Matthew 20 Are you willing to work for Jesus?

In the previous articles we could see how people are invited to become labourers for the Lord.

We are told in the parable given in Matthew 20 that the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house, who went out early in the morning to get workers into his vine-garden, and proposed rewards to them. We also looked at how this human landlord went out about the third hour, and saw others in the market-place doing nothing; and also called them to come to work for him, which they did. The same happened later in the day (about the sixth and the ninth hour and about the eleventh hour) .

When those who had come first to work, they had the idea that they would get more but looked surprised they, like the rest, were also given a denarius or penny. (Mt 20:10) For us, who live in the capitalist world it might sound very unjust that the ones who laboured longer got only the same reward as the ones who started later and laboured lesser hours. But we have not to look at it with our capitalist eyes. We should look at it from the point of view that as soon as people answer the call of God and come to follow His sent one, willing to work for Jesus, that it becomes important for them working together with those who were there already longer. Together they should go for the right goal and as a team should try to run the race together, making sure that everybody reaches the finish.

 

If one chooses for Jesus, one must dare to draw clear lines. It is not true to follow him but halfway or to adhere to a different Jesus than the one from the Bible. We must clearly choose the Jesus from the Holy Scriptures, whom God called His son. When choosing for Jesus one also does not have to be afraid to tell others that one is following that Biblical figure instead of the person certain churches made of him.

If you are willing to answer God’s call when things matter most it is important to keep to the Biblical teachings and not to fall for the many false human teachings or so called dogmas. Having been bought by a price we should honour that price. We should show full commitment to the one who offered himself for our sins. Jesus paid the ransom and asks us to follow him. As followers of Jesus we should keep to his teachings and keep to the task he has given, which means that we should go out into the world teaching and preaching like Jesus did.

As workers for Jesus and his heavenly Father we should not be afraid of the world and should show the world who we want to follow and for Whom we want to work. Many opportunities are there for workers for the Lord. Are you willing to step in or to stand up?

What if you were prompted to go out and share the gospel on the streets? Would you do it?
How about if you knew that God was preparing a person in need for you to meet and talk with, would you go and meet that person?
What if you felt that God was calling you to help a family member, friend, co-worker or neighbour in need. Would you do it?
What if you were told to stop your car and help a homeless man in need. Would you do it?

Do you want to belong to those who are recognised as the “doer“, willing to help others as if you are helping Christ?

“34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Mt 25:34-40 NIV)

“7 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards your poor brother. 8 Rather be open-handed and freely lend him whatever he needs. 9 Be careful not to harbour this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for cancelling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will towards your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed towards your brothers and towards the poor and needy in your land.” (De 15:7-11 NIV)

“13  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:13-16 NIV)

As a worker for God you can not stand in the shadow, you have to come out in the light.A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid and therefore you should show the world the city of Christ Jesus and be light of the world.

What if God needed you even when your life and your families lives could be at stake?
Would you still be God’s witness?

You could very well attempt to get out of the situation by denying Jesus or lie about your belief system. We hear that a lot, people not wanting to be clear by their name, just saying

“I am a Christian”

avoiding to tell that they are real followers of Jesus Christ and as such saying for example

“I am a follower of Jesus”

or saying

“I am a Jeshuaist”

making it very clear that you are a follower of the Nazarene Jewish master teacher Jeshua, Jesus Christ, who worshipped not himself but the Only One true God, the God of Abraham Who is One and not three.

Or would you dare to say?

“I am a witness for Jehovah”.

Saying so you would bring up a point of discussion or of clarification.

Avoiding to be clear of your standpoint willing to follow the real Jesus, the son of God, and not a three-godhead, makes you not wanting to be open and bringing yourself on a destructive path also. However, to go through the situation at hand in all faithfulness to God, is what He asks. What we do in persecution shows a lot about our true character and our belief in Christ, even when lives are at stake. So the question is, are you willing to die for Christ?

