Fellowship over meals

After God made a covenant with the People of Israel at Mount Sinai, Moses and the 70 leaders of Israel

“saw God, and they ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:11)

the did not literally saw God but felt His nearness. Every year Gods People also came together for a special meal, remembering how the Most High was willing to come to the help of those that worshipped Him. It was the most significant meal in the Tanakh (Old Testament) that God required the People to eat and as such Jesus (the Nazarene Jeshua, being a devout Jew) also took every year, as required by Scriptures, the occasion to have a Passover meal with those he loved.

And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

(Exodus 12:14-17 KJB:PCE)

Jesus had more than once had meals with common people, sinners and publicans as well intimate meals with his beloved ones. We may not forget it was not generally accepted to have friendship with publican, because they were detested by the Jews at that time, because they were the tax collectors and had a reputation of adding their own greedy motives to the amount they collected. Just like the fishermen, when the master teachers asked the tax-collector Matthew to follow him, he went with Jesus, who wanted those who wanted to be his disciples to follow him in his word and not to be slaves of sin. When Jesus knew his time was coming to an end the master wanted to have the yearly memorial meal with his beloved in an upper-room in Jerusalem.

This coming week, on the first night of Passover (Passover Seder: Friday, April 19), believers who participate in the traditional Jewish Passover meal (known as a Seder) will have the opportunity to celebrate and enter into fellowship with Jeshua (Jesus Christ) as he instructed his disciples to do, the night he was betrayed and arrested.

Over the centuries, this Passover meal evolved into a lengthy ritual, and we don’t know for certain which parts of the custom existed at the time of Jeshua. We do know that Messiah’s last meal with his disciples included the breaking of bread and drinking of wine, as do Jewish meals to this day, and that is the part Jeshua or Jesus wants us to remember the most.

As Jeshua’s disciples gathered together for their final meal with him, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, and said,

“This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).

In Christendom we can find lots of people who first of all think Jesus is God, Who would have come to earth and Who would through a mysterious process come into the bread itself. This is called transubstantiation and is practised by Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox Christians, such as Greek, Ukrainian, Ethiopian, etc. as well as other denominations.

However, in the ancient Jewish practice of sacrificial offerings that God instituted, nothing ever transformed from one substance into another substance.  Rather, most of the animal offerings were killed and eaten.

When Jesus said

“This is my body”

he did not have the intention to have those around him to believe the bread would have become part of his body.

Jesus often spoke about himself in metaphors, especially in terms of bread and life.

He said,

“I am the bread of life”

and

 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.”  (John 6:35, 51)

Throughout history we can see how God provide the food (literal and spiritual) for His people. The manna was bread for man. The spiritual manna now was this sent one from God, the Nazarene master teacher Jeshua, Jesus Christ.

Jesus his teaching about eating his body and drinking his blood should be taken as a figure of speech, having the spiritual manna provided and represented by those symbols.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
(John 6:53-58 KJB:PCE)

Symbolically consuming the Word of God is not a foreign concept in Judaism and Jesus is seen as that Word of God having come into the flesh.

When we shall come together this Friday night we shall have a gathering where we remember those last hours of our master teacher. Assembled we shall feel united with brothers and sisters all over the world, gathering in private houses or in prayer halls (Kingdom halls or churches).

When we at the meeting come to eat the bread and drink the wine at the Passover meal this coming Friday night (April 19), we shall remember how we have been delivered from an eternal spiritual death that God provided through the sacrifice of His only begotten beloved son Jesus (Jeshua) him being

“the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).

With our sins paid for, his sacrifice heals any broken fellowship we had with God so we can freely commune with Him.

Coming together several times a year, we remember that moment of the Last Supper and once a year we remember it especially for two reasons, the liberation of Israel from Egypt, standing for the liberation of slavery from man, and secondly the liberation from the curse of death, by Jesus giving himself as a ransom for the sins of all.

All those meals we share in the year are just a reflection of that exceptional meal Jesus had in Jerusalem. The one night of fellowship on 14 Nisan is especially to remember those liberation acts provided by the Most High. By our gathering we show our thankfulness, but also our unity with all those who remember that Pesach Seder, all over the world. With all of them we have a united fellowship as brothers and sisters, being part of One Great Family, as children of God.

Christ has made know the path of freedom by his word to those who believe him and live in the truth. When calling ourselves “Christian”, “Jeshuaist” or “children of God” we should show others our unity and our “family”, showing them we are really following the real Christ and not the false dogmatic person who is part of a so called “holy Trinity”. Jesus worshipped not himself, but his heavenly Father, the Only One true God, the God of Abraham Who is an eternal Spirit (having no beginning or no birth and no end or no death). At the Memorial Meal Jesus had with his apostles he honoured that Singular God and expects from all his followers also to praise that One Supreme Being Who gave light and salvation to the world.

So, let us come together Friday night to remember how the Most High provided for the liberation of Israel and provided also for a lamb that brought salvation for Jews and non-Jews, to be liberated from the chains of death, being thankful that those who live in Christ’s word are free.

