a Path to explore more

When I started with this website, I wanted to share common thoughts or give similar minds an extra open door to reach others, as well as to present a selection of websites, blogs and writings I thought (and think) worthwhile reading or looking at.

For years on all my websites I also presented a “Related” articles list, to give my readers other opportunities to find more writings on the subject. After the many complaints having linked to their article, and having to search for placed links I was asked to remove, from this year onward, I stop to invest time looking for related articles, investing time to read them for after approval, placing links after the posted articles. Now much more time shall come available to publish more articles which are in unison with my thoughts and not bringing readers away from my own sites. (From the statistics more readers from this site went looking at the mentioned site, than receiving readers from the linked site.) At the same time on my websites I shall not any more bringing people to websites which are against me or my beliefs.

After giving all my energy to the world of dance my body could not fit any more the physical world of exuberance and graceful unlimited mobility. Having reached a certain age where they consider a human being not able enough to give enough to the world, I was made redundant, considered to be part of the ‘third age’ group.
First having been very disappointed by the way I was treated, the first two years I did not want to do much with ballet or theatrical dance. Not having to work full time for our living, receiving retirement fund, I could spend more time to my church work. My religious activities started even taking so much time I had less time to write at my own personal blog. (Because pensions not enough to survive I still have a few days a month I work for my living.)

I feel blessed that I am allowed to work at three Bible translations, even when it might consume also a lot of time and lots of thinking-work, being it a seriously very faithful responsibility, not to add or change anything in the saying or purpose of the original words supplied by God. Therefore, those translations in Judaic Dutch (Yiddish Dutch or Flemish), with the eye of two (or three) different groups (namely a Jeshuaist, a Jewish and an Orthodox Jewish public) is and shall be a time-consuming job with lots of thought and consideration).

This does not take away that I would have lost my interest in humanity and how man treats other people, animals and plants. I even became more active, spending also time in meetings concerning our way of life, necessary political actions a.o..
I must admit at meetings and conferences I seem to belong to a minority who strive to get unity in Europe, with some liveable world for everyone. Convinced we have to do something against this capitalist greedy world which does not show respect to the gross of people, animals and plants, I keep going strong and letting my voice being heard.

From  the moment I got retired I did not stop to seek a connection of like minds, to share common positive beliefs, and to be able to learn from each other about how to live life to the fullest.

Jonathan Hilton seems also on such a track. He writes:

Even when things don’t go as we plan, we all know no matter how hard we plan, life will throw us curve balls designed to engender growth. Our lives are defined by the lessons we learn at this moment and the way we handle ourselves. {Mind Connections}

Raising his level of consciousness has become Jonathan Hilton’s passion in life.

and understanding that when I follow and focus on certain core principles in my life and live in alignment with them, things go well. {Mind Connections}

He writes on the opening of his blog Mind Connections, admitting:

When I fall off, and my focus isn’t so sharp, then things are not so pleasant. Conscious thought about where my attention goes allows all of my energies to flow in that direction. {Mind Connections}

With the knowledge that each viewpoint may bring a different set of emotions, a different thought process, and a different reality to the perceiver it only can be enriching to share thoughts and to get to know more people from all over the world and getting to know how they manage to make the best of their life.

We have little control over the perceptions of others, but we may not forget that when we utter our ideas, share our thoughts, we might bring others to other ideas too.

How often do we not wonder if what we are doing is or would be right? How often do we not wonder if we should openly write what we think or if we should write in ways and words others would love to hear? I always have been a bad one at that. By creating my ballets I did not mind criticising the way our society was moving. I never tried to be popular by my creative works. [Choreographing fashion shows was a totally different matter, there I tried to bring the customers to find a connection in a future world to form. (We always had to be seasons ahead, manipulating the fashion trends – and yes, there stimulating human desires of consumption.) There it was also part the business to know beforehand what others would love to wear and see. ] In such way I also kept busy to try to find out what others would like to see and read.

On the surface, it is a simple choice, but in reality, it is a constant battle, {Life is a Mirror}

Hilton notes.
According to him

There is only a short time allotted to each of us to write the story of your life and with that time, we are tasked with a lot of things to accomplish. You have really only one life to get things right and sing the song that you want to sing. {The Story of Your Life}

We can try to make our dreams so compelling, that we will that we can’t wait to work on them, because waiting to experience them, in reality, is too painful. Often it is that enthusiasm which gets us to be restless and gets us up in the middle of the night to scribble something down or even to write certain texts.

A difficulty might be to:

Tune your enthusiasm to the size of your goals and attack it like your story depends on it because it does. That is how you write the story of your life. {The Story of Your Life}

At this blog I want to give, as many people as possible, the opportunity to share their thoughts which they and I find interesting enough to think about. I keep chasing my dreams that we can find enough people all over the world willing to bring others to see how we have to be careful which way of life we want to choose. As a Christian I also would love to see more people sharing the faith in One God and in His Gift and Good News of the coming Kingdom.