Now read what Jesus said about persecution and how these people are blessed for His sake below…

“10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Mt 5:10-12 NIV)

Shall you be willing to work for it, that you shall be one of the heirs or partakers of that Kingdom?

May every person that says that they are a believer, also obey Jesus and his heavenly Father and do like Jesus did, doing the Will of God and not holding fast on doing only their own will.

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Preceding

We are redeemed; we are “bought with a price”

Matthew 20:1-7 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The Kingdom and Vineyard Workers

Matthew 20:8-16 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Last, First; First, Last

Matthew 20:17-19 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Onward to Jerusalem!

Matthew 20:20-23 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: A Selfish Request Rejected

Matthew 20:24-28 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Authority Not the Way – Serve Others

Matthew 20:29-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Two Blind Men Pitied and Healed

Matthew 20 It is never too late

 

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Additional reading

Atonement and the race been bought

Teachings, prophets, wolves in sheep’s covering and a narrow gate

Matthew 7: 13-14 {NWT}+ {Ref B.}:13 “Go in through the narrow gate,+ because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it.+

• Luke 13:24: 24 “Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door,+ because many, I tell you, will seek to get in but will not be able.
• Isaiah 55:6: 6 Search for Jehovah while he may be found.+ Call to him while he is near.+
• Philippians 3:12-14: 12 Not that I have already received it or am already made perfect, but I am pressing on+ to see if I may also lay hold on that for which Christ Jesus selected me.*+ 13 Brothers, I do not yet consider myself as having taken hold of it; but one thing is certain: Forgetting the things behind+ and stretching forward to the things ahead,+ 14 I am pressing on toward the goal for the prize+ of the upward call+ of God by means of Christ Jesus.
• 1 Timothy 6:12: 12 Fight the fine fight of the faith; get a firm hold on the everlasting life for which you were called and you offered the fine public declaration in front of many witnesses.
• Acts 14:22: 22 There they strengthened the disciples,*+ encouraging them to remain in the faith and saying: “We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.”+
• 1 Peter 4:18: 18 “And if the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, what will happen to the ungodly man and the sinner?”+

Matthew 7:15-20 {NWT}+ {Ref.B}: 15 “Be on the watch for the false prophets+ who come to you in sheep’s covering,+ but inside they are ravenous wolves.+ 16 By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they?+ 17 Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit.+ 18 A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce fine fruit.+ 19 Every tree not producing fine fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.+ 20 Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men.+

• Matthew 24:11: 11 Many false prophets will arise and mislead many;+
• 2 Peter 2:1: However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you.+ These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them,+ bringing speedy destruction upon themselves.

• 1 John 4:1: Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired statement,*+ but test the inspired statements* to see whether they originate with God,+ for many false prophets have gone out into the world.+
• Luke 6:26: 26 “Woe whenever all men speak well of you,+ for this is what their forefathers did to the false prophets.
• Acts 20:29, 30: 29 I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you+ and will not treat the flock with tenderness, 30 and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.+
• Matthew 12:33: 33 “Either you make the tree fine and its fruit fine or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, for by its fruit the tree is known.+

Acts 20:29-30:  29 I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you+ and will not treat the flock with tenderness, 30 and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.+

• 2 Thessalonians 2:3: 3 Let no one lead you astray* in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy+ comes first and the man of lawlessness+ gets revealed, the son of destruction.+

2 Timothy 2:18: 18 These men have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred,+ and they are subverting the faith of some.

1 Corinthians 11:19: 19 For there will certainly also be sects among you,+ so that those of you who are approved may also become evident.

• 1 Timothy 4:1: 4 However, the inspired word* clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements*+ and teachings of demons,

Matthew 5:3:3 “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need,*+ since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.

