists would be the most stupid fault. Though we see such a thing happening in several countries, like in the United States where everybody shouts that all Muslims are terrorist and bad people.  In the same state we can see that certain people go very strongly, aggressively against people of an other faith or who do not believe the same than they. Several openly agree that they are willing to kill the other if he does not convert. The same aggression and oppression of threat for converting we see in the Middle East, but than for the Muslims.

This growing attitude

“when people disagree you have to either convert or kill them”

is an aggressive approach what led to many their wars, but when we look more closely we see that the main reason of such wars we more to have the power over people, to gain more wealth for oneself, to have a much bigger area or to create a bigger state. We can see that by the present fundamentalist groups like ISIS who do not mind burning symbols which by most Muslims are considered holy, like the Quran or mosques. Though they may not be burned ISIS does not hesitate to put fire on them.

Very few religions say: “you can believe what you want, but I think this is true”. No, they say: “believe what I do or burn for eternity.” This approach allowed rulers to keep control over their population, using the fear of punishment and the assertion that they are right and no-one else is. {What has religion done for us?}

Too many people forget that often religion is just an excuse to bring problems to others or to press ones own power unto others.

The times when people are shunned from families and relationships for having different beliefs. {What has religion done for us?}

is not what cause the majority of problems in relationships with family members or friends. Most problems of bringing cuts in family relations have nothing to do with religion. Just have a look at the many divorces. Where would you think you can find most divorces? In religious families or in families where there is no interest in God or in ethical laws? In what sort of schools can you find most problematic asocial behaviour? In religious or in non-religious state schools?

We can agree that the same as by atheist many may have found delusion, oppression and false hope in that what they believed. And please do not forget that atheists also believe a lot of things. And also by atheists there is much discussion and fighting going on about what they believe. Just have  a look at how atheists professors and scientist often go in heavy debates. In Belgium we can see that very much in the ones who believe in alternative medicine and those who say that is just bullshit and rubbish. Last week we could also see two medical groups in a television documentary about the illness of Lyme going against each other and calling each other names (really not worthy for decent educated people). Very often we can find ignorance by lots of people and mostly by persons who do not want to believe in a Higher Supreme Being. Today we also must say most people are not at all interested in the Most High God of gods and have their other gods from the sports world (mainly football and soccer) and from the moving pictures and television screen. But most of all the new god has become that more tiny screen which brings a majority of youngsters on their own created island of isolation. When you look around on the streets, you can see them walking by thousands, with their heads down and fingers (mostly dumb) going crazily fast from one side to the other of that little electronic tool.

Stephen Shaw captured it so nicely in one of his photographs and his article Format 15 were he writes:

Life is a constant war we are doomed to lose . Thus we worship  science and technology and strive towards new ways of enjoying and prolonging our life ( Cryogenics ,  vitamins , health and fitness , resurrection and downloading our souls ). The mobile phone is like the new Deity people staring into its virtual light on a daily basis like they are memorised by a newfound idol. all reality and dullness of their real life is forgotten as they live their ideal fantasy life through this ever satisfying god who grants their every wish , albeit it be only in their minds. {Format 15}

As usual we can find people looking for ways to escape the earth-life reality and to create for themselves a better life than they really have; As such you may find many presenting themselves very differently on Facebook than they really are in really life. though many want to find more friends at the social media they also seem to get the same illusion like the other religions and finding themselves even more isolated and lonely than those believers in The God and who have their church community.

Many today are also calling out

The Era of the Gods is Over. Face the Truth. Not even the Gods are without Flaws.

Throughout history people have looked for finding reasons of life, ways of life, ways how to behave, ways to construct a better world. Many seem to forget that in those systems there were many irreligious people presenting their system as the best one and forcing it on others; For those who did have to seem to have forgotten the Marxist and Leninist systems, we shall ask them to look into the history books. Lots of people did not survive communist camps, but today there are still enough people form the communist countries alive, so please do talk with them and question about the non-religous solution which was offered as the solution.

Funny thing is that most strong voices against religion come from the United States of America who have a horrible fear of everything that may smell even a little bit of socialism or communism, though those system do not have to be as based as they believe. You see there too we come at the word belief and faith. Those American atheist have also their faith in certain systems. they too seem to forget that they “believe” in other things than gods or the God.

The Three Creators with “The big Struggle of Creation!” thinks:

Greeks (k)*new, where our leaders meet and find solutions. They also found good names we all admire. (* k added by us)

What they did not figure out, is why these individuals became gods. It’s because, they are people with a strong will, fighting for the Good Side. They hate fighting, but have to do it, because there is no other way to stop evil. They are willing to learn from good and evil and keep on learning and fighting, until they find solutions, until they find better ways. They are not perfect, they do not even try to be perfect. They simply know what’s good. {The Era of the Gods is Over. Face the Truth. Not even the Gods are without Flaws.}

If we look at the many gods of today, like George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, just to name only of the most internationally known American actors, we can see that the media plays a very important role in creating idols and would be alike and figures were people want to dream of and have envy of. they are not any more good ones and they not have a good attitude. The opposite can be said of the stars of today. They have not what we would call an exemplary attitude, but do not mind to have an abundant life without borders and without scruples.