Once more, I dare to invite people to join us to share positive thoughts, but also to bring warnings how to tackle ecological and other problems.

Please do not hesitate to contact me, for becoming a part of joining hands across this globe.

There are more unchurched people and more non-believing people in our world than ever before.

There are more unchurched people in our world than ever before.
There are also more non-believing people in our world than ever before.

Dear God
Give us enough opportunities and power
to go out in this world
to preach the Good News of your coming Kingdom

 

In October-November People often too busy with death and the dead

At the end of October, begin November around cemeteries we can find lots of people on the streets and flower sellers who try to sell their chrysanthemums. Lots of people have their thoughts in this Autumn period by those who are not walking any more on this earth.

From Laura Cyrena‘s blogpost Graveyard Walk

You may not misunderstand us. We feel empathy, and we do understand their feelings, their point of view, their situation. We also know that each of us more than once shall be confronted with death in their life. Birth and death are two main factors in each being his or her life. Once born, nobody can escape death. It is part of life.

All of us shall have to walk a different path and shall have to find ways to make the best out of our own life. We also should know that we too may have an influence in the life of others. Each of us has to walk many miles to reach our goal. We shall have to crawl, walk, climb mountains and cycle many kilometres. Going from one place to another, growing up, we also shall meet a lot of people and become confronted with a lot of circumstances.

We often compare our life to that of others. We have a lot of expectations and sometimes by looking at others do not mind having some jealousy coming up in our minds, wanting things others have.

We put conditions on what we want … we reject things that doesn’t fit our expectations … we get distracted doing other things. {Are You Ready to Receive?}

The world offers us a lot of attractions and often we become blinded by its luring pictures. Most of the time we desire a lot from others and would like to receive even more from the one we call our god. When not receiving enough from one god many make themselves an other or even more gods. All over the world we find lots of people ‘taking care’ of many gods, whilst they forget that there exist A Singular Supernatural Spirit Being Who does not have to be cared for, because nothing can be given to Him what does not belong to Him. He is the Establisher and Master of life. He gives us all the possibilities to walk here on this planet.

When we realize all we have is from Him, when we realize we can’t do it own our on, then He will lift us up. James 4.10 {Are You Ready to Receive?}

Coming to realize Who That God is, does not seem to be so easy for mankind. Lots of people have difficulties to come to recognize that invisible God as the Most High Elohim and God of gods above any other god and above any being. Not many want to see or even look for Him, but that is what He hopes people would do, go looking for Him who is the Only One True God.

Seek Him. He delights when we look for Him and look for what ways He desires for us. We are to look for where He is already at work, and God will bless. Hebrews 11.6 {Are You Ready to Receive?}

Walking on this earth may not always so easy. Often we got a lot of mud on our shoes and clothes, getting wet and tired.

… we should realize that in our journey in life, our shoes get muddied. Life gets messy. Not only our life, but the life of others too. The mud gives insight to what we have gone through and where we have traveled. {Why the name, “Muddy Shoes”?}

Many people on their walk of life love to cling close to each other, and just hang out in one place. A lot of them are just happy where they are and what they do, as long as they do not have to bother about others. Many do not think about the task Jesus has given to his followers, to go out in the world and to tell the peoples about the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God. Many forget that they are to be going into the world, sharing the love, the hope, the grace of the Gospel.

Every year we see a lot of people who think of their beloved who are gone. But at that time when the days shorten they prefer to hold on to fantasies as people becoming stars in heaven, or going to have 77 virgins in heaven. Several parents let their children look to stars to find the proof of death, making their heads

forever fastened gazing up, while final breaths of skyward worlds eclipse with life our fleshly tomb and and fragile pulse. {To stars}

Others have even placed some ashes from the deceased in a teddy bear of their children.Some love to go on the eveningwalks many organizations provide around Halloween.

To have just a taste of the life they once had. Blood in their veins. Breath in their mouth. Tears in their eyes. {Waiting For The Dead On Halloween}

they

are told they might have the stench of the grave upon them. We are told their skin might slough off on our own. {Waiting For The Dead On Halloween}

Lots of people look forward to the Halloween marches and fires, giving them a kick and fanciful ideas they being stronger than those who died. Some of them might think the rotted clothes of the dead might fall from their bones, and they hope to see things to make them scream and at the same time frightening the ghosts as well. It is said by many

On Samhain many lay in wait for the dead.

We are told the fresh decay of our parents and uncles and aunts and grand folk will be the worse. They have had their year in the ground and are beyond any excuse to linger. They are the most reluctant. They have the clearest memories of what it is like to live. They, more than all the others, want it back. They might wish, if they can, to suck life right out of us and feel warm once again.

