Man enticed to long for more

From the onset of times the human beings showed the want for more. The woman was enticed by what God asked her not to touch.

Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the first man and mannin the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, in the middle of the Garden of Eden, looked so attractive because they knew it could give something they had  not yet. They too wanted to have knowledge of good and evil like their Creator had. They longed for having as much knowledge and power as their Divine Maker had. This is their greed, because they had everything what a man needs. Everything was provide for by the Most Highest.

Though the thoughts of the man and mannin, Adam and Eve, was preoccupied with gain. They thought it could well be that God hold something hidden for them, which they too could use. As such they did not trust God and showed how they wanted to come on the same level as Him and that they wanted ore than He had given them.

The giving in to the temptation (the nachash) was bringing them to mutiny, revolting against their Divine Maker.

It is that revolt against the Divine Creator that still bothers mankind today. Today also the preoccupation with material things rather than intellectual or spiritual things brings people further away from God. Having received the knowledge of good and evil each individual should know what is good and what is bad. People who have come to the Christian faith for sure should know that when they are preoccupied with material things, that would be definitely wrong.

We do not say that you as a Christian may not have your own house, a car, a television or hifi set. There is no objection against having material things, but the obsession with acquiring and caring for “stuff” is a dangerous thing for the Christian.

Already in the Garden of Eden God gave a signal that He wants an intense connection with man. Man’s thought should go in the first instance to its Maker. After man got expelled from the Garden of Eden God insisted still to have a pure connection with Him, not giving more attention to material objects or subjects, not having idols placed in a higher ranking than the God above all gods.

Man has to be careful how he treats others and how he gives attention and obligation or glorification to others. Any preoccupation, obsession or fascination with anything other than God, man should know, is something what displeases God. He wants us to love us above all persons and above all things. It is with all our heart that we should give honour to the Most High.

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV)

Jesus called that love for God the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). All our passion and prayer and intelligence should go in the first instance to Jehovah God.  When we do that we shall be able to find life.

“”You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”” (Luke 10:28 NIV)

therefore we should be very careful and attentive into what we put our energy and for what we want to strive. It is what is deep in our heart that God knows. He knows what we rally want and wherefore we long.  In our heart should be the choice for God and not for material things.

The Elohim, Jehovah God should be our focus. Our eyes should be directed on Him.  He alone is worthy of our complete attention, love and service. To offer these things to anything, or anyone, else is idolatry.

We should recognise that when we are wanting for other things than those which are important in the Eyes of God, than we fall for the weakness of man.

The end of the Edenic period, Adam and Eve are thrust into a bleak Antediluvian world. Thomas Cole, 1828 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is true, man is caught up in the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things that have entered this world and choke it. But we should know that the material gain the world wants us to believe would make us happy, is just an empty soap bell.

“but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19 NIV)

We should not be fashioned according to this world, but should listen to the words of the sent ones from God, like to Jesus Christ, and follow the examples of them, living in humility and simplicity, always following not our will but the Will of God.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV)

We must come to see that the word of material wealth proves unfruitful. We are cheating ourselves by thinking that we will be happy or more fulfilled or content if only we had more of whatever it is we are chasing. This is a lie from the father of lies, satan, which every adversary of God still wants us to believe today that we better not believe in God and try to earn as much money as possible in every way we can. Many are using bad ways to gain capital and do not mind what others may think of it or worse what God might think of it. Though for sure God shall take it into account. One day there shall be a moment of judgement for man. Then it will be time to justify for the actions that one has taken.

Those adversaries of God wants us to be chasing after something they know will never satisfy us so we will be kept from pursuing that which is the only thing that can satisfy — God Himself.

Many are blinded by those satans and do not come to see that the financial gain or the material wealth is the mammon, the killer of mankind.

All should know that one cannot serve both God and money.

“”No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”” (Luke 16:13 NIV)

When we put our eyes on that material gain we shall be deceived and disgusted to continually feeling dissatisfied, never feeling contented. We must seek to be content with what we have, and materialism is the exact opposite of that contentment. It causes us to strive for more and more and more, all the while telling us that this will be the answer to all our needs and dreams.

