Good time to sort out your friends and contacts

In these corona times we have to limit our contacts, keep social distance and have to keep ourselves healthy and safe.

In life we meet lots of people in lots of different situations; We encounter good but also bad things. Bad events we best forget as soon as possible, but even better for the next time we better avoid such bad things.

Today we have come in a time where it should be easier to avoid bad things, bad people and bad events. All negativism we can miss as toothache.

Got a friend causing problems in your life? Before you cut him or her out have a look at this so called 'friend' and check if it is really a person to have as friend or a person you should be concerned about his way of life and would be some one who could use your help more than you need him or her.

Someone in your small group says insensitive things? Leave that small group and find a new one, if you are not able to bring that person to reason.

Someone at work doesn’t understand or respect your faith? You could avoid that person but you also could try to find out what he or she knows about your faith and come to get to know your faith better. Often people have no idea about someone's faith and go by 'sayings' or ideas which float around.

Tired of being made fun of in the public square? Some would withdraw into their Christian bubble.

Parents in your kid’s class not raising their kids the way you like? (Corona-aside: Remember classes?) Surround yourself with people who make you feel safe and comfortable.

In life, there are too many things to cope with. Too often we lose too much energy on worthless cases. At this time of restrictions, it is ideal to make it done with all the negativism which may be around you. Concentrate on the positive things and keep contact with positive people.

But do not forget if possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. With the restrictions, it can well be that you do not have many contacts, and when on the street some people may look strange at you or take an offensive attitude. Forgive them and think they are in a 'corona fear mood'.

We should be aware of the fact that denying someone your presence can also be considered as the ultimate punishment. Then you should think about that matter if this isn’t that God’s final judgment?

But now we can keep the distance of many people without having to hurt them. We can leave those aside with whom our relationship is not evolving positively. We best invest now in positive relationships and do not lose to much time with the wrong contacts.

Good and bad things in this world

There are many good things in this world, but also many bad things; Thee are also many things which may seem good but which are not so go for us. There are many tempting things which may bring us in situations where we are going to do things which are not always so good for us.

Those things which may bring us in temptation do not always show their true face. When we give in we call such an action sinning.

In the old times already warnings were given. Everything got notated in a Book of books, in which people could find advice and guidance.

We ourselves do have to be aware that we just can not be perfect, but also can not expect others to be perfect.  We also have to be careful how we look at others and do not judge them. By judging others we ourselves could be doing wrong. No man, except Christ Jesus was or is sinless. We may not have any illusion about that.

The one who makes us well and gives life was born long ago and after his death taken out of the dead, as an example to what can happen to us. To Jesus was authority given to to give eternal life.

We may wonder if we 'Can we not do what Jesus did?' but should know it seems to be impossible, but there is no reason not to try it.

It all started very early at the beginning of times, in the garden of Eden, when the fall of man pulled us all in a terrible situation and got many people doubted God's right to have dominion over us and to judge us.

Some may say that

a thing is good when on its own account it ought to exist, and bad when on its own account it ought not to exist. If it seems to be in our power to cause a thing to exist or not to exist, we ought to try to make it exist if it is good, and not exist if it is bad.

Though many try to bring things in existence which are not good at all. When a thing is good, it is fitting that we should feel pleasure in its existence. When it is bad, it is fitting that we should feel that there is something wrong with it. Somehow each person, like animals, has some inner feeling or instinct, of what is good or bad.

For many good means the same as desired, so

that when we say a thing is good we mean that it is desired.

 but man has many desires which are not at all good for him.Therefore we do have to be careful with such a definition of "good" and "bad".

You also might say

ethical preferences are a mere matter of taste,

and in a certain way they are and they can change by the standards of time. What might be considered the right way in one period of time may be considered the wrong way in an other period.

When people would listen much more to their inner voice, they would much easier know what is good and what is bad. Also when they would read the Bible and keep to its instructions there would be less difficulties in the world about the concern of doing good or bad, than everyone would have a correct guiding or measuring unit for goodness and badness.

This article is not meant to go deep into the matter, but is only provided to introduce the question and to present some interesting articles.

1. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 1
2. Forbidden Fruit in the Midst of the Garden 4
3. A Living Faith #4 Effort
4. Let not sin reign in your mortal body
5. No time for immorality
6. Integrity of the fellowship
7. Looking for something or for the Truth and what it might be and self-awareness
8. A voice and a Word given for wisdom
9. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation
10. The one who makes us well and gives life
11. Authority given to him To give eternal life
12. We are redeemed; we are “bought with a price”
13. Can we not do what Jesus did?
14. Salvation and Righteousness
15. Atonement And Fellowship 4/8
16. Atonement and the race been bought
17. Missional hermeneutics 5/5
18. May the Lord direct your hearts to …
19. Cognizance at the doorstep or at the internet socket
20. What Is Sanctification?

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Prayer for the day

For several prayers you can find at the bottom of the page a reference to the 'Tags'.  If you click on the English tag 'prayers' you will become connected to the pages in opposite order, namely the last firstly.
  We wish you inspired reading.

Dear God, heavenly Father, let this day be constructive for my further life.
Grateful for the offering of your son I also want to take up my cross this day and perform my tasks to very best possibilities.
 All the works of this day I dedicate toYou, forYour honor and Your glory, until salvation of my soul.  Lord bless me and keep me of all badness and let me join shortly in Your Kingdom .
  That I ask You in Jesus name, Amen.  

You can find other prayers, as for example:
Share your faith
Let us be in a state of grace
Not being proud
As I grow older, I think I would rather be known as
Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark
Preventing us from going window-shopping in prayer
Courage is fear that has said its prayers
God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind
Every day holds the possibility of a miracle
Nothing else matters
He who kneels before God can stand before anyone!
etc.

You also look for some more prayers at our sistergroup Bijbelonderzoekers.multiply.com

like:
Gift sugestions
Better Things
a.o.


Or find in Dutch some prayers under the tag 'gebeden':

Of vind Nederlandstalige gebeden op dit platform onder de verwijzings- 'tag' 'gebeden'
zoals o.a.
Ik ben die ben tegenover Ik ben die zal Zijn #8
Gebed om zegeningen #1B waarschuwing
Verlossing #3
Gebed voor de ledematen van de Kerk
Doen wij alles zoals Jehovah het ons beveelt
Problemen zien als gouden kansen
Welk doel voor ogen
Laat de vrede met jou zijn
e.a.

Of vindt de Nederlandstalige gebeden in de Nederlandstalige versie op ons zusterplatform Bijbelonderzoekers.multiply.com
met o.a.
Gebed voor vandaag
Chaos uit het verleden
Gebed als Verzoek tot verbinding
Langzaam groeien
God breng mij in staat van genade
Laat Gods beloften schijnen op jouw problemen
Laat ons bidden alsof wij het reeds verkregen hebben

Bevrijd mij van excessen van dit leven
God bewees ons zijn liefde
Ellende leidt tot volharding
God laat mijn meedogende genegenheid tolerant zijn en vriendelijk
Gelukkig de man die zijn vreugde vindt in het Woord van God
Onze tijd is slechts één maal
Een schat die mij alles kan geven wat ik nodig heb
etc.


maar ook andere zoals:
Keltisch Zegengebede
Gebed ter witwassing
Gebed als Verzoek tot verbinding
Langzaam groeien
Gebed voor sterke benen
Laat mij anderen van harte dienen
enz.

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2013 update:

Please do find to read:

1. Walking in love by faith, not by sight
2. Jesus and his God
3. How is it that Christ pleased God so perfectly?
4. Our relationship with God, Jesus and each other
5. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus
6. God receives us on the basis of our faith
7. A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
8. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
9. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
10. A Living Faith #7 Prayer
11. Praise and give thanks to God the Most Highest
12. Some one or something to fear #6 Faith in the Most High
13. Listening and Praying to the Father
14. The LORD protects those of childlike faith
15. God is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him
16. Feed Your Faith Daily
17. People who know how to pray to move God to take hold of our affairs in a mighty way
18. Give your worries to God
19. Does God hear prayer?
20. Does God answer prayer?
21. Prayer, important aspect in our life
22. Communion and day of worship
23. If you think you’re too small to be effective
24. Sometimes we pray and pray and it seems like nothing happens.
25. Prayer has the power to change mountains into highways

