Belgian Bible Students review of 2015

2015 the year where terrorist acts demanded so much attention of people that some of them got over-frightened and even did not want to have refugees in their neighbourhood.

In the year that climate change at last got some more attention, every day hundreds of stories were produced on any given day and people before, between and after work are confronted with loads of messages, which because of the big amount do not move them so much any more.

There were some lunatics who took others with them into death, for own personal reasons, for revenge at the society or for religious reasons.

Two Airbus A319 of Germanwings at Stuttgart Airport (STR) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There was the Germanwings plane crash – as it happened, Paris attacks which killed more than 120 people – as it happened, and as such Europe came at war with the known but also unknown enemy. Paris terror attacks: Hollande says Isis atrocity was ‘act of war’.

In the Time to consider how to care for our common home many people in 2015 also got lost. Lost at sea: the man who vanished for 14 months. It took a long time before more Europeans became moved by what was happening with those people who are looking for some safer place than Syria or Iraq. Shocking images of drowned Syrian boy show tragic plight of refugees.

For some the end of capitalism has begun. Others clearly see the signs we have be warned off by the very old words in the Book of books.
We too, prefer to listen to those words and let them guide us. We take them at heart and do know that we are going to come to face a hard time. Therefore it is so important that more Bible students and Bible scholars warn the people of what is going to happen. Therefore we also shall continue in 2016 to bring our messages.

We know that there has been a Christian group whose confident prediction of the end of the world proved wrong but we are convinced all the prophesies given in the Bible shall come true. We also know nobody knows the exact date, but we are warned that we can and should come to see the signs of it. And we have come in a time that we can no longer ignore the signs.

Our world may have been confronted with the neural network that throws up hallucinatory images; and the Taiwanese boy who punched a hole through a 350-year-old, $1.5m painting, we should know that all the material around us is not of such an importance but that we should aim at the spiritual and the more important value, the Way to God and the Way to enter the Kingdom of God.

This 323rd message on Bible Students, placed on January the 11th, 2016, after we got a total of 26 915 views since 2010 when we started on WordPress, looks back on 2015 and looks forward to 2016, the year we want to offer you more writings and more interesting thoughts.

We are thankful that You come along here and without your presence our work would not be of much use.

In 2015, the year of Rumours of problems in Roman Catholic Church, there were 93 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 321 posts, which were getting views from 128 countries. today we have already 322 postings and now you are reading our 323rd publication on this site, but do not forget you also may find writings by us on Stepping Toes were we talked a.o. about Roman, Aztec and other rites still influencing us today and on From Guestwriters, were we entered the abortion debate.

We try to reach as many people as possible and also try to bring some articles in the different main languages of our guest country Belgium, where German is also spoken and were the German article Der heilige Geist wird euch an alle Dinge erinnern got the most comments in 2015.

We sincerely hope we may find you under our readers again in 2016 and the following years and hope to bring more articles which can please you and be of interest for many.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 7,700 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

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Find additional reading

1. State of Europe 2015 – Addressing Europe’s crises
2. Asylum seekers crisis and Europe’s paralysis
3. What we don’t say about the refugee crisis?
4. Paris attacks darkening the world
5. Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam key suspect Paris terrorist attacks
6. Summary for the year 2015 #1 Threat and fear
7. Summary for the year 2015 # 2 Strewn with corpses and refugees
8. 2015 In the Picture
9. 2015 Human rights
10. 2015 Health and Welfare
11. 2015 Ecology
12. Massive police operation in northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis
13. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
14. French Muslims under attack
15. Before you blame All Muslims for the terrorist attack in Paris
16. Trump brand of migrant demonization #1
17. Trump brand of migrant demonization #2
18. Solidarité: The Paris Attack and the Refugee Crisis
19. Children of Men
20. How to make sustainable, green habits second nature
21. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
22. Greenpeace demands scale up of ecological farming
23. Republican member of Congress from Arizona to boycott pope’s address over climate change
24. Vatican meeting of mayors talking about global warming, human trafficking and modern-day slavery
25. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #1
26. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #2
27. Paris World Summit of Conscience, International interfaith gathering #3
28. 2015 Summit of Consciences for the Climate
29. Senator Loren Legarda says climate change not impossible to address
30. Shaped by years of unprecedented outreach and public engagement
31. Building a low-carbon world: the sixth industrial revolution
32. Natural capital in concept works. They know it, we know it, but how come it rarely translates at the coal-face of sustainable development?
33. A Miracle of Unity at COP21
34. Time to consider how to care for our common home
35. Rumours of problems in Roman Catholic Church
36. Bijbelvorsers Blogging annual report and 2015 in review

