Tag Archives: Worship

A Christian interested in Islam

I’m a Christian who’s always been pretty religious and but I’ve been really interested in Islam because I have a lot of Muslim friends and I love how they follow their religion. Can somebody give me some good reasons why I could convert to Islam?

In any case, it is good to question or at least ask questions about your faith. Daily, we need to examine and weigh ourselves, our thinking and our beliefs against the data we can find in the Holy Scriptures.

To your question, some might react and ask that person with such a question or remark

Why would you exchange the truth about God for a lie?

Others might say

I can’t think of good reasons why you would want to convert to Islam but I can understand why your Muslim friends’ devotion would make you wonder.

Some Christians consider Islam a threat to their faith. In doing so, they do not ask why that faith needs to be a threat to our society.

About God, there are no lies in Islam. Like in Judaism Islam teaches about the Only One True God, Who is One and not Three, like lots of Christians think. When coming to know the God of the Bible it is understandable that you might think you come to serve that God to your best of your ability.

You should know that, in Christianity, not all Christians worship the Trinity. There are masses of Christians who worship only That One True God and keep away from any idolatry, like praying to saints or keeping pagan festivals (like Christmas and Easter).

Even when you see all the wrong doctrines your Christian denomination brought to in its faith, you should not step away from Christianity, though you could leave Christendom aside.

There are no good reasons to convert to Islam.

The fact you’re considering it, actually makes us wonder whether you actually believe in Jesus. We do know that there are many atheists, because they do not believe in God, that say that Christ did not exist; But that does not make any sense. Jesus Christ is a historical figure, like the world knowns so many historical figures about whom nobody would doubt, even when there is less material evidence of their existence than about the existence of Jeshua ben Josef, (the son of Josef) who is better known as Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Jesus said,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

It is God Himself Who provided this Nazarene man, born in Bethlehem. That Islam denies the deity of Jesus is not bad and totally justified, because Jesus is not God but the son of God. The fact that Islam denies Jesus died on the cross for your sins is another matter which is a shame. Because they do not believe Jesus really died, naturally Islam can only deny Jesus’ glorious resurrection from the dead. For Christians who believe Jesus is God, there is also a problem, because God has no birth and can not die according to the Holy Scriptures. But all Christians are convinced that Jesus died and was resurrected.

You need to think about what you’ll be rejecting if you decide to convert to Islam.

Without Jesus, where would your salvation come from? Here’s a Bible verse for you to think about:

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (ESV)

It is not bad to have friends in all sorts of faiths, but that does not give yet one reason to change faith. One can have a lot of Muslim friends and one may love how they follow their religion. They do tend to be faithful to their faith and do not disregard as many precepts as Catholics and Protestants usually do.

Why would you exchange the truth about God and HIs son for a lie?

There are no good reasons to convert to Islam.

More than once we’ve read of priests and ministers who converted to Islam because Muslims take prayer so seriously and pray so often. They forgot they too could pray more often. We are all free to pray as much as we want.

In the Netherlands they are so afraid Islam would take over their country. Do they neve ask themselves how it would come that so many of their compatriots, Calvinists, Lutherans and other Protestants and Catholics made steps to leave their congregation and to go more regularly to the mosque instead of the church. Is it not because so many Dutch, Belgian French and English people are so much dissatisfied with their Christian faith that they go looking for other solutions and come up to the Muslim faith. If these churches in our area had enough to offer to the people, they would not be running away from them.

In Belgium we also heard it more than once that people were cross with the fact that in the schools of their children or at work Muslims were demanding and getting a special room set aside for prayer. Ditd they ever asked the school or their employer for a special prayer room?
Our response would be

“great for them – why aren’t you doing the same?”

So again is it not our own fault when Islam is getting a bigger denomination than all the Christian denominations?
Why is there not something people may find appealing in Islam/Muslim practice to challenge them to grow in their own faith and faith practice as a Christian?

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Find also to read

  1. Are people allowed to have doubts
  2. How Many Persons Created the Heavens and the Earth?
  3. Christians saying Jesus is God giving food for atheists to prove there exist no God
  4. Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible
  5. Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:1, 2 – Factual Data
  6. Matthew 2:1-6 – Astrologers and Priests in a Satanic Plot
  7. The place where Jesus was brought up
  8. A rebellious movement founded on a fake?
  9. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #2
  10. Trinitarians making their proof for existence of God look ridiculous #3

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Additional reading

  1. The habitual misreading of John 1 and the ‘Word being God’ #2
  2. A Father Who begat a son

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Related

  1. The Atheist Jesus: Man, Myth, or Mix?
  2. Did Jesus Actually Exist?
  3. Did Jesus really exist
  4. Did Jesus Really Exist? – Christmas is around the corner
  5. Jesus never existed?
  6. Did Jesus Exist…
  7. Did Jesus Exist? (Part One)
  8. Evidence for Jesus – Was Jesus a Real Person?
  9. Do Scholars and Historians think Jesus never existed?
  10. Why Do Scholars Think Jesus Christ Existed Historically?
  11. Are there historical documentations of Jesus outside the Bible?
  12. What evidence should we expect about Jesus?
  13. Jesus : Myth or Reality
  14. #8: The Strongest Historical Evidences for Jesus and the Resurrection, Pt. 1
  15. Did Jesus Exist? 18 Parallels to Fictional Hero Narratives
  16. Did Jesus Just Admit He Was a Fictional Character?
  17. What about pre-Christ resurrection myths?
  18. Living a lie or Desiring God?

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Filed under Questions asked, Religious affairs

Hunger of spiritually living Christians

Hunger to worship God


”True Christians truly seek the Kingdom of God first (Mat. 6:33).
Spiritually living Christians hunger for each opportunity to worship God and fellowship with other Christians (cf. Psa. 95:6; Mat. 5:6; Acts 12:12; etc.).
Cross-centered saints do not look for “reasons” to miss worship and Bible study with other saints!
It is incongruous to think of a spiritual-minded person (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5)
battling with the decision (?) of whether or not to attend.
May each of us develop the yearning of David and say,
“I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psa. 122:1).”

~ Allergic To Church? by Neal Pollard

 

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Of interest:

  1. My perspective: Virtual v Physical church attendance
  2. Church indeed critical in faith development
  3. Being Christian in Western Europe at the beginning of the 21st century #1
  4. Germinating small seeds, pebble-stones, small and mega churches and faith
  5. 500 Years of Reformation Divisions Have Lost Much of Their Potency
  6. American secularism is growing — and growing more complicated
  7. The post-Christian world
  8. Unhappy people in empty churches
  9. Jewish millennials between 2013 and 2017
  10. Difficulty in getting new young members
  11. The Field is the World #4 Many who leave the church
  12. Decrease in church attendance not only a recent feature #1 Methodist Church of Victoria and Tasmania
  13. Decrease in church attendance not only a recent feature #5 Necessity of attendance
  14. Less Americans interested in praying
  15. Christians close to falling below 50pc in England
  16. The decline of religion in the US continues unabated
  17. After 2,000 UK Church Buildings Close, New Church Plants Get Creative
  18. Christians are increasingly mixing and matching their faith in unexpected ways
  19. Reasons why Christianity is declining rapidly in America
  20. How to Save the American Church
  21. What sort people of faith do we want to be
  22. Not everyone in the churches of Christ are “ungodly”
  23. Being religious has benefits even in this life
  24. Offering words of hope

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Filed under Religious affairs

P5 The Empire we’re in: Individualism & Consumerism

In the previous weeks, the government had made sure that the anti-vaxxers had no reason to demonstrate and/or smash things up.

12-storey floor of retail area inside of Berjaya Times Square shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mainstream churches have also opened their doors to the general public, but as before, the Corona Crisis, the huge shopping centra are and remain the main ‘worship temples’. There, in those shopping malls, people feel most at ease and satisfied that they can buy anything they want to own again.
For them, the big shopping mall is a sacred place to pay homage to their god (Mammon), money.

Consumerism has gone so far that lots of people when they buy something are even not interested in what the ecological footprint might be of what they buy.

Even though most people have become slaves to money, and therefore slaves to their employers, it is up to the Church to make those people realise how they have gone off the rails with their way of life and money-making.

It is up to the believer in the One True God to show people that there are much better ways than the worship of money, by which people are chained.

After the war in the Middle East seemed to have come to an end there was again a new war, the Russians invading Ukraine, we can see that Gog stood up and tries to go south to enlarge its world to get back a Great Russia or USSR. Others wonder who or what that “One World Government” seeking world domination might be.

Many do not want to know about God and His commandments and laugh at the idea of one world government or theocracy. The idea of living in the last days seems for many ridiculous whilst others think we can clearly see the signs indicating we are close to the times of the return of Christ, of experiencing the end of the world, there was something dramatic, inspiring, exciting about it all.