People of today prefer the free inhibited lifestyle were sex and fun comes in the first place and have nothing to do any more with real love. Lots of youngsters brag about the many girls they could get into their bed. Women just have become a trophy for many, but idem dito men for women, who have liberated themselves and even got solutions to have kids without the intervention of a male being, which many do not need any more.

People want to play for god themselves instead of having them be guided by something, somewhat or Some One Who they do not understand. Problem is that most people do not want to invest time to come to understand the Most High Being, Maker of haven and earth. they are fast to blame Him for everything what goes wrong in life, but to see all the good things around them and to accept God made them possible is too much asked.

Non-physical relationships can be a real pain to figure out. There aren’t any self-help books on them, and trying to get a communication style that works well can be challenging to say the least. {Gods: More Like People Than You Think}

writes Devo on Twisted Rope whose experiences have shown him that the gods man make themselves are a lot more like humans than we typically want to admit that they are. But that is just because man wants the gods to be like him and have to face the same difficulties like him.

Yeah, they may have more power in some ways than we do. But at the end of the day, they seem to have a lot of the same basic attributes that we do, and I feel like we should be taking a closer look at that. {Gods: More Like People Than You Think}

Lots of people do not feel happy because in the big world of many gods, idols, atheists, non-conformists, egoists, they feel lost and can not find any connection with their inner being nor with some outer-being. This makes them floating in the welter.

All created in the image of God have the possibility to hear the inner voice and to hear the calling of the Most High. We only have to open our ear.

And those atheists who think it are the religious who would make most war should reconsider who are the real religious people and what people would like to do when they have certain ethics and rules for a way of living. Be it Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Jews or religious of an other faith, when they are serious faithful we shall see they mostly will have a more peaceful character than those who do not want to keep to certain ethics. Luckilly by the atheists we may find also a lot of humanists and people who do find it very important to have human ethical rules and to keep to those ethic laws. They too shall try to avoid warmaking and propagate peace.

Worldreligions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Please do find additional reading:

1. Newsweek asks: How ignorant are you?
2. Atheists, deists, and sleepers
3. Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life
4. Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists
5. Epicurus’ Problem of Evil
6. Economics and Degradation
7. Evil Never Ceases
8. Caricaturing and disapproving sceptics, religious critics and figured out ethics
9. Subcutaneous power for humanity 5 Loneliness, Virtual and real friends
10. A world with or without religion
11. Being Charlie 1, Being Charlie 2, Being Charlie 3, Being Charlie 4, Being Charlie 5, Being Charlie 6,Being Charlie 7, Being Charlie 8, Being Charlie 9, Being Charlie 10, Being Charlie 11
12. It’s beautiful to watch the spread of #JeSuisCharlie across the world,Where do we stand in the backdrop of Charlie Hebdo Massacre ?, Charlie Hebdo, offensive satire and why ‘Freedom of Speech’ needs more discussion
13. Faith because of the questions
14. Religion, fundamentalism and murder
15. Religion…..why the competition?
16. Shariah and child abuse – Is there a connection?
17. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
18. Apartheid or Apartness #1 Suppression and Apartness
19. Leaving the Old World to find better pastures
20. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #2 Roots of Jewishness
21. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #3 Of the earth or of God
22. Collision course of socialist and capitalist worlds
23. Robertson: God says U.S. will accept socialism
24. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
25. The imaginational war against Christmas
26. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 4 Blasphemy and ridiculing faith in God
27. Still Hope though Power generating long train of abuses
28. Europe and much-vaunted bastions of multiculturalism becoming No God Zones
29. 112314 – A Peculiar People
30. Maker of most popular weapon asks for repentance
31. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
32. Science, 2013 word of the year, and Scepticism
33. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
34. 2014 Religion
35. Not many coming out with their community name
36. Truth, doubt or blindness
37. A Church without Faith!
38. Inequality, Injustice, Sustainability and the Free World Charter
39. Re-Creating Community
40. Daniel Guérin: Three Problems of the Revolution (1958)
41. The trigger of Aurora shooting
42. Intellectual servility a curse of mankind