The infallible Word of God sheds light on how human beings best live and unto what they best give attention in their life. That life does not get its satisfaction in the abundance of the things which a person can come to possess.

“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”” (Luke 12:15 NIV)

Man’s eyes should be focused on that what is much more important in life than the treasures of this world: the Kingdom of God.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV)

Long before the master teacher Jeshua was born there was a man who had enough material wealth as one of the richest kings of the world. King Solomon had no shortage of anything and had absolutely everything what he desired. Though he also came aware that was not really what brought him happiness.  He declared,

“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV)

Be aware that whoever loves wealth shall never be satisfied with his income. Perhaps it can take a long time before we come to such awareness. In the end, Solomon came to the conclusion that there is one greater thing we do have to bear in mind.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV)

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Preceding articles

Building up the spirit of the soul

Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people

Matthew 5:38-42 – 5. The Nazarene’s Commentary on Exodus 21:24

Matthew 6:1-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary on Leviticus 19:18 Continued 1 Charity and neighbour love

Matthew 6:1-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary on Leviticus 19:18 Continued 2 Prayer and neighbour love

Matthew 6:1-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary on Leviticus 19:18 Continued 3 Forgiveness and neighbour love

Matthew 6:1-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary on Leviticus 19:18 Continued 4 Treasures’ and neighbour love

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Additional reading

1. God above all gods
2. An openingschapter explaining why things are like they are and why we may have hope for better things
3. Bereshith 2 Man and Woman placed in a Royal Garden
4. Orders for the first human beings and Rebellion against their Maker
5. The figure of Eve
6. Moment of getting knowledge and its consequence
7. Scattered, broken, thwarted reflection of God
8. Sources of evil
9. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #4 The Fall
10. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #5 Temptation, assault and curse
11. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #6 Curse and solution
12. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #8 Looking for the 2nd Adam
13. A Living Faith #4 Effort
14. Faith and trial
15. No good thing will he withhold

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Further reading

1. 1. Living
   2. Need and Want
   3. Livable Wages
   4. Greed
   5. Vanity and Greed
   6. Thingamabobs? I Got Twenty… I Want More!
   7. The Price Of Keep Wanting More.
   8. Greed for money
   9. An irrational reward system
   10. Our Entire Economy Is Based On A Massive LIE That Is Killing People
   11. Our culture is damaging our well-being
   12. Fortune and Fate
   13. Mammon: the god of the modern church
   14. Is what you Want what you Need? -by Jeyran Main
   15. Greed is God: How economics became a religion
   16. How much is enough?
   17. Too Much Stuff (Part 2)
   18. Enough by John C. Bogle
   19. They Deceived Him
   20. A Holy Judgement 
   21. When Does It All End?
   22. Learning to Surrender your anxieties to the Prince of Peace
       That there are people who are convinced they can give more to their family and should not bother about it proves Jack Bennett with his text: No Shame In Wanting More
   23. But that there are some things we can do without and some things we cannot do without, such as a clean conscience and a useful life, may give to ponder you the text:Quotes of Note #9 On Money & Wealth
   24. ‘The power of greed’: Greed is one of Christianity’s seven deadly sins, and it predates capitalism. In our society, who is greedier – the consumer or the capitalist? Are there any positive aspects to greed?
   25. The Price is Wrong: No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Mat 6:24, ESV)
   26. Rich Toward God While they may not be mutually exclusive, if we are honest with ourselves, they frequently are in competition. Pursuing possessions on earth often has a way of cutting into laying up treasures in heaven.
   27. Avoiding covetous distractions
   28. Quick Thought – Monday, July 17, 2017
   29. Jesus Was Out
   30. Four things that kill the fire of God 
   31. Stop The Greed
   32. Starve the beast
   33. Self-discipline: How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy
   34. The Rich Man and Lazarus
   35. Generosity by Johannes Brahms
   36. 2 Kings Chapter 15
   37. No Other Gods
   38. Idols In The Temple, Part One
   39. Why Is God Jealous?
   40. 3 Kinds of Idolatry
   41. Patriotism — self-examination losing out to self-infatuation? “Patriotism is the go-to religion of those who would worship a super-sized version of themselves and seldom quibble to persecute non-believers, foreigners and conscientious objectors. It is a grandiose
   42. Episode 9: Emperor Worship and American Idolatry
   43. Depravity may lie in two extremes
   44. Conversion
   45. Whose God is it anyway?
   46. Modern Romans
   47. Why Make Idols?
   48. Evangelicalism’s Golden Calf
   49. Shabbat Balak: the Holy and the Idolatrous
   50. Weekly Torah Commentary – Mattot-Maasei July 21, 2017
   51. The Problem of American Worship
   52. Whom are you serving?
   53. Verse of the month: July 2017