It is best we disguise ourselves from them.

It is best if we hide our faces with masks and wear clothes not our own. {Waiting For The Dead On Halloween}

Lots of people consider it more important to  honour the dead, because they are afraid they otherwise would do things to them, instead of honouring God Who according to many does not exist. Instead of thinking what really happens to somebody who dies or people having to face the end of their life, and after that life is finished, they not able to take anything into their grave to use it later. For them, as for animals and plants, there shall be just decay, they becoming dust.

All their life they may have thought they had lots of enemies. Now those enemies can not do anything to them. For those who depart us in death there shall be no tears any more. Whilst the living shall shed perhaps a lot of tears.

²⁶ The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26 BRG)

⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4 BRG)

⁵ For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. (Ecclesiastes 9:5 BRG)

²⁹ All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. (Psalm 22:29 BRG)

¹⁹ For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

²⁰ All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 BRG)

¹⁰ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecclesiastes 9:10 BRG)

⁴ His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. (Psalm 146:4 BRG)

¹⁸ For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. (Isaiah 38:18 BRG)

Instead of spending so much time going to clean stones in a graveyard talking at another place than home, to those who died, should we not better use several moments of the year to remember those people, and perhaps even talk to them, though with the knowledge they can not hear us and cannot do something for us. But above there is SomeOne Who can hear and see us. Would we not better talk to Him?

Instead of having friendship with the world, should we not seek for friendship with Him? Instead of being from the world we better would be from God, with the knowledge that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19) We should not love the world and what it has to offer with all its gadgets and other attractive things, it being ready as a spider waiting for its prey to sting it to death.  We should know that for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh or physical gratification, and the lust of the eyes or greed, and the pride of life and extravagant lifestyles, are not of the Father, but are of the world. (1 John 2:15-16)

 

Bad choices, poor planning, and simply not paying attention. … we wing it, we keep,doing the same thing (thus getting the same outcome and wonder why), we don’t pay attention to what our people are going through and ignore the signs. {52 Hiker Mistakes by Backpacker … and by Worship Leaders}

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Preceding

Measure of loneliness whilst time drags

Facing daily events and exclaiming “Good grief!”

Family happiness and little things we do

The belief of one going to heaven

What traditions/rituals/routines do you have for welcoming Autumn?

Pagan Holidays

Halloween is Satanist Christmas

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Find also to read

1. What is life?
2. A Mundane Existence
3. Dealing with worries in our lives
4. Concerning Man
5. Dying or not
6. October month of witches and spirits
7. Halloween custom of the nations
8. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 2 Summersend and mansend
9. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 4 Blasphemy and ridiculing faith in God
10. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 5 People, souls and saints in the news
11. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 6 Bonfire night
12. All Saints’ Day
13. Thought for November 1: To the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
14. All Souls’ Day
15. Thought for today November 4th Going to graveyards and people going to dust
16. A truth to face often to do with time
17. An Escape Mechanism
18. Are you right down in the dumps? Stop digging!
19. Death
20. Biblical Ambiguity on Death?
21. How are the dead?
22. Realities concerning Human Life and Death
23. Where do we go when we die?
24. Grave, tomb, sepulchre – graf, begraafplaats, rustplaats, sepulcrum
25. Separation from God in death, the antithesis of life
26. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #1 Intro
27. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #2 Psyche, the word
28. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #3 Historical background
29. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #5 Mortality of man and mortality of the spirit
30. Today’s thought “Death by being taken captive” (May 15)
31. Today’s thought “nonsense surrounding the many gods” (July 28)
32. Is there life beyond the grave?
33. Decomposition, decay – vergaan, afsterven, ontbinding
34. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
35. Being of good courage running the race

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Where the Tye River meets the James. Unique in its right angle intersection as opposed to a Y-type of most merges. But something happened. It now lays horizontal on the floor of the forest. Photo from Killing a Legacy.

Related

Glenwood Cemetery on Central Avenue Pike in Powell, a very old cemetery located next to a somewhat newer church. – Photo from Life in Every Limb article by Leslie Sholly {Glenwood Cemetery: A Post for All Souls Day}