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Related articles

• Denial (todayssigns.wordpress.com)
  If you wonder about the importance of evidence to secular people, think about this: A whole world full of people waits out there, lurking to pull all kinds of shenanigans to get you converted to strange beliefs and practices they uphold, or to part with your money, without any kind of demonstrable evidence. The best they have is stories some unknown talebearer told that another unknown person wrote down. You get to choose from actual thousands of those doctrines in all their variations, but most people settle for the one chosen by their family in ages past.
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  Once a person attaches dissatisfaction with faith-based beliefs to failure of their messengers to be convincing, and then sees how that failure stems from absence of any kind of real evidence, the importance of evidence becomes clear and the search for evidence-based beliefs begins.
• An imaginary interview with a Christian… (nytimes.com)
  Honestly, since so many of my friends aren’t religious or conservative, I’ve always taken for granted that being part of their lives meant accompanying them through life choices that belong to a different worldview than my own. (And I’m very grateful that they’ve accompanied and tolerated me.) My family has its share of divorces and second marriages; my friends’ romantic paths are varied; my closest friend from high school just exchanged vows with his longtime boyfriend. I’m going to a party celebrating them next month. If they asked me, I’d bring a cake.
• Acts of Terrorism Very Rare Among US Muslims, Study Finds (voanews.com)
  After the September 11, 2001, attacks and more recent efforts by militant groups in Muslim countries to radicalize and recruit Muslims living in the West, there have been fears among U.S. authorities and the public of large-scale terrorist strikes on home soil.Such fears, however, have been largely unfounded, because Muslims in the United States have overwhelmingly ignored the calls to militancy, said Charles Kurzman, a researcher with the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security in North Carolina.

  “We have not seen mass radicalization of Muslims in the United States,” he said. “That’s worth taking note of.”
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  Although comparisons are tricky, other studies suggest that right-wing violence claimed more lives in the U.S. than terrorism committed in the name of Islam.

  There have been serious attacks, of course.  The 2009 shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas and the 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon were carried out by Muslim U.S. citizens who claimed to be avenging American military actions overseas.

  And there were also failed attempts that came close to causing massive loss of life, but the study shows that these attempts were “rare and unsophisticated.”  In 2010, an SUV with propane and gasoline canisters and fireworks, parked in New York’s Times Square, detonated but did not explode. The driver of the car, Faisal Shahzad, had received bombmaking training in Pakistan’s Waziristan region.

  Authorities say large-scale attacks have been prevented because of the extensive security apparatus that was set up nationwide in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.

• Boston Marathon bomber wanted to terrorize US (rep-am.com)
  As he planted a backpack containing a bomb near a group of children, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev made a coldblooded decision aimed at punishing America for its wars in Muslim countries, a federal prosecutor told the jury during closing arguments Monday at Tsarnaev’s death penalty trial.
• Muslim Coalition Denounces ISIS for Steven Sotloff’s Murder (pr.com)
  The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of several national and local organizations, today condemns a terrorist and anti-Islam group for a video purporting to show the gruesome beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff.The murder of innocent civilians is immoral, illegal, barbaric, and in direct contravention of the major tenets of Islam and Islamic law. No cause or purpose is served by this heinous act other than a clear manifestation of this group’s cruel and un-Islamic nature.

  “We are outraged that we once again find ourselves in the position to condemn this organization that calls itself the ‘Islamic State’, also known by the acronym ISIS, for killing Mr. Sotloff, especially so soon after its members murdered journalist James Foley,” said Oussama Jammal, USCMO secretary general.

• DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson remarks on the Quran’s ‘quintessentially American values’ (freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com)
  Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was honored by the Muslim Public Affairs Council last week for “for his dedication to and personal investment in engagement with Muslim American communities across the United States” and this happened during his post-award remarks:
• Is an independent Kurdistan still possible? (blogs.timesofisrael.com)
  We in the west might have missed a golden opportunity  to back and help establish a new democratic state in the Middle East with strong ties to America and European democracies. It could be a Muslim state set up along the same lines as Israel. Both peoples have had similar experiences with the larger Sunni and Shia populations that inhabit the Muslim world.
• Construction disputes taking longer to resolve (resene.com.au)
  Internationally, construction disputes are taking longer to resolve, according to UK-based consultancy company EC Harris.The company released the results from a study at the end of last month (May 24), which compared the trend across different regions around the world including the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia.

  Titled ‘Global construction disputes: A Longer Resolution’, the report was the third of its kind undertaken by the London consultancy with research help from ARCADIS Construction Claims Consulting.

  One of the main findings showed that construction disputes in 2012 averaged more than a year in length, which is 20 per cent longer than those in 2011.

  The average length of a dispute was 12.8 months, which was up from 10.6 months in 2011, and 9.1 months in 2010.

• The Wider Ramifications of the Ukraine Crisis (payvand.com)
  The Ukraine crisis, as well as the broader deterioration in relations between Russia on the one hand and America and Europe on the other, is not taking place in a void. Many momentous events are happening simultaneously, including growing conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere in the Muslim World, increased tension between China and several of its neighbors, and the rise of India and certain other non-Western nations. The reaction of the world outside the West and the former Soviet Union to the crisis in Ukraine has been remarkably evasive. Although Syria and Venezuela have expressed their support for Russia, many other non-Western states have adopted a more neutral stance. Several Middle Eastern governments actually seem impatient with the Ukrainian crisis for diverting Western attention from the severe crises of their region. This issue just is not as significant for them as it is for countries closer to the conflict zone. Nor do they have any desire to get dragged into it.