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Additional reading

1. Egypt, Moshe and Those who never felt they belonged there
2. At the Shabbat HaChodesh: readings about blood, liberation and purification
3. Commentary on Parashat Tazria
4. Why Fuss over a Little Leaven (Yeast)?
5. Purification and perfection
6. Shabbat HaGadol in preparation for Pesach

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Related articles

1. Leaving Egypt – the story of our deliverance
2. You don’t have to try to be children of God [1064a]
3. Adopted by God
4. Children In His Arms
5. Bible verses on Children of God.
6. “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:26
7. A Gift from God
8. How Do We Make a Difference as a Christian? (Part 3)
9. Prayer: Our Home is in You (Genesis 17)
10. Day 10: He Ate with Publicans and Sinners
11. Prepping For Pesach
12. 4 Ways Of Personal Preparation For Easter
13. I Need Your Help: Invite Someone Extra to Your Seder – Shabbat HaChodesh 5779
14. Pesach: Jumping for Passover (Part 1/2) ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
15. Day 11: Go and Do Likewise
16. Daily Scripture, 4-10-19
17. “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts.” ~Apostle Paul
18. No Sin in Christ: 1st John 3:6
19. What God Has Made Clean: Acts 11:1-8
20. Let My People Go!
21. Torah Portion – Pesach A
22. Torah Portion – Pesach B
23. Torah Portion Bo
24. God’s name on Seder Night
25. Faith and courage at Pesach time
26. The Order of the Passover Seder
27. Passover Pieces
28. For the Seder-challenged
29. The Usual Suspects of… Pesach Prep
30. Pesach 2019 in Jerusalem. Just $825!
31. We are getting ready for Passover. Are you?
32. Here’s how to connect with Or Shalom over Passover
33. Pesach – The Feast of Passover
34. My Pascha as of the lasts few weeks
35. Pascha Basket Cover
36. Passover Exodus
37. The Gospel of Luke – The Passover MealThe Gospel of Luke: Teaching at the Passover Table
38. Lords Supper #Communion
39. Palm Sunday, Passover and The Passion of Christ
40. Holiest of holy days: For Only 4th Time in a Century, Passover and Good Friday Coincide
41. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ…please wake up!
42. Keeping Passover as a Believer in Jesus
43. Easter, Passover and a lot of candy

Matthew 13:36-43 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Zizania in the Field Explained

Matthew 13:36-43 – Parable of the Zizania in the Field Explained

MT13:36 Then Jesus released the crowds[1] and came into the house. His disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the zizania of the field.”[2] MT13:37 Jesus responded by saying, “The One sowing the good seed is the Son of Humankind. MT13:38 The field is the world.[3] The good seed are the sons of the Realm;[4] but the zizania are the sons of the Evil One.[5] MT13:39 The enemy sowing them is the Devil.[6] The harvest is[7] the consummation of a period.[8] The reapers are angels.[9] MT13:40 So, even as the zizania are gathered[10] and burned in fire,[11] thus it will be at the consummation of the Period.[12] MT13:41 The Son of Humankind will send forth his angels[13] and they will cull out of his Realm[14] everything that causes scandal[15] and those doing lawlessness.[16] MT13:42 The angels will cast out[17] [the sons of the Evil One] into the furnace of fire. There will be lamentation[18] and grinding of teeth. MT13:43 Then the righteous[19] will shine forth like the sun[20] [Daniel 12:3] in the Realm of their Father. Let the one with ears, hear.”[21]

*

[1] Released the crowds: Or, KJV: sent the multitude away; NWT: dismissed. One wonders how he did this.

[2] The parable of the zizania of the field: The disciples give us their title for the parable. We see also the critical point they wondered about.

[3] Field is the world: The Greek for “world” is KOSMOS and means something arranged in a certain order to characterize it. The whole world of humankind is the field of the Lord.

[4] Good seed are the sons of the Realm: Jesus has used the phrase “sons of the kingdom” earlier. In Matthew 8:12 these are children of Israel. The Nazarene tells that Jewish generation that the kingdom will be removed and given to another nation (Matthew 21:43). That nation proved to be a spiritual one identical to the Christian Church (1 Peter 2:5-9; Galatians 6:16). The “sons of the Realm” are the children of God within the realm of profession. Compare 2 Timothy 2:19.

[5] The sons of the Evil One: That is, children of the Devil. This distinction is made by Jesus in the writings of John (John 8:44; 1 John 3:10). According to the apostle John what primarily identifies the children of the Devil is hatred and lack of love (charity). On this matter compare Matthew 25:31-46.

[6] Enemy sowing them is the Devil: Like the fermenting leaven, the Devil is at work even within the Realm of the Son (2 Corinthians 11:3, 4, 14, 15).

[7] The harvest is: Is the harvest a generational period covering over a hundred years? Or, is it the end of a period that brings judgment?

[8] The consummation of a period: The whole phrase in Greek is TE SYNTELEIA TOU AIONOS. It is nearly identical to Matthew 24:3 (see notes) and Hebrews 9:26. The phrase is also rendered: KJV: the end of the world; TCNT: the close of the age; NWT: conclusion of the system of things. It seems the disciples draw their use in Matthew 24:3 from Daniel 9:26 where SYNTELEIAS occurs in the Jewish Greek Bible (LXX). Jerome translates SYNTELEIA by consumatis.

[9] Angels: Compare Matthew 24:30, 31 and Matthew 25:31 where angels attend the King when he arrives to judge his realm. This is the parousia-judgment. The Nazarene’s parables in Matthew chapters 24 and 25 also deal with this judgment of his own household of faith.

[10] The zizania are gathered: Note from the initial statement of the parable that the zizania were bound and burned “first.” That is, their judgment occurs before the “sons of the Realm” are seen within the Father’s Kingdom. The parousia-judgment is a time of judging the Church upon its resurrection. For, Paul says, “we must ALL stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) These are those “of Christ at his Parousia.” (1 Corinthians 15:23) Within the Household of Faith all professing Christians are resurrected to their judgment day upon the Return of Christ (Daniel 12:1, 2; John 5:28, 29). Those thus raised to judgment will have two outcomes: life or shame (Daniel 12:2; 1 John 2:28; 4:17). This is the truth taught by Jesus’ Parousia parables (Matthew 24, 25). Consider the word study on judgment day.