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Others looking back at 2015

1. The Unified Field, Soul Partnership and More.
2. Dear 2015
3. Ode to 2015
4. The last sunset
5. 2015 (londondiaryblog)
6. 2015 – year of continued subjugation of Indian males
7. The 2015 change
8. A New Year: 2015 In Review and Plans for 2016!
9. A highlight of 2015
10. Farewell 2015
11. Flash backs [2015]
12. My top stories of 2015
13. Global Bubblegum Market 2015 Industry Insights, Study, Forecasts, Outlook, Development, Growth, Overview and Demands
14. 2015 (damanizayas)
15. Year in Review
16. Sal Gomez Photography Video Slide Shows – A Year End Retrospective
17. Goodbye 2015..
18. My Achievements for 2015
19. 2015 in Review: Original
20. 5 Things I Take Away From 2015.
21. Favorite-est things from #2015
22. End of the Year Survey 2015!
23. My Goodreads Year in Review
24. The Annual End of Year Book Survey: 2015 Edition!
25. The best books I read this year
26. 2015: a year in review
27. 2015 Favorites: Brushes!
28. 2015 was great…
29. 2015: A bad year of Tollywood
30. 2015. (ichamber17)
31. 2015 in review (thegatheringfire)
32. As the Year 2015 Go
33. Kaleidoscope of 2015
34. 2015… (leahlorenesjourney)
35. “New Year, New Me”
36. Bye bye 2015 and welcome 2016
37. A Thank You Note to 2015
38. Thank you, 2015. Welcome, 2016
39. 2015 In Review// Thanks
40. Goodbye 2015
41. 2015 in Blogging Annual Report (honeycrunch32)
42. 2015 in Blogging Annual Report (nailsbyhoneycrunch321)
43. FOOD for Life’s 2015 in review
44. Nia 2015 – Beyond 21st Century Sharecropping
45. Reflecting on 2015
46. As 2015 fades into history, hello 2016
47. 2016
48. Looking Back…
49. 2015: A Year in Songs & Haikus

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Back from gone #4 Your inner feelings and actions

People with a different mindset than Christ Jesus

The spirit of a sound mind does not mean just going by what we or others think or feel is reasonable or expedient. In our world were there is still some freedom of speech we can hear lots of different opinions and we can see that certain groups would love to have the majority of people thinking and  handling as they. They are often those who prefer to listen only to their own heart and to take care of their selfish “I” first. they are not so much concerned about others, but see them more as people standing in the way. Certainly now with those refugees, people with an other culture not known to them, which makes them afraid of such people.

They prefer to lean upon their own understanding and are not so much interested in what Jehovah wants. Many of them even do not really believe in Him. Even when there may be many who proclaim to be a Christian, we should see that first of all their faith is not so much in Christ nor in God, and secondly they often do not live according to the teachings of Christ Jesus nor to the Laws of God.