 

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Preceding

Material gain to honour God

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

Looking for the consummation of presents

The Proper Place of Excess

Earth’s pandemic and T-shirts for young people

The meaning of life – Finding purpose

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Additional reading

  1. Looking at an era of international “youth culture”
  2. Looking on what is going on and not being of it
  3. Not everything has to be reciprocated with money
  4. An other trait for faith in Jesus and his God
  5. Good to make sure that you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy
  6. Hamas the modern Philistines
  7. The post-Christian world
  8. Today’s Thought “Flee these things” (May 24)
  9. Today’s Thought “Keep your life free from … ” (June 06)
  10. Today’s thought “Flee these things. Pursue …” (November 23)
  11. Mark 10 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Mark 10:23-31 – The Difficulty of Money
  12. Not created to be on our own (Our world) = Not created to be on our own (Some View on the World)
  13. Missionary action paradigm for all endeavours of the church
  14. True riches
  15. Count your blessings
  16. Sign of the Times and the Last Days #1 The Son of man revealing
  17. Sign of the Times and the Last Days #2 Wars, natural disasters, famine and false Messiahs
  18. Last days and destruction of the flesh
  19. Hope For, But Not In, Evangelicalism

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Related

  1. P1 This might not be the End, but it sure feels like it / A.J. Hendry
  2. What Does Larry Cohen’s THE STUFF Say About How Easily We Are Manipulated and Our Weaknesses Exploited?
  3. America’s Shopping Addiction
  4. The case against consumerism: Part 1 – The real cost of our everyday purchases
  5. Extreme individualism is on the rise
  6. Individualism and Individuation
  7. Individualism in the Age of Social Media
  8. Covid Evidence: Supply Vs Demand Shock
  9. Community or Consumption: Social Ecology in Greater Manchester
  10. Consumerism’s Effect on Creating an Addictive Society – Pt. 3
  11. Time for a radical farewell to overconsumption
  12. Is sustainable consumption fundamentally an issue of inequality?
  13. The Money Problem
  14. The control of money is where the true power lies – but only because of the way we think
  15. On conspiracies, apocalyptic Christian nationalism, and how bad eschatology is ruining the world / Michael Frost
  16. Tightened Covid curbs spark protests, riots across Europe
  17. Be prepared – last-days spiritual warfare is intense
  18. Is this how the End of the World begins?
  19. What Shall Be The Sign Of Thy Coming? And Of The End Of The World?
  20. Food For Thought
  21. A Gate out of hell
  22. In the Miso Soup
  23. Quote of the day (20-Apr-2022)
  24. Make more pies
  25. Which attitude is better for our society?
  26. The importance of the individual and the individual vs the group
  27. Relationships help with resilience, not individualism
  28. 4/1/22 – Individually Individual
  29. Buying Stuff for Stuff
  30. Dang, I shopped.
  31. The Free Gift!!
  32. Green Consumerism: Who Cares About The Environment?
  33. faith in Christ for each other
  34. A Saviour for the world, the Samaritans, and our individualistic selves (Growing Deeper with John 4:27-42)
  35. Saved from what? (And For what?) [Sermon]
  36. Breaking free
  37. How to Buy Less and Buy Better with the Less But Better Method
  38. J.B Mackinnon’s The Day the World Stops Shopping: Book Review

When Lambs Are Silent

This is part 5 in a series where we will be exploring and imagining how faith communities, and our community in general, may need to evolve in order to adapt to our changing times. You can find part 1 herepart 2 here, and part 3 here.

In our last piece we discussed how our society, though regarded as secular, is very much shaped by its own God’s that demand allegiance and require our worship and sacrifice. We named these as Individualism, Consumerism and White Supremacy. In our last piece we dealt with the latter, in this article we will be talking about the former two.

Throughout the lockdown there has been calls to open various shopping centres, lament’s that we have not been free to shop, to browse and buy. And in Auckland last week, as Covid restrictions began to ease, the great Temples of this age…

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Filed under Activism and Peace Work, Economical affairs, Headlines - News, Lifestyle, Political affairs, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs, Spiritual affairs, Welfare matters, World affairs

My perspective: Virtual v Physical church attendance

After several months having the churches being closed, people now allowed again to meet in small circles (with the Covid Safe Ticket or Pass) every individual should check for himself or herself and should examine for the family if it would already be safe to go to gatherings, be it for relaxation, Bible study or church service.

Going to “the grocery store, the restaurants, the beauty shop, the office, the classroom, the gym, and the doctor” is something totally different than going to a church, where people are sitting close together and normally also would sing and say prayers together in an enclosed space making it very easy for a virus to spread.

When people go to the supermarket, they are only limited by the amount of people allowed per square metre, and as such have to follow the red and green light indications or the stewards allowing only the right amount of people entering the wide space. To enter the shops only a regulated amount of people per square metre is allowed and often only two at a time, plus always with a mouth mask.

To go to a café, snackbar or restaurant a person has to have the Covid Safe Ticket or Pass and the same regulation is there for other places (as churches) and events.

For going to a gp or doctor one must make an appointment and maximum two people are allowed in the waiting room, which should be ventilated and normally is spacey enough to receive much more people than two.

For going to church there is in many cases no controlling system, though there should be someone at the door asking and checking your CST.

Worship and Bible class are not simply about our being fed spiritually and matters that can be done on our own or via online meetings. Such online meetings can never take in the place of an actual real-life meeting. But we must be fully aware of the present conditions and dangers for each other when coming together in real life.
For every follower of Christ and every lover of God the gathering between all members of the faith community should be very important and not negligible. But, and a great But, we should be fully aware of the situation.

We must consider one another to stimulate unto love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24), and that the best way to do that would be in connection with assembling together (Heb. 10:25), but this also can be done by going in conversation online by the present technical progress. There are Zoom, Jitsi a.o. to have interaction when meeting online.

That people would stay away from the assembly in present times does not mean that they would be less religious or would have abandoned their faith. It is essential to protect the own health as well as the health of others. This can mean that we still have to wait sometime before coming together in real-time and/or real life.

Our relationship with God and with His beloved son shall not be less or of less value. It is from the depth of our heart that the love for God should rise above all our present limitations.

 

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Preceding

Ideas about Religiosity

May we have doubts

Religious Resistance against vaccination

Covid-19 update | Covid Safe Ticket

New rules in Belgium to stop the spread of coronavirus

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Additional reading

  1. Christian in Christendom or in Christianity
  2. Daily thought for July the 8th and the Summer months
  3. Not created to be on our own
  4. No time yet to relax the CoViD-19 restriction measures
  5. Fourth wave of COVID-19 a pandemic of the unvaccinated
  6. According to Pew Most White Evangelicals Don’t Think COVID-19 is a Medical Crisis
  7. Did the first followers of Jesus have ‘church’
  8. Priorities for our Christadelphian community and for the spreading of Good News
  9. Worship

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Related

  1. Get Back to Church
  2. Is church attendance linked to higher rates of coronavirus?
  3. Enjoying Christian Fellowship
  4. Church attendance is often a distraction from biblical Christianity
  5. Normal Christian Doctrine Explained: Church Attendance
  6. Three good reasons to come back to church
  7. Millions skipped church during pandemic; will they return?
  8. No Family Is Too Busy for Church by Desiring God
  9. Why are people attending church less frequently?
  10. Why We’re Not Going Back to Church

OMT's Digest

This post is dedicated to all the virtual churchgoers like myself and those who are still unsure about whether it is best to worship virtually or physically in a church every Sunday. If this is the first time reading any of my blog posts and you want a straight answer, then please don’t proceed because this post is meant to get you thinking to find the answer within yourself.

Prior to COVID, I wouldn’t say I was a consistent church goer. If there was an attendance register, I am sure I would be called to ask why I get in late or why I have been absenting myself from church. COVID however resulted in a lot of churches going online because of physical safety restrictions so I guess I found it very convenient to wake up and have church right in the comfort of my living room.

Afterall, we learn…

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Headlines - News, Health affairs, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs, Social affairs, Welfare matters

Healing of the brain – The Power of music – podcast

“It’s such a blessing to wake up and say, Oh, I couldn’t do that yesterday. No, I can do it now. It just keeps getting better every day. God is so good to us.

Peter chats to Levi about recovering from a stroke and learning to embrace music and worship again. Peter is a passionate musician who loves to play the piano and sing. He reflects upon his stroke and the therapy that allowed him to heal, and continue to express his love for God and the Lord Jesus through music.

Listen now

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Podcast

Three basic commands

At the (internet) service this morning brother Eric Lowe spoke about people at first following up the CoViD-19 measures strictly. At the first lockdown, the governments of the West-European countries had been giving very clear instructions. That way lots of people kept to the measures and seemed to have fewer difficulties following those instructions than by the second lockdown.

When the governments started to relax the measures and then started giving different signals people started to get confused and we could see that many people were not any more prepared to follow the social restrictions. So many months after the beginning of the corona crisis, people start getting tired and less interested to listen to the advice of the epidemiologists.

In Christendom we can see a similar attitude as in the citizen world. Today we see a lot of people who are not so much interested in listening to wise, and even less to old and new sensible advice. Mr. Lowe said the less people are listening they go by, and remarked:

If you are not listening you can not hear.

And that is just the problem by a lot of people who call themselves Christian. We better would look to the examples in Scriptures, which would all make it so much easier to pass those difficult times of isolation.

If we care not to listen then our listening shuts down.

That is what we see what happened with lots of Christians, not to say with the majority. For many so-called Christians, there is not any more such a good connection with God. They have forgotten that the experience with God depends on our nearness to God and all that would happen in His presence. Many wait for God’s presence to happen, and in the meantime try out their own gods and saints to bow down for and pray for.

Billy Graham warned:

“God doesn’t want us to waste our latter years or spend them in superficial, meaningless pursuits. Instead, He wants us to use them in whatever ways we can to influence those who will come after us. God wants us to finish well. . . .”