 

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Preceding articles

Matthew 7:13-14 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The True Disciple #1 The Narrow Gate and the way to destruction

Matthew 7:15-20 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The True Disciple #2 False prophets and fruitage

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

False teachers and false prophets still around

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 Further reading

1. What Does It Mean to be Ready in Season?
2. Guarding against cults and false teachers – teach what it means to be saved
3. How do we guard against false teaching?
4. Guarding against cults and false teaching – know what baptism is
5. The Consequences of Following False Teachers and Prophets
6. Mail Call #8: How much should “associations” factor into my assessment of whether a teacher is false or not?
7. Beware of False Prophets and False Teachers
8. Who are those guys?
9. Beware of the Enemy in the Camp
10. The Rise of a Counterfeit Christianity
11. Heresy Isn’t All Bad
12. Things That Matter – Unity above Doctrine?
13. Sound Doctrine. Sound Faith.
14. An exhortation about false teaching from Jeremiah
15. Denial of God Among Christians Today (Part 1)
16. What Is Idolatry, and Do I Practice it?
17. 7 False Teachers in the Church Today“How Can We Distinguish a Good Shepherd from a Bad One?”Discernment is rooted in maturity in Christ
18. Guard the Treasure and Avoid the Trash
19. All “Faith Healers” Today Are False
20. 5/21/17 ~ On Guard
21. Run For Your Life

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• And Lot Went With Him
• Remember to praise Him every day
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• Griffin mocked God
• For Getting to know Jesus
• A community care resource project

Summer time to spend some more time at the growing process of your faith

Most of the time of the year people have an excuse that they have no time because they have to do this or that for work. Work often gets the first place and next comes the time to do the shopping for the household-duties and cooking. After a full day of work, cooking and eating there is ample good family time and most of it is used to relax. Not so much time is made free to read and study the Bible.

In the Summertime (Mungo Jerry song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

July and August are the moths lots of people do have some time for themselves. It is that free time which is also ideal to pick up your Bible and do some reading in it. The Summertime is ideal to take some time off and to think about more important matters than money and work to get the money in the till.

These Summer-months are also the good time to cultivate your personal devotional time. Throughout the year we spend enough time for making sure enough money shall come in to be able to live relaxed or in a good way. For some people the relaxing bit does not seem to come any more because work has taken them up so much that it burns them up. Today we see many people with a burn out, not happy any more, but so frustrated it seems to eat them up. They do not seem to find a source to renew their energy any more. Though they should know there is A Source available for all people to recharge and also to come out stronger. Lots of people do not want to know about that Source, but it is ‘set apart’ or ‘holy’ source. It is a Living Water provided by an unending Source of Life. It comes from the Divine Creator Who is the eternal Spirit God. He is the source of all spiritual development, Which cannot be neglected by man. Without that Source man cannot grow and can not become mature. Transformation begins with time in His Word and prayer. And now is an ideal time to take time for it.

Man’s goal is to become more independent and self-sufficient as we age. But in the spiritual realm, the opposite is true. Those who are mature in Christ and in his heavenly Father recognize their own inadequacy and rely on the Holy Spirit within them. They know Jesus could not do much without That Only One God. Jesus was very well aware that all he did was only possible because God allowed him to do so and because God wanted him to give the Power to do so. We too need power in our life. We, like Jesus, do need the Strong Hand of the heavenly Father to guide us and to pull us over our difficulties, the many gorges and ravines. In Him we should trust and feel secure.

Now the Sun-rays heats the earth around us, we can feel her warmth also as a source of energy. Forgetting all about work we can stroll in the God given nature and see all the beauties of it, where when at work we do not have much time for.

So let yourself go, take time of, and enjoy the beauties of nature. But do not forget Who is the Source of it and give also some spare time to Him. Now when off from work it is time to make time for God and to read His Words, the Bible. Now it is time to take on our other life job, giving ourself to God so that He can do His job to transform our character and empower us to accomplish everything He calls us to do.

Getting older doesn’t mean maturity in God’s eyes. By digging into Scripture and developing righteous habits, we can use our years to grow stronger in the Lord instead of wasting time with passivity. No one accidentally becomes mature. Spiritual growth requires a diligent pursuit of God.

Do not waste your time, give some precious time to your Creator and allow yourself being modelled by Him.