1. Life in a few Lines.
2. Killing a Legacy
3. You Snooze, You Lose
4. Dreams of Vampires
5. Yesterday … All My Trouble Seemed So Far Away (Our Story Through Music)
6. Another favorite subject
7. Where is the great Beyond?
8. To stars
9. Not Done Yet
10. Farewell
11. Death Death so we want are always greatly interested him.
12. Dead.
13. The Choral of DeathIn Death
14. An afternoon at Père Lachaise cemetery.
15. Why I stopped making up for the dead-Banke Meshida
16. What would be the #meaning of a #limited #life which ends with #dead?
17. Dead Before 40
18. Graveyard Walk
19. SciFriday: Day of the Dead
20. Inktober 2019 Day 31: Ouija
21. Hallow’s Evehappy halloween!
22. Honoring the Dead on Halloween
23. Waiting For The Dead On Halloween
24. Factoid About Halloween
25. Is Halloween a Christian holiday?
26. [tonight we walk]
27. Fences
28. Twittering Tales – Lonely Girl.
29. Decent Substitutes
30. All Saints’ Day/Sunday C: Nov. 1 or 3
31. Ghosts Await On The Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos
32. November 2nd Day of the Dead
33. Celebrating the deadChrysanthemums and All Souls’ Day
34. Prayer for All Souls Day
35. Remembering our loved ones – on “Mindszentek” (All Saints’ Day)
36. All Saint’s Day – Visiting a Cemetery in Milan
37. Graveyard Reveries
38. Glenwood Cemetery: A Post for All Souls Day
39. Short Story: A Grave Time for A Cemetery
40. 50 Word Story #25
41. 170 – A glimpse of the quiet Varazdin and Zagreb streets
42. Honoring family
43. Parents honour son’s life with Halloween skeleton but cemetery keeps taking it down – National
44. The All Saints Day
45. Happy All Saints’ Day
46. Cemetery Days
47. Walking around a cemetery alone
48. The Cemetery – Part 3
49. A Few Words on Cemetery Problems
50. The Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome
51. Halloween Celebration in the Local Cemetery
52. The Embrace Of Thanatos
53. Alex Williamson cemetery, revisited.
54. Cherry Hill Cemetery
55. A Trip to the West Point Cemetery
56. Mexico City: Free for a Coffee desperate to see a cemetery since roaming through a city of the dead is one of my beloved pastimes.
57. Cimetière de la Cité, Carcassonne, France
58. Buenos Aires – October 2019 – La Chacarita Cemetery

Time to sit still or to pass on

The first week of the Summer holiday is already nearly gone. It goes so fast, perhaps before we know the three weeks shall be over and the roads in Flanders shall again pile up with pepole going to do their daily business, their worldly duties.

You would think they could have now some more time to take rest but also to spend more time reading in the Set Apart Scriptures.
These weeks people love it to find their work-life coming to a stand still. I wonder if they would remember how perhaps a whole world was like coming to a complete silent standstill. In the words of the Midrash about the Matan Torah:

When God revealed Torah at Mount Sinai, no bird sang, no cow mooed, no bad of grass rustled in the wind. (Shemot Rabbah29:9)

God giving the Torah on Mount Sinai

What God had to say was so important everything was like coming to a standstill. (Figuratively.)

There at Mount Sinai the Torah was given to the Am kadosh God’s People. though in fact it was not only for the Hebrews, but to all the nations of the world that God provided His Word. All should have to come to hear His Voice. God’s People should know the importance of it for them but also for the others around them. Though for those who call themselves People of God it can be a Hard Word.

God lifts Mount Sinai and holds it over the heads of the assembled Children of Israel.  Then God says,

either you accept and pledge to observe my Torah or I shall drop the mountain on top of you. (B. Shabbat 88A and B. Avodah Zarah 2B)

Would we like the world falling on our head? Are we getting God’s messages He gives throughout the many ages? Not many do!
It is all about bringing the Message of God further into the world. We may not forget the purpose of our people, to be teachers and examples of the ideals of Torah to the world. Indeed by adherence to these ideals we become in the words of the Prophet Isaiah;

“A light to the nations’ (Isaiah 49:6)

a worthy example for all. If we are not willing to accept the responsibility of adhering to the Torah’s ideals, there is no good reason for us to continue to exist.

Israel’s willingness to accept Torah was so important to God that the Almighty threatened to break the promise made after the flood never to destroy the world again unless Israel agrees to embrace the Torah and its ideals (B. Shabbat 88A).

So we should not fear to find the world coming to an end that way, but we may not forget that the Elohim warned us also for a terrible war going to come. Our eyes should be directed to those incredible difficult times, when there would be more natural disasters, children getting cross with their parents, people having no respect any more for each other nor keeping to ethic values, religion fighting against religion, nations against nations. It all shall end by a disastrous World War.

But before that time shall be so near that it would be to late to warn others, the people of God should spread the Good News and warn people to be ready.

We should show others how we as People of God want to be an example and demonstrate to God that we are worthy to receive His Torah.