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2. Related articles

   1. • God can change for your sake
      • Sermon: When the World Is Against You, Acts 24
      • The Character of God from the Book of Romans
      • He Set The Course For Victory
      • I’m A True Man Of God – Actor Majid Michel
      • 20 photos that go inside the ‘Big Brother’ house for the new season

Related articles

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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A new school-, academic and church year

The first of September is in many countries the beginning of the new school year and the first of October the beginning of the new academic year.

That first day of a new year brings a lot of excitement and many questions with it. Every  “Beginning” brings expectations with it and brings an exciting experience. Some of those experiences bring over and over again, each year, new tensions or get us nerve system working strong. The adrenaline gets high.

Such a beginning of a “new year” gives us the opportunity to bring a brush-stroke over the previous year. We take the opportunity to make a new start again. We also dare to give free space to new ideas and projects which can stimulate us and others to continue with renewed energy.

The freshness of a new project or a new relationship sharpens our senses. When that novelty diminishes, though, it’s difficult to maintain the same level of excitement. so often when the year progresses people become less enthusiast or tired. They loose energy and are not so willing any more to spend energy in what they started earlier.

On the first of September many little toddlers face their first day in “the big world”. From then onwards their protected little world of the safe ‘home’ shall not be there always. They shall get to face the cruelty of the world, with others not liking them, or being jealous. By time they shall become confronted with infliction of physical or mental distress. Throughout its life the growing up person will have to find compromises between the claims of the narcissistic pole of his drives and the intensity of his love for the object. They shall have to proof themselves and to defend themselves, making sure they can stand straight  and endure all the hardships which shall come over them.

For many it will be looking afraid at the day, which according to the Hebrew mode, is conceived as a measure to be filled up. The apostles also once had taken refuge in their small safe house.

From the second day of unleavened bread they for fifty days had got very strange experiences which frightened them so much they had closed all doors and did not dare to come out and meet the people who laughed at the followers of the man which was impaled and could not bring any message in public any more because he had become part of the dead.

Christ his disciples were also in doubt and in expectancy.  In those days of expectancy they felt that they had to stick together, united in the thoughts of their master teacher Jeshua (Jesus Christ). A cycle of seven times seven days, from the time of the gathering of the sheaf of first-fruits, had past. At the day of the anniversary of the Law covenant at Sinai they suddenly where shaken.

The same eleven apostles who witnessed their master’s ascension were in the upper room complying with the injunction of Jeshua, waiting in an attitude of prayer and expectancy, and in readiness to begin their mission. Following the order to stay together and to come close to each other in prayer, they had enough time to think about all the things that happened in those three years of public preaching of Jeshua.

The decent of the Holy Spirit (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At that moment they did not know yet they where going to go through something very unique which would give them the nerve to get out of their enclosure. They would receive Power from above which was going to give them enough guts to dare to speak about unbelievable events.

For many a new year going into a new initiative demands a plan which shows great daring.

In Acts 2 we can find a process of fulfilment described.  As in the other writings of the Book of books we get an inside view of how God worked to gather a new community of believers to Himself. Pentecost and the arrival of the Holy Spirit signalled a new era and produced a new community, as both Jews and “devout men from every nation under heaven” converted to what would be later called the Christian faith (Acts 2:5).

“Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.” (Acts 2:5 NIV)

Now, many centuries later, it’s easy for us to see Pentecost as the pivotal moment in the history of the Church — an unparalleled event that changed the world forever. It must have been incredible to see those young men  coming onto the street and having them speaking in so many tongues that all sorts of tourists and inhabitants could understand them.

