Is reading the Bible necessary?

Posted on 2019/08/25 by Marcus Ampe

Many who call themselves Christian do like to follow Augustine, even more than Christ. they do agree with him that reading the Bible is no longer necessary once God had fully cultivated faith, hope, and love in us (On Christian Doctrine, 1.39). In other words, according to them, once we are mature in Christ, the Bible is no longer necessary. In this way, the difficulties in this ancient text are not first off problems to be solved, but opportunities to grow.

People may not forget that God has given the world His Word for a very good reason. It should be seen as our best guide and way to the future.

God is like a wise parent who wants us to grow in maturity and gain the skills necessary for life. God wants us to come to know Him, but also wants us to know ourselevs and to put ourselves in the light to others, and placing ourself in the universe.

God is like a wise parent who gives freedom and responsibility so that we can learn to handle life like “mature, well-functioning adults”. His wise words and the history of mankind, as presented in the Book of books, the Bible, can help us to grow and to mature. > Therefore we have all the more reason to regularly read the Bible and to continually think about the Word of God.

Infinite payment of sin by the son of God

Posted on 2016/10/25 by Guestspeaker

Jesus, the only way to God

Jeanie Shepard says she has dedicated her life to serving God, and being an example of the love of Christ. As a passionate Bible teacher, committed to inspiring and encouraging people to live their best lives now, to face their fears, and to grow stronger in the holy things of God, she believes that no other religion teaches the depth or seriousness of sin and its consequences.

We are afraid we can not agree with that, because in this world of many religious groups we can find more than one religion where the followers look at good and evil. After man came to get knowledge of good and evil that knowledge went from one to an other generation and even non-religious people thought about people going bad, what in Christendom is called sinning.

she also writes

No other religion offers the infinite payment of sin that only Christ could provide. {The Only Way}

Sculpture – head of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When she means “Christ” the Kristos or Messiah delivering people she is again missing the promise to and the believe of the Jews, and in some aspect also the Muslims. Jews and Muslims look also to the Messiah. In the Islam it is also taught that Ishi/Jesus will come back and that at his return he shall come to judge the living and the dead. For the Jews, they too wait for their Messiah to come, though for them, we do agree, they look (perhaps) for an other person than we and Jeanie Shepard are looking for. Many of them shall be surprised to find out that rabbi Jeshua is really that promised one from God.

With the writer of JSM Grow in God’s Word we too believe we should look to that Christ, though her idea of that Christ is not the biblical view nor our view. She considers that Christ to be God having come to the earth and having done as if he died, because God can not die and is an eternal Spirit. Though she says to

believe we are saved by God’s grace through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. {The Only Way}

she contradict in a certain way what she says, because she does not seem to accept the personality Jesus Christ. This is a general problem with a lot of people who call themselves Christian. Instead of accepting the words of Jesus Christ and the Words of his heavenly Father they prefer to believe the human doctrines and to make Jesus into their god.
Such idea undermines the position of Jesus Christ, the man who is called by the Word of God to be the son of man and the son of God.

We all should know that God is bigger than anything that we go through; but that He is also greater than Jesus. Rabbi Jeshua knew very well his position and never claimed to be God, but made it very clear where he was standing, not able to do anything without God.

Christians should take those words of Jesus at heart. They should believe that Jesus, the sent one from God, his heavenly Father works in him and still works today. Christians should understand Jesus his position, being under God, even not able to do anything of himself. Jesus like all the people who saw the miracles could see what God the Father did. It is this God of Abraham Who authorised rabbi Jeshua, Christ Jesus, to do all these things. For all that Jesus does is done by the Power of God.

Because of God having given the authority to speak and act in His Name, this son does together with the Elohim Hashem Jehovah out of love for mankind. Everything Jesus did was out of love for God Whose Will he wanted to do, and not his own will (which he would have done when he is God). First Jesus was lower than angels, but after his ransom offering he was made higher, though God always stays the Most High.

This Most High Eternal God is the Father Who loves His only begotten beloved Son and shows him all the things that He does, and He will show him greater works than these that we may marvel. For as the Father raises up the dead and gives them life; even so God His son gives life unto whom he will. Therefore we should take heed and look at this sent one from God who may judge the living and the dead and is at the moment seated at the right hand of God (and not on God‘s throne) to be a mediator between God and man. For the Father judges no man but has committed all judgement unto the son that everyone should honour the son, even as they honour the Father.

We should take the Words of God, given in the Holy Scriptures very serious. In the New Testament we are warned that he that does not honour the son does not honour the Father Who has sent him, plus that believe in him is important for man’s salvation.

Jesus also warns the people around him that those who hear his words and believes Him (Jehovah God) that sent him (Jesus Christ, the Messiah) has eternal life and shall not come into judgement but has passed from death unto life. But you could also read this as an implication that the ones who do not want to believe God and Jesus their words shall not pass from death to life and shall not be able to enter the small gate of the Kingdom of God.