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1. The Bible and names in it
2. Creator of heaven and earth and everything aroundיהוה The Only One Elohim who creates and gives all
3. Does He exists?
4. The wrong hero
5. A god between many gods
6. God of gods
7. Only one God
8. Attributes to God
9. Jehovah Yahweh Gods Name
10. God about His name “יהוה“
11. יהוה , YHWH and Love: Four-letter words
12. Titles of God beginning with the Aleph in Hebrew
13. Archeological Findings the name of God YHWH
14. I am that I am Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh אהיה אשר אהיה
15. Hashem השם, Hebrew for “the Name”
16. The Divine name of the Creator
17. I Will Cause Your Name To Be Remembered
18. Some one or something to fear #1 Many sorts of fear
19. Some one or something to fear #2 Attitude and Reactions
20. Some one or something to fear #3 Cases, folks and outing
21. Some one or something to fear #4 Families and Competition
22. Some one or something to fear #5 Not afraid
23. Some one or something to fear #6 Faith in the Most High
24. Some one or something to fear #7 Not afraid for Gods Name
25. For Jehovah is greatly to be praised
26. Praise the God with His Name
27. Lord or Yahuwah, Yeshua or Yahushua
28. Prophets making excuses
29. Another way looking at a language #5 Aramic, Hebrew and Greek
30. The NIV and the Name of God
31. Use of /Gebruik van Jehovah or/of Yahweh in Bible Translations/Bijbel vertalingen
32. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
33. Developing new energy
34. Praise and give thanks to God the Most Highest
35. Listening and Praying to the Father

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Never too late to start going to the right end

"It's hard to follow God closely when your eyes are focused on everyone else around you."
- Unknown

When God turns away from us because of selfishness, it is not rejection.
Rather, it is an invitation to follow Him to a place we would rather not go.
- Brennan Manning

Who needs fathers? We all do.
We especially need our Father in heaven, who forgives our parenting inadequacies for Jesus’ sake
and who enables us each day with a fresh start.
Just as the loving father in Luke’s gospel welcomed home his lost son,
our Father will one day welcome us … together with all others who love and trust in Jesus.
- Dr. Rodney Rathmann

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."
Hebrews 10:23-24

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,
anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
- Carl Brand

It's never too late to start doing what is right.
- Charles Swindoll

"Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly
will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily."
- Johann Friedrich von Schiller

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
2 Corinthians 5:17

"He was made king, however, and returned home.
Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money,
in order to find out what they had gained with it.
"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your ten minas has earned ten more.'
"'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied.
'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'"
Luke 19:15-17

A lot happens around me, Lord.
Always let me see clearly and separate good things from bad things.
Make that I can work daily on myself and my environment so that they and I may make it to a successful end.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Nooit te laat om te beginnen met te gaan naar het juiste einde

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Related articles (2016 linkupdate)

• 05/24/2016 Scripture
• Righteousness, the Good and the Bad
• Thoughts on the Aging Process
• DIG for Wednesday the 18th of May.....forgiveness and reconciliation for all, but you still have to make a choice.....John 3 v 16
• Is That You?
• Spiritual Bread
• the Bible - God's guide for life #8 Looking to Jesus #1 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus
• Counted worthy to suffer dishonour
• Helping each other with prayer to start the new academic year
• Leading people astray!

From pain to purpose

From Pain to Purpose

A basic leadership principle says, "Go with your strengths" - take what you already do well and put even more energy into developing it. Yet God specializes in using our weaknesses to further his purposes. The apostle Paul had some sort of "thorn in the flesh," likely a physical weakness that God used to teach Paul to depend on him.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

In Business Terms ...
I think life is supposed to be difficult. A lot of life is grabbing your leg by the calf, jerking it out of the earth, putting it down in front of you, and going onward. With my disability, some days are easier than others. But for me, life is always difficult. These are issues I must face every single morning. Every morning somebody has to give me a bath in bed, dress me, lift me into a wheelchair, comb my hair, brush my teeth, fix my breakfast, cut up my food, and feed me. When it comes to the day-to-day routines of dealing with the paralysis, at worst, it's depressing; at best, it's boring. I can't live with those flat facts. I have to turn them, by God's grace, into something that has meaning and purpose.   Joni Eareckson Tada

Something to Think About:
He who can't endure the bad will not live to see the good.  -  Yiddish proverb

1 Minute Bible