[11] Burned in fire: Compare Matthew 25:46. Consider word study on Gehenna.

[12] The consummation of the Period: Similar to the previous phrase but now with the article in Greek. This is the end of the Age or Period prior to the Return of Christ when the Harvest begins. It may also be the end of the Gospel Age or Age of the Church.

[13] Send forth his angels: Compare Matthew 24:31 and Matthew 25:31.

[14] Cull out of his Realm: Or, gather, collect out. There are certain undesirables within the Son’s Realm. Are they not the lawless of Matthew 7:21? Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:7-9.

[15] Causes scandal: The Greek is SCANDALA and is usually rendered: KJV: things that offend; ASV: cause stumbling; MOF: all who are hindrances; PME: spoiling; BECK: who lead others to do wrong. The history of the Church has been scandalous. These will meet their King with shame (1 John 2:28).

[16] Lawlessness: Compare Matthew 7:21. These break the two commandments of 1 John 3:23.

[17] Cast out: The Greek is related to the same word for exorcising demons.

[18] There will be lamentation: This will occur before the judgment-seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 John 2:28).

[19] The righteous: Compare the “righteous” at Matthew 25:37. The “righteous” are contrasted to the “lawless” for righteousness is the same as being law-abiding. The key law is that of love expressed by charity and hospitality as the parable of Matthew 25:31-46 shows.

[20] Shine forth like the sun: The strong allusion is from Daniel 12:3. The “sons of the kingdom” have now become part of the Father’s Kingdom in heaven. Note this verse in Daniel follows upon the foretold “oppression” associated with the appearing of Michael (Daniel 12:1, 2 JBS; compare Matthew 24:30).

[21] Let the one with ears, hear: Compare notes on Matthew 13:9.

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Preceding

Matthew 7:13-23 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The True Disciple #3 Matthew 7:21-23 The ones Jesus never knew

Matthew 8:5-13 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Servant of Army Officer Healed

Matthew 12:33-37 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Judgment Day

Matthew 13 – Parables on Kingdom mysteries

Matthew 13:1-9 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable: the Soil and the Seed

Matthew 13:10-15 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Why Speak in Parables?

Matthew 13:16-17 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Happy Eyes and Ears

Matthew 13:18-23 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Seed and Soil

Matthew 13:24-30 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Field and the Harvest

Matthew 13:31-32 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Mustard Seed

Matthew 13:33 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Parable of the Fermented Whole

Matthew 13:34-35 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Manner of Teaching Foretold

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Additional reading

1. Thanksgivukkah and Advent
2. The Right One to follow and to worship
3. Memorizing wonderfully 7 Exodus
4. Looking for a spiritual new life
5. Thought for September 8 Weak but standing strong in the ground swell
6. Sayings of Jesus, what to believe and being or not of the devil
7. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
8. The one who set the standard
9. To whom do we want to be enslaved
10. Not words of any organisation should bind you, but the Word of God
11. Humility and the Fear of the Lord
12. We all are changed into the same image from glory to glory
13. We Are The Children Of God
14. Christians remaining hidden not sharing the gospel
15. Laboring in the Vineyard or Sitting on the Hillside with Jonah?

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Related

1. Just a Thought
2. The Judgment Seat of Christ
3. The Gift of Today – April 11 – The Judgment Seat of Christ
4. The Judgment Seat of Christ: Romans 2:1-2:16
5. Revealed by Fire
6. The BEMA Judgment Seat of Christ – Our Rewards
7. Stuck! Ten Areas That Will Bury You as a Believer and How to Dig Your Way Out! (Area #7- Success) (con’t)
8. My reward is with me – Revelation 22:12
9. Judgment Seat of Christ Series #7 – Part 144 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation
10. God’s accessment of our work (of our lives)
11. Be Sheep Not Goats! The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations
12. Children of the Devil.
13. Jesus was numbered with the transgressors that his sheep might be numbered amongst the children of God
14. How shall I put thee among the children

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 4:1-4 A Wilderness Temptation

Chapter Four:
Three tests and Kingdom preaching

Matthew 4:1-4 – A Wilderness Temptation: ‘If you are a son’

|| Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-4

MT4:1 Then Jesus was led[1] up into the wilderness by the Pneuma to be tempted[2] by the Devil.[3] MT4:2 After fasting for forty days[4] and forty nights he felt hungry.[5] MT4:3 And the Tempter approached Jesus and said to him, “If you are a son[6] of The God tell these stones[7] to become loaves of bread.”[8] MT4:4 But, Jesus replied and said to the Devil: “It has been written[9] [by Moses]: ‘Not on bread alone will humans live, but upon every utterance[10] coming forth through God’s Mouth.’” [Deuteronomy 8:3]

*

Temptation of Jesus in desert. Hole, William: The Life of Jesus of Nazareth. Eighty Pictures. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The sent one from God after he was baptised went into the desert to meditate. Being alone with his thoughts did not liberate him from bad thoughts coming up in his mind. Jesus was allowed into the wilderness to be tested, like all of us are allowed to be tested and to prove ourselves.

God has given mankind the freedom to think and to take decisions for him self. God is no dictator Who prohibits man to think and to decide for himself. Though we should know that already from the beginning of times man has shown to have a sort of weaknesses, doubting those who are higher placed than they. The first human beings rebelled against the Most High Maker. They took adversary against God. The adversary of God or satan is in each of us and Jesus as a man of flesh and blood had this also in him.