First of all we should have to look up to the One Who sent Jesus, secondly we should look at the one sent by God. For as the Father has life in Himself, so has He given to the son to have life in himself and has also given him power and authority to execute judgement because Jeshua (Jesus Christ) is Son of man and the son of God in whom we should put our hope.

“17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”
18 Therefor the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

19 Then answered Jesus 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 showeth Him all things that He Himself doeth; and He will show 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 honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father who hath sent Him.

24 Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth My Word and believeth in 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 God; 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 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 who 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 bore 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.” (John 5:17-36 KJ21)

We may not let our mind being filled with false human thoughts, but should listen to the Word God has given us. We may also not let our heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, by wondering what others might think if we do not follow the mainstream or do not take part in the many human traditions.

The Bible teaches that there is no other way to salvation, but through Christ. Jesus is the way to God and the path to eternal salvation for those who believe in him. No one comes to the Father except through the son, and Jesus is the only begotten son of the Father. He is the only acceptable sacrifice by which man’s sins are forgiven.

“”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 KJ21)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJ21)

All people should come to hear what Jesus has taught. He left the earth but he shall come again unto us. Those who accepted Jesus for what or who he is and love him, there can be rejoicement because they know and believe that Jesus went unto the Father, and not to himself or to take back his place as God; for his Father is greater than himself (Jesus Christ). Christians also should tell others about this son of man who is the son of God, and not a god-son, that the world may know that Jesus does not love himself but loves the Father; and as the Father gave him commandment, even so does Jeshua (Jesus Christ).

“27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, ‘I go away and come again unto you.’ If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice because I said, ‘I go unto the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 “Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.” (John 14:27-31 KJ21)

When you believe those things, then you should be able to accept and believe that

Through Jesus everyone who believes is set free from every sin; (Acts 13:38-39; 1st John 2:12). Sin has a penalty that must be paid, if not through the shed blood of Jesus finish work on the cross,

not that

the only other option is the eternal torment in hell’s unquenchable fire. {The Only Way}

because by dying all payment is given for the sins done. God does not want any other payment and tells us that when we die it is finished.

Though we may not forget that

To receive the free gift of eternal salvation, we must look to Jesus alone. We must place our trust in the finished work of the cross as our payment for sin and in his resurrection.

Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved; (Acts 4:12).

Preceding articles

Irminsul, dies natalis solis invicti, birthday of light, Christmas and Saturnalia

Entrance of a king to question our position #2 Who do we want to see and to be

Marriage of Jesus 2 Standard writings about Jesus

Marriage of Jesus 8 Wife of Yahweh

Marriage of Jesus 10 Old and New Covenant

Jerusalem and a son’s kingdom

Additional reading:

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Own Private Words to bring into a good relationship

Posted on 2016/05/03 by Relating to God

In the previous posting “Words to bring into a good relationship” we have spoken about Words God spoke to man and which enable man to find the Real True God.

Sperindio Cagnola, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist kneeling and praying to God the Father (detail of the Last Judgement), 1514 -24, Paruzzaro, San Marcello Church (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today we look at our own words and how they also can be important to find God and to build up a good relationship with God.
Jewish men grow up going to the synagogue and temple where they witnessed prayers often. You would think they then know to Whom we should pray, why and what result it can have. In the first century of this common era there were people who found an interesting man preaching about the Most High Elohim. That teacher spoke with awe about that heavenly Father, and told his onlookers he could do nothing without this heavenly Father. This rabbi often prayed with them to that heavenly Father.
These men came from homes in which their father was active in praying and now they had their leader also praying to that God of Abraham. They had seen enough examples how to pray, but still asked Jeshua, their master teacher, how to pray.

Luke 11:1 (RNKJV)
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Rabbi, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Jesus in Pray (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For some time now Jesus had taught them by precept (Matthew 6:7-15) and example (Luke 9:29). More than once Jesus had taken time to pray to that God about Whom he spoke so much. Jesus very well knew that God and knew that he could not do anything without God. For those who think Jesus is God, they should then wonder if Jesus prayed to himself and told lies about his position and that one of his heavenly Father. Jesus told those around him that God is greater than him and does all the works (in case Jesus is God he would be the greatest of all and always would do his own wish and doing the works himself.) Jesus told them that it is God Who does all the work and is the One to whom we should ask to have things done.

When those Jewish men who had seen so many examples of praying now asked their teacher how they should pray, Jesus gave them the substance of the Model Prayer (in Matthew and Luke).

Matthew 6:7-15 (RNKJV)
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.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amein.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Jesus also had often used the books of King David showing people they had to use the right words when directing themselves to others and to God, never having false words or lies on their tongue.

Psalms 19:14 (RNKJV)
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O יהוה, my strength, and my redeemer.