Photograph taken from Unwind & De Stress

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Additional reading

1. Allow yourself a chill-out day
2. Time to Unwind
3. Holiday making and dreaming
4. Give your worries to God
5. Witnesses of Christ and of his gospel
6. Shabbat Mevarchim opening to the Summer-holiday period
7. 2016 Summer holiday
8. Home-stayers and their to do list
9. Holiday time reading time
10. Summerholiday season time to read the Bible
11. Of the many books Only the Bible can transform
12. Summer holiday time to knock and ask, and time to share
13. Counting sands and stars
14. Happy August!
15. An uncovering book to explore
16. Psst! Spread The Good Word!
17. Character transformed by the influence of our fellowships
18. Christ entered our world to transform our lives

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Further reading

1. Humans choose to live in a world full of hate, war, and disharmony
2. Feel like you’ve been through the wringer?
3. Feeling Down…
4. Burn-out
5. Know the signs to combat workplace stres
6. Can You Choose Well-being over Burn-out
7. Setting Boundaries
8. Prayers for Burn Out
9. The Best Of The Season – haiku by Dennis Allen Lange
10. The Good Summer Vibes You Need Today
11. My summer of changes
12. Don’t Work
13. Priority
14. Everyone takes leaps of faith
15. A stargazer’s thought
16. Of everything celestial and a tiny speck; You. 
17. The Perfect Plan
18. Summertime
19. Summertime by Kelly F. Barr
20. July Family Vacation and More
21. July 2017’s 6 Grateful Things List
22. The Fleeting Days of Summer..
23. Early August
24. Happy August!
25. Life Lately: The Best Things About Summer
26. A Lot of “Lately”
27. Summer Memories Relived at Santa’s Village 
28. Hope and Faith
29. Lord’s True Love
30. Today, I Will Trust God To . . . .
31. Do What You Can do First? Wrong!
32. You Must be in the Dark to See the Light
33. You Can Overcome Your Fears and Challenges. Yes, You Can!
34. Knowing Your Purpose
35. God Doesn’t Ask Us To Try
36. You are Invited
37. God’s Pruning Instrument
38. His Word always produces fruit
39. Pour Out Your Hearts
40. “Live Redeemed”
41. Trust God!
42. Trust God (by the pup studio)
    Forever O Lord..

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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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Daily portion of heavenly food

In this world lots of events demand our attention. We are pushed from one site to the other, having to do this, responding to that, needing to meet his person, or having to write to that one.

We have to face the hectic life of getting into business, having to do the shopping, taking care of the household, bringing the kids to school and to their after school societies or arts classes. They have their activities which demands their, but also our, attention. They want to get somewhere in life and we are wondering where we can get to. Who does not want to come somewhere at the top in life? But what may it be, having reached the goal or having become some one important. What does it contribute to our personal life?

Saint Padre Pio stated: “Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him”. The Rosary: A Path Into Prayer by Liz Kelly 2004 ISBN 082942024X pages 79 and 86 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like most people Christians allow the rush and crush of selfish ambition to deprive them of their daily portion of heavenly food. Oh, so often they forget what is most important in life. By forgetting the more spiritual matters it often happens they come like most citizens, bewildered in the mass of people trying to get somewhere in life.

Forgetting to take in their daily portion of spiritual food they must not be surprised, if they grow spiritually leaner day by day, and if “the peace of God” gives place in their hearts to the discontent which is growing in the world, notwithstanding the multiplication of their comforts and privileges.

Still life with Bible, by Vincent Van Gogh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We should remember how important it is to have our daily Bible Readings. There are different ways to get around the Book of books in the whole year. Either you may go from chapter to chapter, until the end of the Bible and start all over again, taking perhaps another translation each time. Or you may follow the practical Bible roster or Bible Reading Plan provided by several Bible Students Groups, like the International Bible Students or the Christadelphians.

Next to those Bible readings we need some extra guidance and encouragement. This can be received by reading the daily notes or additional daily short meditations. Such literature can be like daily manna, the spiritual food which can take care that we grow and become more mature Bible Students.