Our own mind and a sound mind

Jesus did not his own will. Likewise we also should try to do the will of the Same One as Jesus did. As the son of man and the son of God, Jesus very well knew the Scriptures, taught from them, and followed the guidance given in them. He told the people around him that he could not do anything without his heavenly Father, Who is greater than him. (John 14:27-31; John 5:17-27) For Jesus it was clear Who was the One with a truly sound mind. when he was in difficulties he (Jeshua/Jesus Christ)turned to his heavenly Father (Jehovah God) and trusted in Him (Jehovah). Jesus also told those around him not to worship him but to worship his heavenly Father and to pray to this God of Abraham, Who is also the God of the Jews and the God of the Muslims.  Normally we all should have the same God of gods to trust and to worship and when facing difficulties or having to make some decision, we should need to turn to Him (Jehovah God). Allah, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah God as the Most High Adonai gave the world His Word. All who love God should go and look into that Word, the Bible, to see what God’s view is. Then we should base our decision on it. That is using the spirit of a sound mind.

God knowing the heart

Let us always remember that

 9 The heart is more treacherous* than anything else and is desperate.*+ Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9.)

and that it is God Who knows the inside out of man.

10 I, Jehovah, am searching the heart,+ Examining the innermost thoughts,* To give to each one according to his ways, According to the fruitage of his works.+(Jeremiah 17:10 .)

3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,+  But Jehovah is the examiner of hearts.+ (Proverbs 17:3

2 All of a man’s ways seem right to him,+ But Jehovah examines the hearts.*+ (Proverbs 21:2 )

The God of Abraham, Who is also the God of Jesus knows the Heart of Jesus and our heart – Heart of Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We can not hide anything from God. Therefore we should be very careful how we want to be seen by others and that we show them how we are really feeling and thinking. Too many people are afraid of what others would say. Not many are daring to say what they really think and how they really feel.

The way how we think about those coming to live in our regions is for God important. How we are willing to treat them is for God important. Our attitude towards this whole situation is important for God. In these circumstances it shall be that we show our true nature. Nothing shall stay hidden before God.

12 If you say, “But we did not know about this,” Does not the One who examines hearts* discern it?+ Yes, the One who watches you* will know And will repay each man according to his activity.+ (Proverbs 24:12)

Living and doing works according to your faith

Learning to make wise decisions and to carry them out does not come easily. When there is put pressure on you by others with a political agenda it can even become more difficult to stay on the right track.

Recall that the apostle Paul described mature people as

“those who through use have their perceptive powers trained to distinguish both right and wrong.”

The words “through use” and “trained” both imply making continuous and repeated effort, and that is what new ones need to do. (Read Hebrews 5:13, 14.)

We also should remember that we are bounded to living in this system of things were the way man sees it, mostly it shall not be the way God sees it, because mere man sees what appears to the eyes, but Jehovah sees into the heart.(1 Samuel 16:6, 7; 1 Kings 8:39; Proverbs 24:12; Acts 1:24)

We should know the God of our ancestors and serve Him with a complete * heart + and with a delightful * soul,* for Jehovah searches through all hearts and He has foreseen a purpose for us, going to establish the righteous. there may be many Christians who think they have to do no works any more once baptised, but they shall be surprised. When they do not live according to God’s Law they shall miss the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God. Yes we are able to miss the boat. (1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 7:9; Jeremiah 17:10)

If you prefer to live according to the flesh and keep doing works of the flesh you may be sure there can arise more problems when you have to appear in front of Jesus when he comes back than the problems you will have to face know.

More problems coming into this world

The last few decades we have seen an increase of difficulties on different levels. the bible speaks about that increase which we should consider signs for a coming time where more people shall get against each other and religions shall fight against other religions.

We also shall come to see that not so many Christians are as tolerant as they should be. Being a Christian in certain regions could perhaps not always so easy but also not so difficult to get you uncomfortable. But we are told that it will change. It might well be that Jews, Christians but also Muslims shall come to face very difficult times where they shall be demanded to choose for a certain faith or for a certain action. The false teachers shall try to bring people to other thoughts and having them walk in line with those in power. Believers in God might face the most difficulties, because they could be brought to doubting their faith. For non-believers there shall be no god to look at or to blame.