When we try to live in the way God wants, offering ourselves in an acceptable way, using right words and not veil words, like we also would not use certain words to our friends, than we may direct ourselves to God as a close Friend and receive answers like a close Friend or loving Father would do.

Jesus assures his pupils also with comparing God with their own fathers who would treat them well.

Luke 11:11-13 (RNKJV)
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

When people are sincerely looking for God, even when they are not convinced that He exist, they always can start trying to speak (= pray) to Him. Even if they do not yet believe in God, but ask that God to let them know if He really exists and what they have to do, for sure That God shall not let them in the dark, but shall bring them answers at the right time.

Jesus was always praying. Before he chose the apostles, he prayed. He prayed all night. He prayed in the garden before his arrest and even was daring to question his God to look at him who was willing to put his own wishes aside for doing the Will of God. (In case Jesus is God he naturally would always have done his own will)

Luke 22:42 (RNKJV)
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

In the worst moments of his life Jesus took up prayer, speaking to his heavenly Father, the One Spirit Jesus considered to be the Only One true God, to Whom we all should direct our prayers. Upon the piece of wood, when his final hour had come Jesus his final statements were prayers. The praying Jesus was impressive.
Like Jesus always talked, not to himself but to God, we also should not talk to ourselves all the time, but should be making time to talk to that God of Jesus, his disciples, the Jews, Zacharia, Jeremiah, Isaiah, David, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham and many other men of God.
Jesus prayed to God because that’s what fellowship with God demands and needs. He did it because he wanted to have a good relationship with his heavenly Father, the Only One True God.

Jesus wanted others to come to know God. with Jesus we also find a person who is showing the way to God. It is one man who we should trust and follow his example and words. When we look at the Words of God, in the Bible, we do find that God is pointing out to that sent one He promised. And God’s promises are not like those of man. God is well able to fulfil all that He has promised. He is all mighty to ensure that His Word will come true and will be honoured.

The Old Testament or Covenant, meaning a solemn undertaking, shows us how God has mercy with man and wants to guide them. Jesus and his disciples read and studied those books and considered them the Word of God to be taken at heart.
Jesus explained the things the people could not understand about some of those old sayings form those books.
By listening to what Jesus says about those old saying of the prophets and history writers, we can come to a better understanding. Those sayings of Christ can be found in the New Testament, where we are offered a New Covenant by Christ Jesus, the Messiah. He has become the mediator between God and man, and we should make use of him.

1 Timothy 2:5 (RNKJV)
For there is one Elohim, and one mediator between Elohim and men, the man Yahushua the Messiah;

This mediator can be our advocate, but he also prepared the way so that we can talk directly to God. That provision we should use gratefully.

We should consider prayer to be a conversation. Our prayers when directed to God is talking to God. It is not talking to God when we pray to virgins, Christophers, Thomasses or other saints. Like Jesus talked to God, his heavenly Father we too should talk to our heavenly Father. Like not every prayer of Jesus was the same, our prayers also do not have to be the same. The opposite God expects us not to mumble all the time the same words in the same order. God even does not like repetitious prayers.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 (RNKJV)
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before Elohim: for Elohim is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:7 (RNKJV)
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou Elohim.

Matthew 6:7 (TS2009)
“And when praying, do not keep on babbling like the nations. For they think that they shall be heard for their many words.

When we love to have a good relationship with people around us, we are going to talk to them. When we have good friends and want to be close to them we are going to talk regularly and openly with them. With are parents we shall talk often and tell them lots of things. The same or even more with our heavenly Father. wit god it is best to communicate openly and honestly with because He knows our heart and knows everything of us.

When we do not know God, He knows us already. He wants us to communicate with Him and us coming to Him. Please, in case you are looking for God or if you want an intimate relationship with Him, do not hesitate to contact Him and to talk to Him, what we also call praying to Him.

You do not need a specific place. Any place is good to come to talk to God. You do not have to speak loud. You can think the words in yourself. By thinking those words you want to bring over to God, you are bringing them over. You may do it in your own language and in your own words at any time of the day or night. God is always there to hear your thoughts and see what is moving your heart.

Preceding articles

Words to bring into a good relationship

About the Lord’s prayer

People Seeking for God 7 The Lord and lords

Additional reading:

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Further articles on praying

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Words to bring into a good relationship

Posted on 2016/05/02 by Relating to God

Relating to God is a new website and blog, created at the beginning of this year (2016-03-09) to bring people in a good relationship with the Divine Creator. To come to such good relationship it is important to get to know God and to get to know His Word, the Bible. For that reason the site is looking at the gathered Words of God.

Frontispiece of the 1917 JPS translation of the Bible (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the organisation’s words people do not have to start of with a believe in god nor in His Word to come to get to know Him. It is by discovering the Words of God, that people shall come to understand that the assembled set-apart or Holy Scriptures manifest themselves to be the word of God, by the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God.