There where Christ Jesus never brought so many to convert and to be baptised those shy disciples over-won their fear and got on the street to speak in the name of God, telling what for importance Jesus is for humankind. Three thousand people came to faith.

When we celebrate the holiday of Pentecost, however, we are remembering the firstfruits of the harvest — the coming of the Holy Spirit and the original community of believers under Jesus Christ. Firstfruits are only the start of a harvest; they hint at future abundance. Every year we can see how plants are coming up again and how the cereal crop comes nice brown to be reaped. The grain crop harvested brings again new seed for the next year. Every-time there has to be sown and harvested, over and over again. In schools and as a service in Christian churches in many countries the people have a harvest festival, a celebration of the annual harvest, but also a thanksgiving for the fruits they may receive and bear.

The harvest the Greek writings is speaking of is the continuing process of people who get inspired by the work of Christ and his disciples and follow the master teacher his commission. We as a community do hope we can bring the seeds in fertile ground and shall be able to fertilise it well, so that it can bear good fruits.

 

As the young children at school have to respond to the bell, giving the sign to enter the class. We also should enter the class of the disciples, following our teacher, the rabbi Jeshua. Fresh at the beginning of the year we should be eager to learn new things and be curious what we can find in all those Books. God has prepared the Knowledge for us. We can take it or leave it. It is our free choice. Nothing is pushed forward, but the call of Jesus sounds all over the earth and everywhere the gospel of the Good News should be preached.

Each person that calls himself or herself a Christian should every year again take up the good spirit to tell the world what happened with the impaled Nazarene and his followers, who gave an example for the world to follow.

The wonders that began at Pentecost should still be happening today. On that day when the Holy spirit came over the disciples the start was given to a new era. A new beginning could take place.  It were the first days of the church which had to come into being.
Today there are still many places on earth where such seeds should be planted. Belgium is no exception. It is a very difficult ground. Like there are many clay grounds in Brabant, hard to work on, we do have to work hard to get people coming to our ecclesiae (churches). In Belgium there are many ‘babies’ waiting to go to kindergarten or school, to find more knowledge. They only have to find ways in doing it, finding the right knowledge.

At the beginning of a new church year we should offer our services to God and should express our hope that our community shall be blessed by Him. That we may find strength to continue the important work and receive enough knowledge, given to us by God’s Power (the Holy Spirit). We ask God that we can have enough patience to continue to preach His Word and to plants seeds wherever He wants.

Each of us should open his or her mind and heart for the teachings of Jesus and should be eager to come like Christ. We all should do our best to put on the armour of Christ and to open our mouths, bringing the Good News to the world. Witnessing about the coming Kingdom of God we should allow God to work in us and to have Him renewing us. He is active and present in our lives, just as He was gathering His Church about 20 centuries ago.

We need a fresh perspective. The beginning of the new academic and church year may bring that. We need the motivation and the boldness of the apostles and followers of Christ Jesus of the first hour. We need to rekindle our original excitement when announcing that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, because He is at work, in us and around us.

To have a successful new year the ecclesia needs the Light of the Spirit. Without the Power of God we are nothing. Like the apostles received the comforter from above, we also do need Light coming over us to be able to preach and to reach people, to bring them closer to God.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit may enlighten us and give the force to go out in the world, making people aware of what God is willing to give to His People and how He wants us to be His children. It is God Who needs to give us power to be able to contribute to the formation of His Church. We can only hope we may be a work-instrument with many others, being thankful that we can receive so many blessings already here on this earth, preparing ourselves and others for the Kingdom of God.

 

A Protestant Church altar decorated for Pentecost with red burning candles and red banners and altar cloth depicting the fire and sound of blowing wind of the Holy Spirit. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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Preceding article: An academic year ending, again a new year standing ready for us

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Additional readings:

1. First Century of Christianity
2. Promise of Comforter
3. Seven full weeks or seven completed Sabbaths and ascension of Jesus
4. Nazarene Acts of the Apostles Chapter 1
5. Hebraic Roots Bible Book of The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 1
6. Hebraic Roots Bible Book of The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2
7. The Acts Of The Sent Ones Chapter 2
8. The day of the festival of Pentecost
9. Nazarene Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2 v1-13 Working Spirit
10. Speaking in tongues
11. Meaning of “speaking in tongues”
12. Tongues a sign of authenticity or divine backing
13. Coming to the end of the year
14. A new year with hopes and challenges
15. Passion and burn out of a teacher
16. An academic year ending, again a new year standing ready for us
17. Move forward, not standing still
18. Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
19. Bringing Good News into the world

