CBM Europe Open Day - 7th Nov

Subregions of Europe (The World Factbook) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

CBM Europe Open Day - 7th Nov (God Willing) 13:30 at Coventry Grosvenor Road Ecclesia.

All are warmly invited to this event arranged to discuss the work of the CBM in East and West Europe.

CBM will commence with a series of short presentations on practical ways which have been used to meet some of the challenges of preaching the truth in Europe. This will be followed by a panel discussion around these issues.

The last session will be a devotional talk led by Bro Peter Brown on the theme *Sanctification and the promised inheritance*, with the meeting concluding around 5:30pm.

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Change of name

Dear followers of the blog "Christadelphian World".

The last few months in Belgium I tried to reconcile two big Christadelphian organisations and create the possibility that the different Christadelphians could meet with each other and having worship services together.
Instead of bringing us out of isolation it brought us deeper in isolation. Several accusations went from one side to the other and I at the end became not only the pingpong ball but the target for both organisations.

At last the man from the North succeeded first to censor some of my sites and got the United Kingdom organisation also against me.

Christadelphian Church (St Mark's Presbyterian Church, Queen's Hall), 28 Bath Road, Bournemouth, Dorset (Photo credit: Alwyn Ladell)

The last few months I have seen several unchristian reactions taken by those organisations that I really came to doubt the group of believers.

They have created many sleepless nights for me and got me worrying several hours but got me also checking everything from the past and checking the whole Christadelphian community. I contacted people I knew from the days before I became a Christadelphian, who were then Christadelphian but had by now left the community. Several of them gave the same reason of leaving the community as I am facing now.

The last few weeks I sincerely questioned once again my believes and compared them with other faith groups. To my regret there is no other church group which believes on all points the same as I do. I encountered naturally churches were there are people who do believe exactly the same as I do, but were it is also not the general trend. It is the same as with the Christadelphians, in those churches there are several groups with small or bigger differences.

Christadelphianism has very conservative groups, moderates and a very few progressive ones.
Up until now I belonged to the English Central Fellowship and was pleased to receive support from the Christadelphian Bible Mission or CBM. But with all the trouble of the man from the North, the CBM dropped me now, plus accused me of writing unbiblical articles, having links in my articles to others than their Christadelphians and having contacts with non-christadelphian people and organisations.

Like the man from the North, they would like to have everything under control.

I would like everybody to know I am not bounded or chained to any worldly organisation or any worldly person, except my wife because I am married to her. Jesus has come to liberate us from the chains of this world. My preaching is a work for God and not as such a work for a particular Group or Organisation. I am not married to Carelinks nor to CBM. You could say I am figuratively married to Christ.

I invite everybody to look at my writings on my other religious sites, Stepping Toes, my ecclesia site and on my site which was called Broeders in Christus or Brethren in Christ. They now get the "Free" added to their name, to announce I do consider myself like some other Christadelphians a "Free Christadelphian". There you can see what I do write and compare it with your own Bibles, and compare it with other Christadelphian and other Christian websites.

John Thomas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a few months time an already long ago planned series of early Christadelphian writings shall be placed on the Brethren site. This will proof that I still have the same believes as the founder of the Christadelphian movement, John Thomas.

Because I took again a lot of time to consider either changing or not of denomination, I was confronted by several Christadelphians who encouraged me to keep calling myself a Christadelphian, because I myself gave the answer in my questions and in my findings about other denominations and the Christadelphian believes.

There were also two other groups which some consider also to be Christadelphians whilst others look at them as an other denomination who would not mind taking me in their circles. One group would have meant a name change for my church. But at the end I thought, why would I change again of denomination.

I do fear what I have seen happening now with the CBM, I encountered already by the non-trinitarian Baptists in the 1980ies, having the Southern Baptist Union pressing their power onto others. They being trinitarian Baptists, made thousands of Baptist going to the Jehovah Witnesses and the Church of God, whilst others went to the Church of God of Abrahamic Faith, a few hundreds to the bible Students, a few to the Nazarene Friends and some like me to smaller non-trinitarian churches like the Christadelphians.

Those who went into the Jehovah Witnesses came in a severe controlling group but had most of their teachings in common with us, non-trinitarian Baptists. But we could not keep our name anymore because of the television productions where most people saw trinitarian Baptists and would get a wrong idea about our faith.