Satan or the the ‘tempter’ brings man to question the relationship with God. He also caught Jesus to be a prey. A young man starting his public life and having to prove himself for the community. Fasting, having hunger, knowing we need our daily bread, the tempter tried to seduce Jesus with the offer of ‘bread’.

We may not forget what is the cause of the temptation  of man, they wondering if God had the right to be their ‘dominant’ or their ‘Father‘. Many do forget that is the whole key to the fall of man. Man not willing to accept God as their Father, Who may tell them what to do.

Satan wants us to believe that we’re not children of God. When the adversary of God tours around us, in our mind, temptation will come in the form to make use doubt the position of the Most High God. Man gets blinded by his own thoughts which try to mislead him.The adverser will use our relationship with God as a weapon against us. He also wants us to believe we do not need God, but that we are able to live on the material of the earth, like bread, and that those goods will keep us alive.

From this chapter we also can see that baptism is no liberator of temptation. When we are baptised it does not mean that we would not any more be tempted or would not sin any more. Be not mistaken, the adversary of God is always there to get us away from God. Even when we are sometimes doubting he will be more at work.

Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Perhaps the moments we take time to think about everything and to be just on our own, meditating, are the most dangerous moments to become tempted, doubting ourselves, our own ‘I am‘ and the Most High ‘I Am’ the ‘I Am that I Am‘ or the ‘I Am Who is‘.

Too many people do forget that Jesus could be and was tempted many times. God cannot be tempted, but Jesus as an ordinary man (though specially made by God) was like any man able to sin, but never did sin. Jesus never went against the wishes of God. He could put his own will aside for doing the Will of God.

**

[1] Was led: Mark 1:12 says the Spirit “drove” so that Jesus became “driven” into the desert.

[2] Tempted: God cannot be “tempted” (James 1:13,) though Jesus is here, three times.

[3] Devil: The Greek is DIABOLOS. Meaning “Slanderer,” or “Liar,” this name for Satan occurs 36 times, never in the Hebrew Bible and first here. Note that the Dragon is on hand when the “woman gives birth” to a spiritual Son (Revelation 12:4).

[4] Forty days: An experience shared by only two others: Moses and Elijah (Exodus 24:18; 1 Kings 19:8).

[5] Hungry: Jesus becomes hungry several times in the Gospel accounts (Matthew 21:18; Mark 11:12). May it be assumed that God cannot become hungry?

[6] If you are a son: Two things are noticed here: the word “if” is an attempt to create doubt; and, the Devil calls Jesus “a son” knowing full well he is “the Son.”

[7] Stones: These have already been mentioned when John spoke of God’s ability to make sons of Abraham from stones (Matthew 3:9).

[8] Bread: Self-denial was the law of our Lord’s mission (Philippians 2:6-8).

[9] Written: The first Bible verse quoted by Jesus (Deuteronomy 8:3).

[10] Utterance: The Greek is RHEMATI. Or, KJV: word; RHM: declaration; KNX: words.

 

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Preceding articles

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 3:1-6 – A Wilderness Baptist Prepares the Way

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 3:7-12 – Opposition and Two Baptisms

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 3:13-17 – Jesus Declared God’s Son at His Baptism

Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:15-17 – The Baptisms of the One Coming

Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:21-23 – The Baptism of Christ

2015 the year of ISIS

Next:

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 4:5-7 – A Temptation to Test God

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 4:8-11 – A Temptation to Gain World Rule

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 4:12-17 – Galilee Saw A Great Light

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 4:18-22 – The Calling of the First Disciples

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 4:23-25 – Kingdom Preaching and Healing Draws Crowds

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Additional reading

1. To mean, to think, outing your opinion, conviction, belief – Menen, mening, overtuiging, opinie, geloof
2. Words to inspire and to give wisdom
3. What we do
4. The I Am to explore
5. Just One More Minute
6. satan or devil
7. Satan the evil within
8. The Son can do nothing of his own accord
9. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God
10. Sayings of Jesus, what to believe and being or not of the devil

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Further reading

1. Jesus is tested – In the wilderness
2. Temptation in the Desert
3. The Temptation of Jesus
4. Dealing With Temptation
5. But Deliver Us from the Evil One
6. Watch Over Us
7. Does God Love Satan? (1 of 2)
8. The Devil Made Me Do it…
9. Getting Testy
10. When we stumble
11. Love Came Down in Obedience/L’amour est descendu dans l’obéissance
12. 40 days
13. 40 days and 40 nights
14. SMS 144 Matthew 4:2-3
15. Stones Into Bread
16. My Life As An Itchy Man
17. The Camera

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Related articles

• Beware of Making Jesus Your Password
• God Hates Pride
• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
• Your Word for This Day: “I’m Safe in His Hands”
• Blessed are the peacemakers (or how to spot God’s kids)
• First or Last?
• ‘Look to him and be radiant.’
• For those who believe Jesus is God
• What I believe about the Bible

Save

Save

From Bibles and other religious writings and those who witness for Jehovah

Whatever language is your native tongue or first language, God has taken care every person wherever in the world shall be able to read His Word and shall be able to come to understanding.

We also know the importance of the preaching of that Word of God. Coming closer to the end-times the Word of God shall be preached all over the world. To do that, God uses lots of people. They may come from all sorts of walks of life and from all sorts of denominations. One main same crunch and likeness point is that they are real lovers of God who want to show the world Who God is and which way we have to go to reach the goal God has set in front of mankind.