When being a Christian people should be as a disciple of Christ, following his teachings and worshipping the same God a Christ. Though many, who call themselves Christian, do not worship the same God as Jesus Christ worshipped. They even do not want to accept the Words of God, Who Himself said that Jesus was His beloved son. God, Who is no liar, never said He is Jesus or never held back to say that He would be Jesus. In case God would be Jesus, then he would naturally have told the people around Jesus a lot of lies, but also to His prophets He would have told lies more than ones.  Already in Jesus time, when there was a genuine and powerful work of God, men did not like to be apart from it, especially if they were religious leaders. Consequently we find both Pharisees and Sadducees coming to John’s baptism. He met them however with prophetic insight. He unmasked them as having the characteristics of the serpent, and warned them that wrath lay before them. He knew that they would boast of being in the proper Abrahamic succession, so he knocked that prop from beneath them, showing that it would not count with God. Nothing would do but repentance, and his baptism was with a view to that; but it must be genuine and manifest itself in fruits that were suitable. James, in his Epistle, insists that faith, if it is real and vital, must express itself in suitable works.

When Jesus got baptised the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, the God of Israel made clear who that Nazarene man standing in the river Jordan was:

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of יהוה, make his paths straight. (Matt 3:3, NRKJV)

13 Then cometh Yahushua from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Yahushua answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Yahushua, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of Elohim descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matt 3:13-17, NRKJV)

Some months later Jehovah would repeat it and say:

18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. (Matt 12:18-21, NRKJV)

Also today we are in times that many do not want to hear God’s Word and do give preference to words of theologians and people who say they are from God. But they are often wolves in sheep clothes and people fall for their words instead of believing the simple words of the Bible.

Though our brother Eric Lowe, had it this morning about man’s attitude in corona times, we can interpolate it also to the behaviour of many people who call themselves Christian today. The majority of those belonging to Christendom care not to listen to God’s Word. That makes their listening shuts down.

One example of a young girl (teniiiola) who writes:

I know that they’re two different people because the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is seated at the right side of God. Nevertheless, they are the same. As per, they are one. Praising God is equal to praising Jesus (one can’t even access God without Jesus anyway) and praising Jesus is the same as praising God.  {comment on 4 misconceptions that need to be cleared about being a Christian.}

On one side she seems to understand that Jesus and God are two different persons. Though then she, like some other people, sees a proof of Jesus to be God, when is written:

that Jesus is seated at the right side of God

clearly not seeing and not understanding Jesus is not sitting on the throne of God, but is sitting next to God, which indicate he, as another person than God takes the place on the seat next to God.

For following up the Covid-rules simple messages worked, but as soon as complex messages were given confusion started to take master of many people. The same when in Christianity several teachers started using Roman-Greek philosophy and twisted several words of Christ, to please the people who were so used to heathen rites and festivals.

The young girl on her website also says:

Calling Jesus God does not equal to calling God’s name in vain…Jesus wasn’t even on Earth as at the time this instruction was given.   {comment on 4 misconceptions that need to be cleared about being a Christian.}

giving the idea when people were not on earth when a Bible text was written the calling of their name as a god would not be wrong or would be acceptable. That is closing the eyes for reality and for the meaning of God’s Words. Those who have Madonna as their goddess today and honour her name are doing the same fault as those in ancient times, who honoured Apollo as their god.

Today with the pandemic lots of people are like in the wilderness. After Jesus his baptism, after God had declared him to be His son, this son of man also went into a wilderness. There he told the adversary of God “not to tempt God”, something we see many do. Lots of ministers and priests calling their flock to come to gather in their churches, not having to worry, because God would protect them. Some even dare to say:

 Those people who are catching CoViD-19 are those who do not believe enough in Jesus, who saves all who believe in him.

The Bible tells us God can not be tempted and that man can do nothing to Him. But Jesus, all should know, was tempted more than once. When in the wilderness Jesus told a tempter:

7 Yahushua said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt יהוה thy Elohim. (Matt 4:7, NRKJV)

Those who say they are a Christian should pick up such words of Christ. They also should remember Jesus words when the tempter offered an opportunity for Jesus to be worshipped and praised:

10 Then saith Yahushua unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship יהוה thy Elohim, and him only shalt thou serve. (Matt 4:10, NRKJV)

Not Jesus should be worshipped, but all glory, worship and praise should be given to the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, the God Who is above all gods. From his time in the wilderness, we should remember three words as memory joggers. From the story of Jesus in the desert, we should remember three basic commands, which should be the fundamentals of Christian faith.

  1. obey the commands
  2. don’t test God
  3. fear Jehovah God and worship only Him

A true lover of God can’t be double-minded and always shall take the following words of God at heart.

16 Ye shall not tempt יהוה your Elohim, as ye tempted him in Massah. (Deut 6:16, NRKJV)

Being in difficult days we should remember how God was with His people and how He is willing to be with us, in case we want to be with HIm.

8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. (Ps 95:8-11, NRKJV)

7 Wherefore (as the Holy Spirit saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, (Heb 3:7, NRKJV)

13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! (Ps 81:13, NRKJV)

29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deut 5:29, NRKJV)

Jehovah God told very clearly to what we have to keep:

6 I am יהוה thy Elohim, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 7 Thou shalt have none other elohim before me. 8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: 9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I יהוה thy Elohim am a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, 10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. 11 Thou shalt not take the name of יהוה thy Elohim in vain: for יהוה will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Deut 5:6-11, NRKJV)

Several who call themselves Christians have difficulty with

3 Thou shalt have no other elohim before me. (Exod 20:3, NRKJV)

and have taken Jesus as their god and as if that was not enough also have taken his mother as a goddess and several other human beings as saints to whom they pray and hope they shall fulfil some of their wishes. Praying to someone else than Jehovah God is also taking God’s Name in vain and desecrating it.  Nobody should forget:

11 Who is like unto thee, O יהוה, among the mighty ones? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exod 15:11, NRKJV)

24 O Sovereign יהוה, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what el is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might? (Deut 3:24, NRKJV)

Even Jesus who did such wonderworks could not do anything without God.

19 Then answered Yahushua and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. (John 5:19, NRKJV)

Jesus very well knew Who had saved his People and by Whom he could do all things he did. Jesus as the previous prophets feared and wanted to serve God.

11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 Then beware lest thou forget יהוה, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 Thou shalt fear יהוה thy Elohim, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 14 Ye shall not go after other elohim, of the elohim of the people which are round about you; 15 (For יהוה thy Elohim is a jealous El among you) lest the anger of יהוה thy Elohim be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. 16 Ye shall not tempt יהוה your Elohim, as ye tempted him in Massah. 17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of יהוה your Elohim, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. 18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of יהוה: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which יהוה sware unto thy fathers. 19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as יהוה hath spoken. (Deut 6:11-19, NRKJV)

From his followers, Jesus also demanded that they would follow God’s commandments and that they would do God His Will, like Jesus also did God His Will. For following the commandments of God is for the good of man.

26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of יהוה your Elohim, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of יהוה your Elohim, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other elohim, which ye have not known. (Deut 11:26-28, NRKJV)

15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of יהוה thy Elohim, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: (Deut 28:15, NRKJV)

The chosen ones by Christ also asked their followers to fulfil the Wish of God and warned what could happen to them who do not keep to God’s commandments.

8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, (Rom 2:8, NRKJV)

29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deut 5:29, NRKJV)

As with Israel we should also know what Jesus and his God require from us.

12 And now, Israel, what doth יהוה thy Elohim require of thee, but to fear יהוה thy Elohim, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve יהוה thy Elohim with all thy heart and with all thy soul, (Deut 10:12, NRKJV)

Like Petrus once was a satan, resisting what God wanted, we too should be very careful not to resist God and not to go against His Laws.

10 Then saith Yahushua unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship יהוה thy Elohim, and him only shalt thou serve. (Matt 4:10, NRKJV)

14 Now therefore fear יהוה, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the elohim which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye יהוה. (Josh 24:14, NRKJV)

It is a simple message and we should not complicate it. We only have to have One God Who is One, and not two or three.

35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that יהוה he is Elohim; there is none else beside him. (Deut 4:35, NRKJV)

6 Thus saith יהוה the King of Israel, and his redeemer יהוה of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no Elohim. (Isa 44:6, NRKJV)

Humanity wants to reverse the complexity and reject the simple because it is too simple and confronting. All people should know that Jesus is getting to the essence of the Old Tetament. Jesus is the way to God and we should be thankfull he managed to do the will of God, putting his own will aside. (In case he would be God he would not have to put his will aside because than he would always have done his own will.) Jesus also was not a schizophrenic god who would say he was someone else and pray to someone else when he would be praying to himself. Jesus did not pray to himself and learned others also not to pray to him, but to his heavenly Father.

Matt 6
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. (Matt 6:1-9, NRKJV)

39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. (Luke 22:39-46, NRKJV)

2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. (Luke 11:2, NRKJV)

Jesus prefered to do the Will of God, and that is what a Christian, or follower of Christ also should do. We should look forward to God’s Kingdom to come. As followers of Christ we should remember and do likewise Jesus Christ.

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (John 6:38, NRKJV)

34 Yahushua saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34, NRKJV)

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30, NRKJV)

Real Christians shall or should follow the teachings of Christ and shall take up the task given by him, namely to go out into the world spreading God’s Word and spreading the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God. Those who want to call themselves “Christian” should do as Jesus Christ asks them to do.