  Nevertheless, the Ukraine crisis may have wider ramifications. In mid-2014, Russia reacted to European moves to reduce petroleum imports from Russia by signing a deal to redirect petroleum exports to China-reportedly at a very low price. The longer the crisis between Russia and the West continues, the more likely are European-Russian economic ties likely to fray and Russia to become increasingly dependent economically-and perhaps politically-on China.

• Recognizing and promoting religious bigots against Islam and Muslims (angryarab.blogspot.com)
  It is just amazing how much Zionist US media love to promote anyone who harbors hatred for Islam and Muslims, qua Muslims.  If this woman says about Jews what she says about Muslims, she would be shunned and people would picket all her speaking engagements.  But she speaks against Islam (as a religion) and against Muslims, and that does not in any way cause people to condemn her bigotry.
• Christophobia, a gift to the Church?
  I believe many pockets of Christianity throughout America today still suffers from this illusion. But there is hope today in the very movement that many take as a grave attack on the faith. The modern day power grab for control over the culture has come dressed in the garb of Christophobia, i.e., that irrational and pervasive fear that if Christians have a voice in the public square the Constitution will burst into flames, civil liberties vanish, women made slaves, gays imprisoned, sea levels will rise, and 7-day young earth creationism will reign in every science classroom.
  +
  The Christophobia of our age is an invitation—no, a demand!—that all who would claim the name ‘Christian’ be truly conformed to the image of Christ. Those who follow Christ in this world were given the daunting promise by Christ Himself that they would suffer persecution in this world. It was a badge of honor for those apostles, prophets, martyrs and saints who came before and who faced down the challenge of their oppressors and won their own souls.

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

Lots of people wonder why they live and have to struggle so much. More people do think they can enrich their life with several gadgets and do think when they live without caring about the rest they may enjoy it most.

The materialistic mind shall not find peace and a state of peace is far away from those who only think about themselves.

We should not go to try to find meaning behind every bit and piece of the day. We should be aware that we do live in a time system which shall always be imperfect. No government shall be sufficient to bring everything all right for every body. Only the governing system that shall come after World War III or Armageddon shall bring relief. though we do not know when that final point of the world-system would come, at the time that the master rabbi Jeshua (Jesus Christ) will return, we can already work on a better system to take into account every creature and to give it the full respect it deserves.

The world is created out of chaos and the void but got turned over by mankind and filled with a lot of rubbish, trash defiling nature. In case we work at it to get again some order we also will find a better way of living.

Peace is in every bodies hand. It is there to make easily when the person wants to put aside his own individual egoism. when we let go of all the bothering things, the struggles we have in us and we do encounter each day, than we shall find ‘soulavement’ mitigation of all inner and outer pains, alleviation of ‘ourselves’.

It was material desire and greed which brought sin in the world. This materialism has grown unto unseen proportion; But this also means we are coming closer to the end times and to the point that some may think there is reached the point of no return, but at the other hand where is reached the point that more people their eyes shall be opened and who will find the way to a better life, making the relation of the in God’s image created human being back into a good relation with the rest of the creation.

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Preceding articles:

Less… is still enough

Less for more

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Additional reading:

1. Fear, struggles, sadness, bad feelings and depression
2. Finding Beauty Amongst the Trash
3. Watch out
4. What Are You Seeking?
5. A bird’s eye and reflecting from within
6. Walking in the Light of Life
7. True happiness, love and perfection
8. Getting fate in your change to positiveness
9. Lose a little inner peace
10. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
11. We all have to have dreams
12. Walking in the Light of Life
13. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
14. Peace Takes You
15. Humbleness
16. Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people
17. Looking for True Spirituality 1 Intro
18. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
19. Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark
20. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.
21. The World framed by the Word of God
22. Scripture about Creation and Creator Deity
23. Coming to the creation of human beings in the image of God
24. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 2
25. God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace
26. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying
27. Cry out to Yahweh
28. Give your tears to God
29. Looking forward to the return of Jesus
30. Israel, Fitting the Plan when people allow it

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Related articles

• A New Life (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
  The putting on the new man is the counterpart of the putting off the old man, and what that is Paul explains when he says, ‘that ye put off concerning the former conversation–that is, concerning your former way of life–the old man, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind’ (Eph. 3:22, 23). Our old ways and character are to be laid aside, and therefore to put on the new man is to assume a new character and new ways. To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is to make our own His character.” – Marcus Dods, D.D.

Let's Reach Success

I’ve heard many answers to the existential question about the meaning of life.

And as with everything else, each individual has his own view according to his beliefs and experience, things he wants and is going through right now.

But there is one problem – he puts meaning in every little detail of his average day and sometimes that affects his version of his mission in life, and eventually his actions.

Life is about more than the daily worries, fears, people that come and go, and things we pay too much attention to.

And in this – finding meaning in life – we’re all equal, because the goal is one.

Peace of mind.

Life is about finding peace inthe chaos, silence in the noise, meaning in every event and wisdom in hardships and grief.

Because peace is the highest happiness.

It’s hard to find with all the distractions around…

View original post 575 more words

May we have doubts

Not all of us are sure about all things. Lots of matters may bring questions onto our mind.