It are those lovers of God, who are willing to study God His Word and prefer God His Word above the words of mere human beings, that want to show the world how Jesus is the Way to God and not to himself, like some trinitarian Christians may think. Jesus knew very clear Who God was and that he is lower than this Mighty God Who knows everything, whilst Jesus had to learn everything and did not know a lot of things, even had no knowledge of very important things at the end of his life and after he was resurrected from the dead.

All over the world you may find sincere Bible Students of different denominations, but all with the same goal, to worship One and Only One True God, the God of Israel.

Evangelisation by going from door to door by the Jehovah’s Witnessess (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People may know the Jehovah Witnesses very well and may not see that there are also many other lovers of God who preach for that same Jehovah, because He is the Elohim Hashem Adonai Whose Name is Holy and should be praised. Many others than the Witnesses of Jehovah witness for Jehovah. The Jehovah’s Witnesses also should know they are not the only ones preaching in the name of God.

Christians should also know that it are not only Christians who worship God, because that is too often a wrong thought of many Christians. In the world there are many religions where people try to build up a relationship with God. They all may have their own peculiarities, but they are looking for the same Spirit, the Eternal Divine Creator. Some of them still may not know His real Name, and use titles which also belong to Him. Others may use a name or title not familiar in an other culture or language.

What is important that wherever people are in the world, whatever language they speak, is that they come to know the Most High Divine Creator.

2016 has been a very particular difficult hoar year where several groups did everything to blacken religion and in extremis those religions where there are people who try to worship only One True God in the best way they can think of. In Europe, Asia and America Jews were bullied and felt threatened. Muslims did not have it easy either by some so called Islamic groups blackening their religion and having so many people getting afraid of everything that smells of the Islam world.

The fear ISIS brought over Europe was so much damaging to the Muslim community that it got envisioned as something from the devil by many Christians and atheists. Many citizens could not at all bring up any respect for the way how those people wanted to commit themselves to their faith.

The Muslim faith came to be in such a bad light that everything close to a Mohammedan has gotten a bad smell. For that reason it is not bad Christians better to revise their view and should have a closer look to the real sincere Muhammadan or real Muslim.

Lots of people did everything to get religious people to become divided. Lots of so called Christians started to oppose Muslims, calling them names and even attacking them. The other way round certain Islamic countries took adversary to Christians who also used God’s title Allah.

It is nice that we may find you here as one of our readers. Perhaps you also know other sites of International Bible Students or do you also visit other sites of Bible Scholars, like Bijbelvorsers. In March we also presented already some new websites for 2016 which make an effort to bring people to God. As such for English readers there is the site and blog Relating to God.

We also do find it important that we as children of God come to know other creatures of God and come to understand the way of thinking of such other human beings.

For this reason we would like to present to you two new websites which also try to bring people to the One and Only One True God.

The first one, which started at the end of November, may be from an awkward person asking lots of questions. As Lastige Vragensteller or Troublesome Inquirer, he poses many questions but dares also to look at the many answers Muslim and Christian writers may offer to humanity and compares it by what he can read in what those religions say what their Holy Writings are. As such you shall be able to compare Quran verses with Bible verses and perhaps find some light shed on what Muslims might believe right or wrong and on what Christians might believe right or wrong according to their own writings.

That inquirer is not afraid to question both religions and to notice how in Islam Faith as well as Christian Faith there are groups which do not adhere the teachings of who they say they are following. For him it is clear that there are false teachers as well in the Muslim as in the Christian world and that we should be very careful before we judge one or the other group, knowing that there is such thing as not true Islam and not true Catholicism or not true ‘Christianism’ in Christendom opposed to Christianity which always should be pure, with people following the teachings of Jesus.

 

The other new website which stared only a few days later, in December, also wants to tackle the differences in Christendom and/or Christianity with the thought of the Jewish rabbi Jeshua, who is by English speaking people mostly called Jesus. Immanuel Verbondskind looks at that Christ from the Christians and concludes that there are many Christians who have taken Jesus as their god, though that master teacher never claimed to be God, and as every Jew only worshipped One Singular and not a Tri-une god.

Comparing the writings on which Jesus based his teachings, namely the Tanakh, with the Torah, the Writings and the Prophets, Immanuel Verbondskind also looks at the second group of Writings (the Kethuvim Beth or Messianic writings) and notices how many Christians have gone far away from what is really written in the original texts, often also having wrong ideas because they do not understand the Jewish way of thinking.

For this writer and his blog it is of utmost importance to return to the original texts and to keep to the infallible Word of God, which is handed over to mankind by the pen of several by God chosen men, scribes and prophets. for that reason he also first looks at how we do have to come to read those precious Scriptures which god gave to mankind to come to know Him.

Both blogs focus on God’s Word and say that Voice of God should be the Guidance in our life and not the dogmatic teachings of people.

As a young wanderer Immanuel Verbondskind shall look at the way of speaking of the different religious entities, which both claim to worship One God. He shall look at the religious penmen or theologians and shall uncover their teachings which are not in line with the Biblical teachings. Though for him is it clear that Christians concerning God should be in line with Jews, but Christ Jesus can never be the God of the Jews, like it also never was the God of Abraham nor the God of Jesus himself.

So many Christians have lost the track and have come to believe more the false teachings of a three-headed god, because they did not listen to God, not to God His sent one, the son of man and son of God, rabbi Jeshua or  Jesus Christ and do not come to see the Plan of the Master Maker God.

Reading the Holy Scriptures is essential to come to the Truth. At this website we do expect to have several quotes from the Holy Scriptures to be presented and to be looked at, when speaking about certain Jewish traditions and Christian traditions which have nothing to do with God יהוה (YHWH = Yod Heh Vav Heh = Jehovah) His Word but where imposed to man by ‘theologians‘ or rebbe.