We may not forget the Divine Creator Himself has given us His teaching. By His men He allowed the Words come unto many people all over the world in many languages. That way all over the world people can get to know and keep in their hearts those commandments God has given to the world. For length of days and years of life, and peace they will add to those who are willing to listen to those words of the All Mighty. Those people who believe there exist that Supreme Being Who is eternal Spirit, can find His handbook for life, which has every guidance we need in it. This Super Power is more mighty than any man, and it is Him we should fear and not our fellow man. To His words we should give more attention than to the words of man. By reading them the readers shall find their character and their personality changing by the years. They shall be able to find kindness and truth, but should also be aware that favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man, plus good success can leave them if they do not continue on the right path.

We should trust in the Most High Lord of heavens, the God of gods, Jehovah with all our heart. Too many people today are leaning on their own understanding, convinced they have enough own insight. How mistaken they can be. God asks us to trust the Adonai with all our heart and not to rely on our own understanding.

In all our ways we should have respect unto Him by listening to Him Who has all the answers. Him we can trust to give our hand to be guided through life. When we allow Him to order our goings, we can be sure we shall be able to find easier ways in life. We therefore may not neglect the God’s Word. It will not be sufficient just to read His Word once in our lifetime. It also will not be sufficient to go to Him only when we are in trouble or find no way out. We shall have to show to God we are with Him and do love Him, not for what we might get from Him but out of honest feelings of love for Him and His creation.

We should all be aware that we will not enjoy life — really live — as God intended, without feeding regularly on God’s Word.

As human beings we do need water daily, our drinks and our other beverages. We can not survive without having food regularly. Spiritually it is exactly the same, we can not survive without our spiritual food at regular time intervals.

In case we do not eat properly we shall not be able to stay healthy. We need the necessary nutrients to stay strong physically. But we do not only have our physical body. We do have our brains and our way of thinking. To keep that healthy we shall need to give our brains the right impulses. We do need spiritual food to stay strong spiritually.

God’s Word — the Bible — is the food that feeds our faith, and gives us spiritual strength.

” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'” (Matthew 4:4 NHEBJE)

By every thing that God prescribes we shall be able to live. Like we need to feed our body every day, we also need to feed our spirit every day.

British Library Add. MS 59874 Ethiopian Bible – Matthew’s Gospel (Ge’ez script) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our daily Bible reading should be our standard activity whereby we virtually bind the Word of God around our neck, writing them on the tablet of our heart. Doing so, we will find favour and good repute in the sight of God but also of man. Acknowledging Him, He will make your paths straight.

To get regularly some of God’s Word into our mind we can build up some good habits, such as reading the Word every time we eat food, or every morning when when we awake, or right before we go to sleep. It does not matter so much when we take some time to read in the Bible or when we take some time to pray or have our little conversation with the One Who we love. We only should not postpone it and should remember every day.

We may not be wise in our own eyes. We should fear the Most High Divine Creator, Jehovah and turn away from evil. When we fulfil such daily routine of Bible Reading it will be healing to our body and be as a refreshment to our bones.

Let the Word of God with the daily readings exhort us so that God in all our ways shall direct our paths.

” My son, do not forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments:  (2)  for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you.  (3)  Do not let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.  (4)  So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.  (5)  Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  (6)  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  (7)  Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil.  (8)  It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:1-8 NHEBJE)

Taking every day the Bible into our hands to read in it we should also pounder and meditate on what we have read. We should let the Words of God go deeper in our mind. Not only letting the word coming into our minds, we should also allow the Word of God come out of our minds, speaking it to ourselves and others. Speaking the Word — especially when you personalize it, can really build your faith fast.

You can read the Word of God (the Bible) on your own or with others. Listening to others who read it aloud is also a nice way to share God’s Word.

Of course, nothing can replace your own reading of the Bible, or having it read to you. But additionally it may benefit you to include devotional reading, texts or meditations on biblical texts or Bible Fragments.