Some may say doubt originates in a double minded person. Others say it is because a person is not enough believing in God. Others say he is not believing in Christ. Several Christians look at a doubter as a person not trusting Jesus.

Is this really so. Are we less better than other Christians when we have questions about certain matters? No, not at all.
Is doubt a sign of lacking faith? Perhaps. But it can be that you really do your best to walk in faith.
Is it because you do not believe in Jesus his victory over circumstances and trials? Perhaps, but not necessary so.

Is it because you cannot see the victory in your life you are seeking? Did you try already to check if you are really looking for the right victory?

Have you ever tried to think that what you would love to have and to see for yourself might not be in God His Will?

We are all human beings with our limitations and ‘malfunctions’.  We all have our little problems and as such we should know that every house carries its own cross.

Having all those difficulties coming over us, no wonder that we sometimes worry and question of we are doing it right or if we are following the right coarse.

In the Holy Scriptures we are advised to question everything. This means that God does understand that we more than once shall have questions with what we hear or read, and that is good, because we should question all those sayings.

For many life is an ongoing cycle of wandering and restoration. And though many would wish it were otherwise, this makes many sometimes going to and fro, coming close to God and at other moments being far away from God. Though some may desire to never depart from God, they keep losing track. Also for Jesus it seems for many Christians often difficult to keep feeling him nearby. On many occasions confronted with the realities of life we may have lots of doubts about many things.

The reality of our sinful human condition makes it so that we also have periods where our relationship with other human beings, with Christ and/or with God is disturbed a lot.

In our technological age of communication it looks like many have lost the good communication with the Most High Divine Creator.

James Paulgaard, a fellow traveller on the journey of life, also sees some problems of this time and age. He writes:

For centuries, up until the Sixties, the Church was perfectly designed for our culture. When a group of immigrants settled in a new area, one of the first things that they did was to build a church in the centre of the community. People valued going to church as a good thing. It made people into good citizens. Encouraging the Christian faith was seen as a valuable in our society at the time. There were benefits to going to church. You could build your network of social and business contacts and perhaps even meet your future spouse there. The church was perfectly designed to develop people in that environment into followers of Jesus. {Following Jesus on His Mission: Doing the Simple Things}

Today people have found other networks which they do find more important.

This bridge was a well-designed and fully functional bridge, but in 1998 Hurricane Mitch dumped 36 inches of rain on the area in just a few days and amidst all the other damage caused by the hurricane, the deluge of water carved a new channel for the river around the bridge and the bridge now spans dry ground. It is a perfectly designed bridge that doesn’t work anymore because the river moved. (Photo from the article: Following Jesus on His Mission: Doing the Simple Things)

Now, being part of a Christian Church is no longer seen as a desirable by our culture. Encouraging the Christian faith is no longer valued by our society. People do not need the church for social or business contacts or to find a spouse. We have websites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Plenty of Fish for all those things. A church that was perfectly designed to make disciples in the world of sixty years ago and older struggles to engage with the mission of Jesus Christ in the world of today because the river has moved. {Following Jesus on His Mission: Doing the Simple Things}

When you follow the articles on Our World and perhaps form your newspapers or journals on television, you are probably aware how bad the state of church attendance is. All over the industrialised countries we do find a secularized community. In some countries there may still be a solid core of people continue to value faith; but a growing core do not. { find a.o. Reginald Bibby, A New Day: The Resilience and Restructuring of Religion in Canada (Lethbridge: Project Canada Books, 2012), 5, 10, 34.}

Lots of people got to hear from their preachers that Jesus is God because no human being is ever able to follow God’s Will. Because of that lie, people have no trust in that Jesus any more and do find it rubbish that at other moments priests or pastors say they have to take the armour of Christ and become like Christ. That then would mean they  had to become like God, which is something impossible.

And in case it is impossible fro any human being to follow the Will of God, what use would it than be to even try, if no man ever could succeed.

Lots of people do forget that Jesus was a man who lived some two thousand years ago. He was a real person, others could see and not fall death (In the Bible is written that people cannot see God and live). That man, born in an Essene family from the tribe of king David, had to learn everything. People should know that God knows everything but this Jesus did not. He also had to disappoint those who wanted to know where they would be seated with him in God’s Kingdom. In case Jesus was God he could have told them because he would have known, but Jesus did not know it and had also to disappoint those who wanted to know when he would come back. Jesus always wanted to do the will of his heavenly Father and did not want to lie, like his heavenly Father does not tell lies. Not knowing when the end times or Last Days of this time system would fall, Jesus could not tell them, nor us, when he would be coming back.

In the Gospels we also can see that Jesus at moments had doubts and even wondered why God had abandoned him. So, in case Jesus dares already to ask God why He had left him, why should not such thoughts may or could come up in our minds.
What is important is how we cope with such thoughts. How we cope with our questioning God? And how we dare to question God.

We may ask God lots of things, but we have to do it in a proper manner. We also may request Him things, but we should know that God knows best for us.