There is an essence or a centre or a dominant peculiarity in the way God glorifies himself in Scripture and those collected Words do manage to bring people to see Who God is and What His desires are.
When people are willing to listen to those words in that library of 66 books they shall come to the understanding that the Bible has final authority over every area of our lives and that we should, therefore, try to bring all our thinking and feeling and acting into line with what the Bible teaches.

The world may have many religions and many churches, but those who are willing to listen to the Call of God shall come to hear that Sacred Calling. There are people who believe themself and want to have others to believe that certain churches have their own Bible with their own words, but this is not taking into account that God Himself all over the years has protected His Own Word. Certain churches and people may prefer to have a certain Bible translation and may not like an other Bible translation, but that does not mean that people using an other bible translation would not been able to come to the Biblical Truth.

A Bible translation is not the private charter of a faith community among other faith communities. It is a total claim on the whole world. God, the Originator Speaking Creator Owner, and Governor of the world, has sent His Word all over the world and has not limited His Words to one particular language or one particular church denomination.

His words, in whatever language they may be read, are valid and binding on all people everywhere. God can not be owned by any church, but God owns all people in the world and is Master of all.

First page of latest Dutch Bible translation (NBV) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People might believe in only certain things their religion places before them, irrespective of whether the Author is divine. But even if they don’t believe in all of it, they still can be believers in God. They also might find other ideas than their original church is preaching. At a certain point they might even come to see that there are too many differences in the church teaching opposite in what they belief the Bible is teaching. And most important of all tit is the bible which should guide people. It is the Words of the bible which should be taken as the truthful words of God.

In the end it are people themselves who shall have to decide which way they go and what they want to believe, human doctrines or Biblical doctrines.

The rubber meets the road, however, when fundamentalist notions of “what one must believe” overtake open-mindedness in a non-secular community – when one’s personal beliefs, and more important his personal disbeliefs, ostracize him from “good standing” if he articulates those disbeliefs aloud. If that occurs – if the Bible’s factuality becomes essential to one’s faith for fear of being shunned – it will be man, and not God, who decides what one must believe in order to be viewed as having Faith. And that principle cannot ever be what God intended.

writes rabbi Joel Cohen in Is the Bible’s factuality essential to faith?

God His way of speaking with unique, infallible authority counted in the 5the century b.C.E. as well as in the 1st century or 21st century C.E. is through signs or letters on a stone, papyrus, paper or even today on a screen of an electronic device. The Words He thinks necessary for mankind or brought together in “One book”. A Set-apart or Holy Book, which is for all people, educated or not.

Please do find to read:

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Good Morning January 25 We are theologians

Posted on 2016/02/03 by Guestspeaker

The world has gone far away from the real study of gods and God, forgetting that the Word of God should be the main guide.

Lots of theologians teaching at colleges and universities have fallen into heresy and other substantial errors on doctrine, having been themselves already formed on the false doctrine of the trinity.

It would be lovely if we could find more theologians who really desire to know the Most High Theos or the Elohim Hashem Jehovah. For them as for all of us this demands works of faith, learning more about Jehovah God, and walking with Him through all the activities of daily life.

As Pastor Irvin Stapf of the Life’s Meaning Ministry correctly notes that

“In this way all Christians are to be theologians”

all those who say they are a Christian should believe in Christ Jesus and follow his teachings. Like Jesus, who did not do his own will, they should do everything to please God.

We too should be as Jeshua’s disciples getting to know Jesus better, following him as the Way to God. It is our faith in him that also should motivate us enough to come to know the heavenly Father of Christ and to do like Christ, doing God’s Will and not ours. Reading the Scriptures and giving ourselves to God shall bring us closer to God and create better relationships between God’s creatures.

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To remember

lessons = not always easy

many of the circumstances we face in life = tools in God’s gracious hands

fruit of the Spirit = nature of Jesus + what God is working to form in us

God doesn’t do away with our personality + individuality, => works Christ’s nature into these so that we may be useful to Him and to others.

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Preceding articles:

Mental Enslavement and Sins Syndrome (MESS)

Luther on Being a Theologian: Oratio, Meditatio and Tentatio

The Pastor Theologian

Theology as Discipleship

What Makes a Theologian

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Additional reading

Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight

Necessary to be known all over the earth

Bible a guide – Bijbel als gids

A voice and a Word given for wisdom

the Bible – God’s guide for life #2 Needs in life

the Bible – God’s guide for life #3 Fast food or staple diet

the Bible – God’s guide for life #5 What is God like

Counterfeit Gospels

Al-Fatiha [The Opening] Süra 1: 4-7 Merciful Lord of the Creation to show us the right path

To create a great journey

Colour-blindness and road code

We should use the Bible every day

Feed Your Faith Daily

Bric-a-brac of the Bible

What Are You Seeking?

Hang On!