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Related articles

• undefined (spiritualconnectedness.wordpress.com)
  Each of you acquires opinions and beliefs about yourself during your upbringing. You absorb ideas and images from your parents, family, peers, school, etc. You begin to play certain roles without questioning them, and you soon develop something called a “personality”: a set of habits, behaviors, and thoughts. But at some time in the course of growing up, something else awakens in you. First, it is no more than a whisper; a memory that you cannot place; a knowing that you are more than what is just determined by the world outside yourself. There is something deeper, a layer that cannot be contained and understood by the human intellect. Herein lies your core, that which precedes and survives the earthly sphere – your soul.
• Differences Between Pentecost and the Jewish Feast of Weeks (differencebetween.net)
  The children of Israel are also important on this occasion. In celebration of Pentecost, they are to bring two loaves of leavened bread to the temple. These loaves of leavened bread are used as wave offerings. They can only be eaten after the harvest ceremony is fully completed. The Jews also offer burnt animal offerings before the Lord. They can share and eat the meals with the poor people, and even the strangers.
• Pentecost (rjowles.wordpress.com)
  The Apostles and disciples were praying together and the Holy Spirit came, sounding like a forceful wind and “tongues” of fire settled on them and they began to preach. Saint Peter began to preach a sermon and the multicultural and multi-ethnic crowd each heard him preaching in their own language. Of course, many have attempted to explain this.
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  If Saint Peter preached and everyone, regardless of language, understood what he was saying in their own language (either by the Holy Spirit speaking a special language through him that is like the “Master Key” language that everyone understands, or through the Holy Spirit interpreting what he was saying within their own hearts), then Pentecost is the undoing of the confusion of language at Babel. If you remember the story of the Tower of Babel, before that time everyone spoke the same language and after that time God confused the language so that different people started speaking different languages. Perhaps, what happened is that the Holy Spirit was active within the world and after the Tower of Babel incident, the Holy Spirit retreated from the world at large, occasionally moving through people but not the world itself, until after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I will leave it to you to decide for or against that idea as you see fit.
• It’s Time to Celebrate! (tamimyer.wordpress.com)
  Pentecost is  a “firstfruits” celebration for us, too, meaning that we are offering to God our first and best–not our leftovers–both as an expression of gratitude for what He has given and also as a statement of confidence that He will provide again.
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  An interesting Jewish tradition on Pentecost is to read from Ezekiel 1, a passage which refers to a great windstorm and to fire. Perhaps these images were in the disciples’ thoughts as they then encountered for themselves the sound of a mighty wind and the sight of fire.
• Call Sinners to Respond to the Gospel! (defendingcontending.com)
  A child of God could faithfully give the gospel, speak of God and His character, man and His desperate need, Christ and His sufficient atonement, repentance and faith in clear terms, but one element that evangelists seem to omit is the urgent call for sinners to respond to the gospel!
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  Often, in the Temple against the backdrop of the hypocritical, works-righteousness system of Judaism, Christ would teach how He came down from heaven as the living Bread, as the water of life, as the door to heaven, as the Shepherd for the sheep, as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and he invited all to come to Him. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me. He exemplified not only the clear and bold proclamation of gospel-truth, but he also modeled urgent and compassionate exhortations to respond to the gospel. We must do the same.
• The Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) (yehudafm.wordpress.com)
  The early summer harvest of Shavuot in Israel was a small harvest in comparison to the larger harvest that came in the autumn of each year. This has prophetic significance. Strange as it might seem to mainstream Christianity today, God is not trying to save the whole world right now. He has planned a far larger harvest of souls when Jesus returns. Those of us who are saved today are only part of the smaller harvest. When most people in this present evil age are traveling the broad road to destruction, we have been uniquely called to enter in by the narrow gate that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14) and make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).
• Firstfruits? Can an Old Testament holiday apply to your life today? (lightenough.wordpress.com)
  The ancient Israelites had an annual cycle of feasts or holidays (also called festivals) that they kept throughout the year as appointed by God. Four of these were in the spring, and three in the autumn. These holidays were a sacred time to remember God’s provisions in the past, His work in the present, and the hope of future provision.
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  By offering God a portion of the first fruit to ripen, it was also seen as a pledge, or an earnest, for the full harvest that was yet to come. It anticipated the harvest that would be reaped in the following months, even though it had not yet been received.
• “Ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,” (tru3j0y.wordpress.com)
  At this present moment we have the first fruits of the Spirit. We have repentance, that gem of the first water; faith, that priceless pearl; hope, the heavenly emerald; and love, the glorious ruby. We are already made “new creatures in Christ Jesus,” by the effectual working of God the Holy Ghost. This is called the firstfruit because it comes first. As the wave-sheaf was the first of the harvest, so the spiritual life, and all the graces which adorn that life, are the first operations of the Spirit of God in our souls. The firstfruits were the pledge of the harvest.
• In the Spirit — A Reflection for Pentecost (Gathering Voices) (bobcornwall.com)
  That was Jesus’ command to the gathered disciples on the day of his ascension. He had given them an assignment – go and be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. But to do this, they would need the baptism with the Spirit (Acts 1:1-11). This baptism with the Spirit would come on the day of Pentecost.
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  Pentecost offers us an excellent opportunity to consider the nature of our ministries and the way in which we are engaging the Spirit of God. Are we focused more on organizational principles learned from the secular world (not that we have nothing to learn) or are we rooting our ministry in the work of the Spirit?
• Acts 2 – The Image of Pentecost (readingacts.wordpress.com)
  The imagery of Pentecost may be important. Pentecost is a pilgrim-holiday also known as the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot.
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  The point of the festival was “to declare God’s ownership of the land and his grace in bringing forth food. According to a tradition found in the book of Jubilees, Pentecost was the day on which Moses was given the Law (cf. Tob 2:1, 2 Mac 12:32). This tradition is based on the belief that the Israelites arrived at Sinai 50 days after the first Passover (Exod 19:1). Some scholars (Knox, Snaith) have made a connection between this tradition and the gift of the Holy Spirit (ie., Moses gave out the Law to Israel on this day, Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to the church). Fitzmyer thinks Luke was aware of the tradition since there are some indirect allusions to the giving of the Law in Acts 2, not the least of which is the image of fire descending (Exod 19:18).