Jesus has already done the hard work of living a perfect human life, dying on the cross and rising from the dead to reconcile all of creation to God. Jesus is the one doing the supernatural work of drawing people close to him and planting faith in their hearts.

as Greg Finke, {Joining Jesus on His Mission: How to Be an Everyday Missionary (Tyler TX: Tenth Power Publishing, 2014), 42-43} and James Paulgaard  {Following Jesus on His Mission: Doing the Simple Things} puts it.

A statue of Jesus Christ at a church in India. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus paved the path to God; He restored the relation between God and man and has become our mediator, now sitting at the right hand of God (notice: not on God’s throne).

The problem of today is that most people do not know the real Jesus.

To help to find Jesus and to get to see better the importance of what he really did, dying for us all, whitewashing our sins, there has been started a new website. “Messiah for all” wants to show the world that Christ Jesus was and is there for the whole world. He does not want to miss any body. He gives everybody the opportunity to get to know him and to get to know the way to the Kingdom of God.

“Messiah for all” is there for you to help you find Jesus and to find he is worth all your trust and all your faith.

Please do find that site for you and me, and start reading: Are people allowed to have doubts

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Find additional reading:

1. What’s church for, anyway?
2. Obstacles to effective evangelism
3. To be prepared and very well oiled
4. Impediments in our way
5. Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
6. Looking for Free Blogs and blogging
7. Those who love Jesus
8. Humbleness
9. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God
10. Humility and the Fear of the Lord
11. No time for immorality

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Related articles

• Augustine on the Difference between Christianity and Platonism (booksontrial.wordpress.com)
  The difference between Platonism and Christianity is not merely a difference of interpretation, but the difference between perception/speculation on one side, and reality/true knowledge on the other. To use a Biblical imagery, there is a great gulf fixed between them. It is the difference between death and Life, between an inanimate object and a living being. Though philosophy may delight man with a magnificent picture of truth and beauty, it is nevertheless dead, and so the greatest philosophical ideas cannot be compared with the smallest life-giving word of God.
• Most Blessed State of Being for Now (relijournal.com)
  A Christian is saying “I’ve got to be me” when the Holy Scriptures indicate we are to be crucified in Christ? I have to wonder how much spiritual damage was done to other by that worldly thinking. What “Christian” singers sing does not supercede the written Word of God. The Holy Bible does not indicate we have got to be “ourselves,” but it does state we are to be like Christ.
• Living in the Wrong Time (histruthwillsetyoufree.wordpress.com)
  The best days are when I live in the present,  with my friend, the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.  With Him, there is no room for Regret or Worry.
• Evangelists Want to Convert Heathen Computers To Christianity, Create Army Of ‘Robot Pastors’ (addictinginfo.org)
  On Wednesday, Gizmodo’s Zoltan Istvan reminded us that, soon, the world will be full of “autonomous, self-aware super intelligences” created by humans. Obviously, some Christians see this as an opportunity to convert something to their religion.

  Evangelists told Gizmodo that these sciencey, autonomous computer brains probably can, and definitely should, be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.

• Equal to Christ. Septuagesima 2015 (deprofundisclamaviadtedomine.wordpress.com)
  Jesus gave Himself for us to make us His own people who are zealous, eager, passionate about doing good works.  Christians have been born again so that they may live a new life of service to God in good works.
• The Journey of Love and Commitment (vineandbranchworldministries.com)
  When we wonder about in life, do we ponder the meaning of the many gifts before us and offer praise and thanksgiving or do we literally take life for-granted.  Sanctification sets us apart and instills our hearts and spirit with the desire to follow the pattern Jesus gave.
• Excuse My Scepticism (pastorcharleschipere.wordpress.com)
  In our Christian Faith, we are taught to believe rather than to be a doubting Thomas. We are taught to trust rather than mistrust. We are taught to give a person the benefit of the doubt before we dismiss them. But my journey of faith has had some encounters with reality leading me to embrace some sceptical attitude towards some things I have observed in the land of the living. Before I delve into my observations, please excuse my scepticism. But this scepticism does not take away my faith in God.
• An Unfathomable Gift (connywithay.wordpress.com)
  “All other religions and sects teach that man has to perform many good works in order to gain bliss – salvation is dependent on man. The Christian faith is completely the opposite. It is God working salvation on behalf of man – salvation is dependent on God,” Jan Blonk writes in his book, The Unfathomable Gift: God’s Astonishing Grace.
• The Other Side (culturalatheist.wordpress.com)
  Do you have a people or place that you have determined God is not present and the places and people are demonic and unclean?
• The Call of God (mississippipep.wordpress.com)
  If God were human, how sick and tired He would be of the constant requests we make for our salvation and for our sanctification. We burden His energies from morning till night asking for things for ourselves or for something from which we want to be delivered! When we finally touch the underlying foundation of the reality of the gospel of God, we will never bother Him anymore with little personal complaints.

Soft values? Needed heart- and- soul!

Soft values? Needed heart- and- soul!