We do hope you may find interesting articles at those two sites which each looks from a different angle at Christianity.

Enjoy reading and get inspired to take up your bible and to compare what is said with what is written in the Bible.

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Preceding

Many churches

Good or bad preacher

Male domination and tyranny giving opportunities to defile the Name of God

Our openness to being approachable

You Are The Truth

Helping websites to prepare for the last days

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Additional reading

1. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
2. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
3. At the closing hours of 2016 #2 Low but also highlights
4. Digging in words, theories and artefacts
5. Approachers of ideas around gods, philosophers and theologians
6. Daring to speak in multicultural environment
7. Maybe it is About Me
8. Exceptionalism and Restricting Laws
9. Manifests for believers #5 Christian Union
10. Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
11. Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
12. Why the church keeps losing it’s grounds.
13. Looking for a biblically sound church
14. Challenging claim 4 Inspired by God 3 Self-consistent Word of God
15. Bible in the first place #1/3
16. Jewish and Christian traditions of elders
17. Three new sites to discover the real Jesus
18. A Place for Questions
19. New websites for 2016 to take in mind and to visit
20. The Evidence, You Decide website

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Further reading

1. Denominations
2. Examining Christianity’s Roots & Denominations
3. Denominations & A map of the most common Christian denominations by county
4. Denominaitons & Largest 25 Denominations/Communions from the 2012 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.
5. Denominations & What denominations are gaining members and what denominations are losing members?
6. A Divided People
7. Native Christian Way Pledge Drive is Here!!!!
8. Lessons From the Counseling Room: I Don’t Need Your Christianity
9. A denomination switch
10. Walking with Him
11. Valuing “Others”
12. Theological Mongrelism
13. Is Roman Catholicism Just Another Denomination?
14. One Voice
15. The Bigger Picture
16. The urge to merge: A few notes about Presbyterian agencies
17. Growing God’s Church: How People Are Actually Coming to Faith Today
18. Token Minorities in Reformed Churches
19. The Church Should Maintain Theological Distinctions
20. Living That Tour Life Part 2: Church
21. Faith Vs. Religion (Poll)
22. Called to Unity
23. Loyalty Today
24. Dedicated to God, Not a Denomination
25. Diversity, Unity, Liberty…Love
26. Why Prayer Meetings Fail
27. Aren’t They all Churches of Christ?
28. Don’t Ever Call Me a Baptist
29. Who is a Heretic?
30. Christianity & individualistic communities; the perfect exclusivity storm
31. Your church isn’t THE church: tribal denominationalism
32. Is Our Jesus Unnecessary? The Long Erosion of the PC(USA)
33. Her God, His God, Your God, My God
34. Christian traditions: Where do we fall short? II – One Body
35. The Not So Assemblies
36. An Agnostic Christian Socialist’s Confession of Faith
37. Church of Christ: Part 1
38. Church of Christ: Part 3 – What’s Going to Happen?
39. Why Should Churches Connect?
40. A Church of their Word

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Back from gone #3 Giving worries to God and believing in His promises

Exploiting tensions over immigration and home-grown jihadis

A great wooden horse (the horse being the emblem of Troy), hiding an elite force inside, and fooling the Trojans into wheeling the horse into the city as a trophy, today repeated for Europe, which that mighty man wrought and endured in the carven horse, wherein all the chiefs of the Islamic State are sitting, bearing to the Europeans death and fate! – At the Istanbul Archaeological Museum in Istanbul, Turkey

The massive influx of people fleeing the wars in their countries is frightening lots of Europeans and Americans. The refugees come by thousands and for many this could be as a Horse of Troy, bringing in also dangerous Muslim extremists.

Throughout Europe we see lots of anti-refugee activities and people trying to bring fear over others about a possible Islamisation of Europe. Others also consider this a time to save Europe from Jewish domination. Apparently Jack Sen wants to merge a host of tiny groups under his leadership and call it the ‘Jack Sen Five.’ Those who seemed to have been gone now seem to come back, like the former leader of the English Defence League, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, often known by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson, who will make his political comeback next month by fronting the relaunch of the UK arm of Pegida, the German anti-Islam organisation whose provocative rhetoric has prompted attacks on refugees. Rallies by the Pegida movement demanding a tightening of German immigration policies in Germany and Belgium could attract many people. When we look at and hear these protesters their slogans we can hear similar reactions as Germany heard in the 1930s. This time all over Europe we start finding people of all ages marching against a multicultural society. In France the anti-immigrant party, the National Front, after the November attacks, got yesterday at the regional elections again a gain of lots of votes, giving it now a fixture of the political landscape.

The “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD) founded only a few months before the 2013 Bundestag election, managed to grow very rapidly and can be considered to be the most successful new party since 1953. but the one who wanted to be sole party leader,was ousted in favour of Frauke Petry, until then Bernd Lucke his co-leader and head of the Saxonian state party. Once received a place in the European parliament only two of the seven MPs elected in May 2014 remained loyal to the party. Christian fundamentalism and the interests of the formerly landed aristocracy (von Storch) and UKIP-style euroscepticism (Pretzell) could find their place in the party, but State level leaders such as Höcke (Thuringia), Poggenburg (Saxony-Anhalt), and, more recently, Gauland (Brandenburg) have re-discovered the rhetoric of the 19th century Völkische Bewegung that pre-dated the Nazis, and are building bridges to Germany’s New Right “think-tanks” as well as to Pegida and other anti-refugee and islamophobic groups. {Kai Arzheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Mainz and Visiting Fellow, Department of Government, University of Essex in Kai Arzheimer- Germany’s new AfD party: state of play}

The Jews from their site are fearing that the Muslims may become a potential hazard because intolerance is an integral part of their culture (according to them and many others).