Religion and spirituality

Today the church has become simply an unavoidable obligation for some and yet others stopped attending long ago. In a lot of families it is far to look for God. Some call themselves Christian but there is not much to see of. Their way of living does not represent anything in accordance to the teachings of Christ Jesus. Others proclaim that they love Jesus their God while we would say that they love the son of God more than the real and only One God. Because non-trinitarians do not want to accept Christ Jesus as God a lot of so called Christians say they are not Christians, though those non-trinitarian denominations do keep more to the teachings of Jesus than the others.

Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments of which the First one is Ubove all love Only One God

We do teach our children who God is and what a marvellous gift He gave us. We show them that they are God’s beloved creation and that their failures are real because there is a real reason for earthly failures and sin.  We get them to know the position of Jesus who really died, while the others who believe Jesus is God seem to forget that the Almighty can not die.

Centuries ago it was because the church leaders were more interested in their power in this world that they went astray of Jesus teachings. Also today those churches are still more interested in the things of the world and do not often bring real Bible studies into their services.

Some Christians say that today, we have the methods of science to take the place of faith and prayer. That we can rely on science now to cure many diseases, extend our lives, solve fertility issues, solve emotional problems and understand how the universe began. For them it is clear that we have begun to see we can rely on ourselves for answers instead of God. As our knowledge doubles every 20 years or so, soon, there will be little left for God to do.