Is it possible that, in times of taking care of the future, we look in the wrong direction?
Often society resembles a playground, until you listen to the inner side and get to the bottom of what preoccupies and moves people . When people ask me ‘if I have the time to listen to them’, often tears fall. Every human being has a ‘burden’ and there is a lot of hidden pain, more than we want to admit.

Who has the time to listen?

Love and Human Remains (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Very few people. Everybody runs behind their schedule. Couples don’t have time for each other anymore, parents not for their children. More and more relations end in a divorce, less and less people risk a durable relationship and more and more children grow up in a stressful environment, full of conflicts or unsafe.

From figures of a Health Inquiry in Belgium, it seems that 42% of young women between 15 and 25 indicate to have a psychiatric problem. They are unsure of themselves and anxious, but still they are the mothers of tomorrow.

Is love going through a crisis?
If so, the living material that is our society is in danger. If we claim that love is the fulfilment of life, it is of the utmost importance to say it out loud and to choose resolutely for love.
Movement Without a Name wants to make it its business . In all our projects and initiatives the human being plays the central part  and our care goes to those whom we tend to forget.
We do not use many words when doing this. We love decisiveness. To do something concrete for people- that is the motto.

Finally this. He who claims that the economy is the engine of society and that more welfare guarantees more happiness, is greatly mistaken. Not the money – because that is the outside – but love is the deeper motive that keeps us going.

So it seems that the softest value is the strongest engine to keep this world afloat.

– Movement Without a Name

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Additional literature

1. Words to inspire and to give wisdom
2. Importance of parents 2
3. Caricaturing and disapproving sceptics, religious critics and figured out ethics
4. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
5. Fruits of the spirit will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruitful
6. Looking for True Spirituality 1 Intro
7. Looking for True Spirituality 5 Fruitage of the Spirit
8. Behold, My mother and My brothers!
9. Luck
10. To be chained by love for another one
11. Loving and having respect for the woman
12. What Does Love Look Like?
13. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
14. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit
15. Do not forget the important sign of belief
16. The task given to us to love each other
17. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
18. God loving people justified
19. What Jesus did: First things first
20. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
21. Alternative four letter words
22. More-Letter-Words
23. יהוה , YHWH and Love: Four-letter words
24. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #4 Mozaic and Noachide laws
25. The Law of Christ: Law of Love
26. The Greatest of These is Love
27. Love and cultivate that which is pure
28. Love turns one person into two; and two into one
29. If we love one another, God lives in us
30. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love
31. God demonstrates his own love
32. The Spirit of God imparts love,inspires hope, and gives liberty
33. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
34. Christian values and voting not just a game
35. Growth in character
36. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
37. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
38. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
39. Work with joy and pray with love
40. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
41. Reflect on how much idolizing happens
42. Self-preservation is the highest law of nature
43. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
44. Unconditional love
45. Love the Whole Person
46. “Unnoticed”
47. Live …
48. Life and attitude of a Christian
49. Loving the Word
50. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #12 Prayer #10 Talk to A Friend
51. Breathing and growing with no heir
52. Falling in Love’ as Temporary Insanity.
53. Moving forward
54. Overcoming Hurt Feelings
55. No fear in love
56. The one who has not had a taste of love
57. When we love we do not need laws
58. Love envieth not
59. Spread love everywhere you go
60. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
61. Reflection for today: hating your brother
62. Blessed are those who freely give
63. God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind
64. Love will cure more sins than condemnation
65. Love is like playing the piano
66. A treasure which can give me everything I need
67. Unarmed truth and unconditional love
68. 2nd Half 20th Century Generations pressure to achieve
69. Christian the Lion
70. Atonement And Fellowship 2/8
71. Love and forgive this friday

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Related articles

• Rapist murderer gets death wish: Belgian man getting lethal injection at a clinic this week
• Rapist murderer gets death wish: Belgian man getting lethal injection at a clinic this week
• ‘You Have a Mother’
• Don’t impose freedom on us
• Insult needn’t lead to injury
• Belgian rapist and murderer to be put to death by lethal injection
• The humane way to treat a serial rapist is to help him live
• 40 years ago
• Flemish anti-Islam movement plans march in Antwerp
• Rapist murderer gets death wish: Belgian man getting lethal injection at a clinic this week

 

Time Has A Way Of Healing

Human beings are often not patient enough and do not want to give enough time to heal their body and their soul.

In case we would be willing to use the ‘cover of time‘ and the ‘cover of love‘ and understanding we would not have to worry such a long time about arguments we had and words which crossed our paths. Instead of being annoyed such a long time about arguments we had or heavy discussions, we should use the time to think about it and use meditation-time to give us some answers to heal the psychological wounds.

Often it is by lack of love for the other that so many bridges stay blown up and roads do not get repaired. To forgive is for many so difficult that they even can not cope with the thought of it. They should know it is a sort of weakness when you are not able to forgive and not able to swoop the sponge over the arguments you had.

Let us go for the better. We do not have to forget, but we should prefer to leave it as a thing in the past which we would preferred not to have happened. so why to stand still so long by it? Continue your way and reach out to the other in loving-kindness. Show the other you are strong enough to stand up again and to continue your way with him to better pastures.