The media are eager to focus on the many problems and people are easily falling in their trap. Focusing on our worries will not extend our life by even a fraction of a second, let alone improve it. Besides, things often do not turn out as we feared. One scholar put it this way:

“Worry about the future is wasted effort, and the future of reality is seldom as bad as the future of our fears.”

The fact that some countries for decades have been fighting terrorism in its many forms with only limited success gives credence to many fears. Today, people are afraid and terrified for those refugees and for fundamentalist ideas which are preached everywhere and for some Muslim youngsters who tell the world with joy that they are willing to fight for the good cause of their faith. At the same time people wonder how we are going to cope with all those people coming to live in our regions, needing a roof above their head and needing to be fed.

What is troubling most people is the uncertainty of life itself! Sudden death by accident or disaster may seem to lurk around every corner, ready to put an end to everything we hold dear. Such fear and anxiety, plus numerous personal conflicts and disappointments, have made our times precisely what the apostle Paul described:

“Know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, . . . having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness.” (2 Timothy 3:1-3.)

Critical times to come

Getting into times were there shall not only be more natural disasters, man shall be creating other disasters which make it very difficult for many people. There shall be so many ideas sounding in the world, so many calling the other a false one, that people shall get muddled and shall have many doubts, giving them the impression that they nowhere to go.

The God Who demands a perfect righteousness and wants that His Word shall be respected and that His creatures shall live according to His Law has had lots of patience with mankind, but to everything comes an end. He also warned man to get to know and see the signs of the coming change and the coming end.

The God Who is sovereign over all the universe, exists simultaneously everywhere all of the time, has unlimited power, wisdom, and knowledge, is not One Who wants His people fighting against other creatures. He is a perfectly loving, just, and merciful God. He has given everybody the opportunity to find ways to have a good life and to find a better life in the time to come. But before the sublime marvellous time for man, he shall be tested a last time in a big battle which shall not be so far away when we look at the given signs.

It is getting time that people shall come to see that the fruits of terrorism have not been freedom and happiness but, instead, death, misery, and ruin. This bad fruitage has filled the 20th century and is starting to overwhelm the 21st. Many would say that rather than the solution, terrorism is one of the problems. The injustice and hatred that lead to terrorism are not God His fault. Wise King Solomon once declared:

“The true God made mankind upright, but they themselves have sought out many plans.” (Ecclesiastes 7:29)

Human badness and demonic influence, not incompetence on the part of God, lie at the root of terrorism. (Ephesians 6:11, 12.)

God has the power to halt violent bloodshed. In Noah’s time “the earth became filled with violence.” (Genesis 6:11) God’s judgement was sudden and complete:

“[God] did not hold back from punishing an ancient world . . . when he brought a deluge upon a world of ungodly people.” (2 Peter 2:5.)

The Bible states a lesson we should learn from the Flood of Noah’s day:

“Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgement to be cut off.” (2 Peter 2:9)

God can distinguish between those who sincerely want a better life and those who make life miserable for others. He has set the latter apart for the “destruction of the ungodly men.” But for those desiring peace, he is preparing a new earth in which righteousness is to dwell. (2 Peter 3:7, 13.) Therefore let us be attentional and not fall in the trap those around us are putting in front of us and would love to see the world reacting aggressively against the refugees and against the Muslims.

