Showing posts with label bullying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bullying. Show all posts

Monday 8 February 2016

Faith, storms and actions to be taken

Today it is very windy. Storms are coming over West Europe. With winds up to 150 km per hour and hail going against the windows we do hear a lot of noise.

In the past Jesus once stilled a storm and got the other men in the boat surprised, wondering who such a man could be that he had control over the weather. they were afraid of the storm but we can imagine that they also could get some fear from that man who could use his voice in such away that even wind and sea obeyed him. (Mark 4:41).
Tempestad Calmada.jpg

We have already read in Mark of Jesus doing many marvellous healings; a paralysed man, a leper, a man with a withered hand, etc., so that “his fame spread everywhere” (1:28): yet when he stills the storm and “the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (4:39) the  disciples of Jesus then asked each other “Who then is this?”.

Jesus had asked those fishermen to follow him and they had trusted him, being convinced this was a special man sent from higher regions, namely the promised Messiah. though at that time they probably still thought he would come to fight the Romans and get them liberated from this worldly oppression.

Knowing the risks at sea, that storm seemed to have come like not foreseen or not announced. They were very familiar with the lake, so we can imagine that they also knew how the water was behaving. But that time it seemed so different and they were really frightened. Surely they had learnt when there was a risk of weather of this this nature they would not venture out. Matthew, Mark and Luke all record this dramatic event, it was etched in their memory. It is described as “a great windstorm” and the “waves were breaking into the boat”.

As Jesus dramatically stills the storm, he asks, “Have you still no faith?” (verse 40). Faith is something which seems difficult to blend with mankind. People seem to have faith in lots of things, like being it dangerous to walk under a ladder, or to live on the 13th floor, having faith in a lot of people even making some of them into their gods. But having faith in God is a total different matter. who wants to believe in some one or something which can not be seen nor heard, nor felt?

Abraham is one example of faith we do have who showed what happens when a person has the right faith and does the right works. Lots of Christians do not want to believe we need to have works of faith, but in the Holy Scriptures we get many examples of people who showed their faith and got called righteous also because their works. We even find people like the prostitute Rahab and king David who had killed some one to have sex with his wife.

Though at moments going into the wrong the Old testament (and the New testament with Peter for example), shows us how they were taken by faith and regretted their wrongdoing. They repented and took the path of God.

Today we also see lots of people who live like the nation of Israel which had witnessed miracles, the plagues, walking through the sea on dry land and the destruction of the Egyptians armies at the hands of their all-powerful God – the one whose name / reputation was being established by these events, grumbling like their ancestors did against Moses [because of the lack of food (verse 2)]. Moses then could have said, “Have you still no faith?” and we also could ask those who got to know about those miracles and who received so many blessings if they still have no faith.

When we look at how the world is going we can see many who call themselves Christian, but have a life which is not worthy of a Christian. so called Christians do enjoy having sex with more than one person of the opposite or even same sex. Lots of them do not mind telling lies (so called for the good), or taking things from others (it is from work and as such does not belong to a person or would not do any harm, they say as excuse). They use public transport trying to avoid paying for their fair. They look for the cheapest bargain,no matter if their had to be children or other slaves working for it. they do not mind using articles with a big ecological footprint. Many of them also do not mind bullying others at work or in their club. They think they have to live today and not to worry about tomorrow.

Such attitudes we can hardly call an attitude of a real Christian.
Jesus in his parables also warns his listeners about the danger when we do not do the right works that we can miss the entrance of the gates of the Kingdom of God.

Are we willing to here that story or do we prefer to enjoy our life like we have ever done before? do we prefer to follow those teachers who mislead the world saying Christians are saved for ever?

We better listen to what is written in the Holy Bible and see that the storms of God’s judgements are starting to break out on this world. They are going to get worse. News bulletins are full of the detail of countries with problems and catastrophes.
We all need to really get to know our Lord and develop such a measure of faith that makes us certain God is in control whatever may come on this earth.

Meditate on James 1:5-8 and on the second chapter about faith and works.