Jesus asks his disciples to make up their mind and to be clear sighted, not about others, but about themselves.

To be clearsighted about ourselves, is to be aware of our own shortcomings, limitations, and challenges. But it also means to be aware of our own gifts and talents. {Seeing Clearly – Br. James Koester}

But Jesus demands a full breath true insight, a proper choice of oneself! He does not want you to follow him because others say so or because others are following him. You have to do it out of own choice and by believing in him and even more important, believing in Him Who sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24, NRKJV)

16 For יהוה so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For יהוה sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17, NRKJV)

It is by believing it was God Who sent His own son, and not that God Himself would have come down to earth to fake His birth, torture, death and resurrection (all parts which do not belong to God).

18 And all things are of יהוה, who hath reconciled us to himself by Yahushua the Messiah, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that יהוה was in the Messiah, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for the Messiah, as though Elohim did beseech you by us: we pray you in the Messiah’s stead, be ye reconciled to יהוה. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of יהוה in him. (2Cor 5:18-21, NRKJV)

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to יהוה by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Rom 5:10, NRKJV)

The gospel may be very simple, do not make it complicated. The Bible speaks a clear language, but we should be willing to hear ait and to see the underlying essence and message.

Faith is simple {Check Yourself, Christian}

so keep it simple and do not unnecessarily complicate things by twisting the words of the Bible; Just take those words like they are written down.

Are there ways in which we may be externally religious—doctrinally sound, outwardly well-behaved, “godly” in character and lifestyle—yet insincere behind the curtain, and before the Lord? {Check Yourself, Christian}

When we are not careful, we can get carried away by all those theologians and people who prefer to keep to human doctrines instead of keeping to Biblical doctrines. Many of them are able to carry a lot of Christians away from the Biblical Truth.

Seeing Biblical truth is only possible when one is willing to listen to God His Word as it is written in the Book of books, the Bible.

Being a good and real Christian requires to see who Christ Jesus is and to believe he is the sent one from God, who really died for the sins of others. God can not die, so in case Jesus would be God he would not only always have done his will, but also would not ever had to be afraid of what the Romans would do with him, because he could not die, so any impalement would not harm him. Al those who say Jesus is God, make of his impalement (or crucifixion) a big farce and make of his appearance on earth a whole farce.

Real Christians recognise what Jesus realy has done, and know what a horrible fear he must have had. Real Christians are also aware how much pain Jesus must have had and as such appreciate it so much more, that he was undergoing all that torture for people he did not know and at a time he could have been unsure if God would be going to help him or taking him out of the dead. At one moment the fear became so high he even cried to his heavenly Father (and not to himself);

46 And about the ninth hour Yahushua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My Elohim, my Elohim, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matt 27:46, NRKJV)

A person can not leave himself, so Jesus did not ask to himself why he had left himself, but asked his heavenly Father Why He (God) left him (Jesus):

34 And at the ninth hour Yahushua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My Elohim, my Elohim, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark 15:34, NRKJV)

Yes, after Jesus in fear called to his Father in heaven, as if He would have forsaken Jesus (which He did not), Jesus gave up the spirit, which means that Jesus really died. (Remember that God as an eternal Spirit can not die.) It was not in his own hands that Jesus gave his life, but in the Hands of his heavenly Father, the Only One True God.

46 And when Yahushua had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the Spirit. (Luke 23:46, NRKJV)

When Jesus died, his life finished, but not his story. He had always kept to the three basic commands and lived according to those fundamentals he tried to explain and which each true follower of him should follow.

As society may go further away from God’s command and from Christ’s teachings, real followers should give the example and prepare the way, so that more people may come to see that Jesus is the way to God.

6 Yahushua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6, NRKJV)

Let us take a piece of advice from a Trinitarian at heart, though even he might not see how he himself is caught up in the chains of this world.

We cannot accept the lies that are popularly accepted, even when progressive “Christians” around us conform to them. The only source of truth is the Word of God and we know that His Word will never change! {Progressive Christianity}

Working full-time as a witness “for his Savior” we only can hope he with his wife Brittany, shall come to recognise the work Jesus did and shall come to follow him wholeheartedly. And that is always possible because people have to grow in the Word of God. We all live in a world where many things are said and where many satans or adversaries of God are at work. Because of the main churches being so strong and so eager to get their false teaching of the trinity across, it is very difficult for people to see the trees in the wood. Though if they would be willing to open their eyes for the simple things and the simple words, clarity will be near.

That is the hope the lovers of God can have. It is never too late to spread the gospel and to show people the real Christ who bore witness of his heavenly Father. the Bible tells us also that this shall happen when we come closer to the end times, and as such we can live by the hope in Christ. He, who even did not know when he would be coming back, because such thing is only known by God (and Jesus not being God as such did not know it) gave us the hope that one day when the kingdom of God would be preached all over the world the Day will arrive that he shall be allowed to judge in the name of God.

19 Then answered Yahushua and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of יהוה: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of Elohim in you. 43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from Elohim only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:19-47, NRKJV)

When we call ourselves “Christian”, let us believe in that sent one from God, who is authorised to speak and act in the Name of God and follow up his given task to instruct all the nations, immersing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe and to give heed to all as much as Jesus has given and commanded his disciples.

18 And Yahushua came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age. (Matt 28:18-20, NRKJV)

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Preceding

Do you really know what you say you believe in?

Not About The Name Of The Godhead Of Jesus

Rhetoric and Biblical Truth

Religion and the essence of devotion

The false prophets in the present world

O God, How Long? ~ Psalm 74

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Additional reading

  1. Words in the world
  2. Let us make sure we are not stiff-necked
  3. The Almighty Lord God of gods King above all gods
  4. El-Shaddai God Almighty Who no-one may see and live
  5. Relating to God is it possible
  6. No man see the Almighty God and live
  7. When there is a God is it possible to relate to Him
  8. Only One God
  9. God is One
  10. The Trinity – the Truth about God
  11. How did the Trinity Doctrine Develop
  12. Altered to fit a Trinity
  13. First Century of Christianity
  14. Hellenistic influences
  15. History of the acceptance of a three-in-one God
  16. Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
  17. The habitual misreading of John 1 and the ‘Word being God’ #2
  18. Yeshua a man with a special personality
  19. Sayings of Jesus, what to believe and being or not of the devil
  20. Entrance of a king to question our position #2 Who do we want to see and to be
  21. Why did Christ not reveal the exact time of his second coming?
  22. Followers with deepening
  23. What Does it Really Mean to Be a Radical Follower of Jesus?
  24. A small company of Jesus’ footstep follower
  25. If you have integrity
  26. Attitude to others important for reaching them
  27. Love and cultivate that which is pure
  28. Who are the Christadelphians

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Related articles

  1. Seeing Clearly – Br. James Koester
  2. Running and pausing with Jesus – Br. Todd Blackham
  3. It’s a privilege
  4. What Does It Mean to be a True Christian?
  5. Being A Cultural Christian Is Not Enough
  6. Being Christian
  7. Effective Christianity
  8. Progressive Christianity
  9. They Will Know We Are Christians By…What?
  10. The History of the Development of the Trinity Doctrine
  11. Is Jesus God? Debate between Pastor Stanley Sjoberg and Sheikh Ahmed Deedat
  12. The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven
  13. Do As I Say
  14. Christians
  15. Peace at any price?

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Headlines - News, Health affairs, History, Lifestyle, Quotations from Holy Scriptures, Religious affairs, Spiritual affairs, World affairs

Shabbat shalom

The Most Almighty  Elohim asked us not to repeat endlessly words or prayer actions. He has given several examples of how we can pray and worship Him. For sure, He does not like it that we would pray to more than one person or god. He requires the full attention and honour, Him being the Bore, the Giver of life and Sustainer of everything. He appreciates it more when we are willing to come to Him with our own words and out of free will, loving to accept Him as the Only One True God.

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Additional reading

  1. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #2 Calling upon the Name of God
  2. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #4 Transitoriness #2 Purity
  3. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #3 Callers upon God
  4. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #13 Prayer #11 Name to be set apart
  5. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #14 Prayer #12 The other name
  6. Eight days of sprinkling lights

Matters of Interpretation

Image of synagogue at sundownRabbi Shimon said “When you pray, let not your prayer become routine, but let it be a sincere supplication for God’s mercy, as it says: ‘For He is gracious and merciful, endlessly patient, overflowing in love, and eager to forgive.’ And never condemn yourself as totally wicked.”From “Chapters of the Fathers” in Gates of Prayer, Chaim Stern, ed. (New York: Central Conference of American Rabbis, 1975), 20.

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Not being clones connecting, engaging, praying or worshipping in the same way


We Christians and we humans are not all clones
and so we do not all connect, engage, pray or worship in the same way.
That would be very boring and unbiblical.

No, there is a marvellous uniqueness and variance to our God-given human spirituality which is sadly often overlooked by many charismatic evangelical Christian church leaders and pastors.

~ ‘Come, just as you are to worship’ 

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What is a Christian?

Lots of people do call themselves Christian but are not really real followers of Christ (what they should be when they call themselves Christian).

Being Christian should entail that the person is a follower of the Christ (Kristos) and would follow his teachings and worship the same God as him. Though in the Christian world we do find the majority worshipping another god than the God of Christ. Christ Jesus, born by the Power of God, was brought up in a very devout family who kept to the Torah and worshipped the Only One True God, the God of Israel, Who is also the God of Abraham.