Whoopi Goldberg commandments and abortion

Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 4

To know Christ is filling life with meaning

Best intimate relation to look for

God’s wisdom for the believer brings peace

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Related articles

Reordering the Trinity (cwoznicki.com)

Christmas Reflection (mylordmyfriend.com)

Muslim God, Christian God (theamericanconservative.com)

I’ve Been A Stubborn Student But Here’s What I Learned (bloggerneecy.com)

Why Cultivate Inner Stillness? (palamas.info)

12-18-2015 Jesus, More Than Meet The Eye (fellowshiproom.org)

Actions to be a reflection of openness of heart (christadelphianworld.blogspot.com)

Who are the Christadelphians (christadelphianworld.blogspot.com)

Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? (juancole.com)

God is, indeed, good (napavalleyregister.com)

Life Has Meaning

Thinking about words. We hear the word theologian and we think of someone teaching in a seminary, or writing many scholarly books. This is true. There certainly are such people who have been of great benefit to the church. But look at the word theologian again. The first part theos means God, ology is simply the study of. A theologian is one who studies the nature of God. I consider myself a theologian, but I’m not a well read scholar. I am a parish pastor and a wood worker. You, also, are called to be a theologian, one who seeks to understand more and more about the God we worship, the God who has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.
As theologians we desire to know our Lord, learning more about Him, and walking with Him through all the activities of daily life. In this way all Christians…

View original post 49 more words

Theology as Discipleship

Posted on 2016/02/03 by Guestspeaker

We should not so much focus on theological works, but concentrate on the Word of God, studying the bible itself, because that is the Word What tells everything a man should know.

There is a certain Catholic subculture among theologians today, especially those who teach at colleges and universities. This culture treats every question as if it were open to theological speculation. The terms heresy and heretic are not politically correct, regardless of how clearly a fellow theologian is rejecting Church dogma. They have excised from the Gospel message and from the example of Jesus every harsh rebuke of grave sin and sins against faith. They have reduced the number of dogmas to as few as possible. They ignore the anathemas of Ecumenical Councils. They have taken away all the sharp edges of the Gospel. {Who is qualified to write theology?}

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To remember

Theology is irrelevant to our life as Christians. = what many evangelicals tend to believe

focusing on practical things

theology = dangerous <= divisive + potential to confuse people about God

Keith Johnson in Theology as Discipleship argues that neither of these are the case. In fact, theology is vitally relevant to our lives as Christians and it actually has the ability to help us grow in Christ. Or as he himself puts it:

traditional goal of Christian theology = to develop a better understanding of God => can think + speak rightly about God within context of a life governed by our faith in Christ + our discipleship to him in community with other Christians.

theology went “wrong” (i.e. anti-intellectualized & over-academia-ized)

Part of theology’s purpose = to help us to know Christ + grow in our understanding of our union with Him

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Preceding articles:

Mental Enslavement and Sins Syndrome (MESS)

Luther on Being a Theologian: Oratio, Meditatio and Tentatio

The Pastor Theologian

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Related articles

We are all somehow believers (animperfectblog.wordpress.com)

Atheism: Just one false god among many, and not the most dangerous (christiantoday.com)

Christian College Alum: Fear Motivated Suspension Of My Former Wheaton Professor (thenewcivilrightsmovement.com)

Analytic Theology at St. Andrews (cwoznicki.com)

The Subtle Lie is the Most Dangerous – Emergent Theology (standupforthetruth.com)

CWoznicki Think Out Loud

Theology is irrelevant to our life as Christians.

At least that’s what many evangelicals tend to believe. There is this thought that runs through much of evangelicalism that theology is either irrelevant because we should be focusing on practical things. There is also another line of thought that seems to believe that theology is dangerous because it is divisive, and has the potential to confuse people about God. Keith Johnson in Theology as Discipleship argues that neither of these are the case. In fact, theology is vitally relevant to our lives as Christians and it actually has the ability to help us grow in Christ. Or as he himself puts it:

The traditional goal of Christian theology is to develop a better understanding of God so that we can think and speak rightly about God within the context of a life governed by our faith in Christ and our discipleship…

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Luther on Being a Theologian: Oratio, Meditatio and Tentatio

Posted on 2016/02/03 by Guestspeaker

Augustine of Hippo (354–430), Latin theologian. His writing on free will and original sin remains influential in Western Christendom.

The world has created so called scientists in the knowledge of God. Lots of people do put all their trust in such scholars who received a degree in theology at a university.
The majority of those theologians are as most of them would consider a theologian is,

“one who is dedicated to life in Christ and the contemplation of the Holy Trinity.” {What Does It Mean To Be a Theologian; by David Russell Mosley}

For many who studied the gods “The Philokalia“, a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters”, was their primary guide for what it meant to be a theologian.