Wordslounge

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Preceding articles

Back from gone #1 Aim of ungodly people

Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people

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

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Additional reading

1. Profitable disasters
2. Good and bad things in this world
3. A risk taking society
4. Securing risks
5. Facing disaster fatigue
6. Dealing with worries in our lives
7. Reacting to Disasters
8. Signs of the Last Days
9. May we have doubts
10. Give your worries to God
11. Is God behind all suffering here on earth
12. God has not destined us for wrath
13. Is God behind all suffering here on earth
14. I Can’t Believe That … (2) God would allow children to suffer
15. Bad things no punishment from God
16. Some one or something to fear #6 Faith in the Most High
17. Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God
18. Looking at three “I am” s
19. He who knows himself, is kind to others
20. Your struggles develop your strengths
21. National Natural Disaster and Bible Prophecy
22. We are ourselves responsible
23. If your difficulties are longstanding, try kneeling
24. Even in tough times remembering the blessings
25. In Defense of the truth
26. A Living Faith #4 Effort
27. Truth, doubt or blindness
28. Remember there’s a light in the next day
29. Creator and Blogger God 9 A Blog of a Book 3 Blog about Prophecy
30. God’s Plan, Purpose and teachings
31. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #15 Exposition before the Creator
32. Signs of the Last Days
33. Preaching to an unbelieving world
34. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !

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Further reading

1. How the Migrant Crisis is Tearing Europe Apart
2. Atheist Alliance International Struggle With Stats
3. Terrorism is not an ethnic trait – it’s a malady wrought by social, religious extremism
4. Rinos and Cinos
5. IFB Churches and Women
6. Fundamentalists and the “Stupid Sumbitch”
7. A House Divided: How Hatred Aimed At Any Group, Is an Assault On Us All
8. Stop Your Doing is Not the Gospel
9. When you feel like you are in a tough situation
10. I love the smell of rejection in the morning
11. Love without reservation
12. He is Faithful and Just
13. Learn To Enjoy The Journey Of Life
14. Napping my heart
15. Badness
16. Hidden scars
17. More than meets the eye
18. Repentance
19. Growing a more useful mindset than fear.
20. Why Don’t Moderate Muslims Denounce Terrorism?
21. Why do Christians Insist on Fighting?
22. “I” Speaks On To Me (3/4)
23. The Silence (3/5)
24. Bad Like Me
25. broken words for sale
26. What to say?
27. God, Help Me Not to Hate Those Who Hate
28. Trump: “‘Oh freedom of speech, freedom of speech.’ These are foolish people.”
29. The Frozen-Chosen Church?
30. The Price of Forgiveness?
31. Das Spiel mit der Angst
32. La Horca Moderna

Related articles

• Loving the Sinner
• A Perfect Inheritance
• Spiritual Growth
• “By the Power Invested in Me”
• Your Word for This Day: “God is a Giver!”
• Running Strong
• Exciting New Offertory Giving
• We stand together proudly
• Jesus Christ is not REAL to most Christians
• Jesus Christ: The Word of God

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

Exploiting tensions over immigration and home-grown jihadis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“was moving from the margins to the political mainstream”

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

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

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

Fundamental  Muslims and fundamental Christians

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

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

Wilders delivering a speech in 2010

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

Tolerance becoming a less popular act

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

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

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

Putting worries aside

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

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

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

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

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

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

Safeguarding the heart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+

Preceding articles:

Back from gone #1 Aim of ungodly people

Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people

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

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Additional reading

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

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Further literature

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

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Related articles

• Who Will Resist The Islamic Invasion Of Europe?
• Europe ‘must close its doors or risk far-right backlash’
• Labour’s new leader, the press and a pig
• Anne Marie Waters: the State of Free Speech in Europe 2015
• Some Eastern European countries are welcoming refugees. Some aren’t. Here’s why.
• Europe warned of rising threat of right-wing extremism
• Timmermans fears right-wing extremism alongside refugee crisis

Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people

Overcoming feelings of anxiety

Knowing that we have a heavenly Father who loves and cares for us is a vital step in overcoming feelings of anxiety. True, it may take time to build this trust, but many have found that doing so really helps.

“When Jehovah became my Father, I finally had someone to whom I could express my inner feelings,”

says Caroline.

“This brought me so much relief!”

“Jehovah is the one who helped me to feel secure when I was left all alone without my parents,”

recalls Rachel.

“I could talk to him and ask him to help me with my problems. And he did help me.”