When God asks us to offer guarantors of our worthiness, we offer the deeds of our patriarchs and our prophets but God finds neither of these acceptable.  Only when we pledge the loyalty of our children to God’s teachings does God reveal the Torah to our people. (Shir Ha ShirimRabbah, Chapter 1, Section 4, Midrash 1)

When we are free from daily work, having our Summer-holiday we should take time to tell others about that Word of God which might bring light and life for so many. Living in the hope (tikvah) that one day more people shall come to see and understand the Voice of God and be willing to go with us to the corners of the world.

“Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “In those days it will come to pass that ten men from every language of the nations will grasp the corner of the garment of a Jew saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’ ””
(Zechariah 8:23 TLV)

 

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Preceding articles

An uncovering book to explore

2016 Summer holiday

Holiday time reading time

Allow yourself a chill-out day

Shabbat Mevarchim opening to the Summer-holiday period

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

Christians remaining hidden not sharing the gospel

Witnesses of Christ and of his gospel

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Additional articles to read

1. Why think that (4) … God would reveal himself in words
2. Why think that (5) … the Bible is the word of God
3. How to Read the Bible (sequel 6) an after thought
4. Bible Reading: is it worthwhile?
5. God’s forgotten Word 2 Lost Lawbook 1 Who has still interest
6. Today’s thought “Let’s be examples of disciples who spread the word about their Master” (May 17)
7. Daily thought for July the 8th and the Summer months
8. I can’t believe that … (4) God’s word would be so violent
9. ….a powerful way to put the universe on notice….
10. Making time for prayer in Summerholiday
11. Holiday tolerance
12. Will There Ever be Peace on Earth?

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Further related

1. Leisure: Family friendly activities not to miss this summer
2. Summer reality and summer dreams
3. Podcasts for Summer
4. Our Summer Trip: My Top 10 Favourite Things
5. Mallorca – My Summer Holiday Highlights!
6. Which books to read this summer: 5 tips!
7. Moshe, Dovid, and What the Other Nations Rejected
8. Yitro – The question of freedom of choice
9. Shavuot: Now That’s The Spirit! 5779
10. Rav Avigdor Miller on The Avos and Matan Torah
11. Rav Avigdor Miller on The Nations Reject the Torah
12. Rav Avigdor Miller on The Nations Reject the Torah
13. Shavuot – The meaning of Har Sina
14. Preparing to Accept The Torah: Part One
15. Too busy?
16. Being an Example; November 27, 2018
17. A Living Example
18. Pelted for the Gospel
19. Who Follows You?

A vital question for believers

At Selah Ministries they ask

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

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

Lis from Selah Ministries which says it

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

brings up as next question

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

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

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

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

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

There are people who say

Faith can not come by hearing

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

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Preceding

Consider your own journey in life

May we have doubts

Hatred and hostility against God

Arguments about believe and About Christianity versus Atheism

On the Edge of Believing

Fear in your own heart or outside of it

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

Mishmash of a legal code but importance of mitzvah or commandments

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Additional reading

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

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Related

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

Preaching as Public Speaking

Jesus has given his followers the task to go out into the word to preach the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.

2020 years after the master teacher his birth the Church has gone fare away from his teachings. In many church-groups or denominations we can find that human doctrines have won and that the people in the congregation or church community prefer to keep to human tradition instead of holding to the biblical teachings and Godly holy days.

“I want to preach a sermon. . .” – NARA – 514567 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Disappointed by the many contradicting teachings, ideas and having seen so many pastors, ministers and priests not living according to the Law of God and the law of human decency, lots of people got enough of the hypocrisy of those churches. Today we can only see (nearly) empty churches all over West Europe.

For sure the Body of Christ needs some fresh blood and some good ‘Punch’. Anno 2017 it looks like the church is gone ‘pubering’ again and in need of some acné products, trying to get rid of the puperal pimples or the sickness of the capitalist world where man has increased his position to godly status, so many thinking they are god themselves and play for god.

This world need preachers or speakers who are not afraid to give those immature consumers a tick on their bum. some even can use some figurative slap in the face to wake them up.

Most important to come over as some one sincere and credible is that the one who wants to speak for God he or she, himself or herself beliefs in the Most High and in His only begotten son. In the preacher has to burn the light of faith before he can go to others for trying to convince them to see that light in the darkness.
First there has to be conviction and persuasion in the preacher’s heart, glowing very strongly, to have the fire in the eyes, with such a kind and sweet heart that people would become eager to taste that sweetness and listen to what that person has to tell.

With the hate and vile language we can find lots of Christians spreading today on the internet and in common speech on the streets, they shall not be able to attract others to love them or to love what they tell.

Today we also find lots of Christians who preach there has a war started by the Muslims against the Christians. They forget that lots of Christians are setting themselves against the Islam. They do not see they have fallen in the trap of the false Muslims who not only have done a lot of damage to Islam but also want to destabilise the whole world.