A true Christian should also keep to that Unseen God and like Jesus should obey His Wishes and Commandments. As a follower of Christ a Christian should make sure to live according the rule of the God of Christ and according the teachings of Jesus Christ. Though in many denominations we see lots of so called believers who not take notion of all those things Jesus and God require from believers in God and from lovers of God. Many keep to the false teaching of the trinity (a three-headed god) and even do not mind having graven images of those gods (a blasphemy and an abomination in the eyes of God)
Lots of those calling themselves Christian also do not share the love of Christ and often are racist and not showing their love for others. Many also do not mind taking up weapons or to show aggressiveness towards others.

A real Christian is some one who really tries to live according the teachings of God and His only begotten beloved son Jesus, and like him shows respect and love to every creation of God (plants, animals and people).

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Additional reading

  1. The Nazarene master teacher learning people how they should behave
  2. Words to push and pull
  3. Atonement And Fellowship 2/8
  4. As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
  5. Not withholding the Good News
  6. Jehovah’s Witnesses Circuit Assembly and a Pillar to freedom
  7. Blogging in the world for Jesus and his Father
  8. Devotees and spotters
  9. Concerning the humans who are a warlike species
  10. ….a powerful way to put the universe on notice….
  11. Days of madness with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils
  12. Living lives in total darkness by lack of understanding the times that lie ahead
  13. An atoneless religious system or a hope giving religious system
  14. Given opportunity to accept Christ as Messiah
  15. A House for God in our 21st century
  16. Torah hanging on two commandments and focussing on a Mashiach
  17. Ambassadors for our faith in Jeshua
  18. Biblical Yeshua/ Jesus or Another European Greco- Roman Jesus ??
  19. Not being saved by faith in Christ alone
  20. Today’s thought “A breach of faith against the LORD” (March 1)
  21. Today’s thought “Being made prosperous and numerous on conditions” (May 13)
  22. Today’s thought “… with all your heart” (May 09)
  23. a Strong Family doesn’t just happen
  24. Eagerness to learn and to teach others
  25. Division, diversity, unity and connection
  26. Jewish and Gentile Disciples
  27. Jews and Christians against Messianics and Jeshuaists
  28. The attitude of Christians to Jews
  29. Working with others behind the scenes
  30. The Most Important Point to be a Jeshuaist
  31. Christadelphian opposite Christian
  32. The clean sweeper of the whole caboodle
  33. Living stones 5 Abraham’s seed and gentiles
  34. Living stones 7 The spiritual house
  35. Today’s thought “Forgive … from your heart” (January 16)
  36. Memorizing wonderfully 45 Living and bearing fruit by dying

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

Holding fast on some one unique and able to trust

In today’s reading we can read about those who did not hold certain teachings in Thyatira. In the reading of Isaiah 45 we also hear about false teachings, the folly of the “idols” humans make and

“carry about … and keep praying to a god that cannot save” (verse 20).

So many in these days, have “idols”, be it their sports gods or film or music entertainment gods, they carry about and which constantly occupy their attention – but they can only communicate with fellow mortals – not with the immortal God and his redeeming Son!

In yesterday’s daily bible reading we could see Naomi who said unto her two daughters in law to return each to her mother’s house. Ruth, a widow and childless whose emotions paralleled Naomi’s, clave unto her.

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.(Ruth 1:15)

In this example we can see the way that the love these women had for each other was causing the grief that hampered the decisions. How well we can relate to situations like this. When they happen, which way do we choose? Ps.125:5, Matt.13:20-21, Josh.24:15-20.

Ruth, Naomi and Obed. Pen and brown ink over p...

Ruth, Naomi and Obed. Pen and brown ink over pencil on paper. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ruth loved Naomi so much that she gave up everything she ever had or could have for her love of Naomi. She said,

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God … may the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

Ruth was someone Naomi could rely on. Ruth stayed with Naomi through all her troubles. Together they were able to support each other and with Ruth’s promise of commitment, Naomi would be confident that she would not get up and leave her destitute at a whim.

Ruth was  not afraid to go onto the fields to pick up leftover grain (Matt 15:26-28) in hopes of finding marriage working in the field of “Boaz” (according to The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible means “in him is strength”), Naomi’s late husband’s “kinsman” Heb. “yada” (3045) meaning “kinsman, familiar friend”; v4,8,9,22 Boaz is a Godly man, based on his greeting, and is protective of Ruth; v10-12 Boaz notes her character and it is likely he was the Gentile Rahab’s son; v14-16 they share bread and wine and he helps and encourages her like Christ does for us and we are to do for each other; v18 Ruth is kind and shares with Naomi; v20 “kinsmen” Heb. “ga’al” (1350) meaning “to redeem, redeemer, ransom, to be next of kin, deliver, purchase”, etc. and this coupled with Boaz showing “kindness” Heb. “chesed” (2617) means “kindness, mercy”, etc. to the living and the dead both Jew and Gentile perhaps suggests Boaz is a type of Christ. Some of the above was gleaned from Judges and Ruth by H.A.Whittaker p205-235.

While the decision to leave her family and homeland was a big decision, it was encompassed by many small, selfless decisions and tireless devotion that gave Ruth the reputation she received.

Ruth’s devotion to Naomi is a very practical example of the devotion we should have for our Lord. As she pledged herself to Naomi, Ruth said,

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will
go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death
separates you and me.”
(Ruth 1:16-17)

Hannah who longed for a child, considered somewhat in the same vein as a leper – outcast and cursed, was also a woman not fearing her adversaries who could have mocked at her weeping and praying.

God heard Hannah’s prayer and gave her the son she had prayed for. We can learn from Hannah’s prayer. We can make our prayers heartfelt. We can forget what others might think about our prayers and pray between us and God alone. Let us pour out our soul to the Lord and our prayers will be effective too.

Hannah developed faith, and her desperate circumstances, are all in the purpose of God in order to bring about a man devoted entirely to His service. This man, Samuel, was going to prepare the way for David and ultimately become his tutor in the ways of Jehovah God. The Most High was providing the bedrock for David so that he in turn could provide for Jesus, and He was doing it through Hannah’s suffering!

Illuminated manuscript depicting Elkanah and his two wives, c.1430

When we look at Elkanah and his family how they began their morning, we can see that they arose and worshipped before the Most High Host of hosts and then went back to their home at Ramah. (1Sam 1:19) For Elkanah and his family, worship was a priority. It was something to do first thing in the morning. Worship was not something to be left until later in the day – if they got around to it. It was an essential part of living and it was important to them that God received the first and best part of the day.

We have seen in the ancient writings that each member of the house of Jacob found himself in – being cared for by the Divine Creator from the cradle to the grave, being carried and delivered.

Though we also can see there where many who preferred to call on elements of nature and who wanted to have gods they could see. Those man made gods that couldn’t see, hear, walk or even speak at all where favoured above the Most High God. We also can see that instead of giving them extra strength, those gods were more a burden on the people with having to carry them everywhere. Instead of giving them extra power their god used up the power of a horse and chariot as they transported it into battle. And instead of giving them security they had to guard their god to make sure no one stole it.
Today’s gods are no different.

We also can see that those gods could not care much for those who where praying and offering to them. Ruth, Hannah, David and many others had a God Who could do so much more. They could count on their God Who should also be our God.

God asserts His uniqueness as a God,

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (Isaiah 46:9King James Version)

In ancient times as well now we can see many who did not want to trust that Divine Creator and have no hope in Him.

In our days we have to make sure we are dressed with the right spiritual garments, not fearing those people who mock with us because we want to worship that God of Israel. We should not be afraid to show others that we belong to the few that prefer to walk with God in neatness or purity, even if those around us fail to do so. This is very important aspect of working out our own salvation. If we have people around us that are dragging us down to a lower spiritual lifestyle, then we should notice that and readjust our lives back to where we know they should be. Matt.10:11, Luke 20:35, 21:26, 2Thess.1:5.

We must make sure that we do not fall asleep in these times of trials, where many do try to get believers in God to stumble.

In the last two verses at the end of Jude’s short epistle we can read

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

With faith in these words firmly fixed in our hearts and minds, we will “Fear not, nor be afraid”.

Jesus told Peter, James and John that the best way to stay awake was to watch and pray. (Mark 14 v 38). So let’s wake up from our sleep (Rev 3:3 + v.2,5), exercise our sleepy spiritual muscles, watch ourselves so that we don’t fall asleep again, watch for the signs of the return of Jesus, and pray that we will not fall into temptation.

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Preceding: Ruth having reason to grief

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Ideas about Religiosity

From the Old French religiosete (late 14th century)  and directly from Late Latin religiositas “religiousness,” from religiosus we got religiosity. In 1795 it came only 0.02% as used word. In 1947 it reached 0.1% and got a peak in 1944-45 from 0.17-021%to decline again until 1959 when it reached a deeper point again of 0.12%. From then onwards it got more used, with a frequency of 0.3% in 1978 and climbing to 0.44 in 1996. In2005 it got a boost and was used 0.62%. After a little dip it got again to 0.74% in 2008.

You can wonder if the word became more popular because the time was so bad that people sought more answers and where looking for meaning in their life, but in a time when more people were religious in a way which seemed exaggerated and insincere.