Those who are taken by fear by what is going on in this world should listen to Jesus. Jesus urged us to get to know his Father,

“the only true God.” (John 17:3)

“He is not far off from each one of us,”

the apostle Paul assures us. (Acts 17:27)

“Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you,”

wrote James. (James 4:8.)

Not too much giving attention to differences and worrying about the future

Jesus warned his followers to stop being anxious about their lives. (Matthew 6:25.) And wanted them to go out into the world without hesitation to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The disciples of Christ did not have to keep moaning about the bad situation there was under the Romans. They also did not have to go on about those who did not want to believe in God or preferred to believe other things than they. But they had to show others what was written in the Word of God.

Many hoped that rabbi Jeshua was the promised Messiah who was going to liberate them from the Roman oppression. Some even thought this would have to be done by fighting. To their surprise this Jew taught them about peace and about not taking up the weapons against those who were against them.

Jesus asked them also not to worry so much about their future on this earth. Though it can be called normal and proper to be concerned about our material needs and the welfare of our loved ones. (Philippians 2:20) But when Jesus said,

“never be anxious,”

he was advising his followers to avoid undue worry — an excessive fear of tomorrow that can take the joy out of living today.(Matthew 6:31, 34.) Jesus also gave a compelling reason for avoiding undue anxiety: It is pointless.

“Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span?”

asked Jesus. (Matthew 6:27) Focusing on our worries will not extend our life by even a fraction of a second, let alone improve it. Besides, things often do not turn out as we feared. One scholar put it this way:

“Worry about the future is wasted effort, and the future of reality is seldom as bad as the future of our fears.”

Avoiding anxiety

Jesus gave several life lessons in his parables. We should listen to them and take into account about what they are. They talk about a hidden future, which is not of this system of times. In this present times we shall come to see signs, which should warn us about a much more important future coming than the future that keeps people busy.

When we have to live in this world we should always remember who made all things around us and should trust in that Divine Maker God. We can not escape living in this world but that does not mean we do have to be off this world. We should recognise that it is the God of gods Who provides food for birds and clothes flowers with beauty and that it is Him Who also will provide the necessities of life for humans who make His worship a priority in their life. (Matthew 6:25, 26, 28-30)

Today lots of people are anxious about the amount of refugees coming into their country. Lots of Christians but also non-believers are afraid those refugees will bring an Islamisation into Europe or our Western nations. But why are they so afraid? In case enough people would really believe in the One True God, they should not have to worry. The opposite, in case they have such a strong feeling about their true religion and about their true God they should trust in that God Who will make them strong enough to use them for the calling of the others. In case the Christians would really follow the teachings of Christ then they would believe in the Only One True God, the God of Abraham, Who is Allah and the same God of Jews and Muslims. When they would follow the teachings of Christ Jesus, as real Christians should do, they would be preachers of the Word of God, bringing the Gospel all over the world. Then they could call those refugees why Jesus is so important in our lives and why we should get to know him more and better. Because Jesus is the Way. Jesus is the Way to God and the Way to life.

Jehovah God is the living God, the Fountain of life, Who has no beginning or end of existence (Jer 10:10; Da 6:20, 26; Joh 6:57; 2Co 3:3; 6:16; 1Th 1:9; 1Ti 1:17; Ps 36:9; Jer 17:13) who has sent His son to the world to show God’s creatures the Way to life. The apostle John quotes Jesus as saying:

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Those who believe in God and His sent one should not be full of fear for people coming to their nations or having Muslims teaching their faith.  They should know that God has given His promises to Abraham, David, Jesus and Jesus his followers that

“the creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:14-23)

The prophetic vision of Revelation 21:1-4 points to the time of “a new heaven” and “a new earth” and gives the promise that then

“death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”

Since this promise is given, not to spirit creatures, but specifically to “mankind,” it gives assurance that a new earthly society of humankind living under the “new heaven” will experience restoration of mind and body to fullness of health and everlasting life as earthly “children of God.”