It is up to the preachers who call themselves Christian to show the love of Christ and to share that agape love with all people around them, atheists, other believers (be them Muslims or from an other faith).

Without the love of Christ and without the burning fire of faith in the own heart, the preacher his gained ‘technique’ shall be quickly uncovered by the truth, so let him first get to the core of the Bible and teach that biblical Truth instead of human doctrines, and let he or she be unbiased, open to all people and not to just a few of a certain race or group.

*

To remember

• preaching = divine task + form of public speaking
• preaching involves spiritual dynamics + oratory skills = technical aspect of preaching < form of public speaking => skills revolving around use + proper utilization + creative use of voice, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures + movements.
• no methodology holy
• Only written words of God in Bible are holy

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Preceding articles

Several Christians fail to recognise the Chosen ones of God and are not taking on a Christian attitude

To proclaim the day of vengeance

What makes you following Christ and Facebook Groups

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Additional reading

1. The business of this life
2. The task given to us to love each other
3. Parish, local church community – Parochie, plaatselijke kerkgemeenschap
4. People who know how to pray to move God to take hold of our affairs in a mighty way
5. Pulpit reserved for the pastor
6. Notification and news feed for Facebook users
7. Bring praise to the Creator
8. The essence of church

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Further reading

1. Why are Christians so nosey about other peoples affairs
2. What, we agree? Compatible issues in a disagreeable world
3. Is a Religious War in Europe Imminent?
4. Bias, and Disagreeing with Something
5. Can we not be civil and simply disagree?
6. “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give”
7. Are you ready for this?
8. You Summon and Send Us, three prayers based on Matthew 10
9. Bearing Witness
10. On the Power of Hospitality…
11. “When I Could Stand it No Longer….”
12. Being A Witness for Christ
13. Proclaim
14. Politics and Preaching
15. Good enough for ministry?
16. What builds the Church?
17. Back to Baby Steps
18. Book Blurb: Biblical Preaching
19. 3 Steps to Make the Message Stick
20. 5 Lessons from the Mission Field
21. Owen on Preaching, Sinclair on Children and Christ
22. Speech
23. Finding My Voice
24. The Foolishness of Preaching
25. Jonah — Belief Contradicted by Behavior! (Part 3)
26. Calvin: Ministers Ought Not to Steal
27. J.C. Ryle on “Jelly-Fish” Sermons
28. Unfurling the Word
29. Let’s keep our message offensive
30. Let’s keep our message offensive, part two
31. Preaching to the Late Modern Mind: Five Cultural Narratives to Know
32. Preparing to Preach
33. Preaching and Faithfulness
34. The Courage to Preach
35. Pastoral Theology
36. Reflections
37. Care for Others
38. Faithful Congregations Share the Good News
39. Charles Spurgeon on Spiritual Gleaning
40. The Dispensation of Grace
41. Stirring the Pot with Grace…
42. Psalm 64:9 Pondering God’s Work
43. How to Have a Successful Ministry

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Worship and the Christian Life

True, preaching is a divine task, yet basically it is also a form of public speaking. A true preacher will eventually realise that as much as preaching involves spiritual dynamics, it also certainly includes oratory skills. These oratory skills constitute the technical aspect of preaching.

Before I tell about this technical aspect of preaching, or the oratory skills, which make us realise that preaching is a form of public speaking, let me tell first some important points to consider.

The first point is that though the technical side of preaching is important, still the spiritual side is more important. Preaching is firstly divine, then secondly it is public speaking. Preaching achieves eternal spiritual fruits, something that ordinary public speaking can never produce.

The second point to consider is that no methodology is holy, no matter how helpful it is in preaching. The techniques of delivering a sermon are never holy…

View original post 1,674 more words

To proclaim the day of vengeance

The Christadelphians do follow a Bible reading plan called The Bible Companion. Their first reading for today July the 5th is 1 Samuel 17 where is seen “the day of vengeance” of Israel upon the Philistines due to the wonderful faith of a youthful David.

David had his three eldest brothers watching him. Throughout the stories of the Bible we are given example after example of how we should not fear even the strongest of men if we fear the Most High God.We are also given examples of people of God who think they can do nothing. Lots of people may think like the ones in our first reading

17:33: ³³ And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

and of Numbers 13:31 saying

‘We be not able to go up against this people’.

we come to see that Saul had fallen into the trap of the nation of Israel when they were at the border of the land for the first time.Also in our world today many have fallen in the trap of the adversary of God (the satan) and do believe they can not do anything against those who do not believe in God

We do live in a world where ‘goliath of godlessness’ is filling the earth and defying and destroying human thinking, as is evidenced in nearly all human talking, attitudes and activities. Just switch the television on and you can see how the world has gone far away from the godly way of living.