With our mind we can do much more than we think. Everything is in the mind. and we should know that we do have received our minds to get to know the wonders of the world and to come to a good relationship with everything of the creation. For being able to come to a good relationship we do have to open our minds to the positive things of this life and should mend as we may need help from friends or well intentioned professionals.
“Let love and healing conquer for all of humanity”

And let us not forget:

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass

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Find also to read:

1. A time for everything
2. Patient waiting
3. Allowed to heal
4. Your Sins Are Forgiven
5. Oh god, this is never going to end!
6. Putting your feelings into words and sharing them
7. See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory
8. Doest thou well to be Angry?
9. A man who cannot forgive others
10. He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass
11. Growth in character
12. Love is like playing the piano
13. Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives

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Related articles

• Living Mindfully for a Healthy Body, Mind, and Heart (goodtherapy.org)
  If this were your last day on earth, how would you spend it? Would you spend it inside an office or with your loved ones? While this may seem like a drastic question, I believe it helps us put things in perspective. Instead of living from a reactive stance where we’re putting out fires, obsessing over the future, or striving to do more, we pause and shift into the present moment. As we connect to body, mind, and heart, we open to our moment-to-moment experience in a nonjudgmental manner. This pausing to intentionally connect with the present moment can be challenging, but it’s an important step toward restoring balance between body, mind, and emotions.
• Anti-Confusion (avirtuousmetalk.wordpress.com)
  My natural eye can only see what surrounds me. My spiritual eye when focused on God, can see that He is moving on my behalf within every aspect of my life. I no longer choose to be a mute witness or deaf believer. I want to make an alarming and resounding sound in the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere that signifies my life’s devotion as a living sacrifice to God.
• Forgiveness (kadalyn.wordpress.com)
  Being able to forgive those who have wronged you is a mark of spiritual strength and confidence. When you forgive, you grow, your heart begins to heal, your back straightens up, your eyes clear so you can see the road ahead.
• Forgiveness vs. Restoration of Trust by Rick Warren (christianmotivations.weebly.com)
  Forgiveness does not mean the instant restoration of trust. Forgiveness is instant. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Forgiveness is based on grace. Trust is built on works. You earn trust. You don’t earn forgiveness.
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  Forgiving a person does not mean you have to trust them. It means they have to earn the trust.
  +
  Restoration of a relationship takes far more than forgiveness. It takes repentance. It takes restitution and a rebuilding of trust. And it often takes a much longer time.
• Daily Inspiration – Forgiveness is a Wonderful thing. (transformyourlife4ever.wordpress.com)
  Release all your anger, fear and resentment and move forward with a positive frame of mind. Let go of the past as it is impossible to change it, you can only learn from it. When you forgive you release the ties that bind you to hurt, pain, mistakes, heartache and anything that is negative and destructive in your life. When you forgive yourself and others you create a space that allows love and hope to exist.
• Jesus Heals Broken Hearts (frommyheart2u.wordpress.com)
  The first step to healing is forgiveness. An emotional wound cannot heal without forgiveness. Unforgiveness and bitterness are like an infection;without removing them you will not recover.
• Forgiveness: An Act of Self Love (consciouslifenews.com)
  When someone that matters to us is hurtful we will naturally feel painful emotions such as anger and sadness. We may find ourselves dwelling on the injustice of the situation and holding grudges. Gradually these negative feelings overshadow the positive feelings in our lives, leaving us filled with resentment. That eventually leads to spiritual paralysis and detrimental physical destruction.
  +
  Forgiveness is a promise we make to ourselves to change our life. It is about releasing ourselves from the grip that hinders our well-being—the negative hold we have essentially allowed the other person to have over us.
• Is Forgiveness The Key To Happiness? (lifechris.wordpress.com)
  In the pursuit of true happiness, there are many stumbling blocks that the Universe likes to throw our way. If happiness is a choice, should we also choose to forgive those who have hurt and upset us in aid to achieve it?
• Forgiveness (bishopcraig.com)
  There’s nothing about forgiveness that implies being a doormat or placing yourself or anyone else in danger. In fact, if that’s a possibility then forgiveness is inappropriate and premature.

Thursday Phrase Night for Palace Poets

Let Us All Heal
.
In nature time has a way of healing all wounds,
Unless the wound is fatal or the only cure for certain diseases

Is death, a sad state of affairs
The white blood cells in our bodies do their job  and rightfully so

Compassion for our fellow person should rule our day and
We should really care
.
Anger consumes many a soul who

Cannot find it in their hearts to forgive
The pain, the madness eating them inside making
Them bitter, no way to live
.
Of course there are some transgressions that
May be unforgivable but
We must seek out ways to cope
The hardest thing sometimes is searching one’s own soul

A worthy goal  turning hate into constructive hope
.
The link between physical and spiritual should
Never be forgotten or even discounted

Our bodies for the most part have a miraculous way
Of…

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