We always should know that to come to know God and to worship God we do not have to be people who have a university degree in theology, but we should be people who take time to study the bible. Lots of theologians have spend more time in studying writings of other human beings instead of looking more closely at the Word of God, the Bible. When you look at the theology courses, you will notice much more time is spend at those human writings, philosophy and human doctrines than at Biblical doctrines. No wonder that there have been much more books written by trinitarian scholars than by non-trinitarian Christians, because for the latter it is evident what is written in the Bible is the truth and as such in the non-trinitarian denominations of Christianity there are not so many divisions or matters of dispute as in the trinitarian denominations of Christendom.

We should remember that each of us has to be a theologian, a person who wants to know and worships the Only One True God of gods. A knowledge of the other gods may help in this, but the main focus should be on the real True Divine Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jakob and of Jeshua, who is mostly known as Jesus Christ by English speaking countries.

Each person who claims to be a Christian should be a follower of Christ and should worship the same God Christ worshipped, namely his heavenly Father. Like Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father we also should pray to that God of Jesus, Jehovah the Most Almighty God. That Oratio (prayer) should be grounded in the Word of God.

God cannot tempted, but Jesus was and we also shall be tempted more than once. This Tentatio (affliction) is not something God uses to drive us a way from self, but is our own selfish will because we are so much busy with ourselves. In case we would be more busy with the Will of God we would not be so much and so often suffering from our wrongdoing. Then we would also be more forthcoming to God His Will and would be more able, like Christ did not his own will, not to do our own will but being happy to do God’s Will.

To avoid going astray we do need the Meditatio (meditation) which should be the continual study of the Holy Scriptures and not so much the study of the many theological works by human beings.

We should trust more the Call and the Voice of God instead the voices of so many people who call themselves theologian, whatever they may mean by that word.

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Preceding articles

Mental Enslavement and Sins Syndrome (MESS)

Some one or something to fear #7 Not afraid for Gods Name

Pascal’s Possibility

Sharing thoughts and philosophical writings

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Additional reading

The importance of Reading the Scriptures

No other god besides Jehovah who gives all explanation

God’s forgotten Word 3 Lost Lawbook 2 Modern scepticism

Theologians and a promised Spirit to enlighten us

Necessity of a revelation of creation 9 Searching the Scriptures

Necessity of a revelation of creation 11 Believing and obeying the gospel of the Kingdom of God

Necessity of a revelation of creation 14 Searching the scriptures

Missional hermeneutics 1/5

Missional hermeneutics 5/5

Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians

To find ways of Godly understanding

Position of the Bible researcher

Theology without spirituality sterile academic exercise

Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality

Being Missional

Christendom Astray The Devil Not A Personal Super-Natural Being

A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it

Our life depending on faith

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church

Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian

The meek one riding on an ass

Does there have to be a Holy Trinity Mystery

Altered to fit a Trinity

the Trinity – the Truth

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Theology of Experience

… 506 years ago

The Calvinist ‘God’ and God

Jealous God | Jealous for God

So, Here Goes…

The Angelic Doctor

Good Morning January 25

What Makes a Theologian

The Pastor Theologian

A Quote from St. Augustine on “The State”

Theology as Discipleship

43rd of 2015.

What Does It Mean To Be a Theologian

What is Distinctive about Christian Analytic Theology?

Pulpit Supply: Sunday School: Four Key Concepts to be a better Theologian

Theologian Spotlight: Kathryn Tanner

Saint Augustine

Puritan John Owen – Doctrine of the Spirit and Mortification of Sin (Christian audio book)

C.S. Lewis Died on This Date

Albert Schweitzer

Jean Guitton

Biblical Christian Theology: Definition by DR. Donald E. Battle

DR. Donald E. Batle: Theologian And Christology Scholar

Who is qualified to write theology?

What is the Recipe to Survive in the Storms of Life?

Crossing Divides: Can an Atheist be a Chaplain?

So Now I’m a Christian. Now What? Part 4:The Loving, Triune God

Thought on the Trinity, Its Being Less than Mysterious, and the Biblical Support of an Analogy to It

The Incarnation a Contradiction?

1 Corinthians 10:15 (Don’t Take My Word For It)

Christ Strengthens You

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The Holy Trinity (vernacularisms.com)

Advent Day 12: Hope (writingstraight.com)

Why Cultivate Inner Stillness? (palamas.info)

Religion and faith: Schedules full for faith communities (tucson.com)

Muslim God, Christian God (theamericanconservative.com)

Americans really thinking the Messiah Christ had an English name (christadelphianworld.blogspot.com)

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Gospel & Gratitude

In John Doberstein’s The Minister’s Prayerbook, he discusses Martin Luther’s understanding of the development of a theologian. Luther believed that the “right way to study theology” is anchored in the three rules set forth in Psalm 119: Oratio, Meditatio, Tentatio. For Luther “Everything centers around the practice of meditation, for prayer prepares for it and its results are confirmed in the experience of conflict. For Luther, meditation is the key to the study of theology. No one can become a true theologian unless he learns theology through it” (Kleinig, “The Kindred Heart”, 142). The discussion that follows is taken directly from Doberstein and explores each of the three dimensions.