Our soul may rejoice in our Adonai for He has clothed us in salvation, but what may we do with that salvation if we do not show it to others? We have the the covering for our sin – that which allows us to stand before God’s throne and be classed as righteous by His grace. This covering is our salvation. It is good that we are reminded of it in so many places. But we should know that we also should remind others of it.

In the second reading of today we hear Isaiah telling the world

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Also Jesus comes to read that passage in the synagogue, which we can read in Luke 4:18,19.

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

But Jesus only read as far as

“… to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”.

He stopped and did not read the words that followed – but he is returning soon

“to proclaim … the day of vengeance of our God” (verse 2).

We are not talking here about the six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics the “Day of Vengeance” – #1, (June 2005), cover art by Walt Simonson.

This was not the purpose of his first coming! But will be the purpose, to begin with, of his second coming! And we know how much our world deserves this “day of vengeance”!

Jehovah God has put His Spirit in the master teacher Jeshua (Jesus Christ) because Jehovah appointed the Nazarene to tell [proclaim; preach] the Good News [Gospel] to the poor. [^Lanointed; ^Cat Jesus’ baptism he was anointed by the Spirit as the Messiah, meaning the Anointed One] He has sent us to ·tell the captives they are free [proclaim liberty/release for the captives/prisoners]

God asked Jesus also not to forget to tell the blind that they can see again [Is. 61:1] and not to overlook the deaf, letting them become aware of the message which has to reach all people all over the world.

The Nazarene master teacher tells the people around him that it is Jehovah God Who has sent him to free those who have been treated unfairly [the oppressed; Is. 58:6] and to announce [proclaim] the time [year] when the Most High Elohim will show His kindness [favour; Is. 61:2; ^Can allusion to the release of slaves during the Jubilee year; Lev. 25].

Isaiah 61:6 King James Version (KJV)⁶ But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

When you are calling yourself a Christian, are you really a follower of Christ Jesus and willing to follow up the tasks he has given his disciples?

Are you willing to be called “the Lord’s priests”? We when calling ourself Christian should be worthy followers of Jesus Christ, adhering the same God as Jesus worshipped (his heavenly Father, the God of Israel) and should present or offer ourselves as

“slaves or ministers of our God”.

We should put on that the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that we and those around us might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)

Oak at Schönderling

In Flanders we can see the strong oaks in our woods. They are masters of stories, telling a long history. We should be like them “Trees of Justice”, not allowing ourselves to be carried away by worldly temptation and favouritism. As those oaks are mostly not standing on their own in solitude, we too should make sure that we have many brethren and sisters around us proclaiming the Good News, so that those called and taught by us might be called terebinths of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that He may be glorified.

Everyday we should work at it to have “trees” planted to show Jehovah His greatness [glory; ^Cmanifest presence]. Like we use the vegetable juices and oils of several trees in our surroundings for our healing, we too should bring people around us

“the oil of gladness … the garment of praise … that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified” (verse 3).

so that they may be healed from the wounds of the ungodly actions.

When Jesus first stood up to address his Jewish brothers he introduced himself with the reading of Isaiah, giving an indication that he was a sent one from God coming with His authorisation to tell the people he came to proclaim

“the day of vengeance of our God”.

In stopping where he did, he brought the audience onto his side. The record says that they “marvelled” at the things he said, and the way he said them. Yet Jesus had an ace up his sleeve. Suddenly, when the audience was at it’s most appreciative, marvelling at the way he opened up Isaiah’s prophecies to them, he deliberately turned on them, pressing what he knew to be a sore spot: even the gentiles are more worthy of the Messiah than you are!

Why did he do this? Well, the answer as always is in the prophecy he was quoting. Verses 1-2 speak of the year of Jubilee. We know this because of the reference to a specific year where liberty would be proclaimed. In quoting this passage Jesus changed one of the words:

“to set at liberty those who are oppressed”.

This is because he was specifically referring to the year of Jubilee and what it was designed to liberate. Have a look in Leviticus 25.

“You shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land” (v10). “You shall not oppress one another” (v14)

and again in v17

“you shall not oppress one another”.

We should not be afraid to go kindly to others and to tell them in a friendly way what we might expect and how we can avoid troubles in our life today and how we may prepare ourselves for a better life. Never need we to put pressure on others. We can tell them what the Word of God says; They may believe it, take it or ignore it. When they do not want to hear it we should allow it to be so, and let them be with their own thoughts. Perhaps by giving them (lots of) time they may be gained by the Word of God and in the end may come to see the Truth. We should show patience all the time.

The Jubilee was designed by God to be a year where all the land and property of a man was returned to him. Thus, if you bought a man’s field, you were in effect only renting it from him for the remainder of the current 50 year cycle. This ensured that the inheritance of the poorest people still remained with them, and that the rich didn’t oppress the poor in taking away all their livelihood.