In the 2010 the word became again more popular to denote the way people were either going to be or not be religious. Having to face times where more people are not so much interested in the existence of a supernatural ruling power, a divine Creator and a controller of the universe, the act of those people became also more in the picture and part of debate. This also because many impeach that religion is the base of the many problems we do face today. Lots of people accuse the religious people of creating a situation of hatred between people. The non-religious people inculpate the believers of the different religious or faith groups this world counts, and that are many.

religions in Europe, map en. See File:Europe r...

religions in Europe, map en. See File:Europe religion map.png for details. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we talk about religion we look at one or an other of the various systems of faith and worship based on such belief. As such we are often confronted with the great religions of the world, being Christendom and Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. the persons belonging to one or another religion we do expect to be bounded to the organisations of that religion and to have a religious life according to the rules of that religion.

When we talk about the religiosity today we think of the manner a person has an awakened sense of the elements we encounter in life. This may be concerning a higher unseen controlling power or powers, with the emotion and morality connected therewith. {Chambers 20th Century dictionary, 1972-1977, p.128,1141} In the 1977 reprint of the Chambers dictionary is still looked at religiosity as some bigotry or blind or excessive zeal, especially in religious matters.

Appropriate to or in accordance with the principles of a religion a person might be religious. In Christianity of or relating to a way of life dedicated to religion by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and defined by a monastic rule. {Collins English Dictionary}

When we talk about the religiosity of some one we think about his religious life or how he is spiritual, holy, sacred, divine, theological, righteous, sectarian, sanctified, doctrinal, devotional, scriptural, devout, believing, godly, committedpractising, faithful, pious, God-fearing, reverent, pure, churchgoing, conscientious, exactrigid, rigorous, meticulous, scrupulous, fastidious, unerring, unswerving, punctilious. {Collins English Dictionary}

The religious person is some one who is taken by religiosity and beliefs in and worships something or someone, mostly a superhuman controlling power or powers, esp. a personal god or God or gods. The person who is religious wants to come to a religious act or have some religious activity, spending time to religiosity or giving time for his belief or practice, forming part of his or her thought about or worship of a divine being.

he has strong religious convictions

both men were deeply religious, intelligent, and moralistic. {The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, 2009}

Today when we talk about religiosity and a religious person, not many are going to think straight ahead of

belonging or relating to a monastic order or other group of people who are united by their practice of religion: religious houses were built on ancient pagan sites. {The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, 2009}

but are going to think more about the way people are treated or regarded with a devotion and scrupulousness appropriate to worship

I have a religious aversion to reading manuals. {The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, 2009}

The religiosity may take on all sorts of forms, going from the simple worshipthe activity of worshipping, to veneration, cultism, also going into the extreme, becoming excessive or irrational devotion to some activity; “made a fetish of cleanliness” or to become a devotion to the doctrine or a cult or to the practices of a cult.

Religiosity mostly has to do with devotion or love, passion, affection, intensity, attachment, zeal, fondness, fervour, adoration, ardour, earnestness, dedication, commitment, loyalty, allegiance, fidelity, adherence, constancy, and faithfulness. It can be seen in the way people act or worship and bring prayers, religious observance, church service, prayer meeting, matins, vespers, divine office.

In its broadest sense today religiosity can be seen as a comprehensive sociological term used to refer to the numerous aspects of religious activity, dedication, and belief (or religious doctrine)

The Gallup Religiosity Index, 2015. (dark color indicates religious, light nonreligious)

Some like to divide religiosity in six dimensions, others from four to twelve components, based on the understanding that there are at least three components to religious behaviour: knowing (cognition in the mind), feeling (affect to the spirit), and doing (behaviour of the body). Though sociologists have differed over the exact number of components of religiosity.

What can be found in lots of studies is when written by atheists the believer is looked at as a stupid person who believes in things unseen. For the reason such a person accepting what is written in the Bible lots of such researchers do find that they can not be very intellectual because many strong believers do not want to accept certain scientific findings. We can assure you that there are also very intelligent people, scientists, medics, lawyers etc. who are very religious.

Also is known that many do not want to show their religiosity in public and today many are even afraid to show their religiosity to others at all, or dare not to bring up religious matters in public but also not between their own friends or in the family.

For the reason to bring religiosity more in the open the Message Board or Internet Forum Christadelphian has been created in August 2016 on the American Yuku servers of Crowdgather, Inc.. By creating such forum the public has the opportunity to bring up questions and members are allowed to edit or delete their own posts. The posts, when there are more, will be contained in threads, where they appear as blocks one after another. The first post starting the thread; this may be called the TS (thread starter) or OP (original post). Posts that follow in the thread are meant to continue discussion about that post, or respond to other replies. The Christadelphian makers of the board are aware that it is not uncommon for discussions to be derailed, but they do want to give it a chance.

Christadelphian Forum (started August 2016)

At the place Christadelpian where many people may exchange ideas easily hopefully many will bring forth some good subjects also. To start off the following opening articles can be found

  1. Welcome to Christadelphian
  2. Places of interest to get more knowledge about God
  3. Places of interest to get more knowledge about God
  4. Christadelphian a Christian
  5. A god, The God and gods
  6. How do you look at religion
  7. What or which god are you looking at and going for and who or what do you want to worship
  8. Christianity and Religiosity in Europe

 

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Preceding articles

Searching for fulfillment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression

Laboring in the Vineyard or Sitting on the Hillside with Jonah?

 

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Also related

  1. A world with or without religion
  2. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
  3. Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life
  4. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
  5. Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual
  6. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
  7. Looking for True Spirituality 1 Intro
  8. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
  9. Philosophy hand in hand with spirituality
  10. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
  11. Points to remember of philosophy versus spirituality and religion
  12. Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
  13. Worship and worshipping
  14. a Place to discuss religious matters and Christadelphianism
  15. Religious matters
  16. Religious people and painful absence of spring of living water
  17. Christianity and Religiosity in Europe
  18. New Christadelphian forum
  19. Finding God amid all the religious externals
  20. Problems attracting and maintaining worshippers
  21. Heaven and hell still high on the believers list showing a religion gender gap
  22. Structuur -structure
  23. A visible organisation on earth

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Further reading

  1. Religion
  2. Religion and ceremonies
  3. Ethics and Morals – the Ten Commandments
  4. Politics is a funny game.
  5. For the little gods’ sake…
  6. Consciousness continues to amaze and elude
  7. Weather or not.
  8. Success
  9. Religious matters
  10. What comes next?
  11. Young immigrants to Canada passionate about spirituality: Todd
  12. the primitive as reaction, pt. 2
  13. Science doesn’t know it all. Neither does Religion.
  14. Cara Wall Scheffler: What anthropology can tell us about the origins of religious behaviour
  15. Religious experience: William James + criticisms from Russell
  16. Religious experience: Otto and the numinous
  17. Religious experience: Ayer
  18. Experiencing God
  19. Belief in moralistic gods makes people generous—towards coreligionists
  20. On Certainty
  21. Stop Saying “I Feel Like …” to Spiritualize Your Desires
  22. Go Ahead and Ask God for Something Really Small
  23. How I Hear God’s Voice

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Filed under Being and Feeling, History, Lifestyle, Religious affairs, Spiritual affairs

What we do

Man worships many things and often uses their religion to do what they want for themselves, having more power and control.

Temple of Hephaestus, a Doric Greek temple in ...

Temple of Hephaestus, a Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bombs bringing fire and giving the attackers the mythological divinity of fire. They might think to become reborn and having their virgins around them but like Hephaestus, protector of blacksmiths, the Japanese Kojin, which protects the hearths and symbolizes the violence of the elements placed at the service of humanity they will not remembered for long but disappear in oblivion having become dust like their victims who died at this cowardly attack.

But for the living there is light and hands which reach to each other, showing unity which overcomes all sorrow and shows those who try to kill our values that humanity goes on looking forward aiming for a democratic place where many people of all sorts of races, cultures and religions can live together in peace.

Light up a little flame, and make others think, is what many love to do and which gives a sign to those outside who think they can hurt us. >  just think + wonder + ask questions, and maybe read up some author or historical character, or read a new book, or argue, or get angry, and light another flame…  One hopes to make think – and to keep thinking, even in the midst of all the terrible things.

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I significati simbolici associati al fuoco sono numerosi, positivi e negativi: rinnovamento, purificazione, immortalità, iniziazione, sacrificio, forgiatura, distruzione… basta pensare al mito della Fenice che brucia e rinasce dalle proprie ceneri, a Prometeo che ruba il fuoco agli dei per emancipare almeno un po’ l’umanità, alle fiamme che custodiscono il sonno della valkiria disobbediente, alla colonna di fuoco che guida Mosè e i suoi nell’Esodo, al fuoco inestinguibile di Vesta, alle fiamme della dannazione eterna. {Fuoco!}

Italiano: Bandiera rosso e nera con tre fiamme...

Bandiera rosso e nera con tre fiammelle gialle al centro (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Read also

Fuoco!

Che Cosa Stiamo Facendo

A darker and stranger place

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Scribblings

flameBW3I’ve posted something very similar on my Italian blog, yesterday, but I want to do it again here, because…

Well, because terrible things keep happening, and everything seems to indicate that they will keep happening for Heaven knows how long. I was musing about it yesterday, and thinking how small, how inadequate it feels in such moments to sit down and write of history, and theatre, and books…

Then I found on Karavansara a quote of Charles De Lint’s, saying how writers keep shining little lights in the gathering darkness.