Oratio (prayer) is grounded in the Word of the Lord. Prayer is the voice of faith. That is to say, that prayer grows out of the Word of the Lord. “The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not…

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The Dress Code for Women in the Quran

Posted on 2015/12/16 by Marcus Ampe

Naturally the Quran is not the only source of law that is authorised by God. In that book is clearly also referred to the previous letters of men of God, like the books of Moses and the minor and major prophets.

It is good to see how certain people of the Muslim faith want to mix the writings of those prophets with the writings of ordinary beings who lived after Muhammad and brought their own rules into books they say all Muslims have to follow.
As such we do have to know and Muslims also should have to know, that what happened in Judaism and in Christendom also happened in Islam. Also in that religion human thought for many became more important than the Words of God Himself.

The niqab has become a symbol of the Muslim faith. It is worn by many Muslim women in public areas and in front of non related males. Worn mainly in the Arab world and in the Muslim countries of Africa and Asia it has become part of our streetview as well the last ten years.

Everybody should see that many Muslim scholars have invented extreme rules for women’s dress which are not found in the Quran. In our previous article we showed that some say that women should be totally covered except for their face, while others who are even more extreme, say that all women must be covered from head to toe except for two holes for the eyes to see! They should know if they want to dress accordingly they should take into account the dress-code of the country where they are willing to live in. In many European countries we may not walk naked on the streets, so we do have to respect that limitation of freedom, but also the opposite people may not be dressed so that nobody can recognise who is behind the outer garments.

To remember

1- Quran source of law that is authorised by God (6:114).

2- Quran complete + fully detailed (6:38, 6:114, 6:89 and 12:111).

3- God calls on His true believers to make sure not to fall in the trap of idol worship by following the words of the scholars instead of the words of God (9:31).

4- God calls those who prohibit what He did not prohibit, aggressors, liars and idol worshippers (5:87, 6:140, 7:32, 10:59).

The command to follow the Quran alone is given very clearly in the Quran, see: Dozen Reasons

Quranic guidelines for women’s dress

First Rule: The Best Garment

“O children of Adam, We have brought down to you garments to cover your private parts, as well as for adornment, yet the garment of reverence is the best. These are some of God’s signs, perhaps they will remember.” 7:26

To revere God + know that He is always watching us = basic rule for dress code in Quran

Any woman knows quite well what is decent + what is revealing => not need to be told <= know how to maintain righteousness + how not to

Second Rule: Cover your Bosoms

in 24:31 = God commands women to cover their bosoms = crucial words mentioned in connection to this topic, namely the ‘hijab [Any partition which separates two things (e.g. that which separates God from creation)]’ + the ‘khimar’.

The word ‘hijab’ in the Quran

Hijab = term used by many Muslim women to describe their head cover

‘hijab’ = veil or yashmak + screen, cover(ing), mantle, curtain, drapes, partition, division, divider.

in the Quran:

7 times: 5 of them as ‘hijab’ + 2 times as ‘hijaban’ => verses: 7:46, 33:53, 38:32, 41:5, 42:51, 17:45 & 19:17.

None used in Quran in reference to what traditional Muslims call today ‘hijab’ = head cover for Muslim woman!

‘hijab’ = old Jewish tradition => infiltrated into hadith

Religious Jewish women still cover their heads most of the time + especially in the synagogues, at weddings + religious festivities = cultural =/= religious

Some Christian women cover their heads in many religious occasions while nuns some years ago also covered their heads all the time, though that seems long forgotten

‘hijab’ = traditional dress + has nothing to do with Islam or religion

Mixing religion with tradition = form of idol-worship = implies setting up other sources of religious laws besides law of God.

‘khimar’ in Quran:

in 24:31 While the 1 basic rule of Dress Code for Muslim women can be found in 7:26, 2nd rule of dress code for women can be found in 24:31.

Some Muslims quote verse 31 of sura 24 as containing the ‘hijab’, or head cover, by pointing to the word, khomoorihinna, (their khimars), forgetting that God already used the word ‘hijab’, several times in the Quran.

the words of God – 24:31 are:

“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to guard their private parts and not to show their adornments except that of it which normally shows. They shall cover their cleavage with their ‘khimar’. They shall not show their adornments except in the presence of their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, their slaves, the male attendants who have no sexual desire and the children who are yet to attain awareness of women’s nakedness. They shall not strike their feet so as to reveal details of their hidden ornaments. You shall repent to God all you believers, so that you may succeed.” 24:31

Arabic word khimar = cover => Any cover such as a curtain, a dress, table cloth, blanket, a coat, a shawl, a shirt, a blouse, a scarf etc.

Third Rule: Not to reveal any of their adornments

found in 24:31 = God commands women not to reveal their adornments (beauty spots) except what is normally apparent (face, hair, lower arms and lower legs .. etc).