Please also look at our series on From Guestwriters:


  1. Leading people astray!
  2. Restitution
  3. Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works
  4. Luther’s misunderstanding
  5. January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works
  6. Our life depending on faith
  7. Romans 4 and the Sacraments
  8. Is Justification a process?
  9. Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer
  10. Faith itself not the cause of justification – Louis Berkhof
  11. Letter to the Romans, chapter 3
  12. Letter to the Romans, chapter 4
  13. Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans
  14. Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4
  15. Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?
  16. James 2:14-23 — Justified Dynamic Faith & works
  17. James 2:24 – You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
  18. James 2:25. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

and read also other articles as:
  1. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
  2. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
  3. Christ’s ethical teaching
  4.  Being Justified by faith
  5. Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
  6. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  7. A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
  8. Faith and works
  9. Bearing fruit
  10. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
  11. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
  12. Be holy
  13. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
  14. Love for each other attracting others
  15. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus


Monday 31 October 2011

New articles for October 2011

While in September war was imminent according to Israeli commander and hundreds of thousands had come on the streets in Israel the Unites States and Europe found also many hundreds of people who were undignified whith todays situation.
In September Israel had attacked and Egypt had entered a severe crisis but the common people showed their anger and dislikes.

This month in the Ecclesia we gave attention on the Name of God and looked at its use in several languages and Bibletranslations.

Also the economic troubles and Bank tribulations could not escape our attention. After the American debacle, the Lehman Brothers brought a lot of Belgian people in a position where they lost all their savings. On top of that the Belgian Banks burned their soup as well.
Dexia-debacle met venijnig staartje.
Politically Belgium saw some light and got somewhere on the good way in the worst political crisis since it short existance. Doorbraak in grootste regeringscrisis van België

We discussed how a Christian has to behave him or herself in such a situation and which responsibility we do have to take about our environment.

We spoke about the many diversions people looked for and what sort of entertainment got him away from our real purpose and essence of life. We could see that also today we still have A god between many gods and that a lot of people still keep choosing for the wrong hero.


We showed that it has become more important today to know the importance of the Creator of heaven and earth and everything aroundיהוה. When we look at the world and see what human beings try to do with the creation we know that no mater what the world may be thinking we should honour always only The Only One Elohim who creates and gives all, but we should also dare to speak to Him using His Name. Though when we do hear many Christians speak, we hear them using strange words for a believer in the Most High and we do not often hear Gods real Name, but often we hear His titles used in a strange way, not really honouring the Elohim Hashem. Lots of Christians are afraid to utter their opinnion when it goes against the general contemporary attitude. they are afraid not going to be accepted by the community and fear to fail. Faal beter
Faal beter #2 Jij en de ander

We can wonder What is your greatest fear? not to use Gods Name?
Some one or something to fear #2 Attitude and Reactions
Some one or something to fear #3 Cases, folks and outing
Some one or something to fear #4 Families and Competition
Some one or something to fear #5 Not afraid
Some one or something to fear #6 Faith in the Most High
Some one or something to fear #7 Not afraid for Gods Name

In Flanders the population of the poor is growing fast and we can find more families where there is no possibility to consume three meals a day:Geen drie maaltijden voor kind. Several parents have no possibility to buy the necessary products for their children anymore. With the growing population some people are afraid that we shall not be able to feed all those mouths. From the several articles you shall be able to find out that God has foreseen in His Plan that we all shall be able to live nicely. So it can be interesting to look at the World Population Watch - see http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ - where a magic figure of 7 Billion  is brining a reality of acute awareness to take care of each other (- purely for interest not a doomsday prediction.)

Britain changes rules to the act of settlement. What does this mean and why is it significant? > CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEKS WWW 23rd - 29th Oct 2011‏

In > Niet winkelend we show how certain evolution in the belief of people made that we do came in a situation which is not worth for a civilised population to live in. In November we shall go deeper into that because professor Verhaeghe does not agree with what I am saying that a lot of what happens today in the financial and work market happens because of the loss of values and morals. We look also on what others think about The origins of Occupy Wall Street and about the Complex Equality. We also looked at the metaphor for the lost generation. >Metafoor over een generatie but also dare to say we to the great indignation question the incident in the university buildings in Brussels > Verontwaardigd over Indignados. (The photographs of the damage say enough about the attitude of certain people today.)
This outrage or outcry we hear today may be understandable, but how should we behave as Christians? To know how we best can react we also should try to understand all the parties and look at the historical and political situation.
Anti-Crisis anger calling out
Op straat voor waardigheid #1 Zieke broertje
Op straat voor waardigheid #2 Grote broer
Op straat voor waardigheid #3 de Rest van de Familie
Op straat voor waardigheid #4 de Erfenis

The economical crisis also showed that there is some division in Europe and questions the position of each individual in the system.Verdeeldheid bijgelegd.