Many new churches have changed to cater to our shifting attitudes and lifestyles. Some say that the church should remain in its traditional form while others embrace this change. Regardless of differing opinions, these contemporary churches are popping up everywhere and they offer everything from espressos and modern rock bands to podcasting and twittering to get your attention. ( http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-cincinnati/the-new-face-of-the-modern-day-church#ixzz1QXeezD8R)

Though the Christians have the same patriarch as the Jews and Muslims lots of them forgot the writings and teachings of the next of kin and prophets who followed this mans footsteps. The people of Israel, “The Chosen People,” were singled out by God in order for him to reveal himself to his people and the world and to reveal the path to righteousness.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses are probably the most important figures in the Jewish Bible (Torah).  God had given His blessing but also His Word to the next generations. All could get to know Him by reading the scrolls.

Through Moses a covenant was made between God and his chosen people that should they obey his commands and remain steadfast in their obedienceand love to him, he would remain their God and blessing would pour out upon them. But as can be expected, “The Chosen People” proved to be a rebellious people much like all of humankind.

( Spirituality and religion part 4 – Cincinnati Spirituality | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-cincinnati/spirituality-and-religion-part-4#ixzz1QXgstKGn)

God has promised his people a messiah that they still wait for today. The Christian’s believe this messiah has already been revealed through Jesus Christ and that he will return again to reclaim his kingdom. But many of the Jewish faith wait patiently for their Messiah. There are several different sects of Judaism that have developed over the years, Hasidism, Orthodox, Reform Judaism and Zionists and some differ in their beliefs about the coming messiah and others differ about the adherence to the laws in this modern society. Whatever sect they choose to belong to, much is to be admired about the Jewish culture and their tenacity and dedication to their identity as God’s “Chosen People.” ( Spirituality and religion part 4 – Cincinnati Spirituality | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-cincinnati/spirituality-and-religion-part-4#ixzz1QXhLcVg2)
In the first century of our common time table several Jews recognised in Jesus this promised Messiah. They kept considering themselves Jews, as Jesus also was a Jew. Today we find certain churches were they preach that the Jews killed the first Christian, though Jesus was never such a Christian they say a Christian is. The Jew Jesus was persecuted as later on many more Jews were being persecuted. For Jesus as for the Jews in general  God was and is a holy God worthy of all praise and worship. There are  other god’s then the Most High but there is Only One Almighty God of gods Yahweh or Jehovah.Some people think there are many names of that God, but they misinterpret the titles of that One and Only God, Elohim whose name is Jehovah.

Though there is a rich history in disagreement between the varying sects of Judaism, there is an equal amount of dedication shown to their faith. Judaism is also the only faith that does not seek to bring in new members. ( Spirituality and religion part 4 – Cincinnati Spirituality | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-cincinnati/spirituality-and-religion-part-4#ixzz1QXjrGysY) But the Jew Jesus found it important that as much people as possible would be brought in front of the Lord of lords. The son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, had come into the world by the Power of God (the Holy Spirit) to save us and to become the mediator between God and men.

The Bahá’í believe that God’s nature cannot truly be known because of our finite knowledge and capacity for understanding God’s infinite nature. But they do believe we can at least see him through his attributes which can be found through his various creations. ( Spirituality and religion part 5 – Cincinnati Spirituality | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-cincinnati/spirituality-and-religion-part-5#ixzz1QXku1zx0) It are those attributes of God we have to take at heart. They can give us the full picture of the Most High omnipotent. Getting to know the different features of a human being, man, woman, Jesus shall shed a light on the difference to God. Than they shall see that the Bahá’í claim that we all believe in the same one God, though different religions may call him by different names such as Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah and the like is not such a bad claim, and would take away the arguments going into fights between the different groups.

Bridget Niece of the Northern KY Spirituality Examinerw rites that The Christian faith is a label used to indicate an individual’s faith in Jesus Christ.  That faith can take many different forms. She therefore defines Christianity as faith in biblical teachings and belief in the atoning death of Jesus Christ the son of God.  The reason this definition is necessary is that there are some who claim to be Christians who do not believe that Jesus is the son of God or that he was much more than a prophet at all.  That does not define a Christian and would require a different title.  There are enough variations within the biblical faith of Christianity to fill ten articles, let alone one.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Religion and spirituality part 6 – Cincinnati Spirituality | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-cincinnati/religion-and-spirituality-part-6#ixzz1QXn3l1dS