And I thought: yes, this is it. This is what I want to do too. Light up a little flame, and hope it will make readers think. Not to make them think something in particular – that readers can agree or disagree with what they read is a given… just think. And wonder, and ask questions, and maybe…

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Filed under Crimes & Atrocities, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Spiritual affairs

The Proper Place of Excess

The Word of God given to us in the Bible or Holy Scriptures tells us to know Who we should worship and what we should not worship. Idolatry of money has crept into the soul of mankind and has poisoned their hearts.

The wisdom teacher of Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for all things under the sun, no to agree with the excess man loves so much, but as a warning how to behave and how and to what to focus.

For those who want to celebrate Christmas for whatever reason they want to give, Christians should remember that it is originally a pagan festival and should better abstain from it. But we do agree in Wintertime it is ideal to socialise at the dark hours and it may be lovely to exchange presents around the turn of the year.

When we provide presents for others they should be given with joy and when it brings such a stress like we hear many tell on television, than there is certainly something wrong.

In so called Christian countries, we also see lots of Christmas markets, but at those ‘great events’ there is not much to see about what they call would be the “reason of the season”. At most Christmas markets there are not many stall about the nativity of the Nazarene Jew nor about that man’s ransom offering. Jesus Christ his birth they often call the reason for the season, but we can not see him much in that season or in people’s homes. Also the attitude of those people gathering at those markets does not speak of such an attitude that master teacher asked from his followers. Most people strolling around at those markets are more concerned about the food and drink opportunities and in buying (ridiculous) gadgets and not to expensive presents.

So many feel obliged just to find an other gadget or an other extra surprise and do hope they themselves also will receive many presents.

In this society where excess has become a way of life, for many it might well be also a way of understanding the world, a way of being and interacting in the world, but for sure many chapters in the bible warn for such an attitude and ask us to focus on the more important immaterial things.

Those who call themselves Christian should wonder where they fall in the consumer trap of the capitalist society and why they do not keep to the festivals ordained by the Most High? the festival for the goddess of light and a celebration for a Santa Claus for sure are no part of those.

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To remember

Thanksgiving here + gone > too much to eat + drink = Excess = regular part of natural order

Excess > consequences = plays important role in survival process

Survival of the fittest + the fertilized

Northern Hemisphere winter = season of rest + recuperation

ancestral winter seasons > forebears rejoiced in gathered harvest, savored freshly slaughtered meat, + delighted in new beer + wine.

Northern Hemisphere ancestors celebrated = winter solstice = December 21 = marking the rebirth of the sun = traditionally been associated with feasts + festivals replete with excesses => secular Christmastime holiday = direct descendant of these revelries.

Roman Saturnalia + misrule, centered on feasting + gift-giving > societal role reversals where servants + peasants became lords + ladies for a day or short season => usually steady tables of fortune turned for a moment

misrule (common in European societies and colonial America) individuals of low socioeconomic status demanded wealthier neighbors + patrons treat them – the servants + peons of society – as if they were the wealthy + deserving

Puritans of Massachusetts infamously outlawing Christmas in late 1600s =/= legendary anniversary of the Savior’s birth > simultaneous misrule celebrations that exalted excesses, some acceptable + others decidedly distasteful.

1800s, misrule evolved > new type of social inversion > persisted to our own day => Christmas made for children

children = miniature adults = occupied bottom rung of social hierarchy along with peasants + servants

Modern secular Christmas – family celebration – created at this time with children becoming focus of charity + goodwill

starting with Black Friday Eve (used to be called Thanksgiving) + continuing through New Year’s Day celebrations = unmatched devotion to consumerism, materialism, consumption, waste, and over-indulgence.

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Preceding

The Culture of Excesses- Losing Humanity

Learning that stuff is just stuff

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

Looking for the consummation of presents

One can buy a lot in the supermarket, but not hope

 

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Additional reading

  1. A time for everything
  2. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
  3. Irminsul, dies natalis solis invicti, birthday of light, Christmas and Saturnalia
  4. Holidays, holy days and traditions
  5. A new year with hopes and challenges
  6. Opportunity!
  7. A season of gifts
  8. How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace
  9. Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

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Further reading

  1. Presents, Presents, and more Presents.
  2. Christmas Stress
  3. Buying All the Gifts
  4. Christmas time!
  5. The spirit of Christmas
  6. Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. ~J.L.W. Brooks
  7. It’s the Thought that Counts?
  8. 30 Ways to Have Yourself a Thrifty Little Christmas
  9. 17 Things Only Girls Who Hate Shopping Understand
  10. How The Garden Grinch Saved Your Christmas
  11. 2015 Holiday Gift Guide
  12. My Christmas Gift Guide 2015
  13. 15 ways to get into the Christmas Spirit
  14. A Special Package
  15. The Gift & the Giver
  16. Baby Jesus Brings the gifts
  17. Blogmas Day 14: Christmas Gift Guide 2015
  18. On the 14th day of Christmas…
  19. Dear Santa
  20. Secret Santa!
  21. Why we don’t do Santa
  22. Nativity?
  23. Christmas Blogging Challenge Day 2 – My Favourite Christmas Tradition
  24. The Gift That Keeps on Giving
  25. The Holiday Gifting Struggle
  26. Do you search? ✨BlogMas✨
  27. Finding God
  28. Why Not Do Something Different This Christmas

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The T. Carlos Blog

Thanksgiving, once again, is here and gone. I know I had too much to eat and drink. How about you?

Excess is a regular part of the natural order. Our bodies turn excess calories into fat cells – technically, stored energy for later use. Most excess weight, however, is simply lugged around serving unwittingly as a contributing factor to health problems. Alcohol, on the other hand, is eliminated by the body. But a morning-after dehydration headache, caused by excessive drinking, lets you know you overdid it. Long-term excessive drinking, of course, will kill you.

Excess has its consequences.

Excess, nevertheless, plays an important role in the survival process. You and I are here thanks to an excessive amount of spermatozoa, from which emerged one little victor to join forces with an ovum. Survival of the fittest and the fertilized! And not only that, some of the plants which provide food, oxygen, and beauty upon the earth produce seeds for their own reproduction numbering in excess of hundreds…

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Filed under Being and Feeling, Economical affairs, Food, Knowledge & Wisdom, Lifestyle, Re-Blogs and Great Blogs, Religious affairs, Social affairs

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Living in a multicultural environment, in a democratic capitalist world, you may wonder how much freedom of speech and freedom of religion people are willing to give to each other.

U.S Postage Stamp, 1957

U.S Postage Stamp, 1957 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In our world which says it is a free democratic world you would expect religious freedom to be a fundamental right. It might well be recognised by international human rights documents, and one which is integral to our human dignity, but that does not mean yet that people are so open minded they accept other’s people way of thinking and certainly not their sort of faith. In our surroundings the countries may enable its citizens to live in accordance with deeply held values and beliefs about what it means to be human, but by the different population groups we encounter often those who only are prepared to have their way of thinking, their faith, to be the one to be the main value and to which everybody has to adapt to. For sure that can not be called an open mind.

The exclusion of other Christians can be felt mostly by evangelicals, especially pentecostal new-born Christians. They shall in many cases fiercely react against non-trinitarian Christians, even would deny their right to call themselves Christians. Strangely enough by those evangelicals who call for unity under Christians and say we should come to religious freedom, we find many who oppose Muslims or people belonging to an other religion than their Christendom. Are those who are calling for religious freedom accepting the theists (those who accept a or the godhead exist) and atheists who belief that he doesn’t

(glossing over wrinkles in which god we may be talking about…). {Does not believing result in belief?}

Often we do find they close the doors for such other believing people, instead of trying to go into conversation talking about the differences in belief. Often they complain that their faith is threatened by all the immigrants and by the many converts to Islam. They also often complain that the other groups seemingly have little understanding of, or respect for, the rights of their religious communities to maintain the religious identity of their organisations, but often it are they themselves who oppose the religious laws like halal and kosher food or religious killing of animals without sedatives. In Belgium we can clearly see this with the opposition against the slaughter of sheep for the Jews and Muslims.

In Australia some may call to withdraw all government funds from organisations that ‘discriminate’, but often they do not see in own bosom, often bringing wrong and discriminating messages over other believers.

As Babamboga from Nairobi,Kenya, writes:

Christians at time are so side blinded they believe that the only way is Jesus Christ and anything else is going to hell including Muslims and the Buddhists and if go further on some a bit open minded Christians will say that Allah is the same God but does that mean anyone worshipping Buddha or Seth are already sinners but really is that their problem. It is like judging people who grew up knowing Santa Claus exists, is it really their problem that they believe such old folk tales are real? And oftenly in most of those movies it is faith that ensures these fairy tale super heroes are still alive. {Oh, My brother testify.}

This person is right to remind people what is written in the Bible were God is letting the world know that

there will be prophets who will spread his word

and that it doesn’t necessarily have to be pastors who give wrong renditions of the Bible based on their useless understanding of the word. Too many people still give too much preference to those theologian writings instead of clinging to the Bible Words, of which we are told that they are the Words of God.

In Belgium, the last thirty years, church attendance became minimal whilst the attendance at mosques grew intensively. We do agree that in our juridical system only the recognised religions agreeing with the council shall have their priests, pastors, rabbi‘s or imams paid by the government, but that did not withdraw many who believe in only One God to go out and preach and to attract those Christians who got muddled up by the many human doctrines.