Europe has enjoyed many decades of growth in wealth and well-being, based on intensive use of resources. But today it faces the dual challenge of stimulating the growth needed to provide jobs and well-being to its citizens, and of ensuring that the quality of this growth leads to a sustainable future. Humanity should be aware that it has become high time to take care of our neighbours, humans but also plants and animals around us. If we would like to have something to eat in a few years time, we shall have to do something against the pollution and about the greediness of certain people.

We have come to a position where we have many fragile creatures pushed in a corner of extinction. the stronger ones should come up for the weaker ones we discussed in the European Parliament:Kwetsbare mens in het Europa van morgen #1 Colloquium
Some think Christians may not rise their voice or may not interfere with politics, but we should be aware that we cannot let certain things happen. Also we do have to come up for the Creation of our beloved Most High Elohim. Therefore several believers came together to share their ideas of how to continue as a nation and to discuss which measures we all should take or how we can stand up as one nation to protect mother earth and show the world that it has to respect the Creation of the Most High Creator, though some humans themselves want to play for god creator. >Sense or nonsense of “Human Fragility”

In the mean time several protesters went on to the streets to show their indignation. But in Brussels and Rome some of those los Indignados showed how we as humans really should not behave. Los Indignados occpyed New York and other cities: Van Evere naar Occupy Antwerp. We are reminded of the Anarchy on the streets a few months ago. What can be learned from the August riots?

We did not only see violance against buildings, cars and parcs. Lots of damage is done to those who are very fragile in our community.

Violence against disabled children while we have to find four-in-10 disabled young ‘poor’.
We wonder what the prospects can be for our children and look at the position we as believers do have to take. We also should dare to call on the governments to recognise the urgency of the situation and take immediate steps to reduce child poverty. We should not think it is just an Aziatic, African, South-American and Flemish situation. There is also a Bleak forecasts for children in the UK .

How can we let it happen that in Belgium 1 in 6 children lives in poverty today?
Is there a hungerweapon? >Hongerwapen
Lappendeken als uithangbord? What can we offer those kids? Droevig vooruitzicht voor jonge kinderen. Therefore we looked also at the International Day for 
the Eradication of Poverty
and dared to asked what you would do and think of your life when you would die today >Indien u nu zou sterven. If Today Was Your Last Day On Earth?

would you be settled with what you think today? Would you be scared? > If Today Was Your Last Day On Earth?

Those children who live in poverty have a bleaker forecast because they cannot have a social formation in youth clubs or extra tuition in music, word or movement theatre. they also have more chances to be bullied at at school. this has really become something that happens more and more and we see it spreading in the work units of adults, where several people are already driven to take their own life.
Onbesef van pesten op school

Ecological economics in the stomach #1 Alarmbell
Ecological economics in the stomach #2 Resources
Ecological economics in the stomach #3 Food and Populace

The world had to loose one of those persons who recognised who is behind all the things we see around us. For many years she tried to get some damage undone which humans had caused to the Creation of the Most High. She tried to save humans by saving trees. > Tree Planter Maathai died

The world lost also a dictator and international terrorist. What are the implications for the Middle East now Gaddafi is dead? CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEKS WWW 16th - 22nd Oct 2011‏
His dead brought freedom for many. So also in Israel and Gaza people were happy for newly liberated friends. What is the significance of Israel releasing 270 murderers for one Israeli soldier? Could it be a prelude to conflict? What does the Bible say about this? > CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEKS WWW 9th - 15th Oct 2011‏

Going a little-bit further in the past: The Palestinians had voted at the Security Council and the UN General Assembly.  You can read what brother Andy Walton thought what might happen? > CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEKS WWW 11th - 17th September 2011‏

In summer the Bible Exhibition at Tewkesbury was blessed with well over 500 visitors in just 4 days! They have also had around 20 people sign up to the seminars. It shows that there are still people interested in hearing about God's word and his plan and purpose - even in these last and very dark days.

Perhaps in our writings we bring not such nice tidings, looking at all this misery, political difficulties, economical and other crimes, but we show also that we can have better prospects as well, but are ourselves also responsible for a lot of things which happen today and shall happen in the near future. Next month, going on about our stance in the Fragile environment I shall dare you to confront with the disastrous figures the scientist brought forwards at the congress in the European Parliament about Fragility. We then shall look with Dr.E. Herr at the relation between the Bible and the Cosmos and with Dr. Le Bichon how we shall be able to work for a better humane community when we try to bring others also over the border of our mysterious feeling and get as many as possible to see how we have to honour our Only One God by giving full honour also to His Creation.