” …. not to show their adornments except that of it which normally shows.”

very general term = to allow women freedom to decide on what is shown of her body.

Righteous women = make correct decision so as to conform to general code of morality, + also according to time, place + occasion.

word ‘zeenatahunna’ (adornments) in this verse refers to woman’s beauty spots which carry a sexual connotation, examples are “thighs, breasts, back side … etc) > expose details of certain parts of body.

For more detailed analysis of 24:31 please go to: Corruption of 24:31

Fourth Rule : Lengthen your Garments

“O prophet, tell your wives, your daughters and the wives of the believers that they shall lengthen their garments. This is better so that they will be recognized and not molested. God is Forgiver, Merciful.” 33:59

not say how long is long => God knows we will be living in different communities + have different cultures => insists that minor details of this dress code will be left for the people of every community to decide for themselves, as long as righteousness is always maintained.

Many Muslim scholars have invented extreme rules for women’s dress which are not found in the Quran < => There are no words anywhere in the Quran which command women to cover all their bodies

Preceding article:

Meditating Muslimah on “hijab to be a religious obligation”

Additional reading

Scripture words written for our learning, given by inspiration of God for edification

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Denominationalism exists because?

Posted on 2015/07/31 by Guestspeaker

In this world we do see many religions and in each religion many divisions. This tells a lot about man.

In Christendom we may find Christianity with people who follow Biblical doctrines and on the other-side lots of people who do prefer to follow human doctrines. those following the false teachings of man make up the majority in Christendom. They made themselves a three-headed god and many often did made graven images of their god and bow down in front of those pictures or statues to pray for, though according God’s Word, the Bible this is an abomination in God’s eyes.

Already very soon after Jeshua (Jesus Christ) died false teachings came into the ‘Christian‘ system, like it previously also had done in the Judaic system.

Perhaps one can bring as an excuse that the way of man is not in himself, but we must know that each of us is responsible for his own actions and his own thinking and his reaction on it.

‘Hautain’ man= arrogantly superior and disdainful haughty man thinks him superior to God’s Word and dares to frighten people that they would not be able to understand the Bible without their teachings. They forget that God His Word is infallible and indestructible, saying everything it has to say in a way that all people can understand and can have enough information according to their capabilities.

It are those theologians and church-institutions who wanted to keep their power or get more power, who adapted their teachings for the best of their institutions. Often they overlooked that for one lie an other one had to be created to have their teaching ‘soundproof’.

All denominations have their own specific worship-houses or church-buildings. – Greek orthodox churches.

Denominationalism is a man-made concept which we really do not need. We do have to follow Christ who is the cornerstone of the Church of God and not of a church of men.
In that church of God we do have to become one with Christ like Jesus is one with the Father. And all should be as brethren and sisters in Christ, worshipping only One True God, the God of Jesus Who is the God of Abraham.

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Biblical Notes

By Ron Thomas

Why are there so many denominations? This is the question asked in a Bible study book called God’s Answers to Man’s Questions (p. 178). The answer given? “Each is probably like a variety of fruit and it takes many varieties to make an orchard. (Many spokes to make a wheel.) Christ’s desire is that the Church on earth should be clean, glorious and holy, Eph. 5:27. ‘That He might present it (the Church) to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it (you and I) should be holy and without blemish.’”

This is all there is to his answer. Did he answer it? Yes, I suppose you can say he did. Is his answer adequate or, better yet, biblical? It is not. The Bible passage he referenced is certainly biblical, but it does not support the contention of the…

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The Importance of the Prophetic

Posted on 2015/07/20 by Bijbelvorsers

Humankind is given the words of God and is free to accept them or to reject them. But they shall have to bear the consequences of their choice.
Having sent His son to the world, who came to make everything clear, man should have no excuses any more. By the Grace of God Jeshua’s offering was accepted to liberated all from death, but those who would not accept the Most High would have no opportunity any more if they also reject the offering of God’s son.

We now have the words of many prophets and should take them at heart. Those, in modern times, who still do find reason to object those words and all the happenings from the past would better look into their own heart to feel their inner being and react better on that.

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Genre – Playing by the Rules

The Need to Understand Genre

Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything

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Arguments about believe and About Christianity versus Atheism

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“Head of a Prophet” by Mikhail Vrubel

This is an excerpt from a post published on the blog Grace and Truth:

The Importance of the Prophetic

The prophet represents God. He goes forth from the presence of God and speaks what God has given him to speak. The prophet speaks the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not just speaking the Word, it is speaking it forth in the power of an anointing borne out of intimacy with Jesus Himself. The prophet is the ambassador of Christ in this world, and so the prophet and his message are inextricably linked. A true prophet cannot be separated from the message he brings.

We see this with Ezekiel. God had a message for Israel and He had His prophet to act out what he was proclaiming to Israel. He had to lie down for a certain…

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