The report, by the anti-racist group Hope Not Hate, chronicles 920 anti-Muslim organisations and key Islamophobes in 22 countries, noting that such groups are becoming increasingly well-resourced, particularly in the US, where eight foundations have donated more than £38m since the 9/11 attacks. In those groups we may also find people who call themselves Christian, but clearly show a lot of hate to people of an other skin colour and of an other faith than their own.

Hope Not Hate’s chief executive, Nick Lowles, warned that in Europe the hatred of Muslims

“was moving from the margins to the political mainstream”

while in the UK violence and prejudice against Muslims was likely to increase as far-right groups exploit tensions over immigration and homegrown jihadism. {Anti-Muslim prejudice ‘is moving to the mainstream’}

After the financial crisis we seen the last decade the ideas of the 1930s are flourishing again.

In the few weeks after the November 13 attacks in Paris Islamophobic attacks in London had more than tripled. In Germany and Sweden several cowardly attacks brought fire at night to state buildings which had to house the refugees.

Fundamental  Muslims and fundamental Christians

The fundamental Christians have found a counter -pole in the fundamental Muslims. The last ones do give those European conservative  and some evangelical Christians reason to make a counter movement and have them bring fear over others. They try to get others to believe that all those refugees are a danger for our religious freedom and that they will bring an end to our ‘Christian nation‘. Funny you may call it that those sympathisers with Pegida shouting out and celebrating its hatred towards refugees, Muslims, journalists, and everyone who doesn’t fit in their narrow minded world are wanting to do the same thing like the Islamic State members want to do in their region, but this time for a so called Christendom or Christian State.

Only looking at the UK we can find that Yaxley-Lennon can get more more than 109,000 followers on Twitter. He is lauded as an inspirational figure by both the militant and political wings of the counter-jihad movement. Other UK-based groups include Liberty GB, an anti-immigration political party, whose chairman is Paul Weston, the former Ukip parliamentary candidate. He is named as a regular contributor to the Gates of Vienna blog, where he writes about impending civil war against Muslims and “white genocide” in Britain. That the Gates of Vienna website inspired Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik and as such it is deeply troubling that they are continually available to inspire others.

Wilders delivering a speech in 2010

The Dutch politician and leader of the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid – PVV), Geert Wilders, raised a Roman Catholic, but left the church at his coming of age, but feels our nations are in danger of an “Islamisation” which has to be stopped soon before we shall be trampled by people who shall dominate us and shall not give us any freedom to run around like we want. For him the Quran is such a dangerous poisonous book as Mein Kampf .

Tolerance becoming a less popular act

Europe which would call herself democratic has opened and closed certain doors to bring a sort of selective politics whereby certain parties are silenced and where certain groups tried to silence others. The so called open mindedness spoken off in the 1950s seems to be far gone and the idea of a Europe for all sorts of people living in freedom with each other has come more and more under pressure. We also can see that the social media are more and more used to shun others and to be a means of putting pressure  onto others.

Many who call themselves Christian forget that the person they call the founder of Christendom or Christianity was a man of peace and tolerance. That master teacher, rabbi Jeshua, today better known as Jesus Christ, had a loving spirit not excluding others because they were not like minded or because they did not want to believe the same things he did.

That master teacher who did not want to do his own will, but managed to do the will of his heavenly Father, the Only One True God, told others about his loving Father and how that Holy Spirit wants us to come together as children of God, respecting all creatures (man, animals and plants). Today in Christendom we see again the discord between different Christian groups and a growing intolerance against other thinking denominations and in particular non-trinitarian denominations, like we could see in the 1930–1940s when several of our brothers and sisters were put in camps and killed by the German Nazis.

Putting worries aside

Lots of people are also afraid many mosques shall come to be build in their region; – Ortaköy Mosque, along the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whilst globally, anti-Muslim sentiment is growing in the wake of the attacks in Paris and concerns over the continuing refugee crisis, we should be careful not to be taken by such fear bringing people. Wrongly at least half of those surveyed in Italy and Greece by a Pew Research Center thinktank study in 2014 of seven European Union countries had a negative opinion of Muslims living in their country, with the most favourable rating of 72% in France. But a YouGov poll in the spring of this year, after the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris, showed 40% of French people held negative views of Muslims, the same level as in the UK.

In case those people would have a strong faith they should not be afraid that such strong faith would be erased by the fewer minority adepts of the Quran. Those who belong to the Christian faith should when they are real disciples of Jesus Christ  continue in the way of life Jesus presented to them.  That is a life where the person has an open attitude to all others and with a willingness to help everybody.

When giving a hand to those entering Europe and showing your willingness to help them it would be strange if they would act against you. concerning loosing the faith we are warned:

“Let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

First of all when a believer in God trust Him instead of following those men who are trying to mislead many and to use them for their own rapport making them more powerful, the faithful to God shall receive enough knowledge from the Word of God to guide them through the difficulties and to this period of time.

Safeguarding the heart

As believers in God and following His sent one, Jeshua, the Messiah we are counseled:

“More than all else that is to be guarded, safeguard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Jesus showed that it is from the heart that wicked reasoning, adultery, murder, and so forth, emanate. These things would lead to death.