By those monotheist believers we do find the non-trinitarian Christians who are outnumbered by the many different non-recognised or non-official or not Islam council associated Muslims, who often get together in packed garage mosques.

At the same time we do find several fanatic fundamentalist Christians who bring in hell for everything they can. They come up with saying that the Bible actually condemns some behaviour and wonder how the church will outright give justice to drunkards and prostitutes.

… yet in the bible itself, mind you in the new testament, weren’t prostitutes part of His plans, weren’t thieves there too…. {Oh, My brother testify.}

Those who call themselves Christian should come to see the difference between Christendom and Christianity and should distance themselves from human doctrines, looking for Biblical truth there where it is to find, in the Bible itself.

Some Christians are so into their religion and they fail to see when pastors apply simple mind games of the interpretation and soon a whole congregation enjoys in the feasting of snakes and you wonder has it really got to the point that if I do a couple of acted miracles and tell people the Lord wants us to eat sinners you will all follow. {Oh, My brother testify.}

In our surroundings where, this way, we do find many who fled from the Catholic and other Christian denominations to find a stronghold by Muslims, it is important that followers of Christ take up the Bible and perhaps also the Quran to show others where it went wrong in Christendom and what is really written in the Holy Books and how our society should come to the Abrahamic faith.

When there is an open mind and freedom of religion, each faith-group, monotheist, unitarian or trinitarian, or having a whole bunch of gods to worship, should have the same rights to be there and to speak out.

That outspokenness we not often enough do find by Christians. Many of them just keep their beliefs for their own and do not dare to speak about it with others.

The agnostic is saying that they don’t think there is a way to transform a belief about god’s existence into knowledge. But they could still hold a belief on the matter. You could be an agnostic atheist, or, for that matter, an agnostic theist. {Does not believing result in belief?}

For many the issue of a god has become so complicated by theologians and philosophers

that we think it is some totally different concept that we can treat differently. Maybe people just don’t want to take a stand, they’re too unsure or don’t want to offend. {Does not believing result in belief?}

The one who really believes in the One True God, need not to be afraid to express his opinion. He has good reason to let others know what he believes.

Many would say

Of course there is no chance of “proving” God by strict logical syllogisms (but can we prove anything outside of mathematics this way?) Every logician knows that there’s nothing in the conclusion that is not already latent in the premises. But neither is this inability any proof that such a being as God does not or cannot exist. You may as well say that since I cannot prove to you whether life exists on other planets by sheer argument it therefore cannot exist. An unprovable proposition is not any more false (or true) simply because it cannot be proven. {Pascal’s Possibility}

We have the Book of books to give us an idea of the nature of the Most High Divine Being. For some it seems manifestly impossible to prove an image of God,

formed by a haphazard, subconscious blending of our moral intuitions and deepest wishes, it is not simply a figment of our imagination {Pascal’s Possibility}

The real believer knows exactly it is not just some imagination and wants others to know it. It is like you found something incredible or you ‘invented’ something extraordinary. You cannot be quiet about it.

Some might think the fact that the ideal is too good to be really possible.
But

It is a trick of the mind to think that the goodness of a thing counts as positive proof against its existence. You may as well be lying on the beach and say the sun feels too good to exist. {Pascal’s Possibility}

Encountering so many people today who laugh at the saying that there would be a god Who created everything and Who is so good that He has a Plan that will bring eternal life and peace for many, there is reason enough to tell them that the question about such a God existing has nothing to do with if logic proves it

… logic either does, or does not, make such a God’s existence possible. {Pascal’s Possibility}

But we should listen to our inner being and look around ourselves. We also should not be afraid not to claim absolute demonstrable knowledge, but “reasonable belief”. And that “reasonable belief” should be founded deep in our heart and fed by a thorough knowledge of the Bible.

From somewhere we received the Good News and came into the faith. Now it’s up to us to share it wherever we are. We now should come to the conclusion that it is marvellous that we came into the faith to become children of God. Knowing and accepting the Divine Creator as our heavenly Father to Whom we own everything, we also do know that it is a privilege and a responsibility that God gives to us to go and speak others about His wonderworks.

When we came into the faith we wanted to become part of the Body of Christ, the church, and one of the highest things that you can do in the church, is to be an active member willing to share the truth. For sharing that truth we do not have to give a theological or biblical lecture and we do not have to have a theological education (though it might help, but could also distract, because most theological colleges are formed from one or the other denomination and focussing more on the worldly writings than on the Bible itself.)

What the community of faith demands of their members is an openness to others and words that can make the community grow. Though it is also not bad to have words which will remind those in community of how the world really is now. Therefore we too are looking for writers who are willing to share how the world is evolving. What happens around us may not let us be untouched. We have to notice it and should react accordingly how that God would like us to behave in such surroundings.

When looking at this reality of the world we are living in we can show the difference of this world with the different world in God’s Plan. Writing about it or preaching we can become preachers exposing the lies that are driving people’s lives,

ripping them to shreds, sapping them of strength and energy. {10 Years of Preaching, 10 Lessons: Lesson 1}

A ‘Lead Pastor’ from Bloom in Denver believes preaching is

standing up in a tradition that reaches back to Moses and Isaiah and finds its consummation and climax in Jesus of Nazareth and saying, “The reign of God is here. Change your mind, and believe yourself into this shocking good news.” {10 Years of Preaching, 10 Lessons: Lesson 1}

It is following up the task Jesus has give to his disciples, to go out into the world to tell about that Good News. We have to come to understand that we are messengers called to this –

to employing all of the resources our speech to construct alternative modes of understanding for the people of God so that they can leave every dehumanizing Egypt and Babylon they find themselves in. Week after week, we summon them saying, It is time to go home! {10 Years of Preaching, 10 Lessons: Lesson 1}

It is not by praying often out loud, while driving down the road, for all to see, listening to a lot of Christian music with sometimes cheesy, weird beats and no cuss words, letting yourself be seen at the church-building and certainly not by going to church and

worship a man named Jesus who you may believe has saved the world by dying and coming back to life. {Why Being A Christian Isn’t Cool}

that you will find the way back home and would bring others to home-base. But when you keep to the words as they are written in the Bible and to a honest form of worship, without all the cirque and circumstance, concentrating on the truth instead of letting yourself and others be diverted by entertainment, you shall be able to go together with other devoted people on the right path. And, yes, that way you perhaps have lesser people in your congregation and would not be able to build a mega church, but better to have a good quality church than a quantity church.

We, who label ourselves as “Christians” need to re-focus.  We need to speak the truth, even when it hurts.  We need to replace the luke warm water in our mouths with hot sauce baby, confidently sharing God’s peace, grace and power.   {Why Being A Christian Isn’t Cool}

We should not have fear, like the apostles, when Jesus was caught, where very much afraid to let others know they were with Jesus. After he died and raised from the dead they even did hide in houses. We should not hide ourselves in our house, but go out, like the apostles did after they received the Holy Spirit.

We as Christians should be baptised with water but also with Holy Spirit and be encouraged to speak. Opening our heart to God we can let God’s Spirit enlighten us and guide us on our way. Trusting Him using His Word as our backbone we shall be able to enter many sorts of gates of this world, which is in the hands of ‘Satan,’ the adversary of God who more than once shall try to question you about the existence of that One God.

When questioned about God, what we belief and be tested, let us never compromise the truth ourselves for anything or anyone. We always do have to be carefully how we treat the Word of God. It is sacrilegious. That Holy Word we should sincerely seriously investigate and reflect on ourselves and those around us. When we want to tell others about that word we sincerely honestly should show the facts of it, showing that it presents good but also bad in all people, even in men of God. Bring the gospel-message we should dare to show good and bad of all and that we dare to let others see the brutal forces or battles which took place in the past. We may not present it as if everything is moonshine but also never may be guilty of turning the sweet gospel into something sour by our own surliness.

If we do, we might cause the hearer to turn away from God wincing instead of turning to him rejoicing. {Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Preaching (3)}

We also should remember that we

Don’t Have to Be Vicious with Truth to Be Strong for Truth {Lessons Learned from 25 Years of Preaching (3)}

We may not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths. Our ordinary speech should be  always with grace and as a sacrifice.

Col 4:6 RNKJV  Let your speech be always with favour, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Col 3:8 RNKJV  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Eph 4:24 RNKJV  And that ye put on the new man, which after Elohim is created in righteousness and true holiness.

It is a vain effort to try to exorcise the evil only. Character is not a negation. Having put on the new self by our baptism we should be proud to show to others that renewed body which is created in God’s likeness and let it reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.

By saying

You have learned the Christ

the apostle Paul puts the members of the ecclesia their faith upon a high level; it is the faith of approved disciples in Christ’s school. For such men the “philosophy and vain deceit” of Colossae and the plausibilities of the new “scheme of error” will have no charm.

Also for us who want to go out in the world to bring the Word of God to as many as we can, we should be so pleased that we have found the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in Christ, that we want to share that treasure with as many as we can, because we do want to have the love of Christ also in our heart and bring the fire unto those around us.

Therefore also in trying to reach others we do not want to use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what we say will do good to those who hear us.

Eph 4:29-32 RNKJV  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister favour unto the hearers.  (30)  And grieve not the holy Spirit of YHWH, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  (31)  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  (32)  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as YHWH for the Messiah’s sake hath forgiven you.

 

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Preceding articles:

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

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

Not making yourselves abominable

Where are the female writers

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

What Should I Preach ?

 

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Further reading:

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