“The day of vengeance” will be turned into victory for those who truly serve their lord today – until he come. Let us help each other in doing this, having laid up for ourselves “treasures in heaven” (as we read today in Matthew 6:19-21) which Jesus will bring with him (Revelation 22:12) – learning the lesson every day that

“where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

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Preceding articles

Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer

Is being a humanitarian enough to convey the full love of Christ?

High time to go out telling the world about Jesus

7 Ways To Become A Better Christian

What Should I Preach ?

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Crisis man needed in this world

Witnessing because we love

Refusing to Be Silent

Go Ye!

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Additional reading

1. We should use the Bible every day
2. Bible in the first place #2/3
3. Necessity of a revelation of creation 8 By no means unintelligible or mysterious to people
4. Necessity of a revelation of creation 11 Believing and obeying the gospel of the Kingdom of God
5. Fragments from the Book of Job #3: chapters 21-26
6. Blogging in the world for Jesus and his Father
7. Sharing thoughts and philosophical writings
8. Going deep into cultures to reach lost people
9. Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
10. How do I know if I’m called to ministry?
11. Priest, scribes and others with authority
12. Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom
13. Oratory Style
14. What Should I Preach ?

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Further reading

1. Here for a cause, anointed with a message the world needs to hear
2. Scriptures and Thoughts about: Proclaim
3. Go! Proclaim! Testify!
4. Power from Heaven for Believers
5. Proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes back
6. To the Unknown God
7. I Was Singing This When I Woke Up
8. Two Different Ways to Look at the Great Commission
9. Share Jesus
10. High mast as I give allegiance to Jesus my King…the breeze carries far for all to hear echoes of His salvation
11. All for Jesus
12. June 30 – Ruth 4

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• Once Saved, Forever Saved?
• Sunday reflection: Matthew 28:16-20 and John 17:1 – 11
• Bishop Advises Students To Shun Cultism, Idolatry
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• From the Explanations of the Psalms by Saint Ambros
• I AM: 40 Reasons to Trust God

3 Ways to Make the Church More Effective

Ryan Duncan

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. – Matthew 5:15

To be a Christian means to stand in witness for Christ. All of us, no matter our background, are called to share the Good News with the people of our world (Mark 16:15). It’s a huge responsibility, a great honor, and a noble calling. Unfortunately, Christians aren’t always skillful when it comes to sharing the gospel. With all the changes taking place in modern society, many believers are questioning the Church’s effectiveness in leading others to Christ.

Ed Stetzer is one such Christian. In a recent column for Christianity Today, Stetzer proposed that churches needed to change their methods if they wanted to continue reaching communities. As an example, he pointed to the use of pathways,

Consider How to Use Pathways

Pathways transitions people away from apathy into groups where they’ll provoke one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). We need to help people live as agents of God’s mission. Sometimes you have to stop doing good things to do the best things. That’s always a hard call, especially for churches. Churches that refuse to budge on inerrancy of Scripture should be commended. Churches that confuse inerrancy with methodology should be corrected.

That tendency can be applied to aspects of ministry that have outlived their usefulness. We need clearer systems and processes that lead people from passivity to activity in involvement in the mission of God and serving one another.

Whitney Hopler, another voice on Christian transformation, takes a more introspective approach. She advises Christians to change their attitude on worship, which she believes has grown stale over the years. She writes,

Receive the Gift of Worship Gratefully

“Since it’s only through God’s love and power that you and the others in your church can offer yourselves as living sacrifices to God through worship and experience the profound blessings of encountering God through worship, be thankful. Keep in mind that gratitude is the foundation of worship as a church community.”

Finally, Nick Hall, the founder of PULSE and author of Reset, believes we all need to be more like Jesus. Too often the gospel becomes entangled in politics, social issues, or personal egos. Jesus, on the other hand, was concerned about people, and that meant stepping into life’s messes. In a section of Reset he states,

Put Others above Yourself

“If we spend time with Jesus, then we will naturally be driven to do the things that Jesus did. In other words, if you tell me you’re hanging out with Jesus every day and yet there is no desire in your life to share your faith, or love those he gave his life for, then we should probably dig a little deeper to find out what version of Jesus we are talking about.”

The gospel message will never change, but as Ed Stetzer suggested earlier, perhaps its methods should. We live in a culture which views the Church with increasing fear and suspicion, and the old systems of ministry are no longer working. If we continue to hold on to bad strategies, the strength of evangelism will only weaken. Now is the time to let our lights shine, so let us renew our efforts to share the Good News with all people.

What about you? Do you believe the Church needs to change its methods? Be sure to leave a comment in the space below.

*Published 6/7/16

**Ryan Duncan is the Editor of Crosswalk.com