18 However, whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and those things defile a man.+ 19 For example, out of the heart come wicked reasonings,+ murders, adulteries, sexual immorality,* thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. 20 These are the things that defile a man; but to take a meal with unwashed* hands does not defile a man.” (Matthew 15:18, 19, 20)

We should always check what people say and see if they live according to what they are preaching are telling the world. Guarding against such heart reasonings by supplying the heart with life-giving spiritual nourishment, the truth from the pure Fountain of life, will keep the heart from going wrong and taking the person out of the way of life.

6 For setting the mind on the flesh means death,+ but setting the mind on the spirit means life and peace;+ 7 because setting the mind on the flesh means enmity with God,+ for it is not in subjection to the law of God, nor, in fact, can it be. 8 So those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:6-8)

When hearing all those protesters and the ones opposing to those with an other faith, we should take care of our imperfect mind and heart which can be like a watch that is going either too fast or too slow or having a pendulum going from one site to the other. Being guided by it could bring us serious trouble. We need to calibrate our mind and heart by God’s reliable standards.

 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,+ And your ways are not my ways,” declares Jehovah. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So my ways are higher than your ways And my thoughts than your thoughts.+ (Isaiah 55:8, 9)

when we trust God we can give Him are worries and ask Him to share His thought with us. This He did already for many ages. In the Bible we can find lots of His thoughts to guide us through life. those given words we should trust.

The phrase “In God We Trust” has long appeared on U.S. paper currency and coins. In 1956, the U.S. Congress passed a law declaring that expression the national motto of the United States. Ironically, many people — not just in that land but throughout the world — put greater trust in money and material wealth than they do in God. — (Luke 12:16-21.) we also can see that when they fear they could loose some money or that they have to share with others, they will come in disagreement and would like to exclude the others, like now the refugees.

When we really bear God in our heart and allow Him to guide us we should not worry so much. though it is one thing to claim that we trust in God, it is quite another to show it by our actions. As true Christians, we must do more than simply say that we trust in Jehovah. Just as “faith without works is dead,” so too any claim that we trust in God is meaningless unless we back it up by our actions.

26 Indeed, just as the body without spirit* is dead,+ so also faith without works is dead.+ (James 2:26)

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Preceding articles:

Back from gone #1 Aim of ungodly people

Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people

To be continued: Back from gone #4 Your inner feelings and actions

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Additional reading

1. Paris attacks darkening the world
2. Economic crisis danger for the rise of political extremism
3. Impact of the crisis on civil society organisations in the EU – Risks and opportunities
4. Walking alone?
5. A small trouble is like a pebble
6. Try driving forward instead of backwards
7. God Feeds The Birds
8. Rejoicing in the day
9. Some one or something to fear #1 Many sorts of fear
10. Some one or something to fear #3 Cases, folks and outing
11. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
12. Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God
13. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
14. Give your worries to God
15. Look for today
16. Joy: Foundation for a Positive Life
17. Home-stayers and their to do list

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Further literature

1. How the Migrant Crisis is Tearing Europe Apart
2. The new German “Wutbürger” – A short history of PEGIDA
3. Pegida – The German Taliban
4. Pegida holds first anti-immigration rally after Paris attack
5. Happening: Anti-Migrant Demonstranten in Dresden Carry Russische Flaggen
6. November 9th – PEGIDA Munich blocked from racist march on historically charged date
7. Neo-Nazis No-Show Their Annual March in Dresden. Is Pegida to Blame?
8. 
9. Pegida Munich – photographer handcuffed
10. Pegida Can Be Tamed
11. Diverse, Tolerant, Open – We Don’t Want Pegida
12. You Don’t Belong Here, Pegida Told
13. Pegida Marches through Stormy Munich as Citizens Block Road
14. Kai Arzheimer- Germany’s new AfD party: state of play
15. What to say?
16. #HenrietteReker – Something is rotting in Germany (and we are not talking about Volkswagen)
17. PIGIDA
18. Meanwhile Back In The Czech Republic
19. Tommy Robinson has a Right to Speak
20. @FellowLiberals: Are We Lying To Ourselves About How “Tolerant” We Are?
21. God, Help Me Not to Hate Those Who Hate
22. Promoting tolerance and respect through music
23. We’re all still friends in Sarajevo
24. Restoring Radical Empathy
25. Pakistanization of India?
26. India blames industrialised nations for deadly floods
27. The intolerance debate
28. Why Don’t Moderate Muslims Denounce Terrorism?
29. Map of the day II: Googling up racism
30. Our Cowardly Presidents #1: On Campus
31. The full response (or “Pseudo-Secularlism” versus “Hindutva” Agenda)
32. A House Divided: How Hatred Aimed At Any Group, Is an Assault On Us All
33. Jamal Bryant’s Hypocrisy and Intolerance
34. Not Easily Offended
35. How Dare He Feel Insecure?
36. Extremism
37. Auf der Flucht
38. Und Pegida sagt den Tischspruch.
39. Neue 10 Positionen der PEGIDA
40. Woher kommen die sogenannten “Flüchtlinge”?
41. Das Spiel mit der Angst
42. Ambassador Opher Aviran
43. Die Kraft ist in euch selbst
44. Wat is de toegevoegde waarde van Pegida?
45. Druk van tegenprotest houdt ruimte voor Pegida klein
46. Praktische informatie Stop Pegida in Rotterdam
47. Hatet viser sitt ansikt

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• Labour’s new leader, the press and a pig
• Anne Marie Waters: the State of Free Speech in Europe 2015
• Some Eastern European countries are welcoming refugees. Some aren’t. Here’s why.
• Europe warned of rising threat of right-wing extremism
• Timmermans fears right-wing extremism alongside refugee crisis