Charles Taze Russell

For this reason we would like to contribute to encourage you to think about certain Bible fragments and would like to present, or to do our part in providing, material to enrich you spiritually. Besides Bible Fragments we will on this site, in the future, places short devotions or thoughts and discussions of our confreres from the past. As such you shall be able to find some parts from Charles Taze Russell his “Daily Manna” which had far better success than the Bible Students had dared hope for at the turn of the 19th century.

At the beginning of the 21st century we too would like to present “Daily Manna” to provide our visitors and readers with  spiritual nourishment. We do hope we shall find enough people who are truly committed to seeking God and walking closely with Him, interested to meditate with us on the provided readings from the Bible as well as from previous writings by different Bible Students.

We shall regularly bring an extraction of God’s word, with or without commentary and present some thoughts to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a regular basis.

Knowing that the hope for the world lies in the blessings of knowledge and opportunity to be brought to all by Christ’s Millennial Kingdom — but that before Jesus shall return everywhere in the world the Gospel shall have to be preached, we would like to bring our contribution to that preaching and hope that you would like to share the Good News with others.

We all should work at our self and help others to work at themselves to become more clean and ‘holy‘ so that we can set apart and be prepared for the return of Christ Jesus, when all the wilfully wicked will be destroyed.(Acts 3:19-23; Isaiah 35).

We wish we can stimulate you to look more into your Bible and to study further the Word of God.

For the extra devotional texts we shall first present writings from the original edition of the “Daily Heavenly Manna” first published in book form on February 1, 1905 (R3498). The compiler, Sr. Gertrude W. Siebert was noted for making her
selections with “particularity and carefulness.”
The popularity of the first edition of 20,000 called for a subsequent printing of 40,000 in 1907 (R3967.) This second edition added the feature of interleaved lined pages for use as an “Autograph and Birthday record.” Its use as a follow-up for the colporteurs was suggested at that time, and some of their early experiences are recorded in R4561 and R5869.
By 1911, the popularity of the “Manna” was so great that a reader of the “Towers” suggested the use of the Wednesday text for the weekly Testimony meeting (R4770). A similar suggestion a few months later was amended by Pastor Russell to a suggestion for the Thursday text. (R4833)

In the past several people found comfort in the thoughts the Bible Students offered and some call it their “Heavenly Breakfast Food” and tell that they feast upon its lessons as regularly as the sun rises. Surely the little tithe of time daily
spent in partaking of its morsels of heavenly counsel cannot fail to profit all who partake.
The day opened with such meditations is sure to be the better spent and more profitable.
The heart thus turned to holy thoughts is much less likely to go aside from right paths than otherwise. “The wisdom that cometh from above” is thus gradually and easily assimilable, and cannot fail to bear some good fruit in the hearts of the saints, and to awaken reverence in the worldly.

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Additional reading:

1. Not the circumstances in which we are placed constitutes our comfort
2. The big agenda item
3. Walking in the Light of Life
4. The giving and protecting God
5. God’s Blog recorded in a Book
6. Creator and Blogger God 2 Image and likeness
7. Bible in the first place #2/3
8. God’s Comfort
9. Man’s plans prevailed by God’s purpose
10. Words to inspire and to give wisdom
11. People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers
12. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
13. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
14. People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
15. My God
16. The manager and Word of God
17. Understanding what we read
18. A time for everything
19. Feed Your Faith Daily
20. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone!
21. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
22. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
23. A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
24. If you want to go far in life
25. Grow strong in weakness
26. Running away from the past
27. Everything that is done in the world is done by hope
28. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #4 Transitoriness #3 Rejoicing in the insistence
29. Philosophy hand in hand with spirituality
30. Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people
31. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
32. Discipleship way of life on the narrow way to everlasting life
33. Youth has difficulty Bible Reading
34. Hello America and atheists
35. Charles Taze Russell never claimed to have found a new religion, or a new church.
36. Russell himself never claimed to be a prophet.
37. Around C.T.Russell
38. Russell and his beliefs
39. Biblestudents & T.C.Russell

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