Therefore we do have something positive to look for. But as long as we live in this system of things, we do have to take one day at a time.

“Never be anxious about the next day,”

said Jesus,

“for the next day will have its own anxieties.”

Would you not agree that

“each day has enough of its own troubles”? (Matthew 6:34.)

By heeding Jesus’ wise advice, we can spare ourselves physical harm. More than that, we will find an inner calm—what the Bible calls “the peace of God.” (Philippians 4:6, 7.)

Way of life

Many have become afraid that Muslims would take away their life chances. But man should not fear other men, but fear God and remember what God’s Words tells us.

Jehovah, the Fountain of life, has revealed the way of life through his Word of truth. The Lord Jesus Christ

“shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news.” (2 Timothy 1:10)

He told his disciples:

“It is the spirit that is life-giving; the flesh is of no use at all. The sayings that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

A little later Jesus asked his apostles whether they were going to leave him, as others had. Peter replied:

“Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life.” (John 6:63, 66-68)

The apostle John called Jesus “the word of life,” and said:

“By means of him was life.” (1 John 1:1, 2; John 1:4.)

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Preceding: Back from gone #1 Aim of ungodly people

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

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Additional reading

1. Fear knocked at the door
2. Securing risks
3. Dealing with worries in our lives
4. Bad things no punishment from God
5. Some one or something to fear #1 Many sorts of fear
6. Some one or something to fear #3 Cases, folks and outing
7. When discouraged facing opposition
8. In Defense of the truth
9. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
10. Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God
11. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
12. Creator and Blogger God 9 A Blog of a Book 3 Blog about Prophecy
13. A concrete picture of what is to come in the future
14. Aligned
15. A small trouble is like a pebble
16. Fearing the right person
17. Time for global change
18. Come ye yourselves apart … and rest awhile (Mark 6:31)
19. You God hold the future
20. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God
21. Jesus begotten Son of God #7 A matter of the Future
22. Faith, hope and love abide
23. Bible a guide – Bijbel als gids
24. The Bible is a today book
25. Coming to the end of the year
26. Finish each day and be done with it
27. Look for today
28. Rejoicing in the day
29. God Feeds The Birds
30. Give your worries to God
31. Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past
32. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
33. So it will be on the day when …
34. Miracles of revelation and of providence 1 Golden Thread and Revelation
35. End Times
36. Man’s plans prevailed by God’s purpose

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Further reading

1. The “Mass Shootings Map” Propaganda Should Convince You to Carry At All Times
2. San Bernardino latest in series of U.S. mass shootings since 2012
3. Tragedy, politicians and the media
4. Turkey pokes the Russian Bear The grand coalition against ISIS is growing to include Germany along with France, while Turkey pokes the Russian Bear
5. Could God Be Against Us?
6. Thoughts about saints and suffering in the Last Days (Letter to Lighthouse Trails)
7. 7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes remote region of Peruvian jungle
8. Cooking Was Not Fun Because It Was Survival | Ileana Johnson – Freedom Outpost
9. It’s too late now
10. Gasping For Air
11. Anxiety and Drafts
12. Anxiety Looms Above The Mind Making A Fuss Out Of Nothing, by Drem (blog post)
13. When You Feel Like Giving Up
14. Exit Strategy End Times: ” Awake to the twilight of God’s seeking.”
15. Holy Hell…This Sh*& Is Real
16. Gray Areas
17. Mind Full v Mindful: some thoughts on mindfulness
18. Day 115- Could Cognitive Dissonance play a part in my procrastination?
19. What a joy it is
20. Joy in the morning
21. Which spiritual teachings/religions lead to enlightenment or God

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Related articles

• JEHOVAH is the Greatest
• Relationship
• Breakthrough to Peace
• God The Father
• Give it to God!
• Our Need His Help
• Slavery
• Anticipated Arrival