For that reason I shall keep the name Christadelphian, because it is a very good name, denoting being a Brother in christ, and that is what I want to be, and except the ideas of slavery and some end of day prognoses by John Thomas I adhere all the same ideas as those early Christadelphian writers.
I could not become a Jehovah Witness because there are "the pre-existence of Christ", Christ being the Archangel Michael, "the return of Christ in 1914", and the Faithful Slave or all saying and directing Watchtower Biblestudy and Tract society, in which I do not believe. No human is infallible. As such a pope or a few people in a group can not dictate what all other people do have to accept or leave the organisation. There is too much mind control in the Jehovah Witnesses organisation.

Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Though I do know Christadelphians have much more in common than they would like with the Jehovah Witnesses. Logically, because John thomas was one of the many bible Students who brought a whole new movement or reformation in the Christian religion. Charles Taze Russell, was one of the students of John Thomas. Russell founded the American Bible Students, and from some offspring directed by Rutherford came the Jehovah Witnesses. so Christadelphians, though they would not like to hear it are in some way 'family' from many other bible students and 'related' to the Jehovah Witnesses.

I only can hope they would not create such controlling bodies, though it looks like some people are trying to get a good grip on the different communities.

For now I decided to continue my preaching. Though some did many efforts to stop me, I shall continue to preach the Gospel of the good News. Financially and organisational wise I shall be very limited. I apologise to the subscribers of the Dutch magazine "Met open bible" which I shall not be able to distribute any more. Paperwork and posting shall be limited.
Those whom I send Glad Tidings I ask to do a request for the magazine at Glad Tidings themselves, but I can not send it free any more.
The same for the persons who requested literature. Sorry for those who waited already more than three weeks. I do hope they shall understand it is impossible to continue from my own family funds to buy myself and distribute those books of others. I advice my readers and those interested in Christadelphian literature or free Bibles to demand it at the publishers themselves.

This redirecting the last few weeks already to the Jehovah Witnesses to ask for their free Bibles, had upset very much the CBM and some other Christadelphians. But my till is just empty, sorry.

My spirit is not yet extinguished, so I shall try to keep going on. Some websites I shall close down and all links to those who do not want to associate to us shall be taken away by time and by request.

At the moment I shall keep linking in my articles to other articles, be it from trinitarian or non-trinitarian websites, because I strongly believe that everybody should be doing good research and should be able to compare with other writings to form a solid idea.

I do hope my readers can appreciate such linking and quoting. In case it is not appreciated or not worthwhile to put so much time in it, I shall stop doing so, but for the time being, I try to continue it on this Blogger site and on the different WordPress sites.

From March the 14th, 2014 several links will be taken away from the linking pages. I also consider going to link only to other webpages when they also link to my pages. In case we do not want to help each other than we do have to row on our own.

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Certain people trying to stem freedom of speech

This early morning I was very surprised to find my blog Christadelphian World blocked for public viewing because of a complaint to Google for inappropriate postings.

I am convinced this action against my writings and also taking away others to react on my writings is a breech of freedom of speech, plus a childish and cowardly action undertaken by a person living in a country which was part of the Soviet Union.  Though that person living it that country up North came originally from the United Kingdom he might have taken over dictatorial ideas of the previous oppressors.

He took care that my defence on the accusations he had made publicly were placed on my own website and where supplemented by other people who have seen the same atrocious action that person undertook in the Christian community.

His behaviour and managing to censure other people calls for the question how it is possible that one person can get so much power that he can silence those he does not like! This is bringing democracy and the freedom of speech in danger.

First of all I apologise to those people who made a comment on my articles:Duncan Heaster en Carelinks onverbiddelijke verhinderaars and No reconciliation possible between CBM and Duncan Heaster from Carelinks and could not find their remarks published. it sincerely is not my fault, and I find it strrange that I do not have any control over the texts that are written and comments that are made on the writing on thise platform. Very scary!

 I did send a request to Google to reconsider the accusation of inappropriate writing.

Either it was one person on his own who wants to silence me, or it is an organisation which backs their dictatorial leader and is prepared to do anything to please him, not considering if it is right and justified. The organisation which has the element "care" in in its name as such did not proof until know that it wants to care for those who want to share the love of God.  it also has the element "link" in its name, though since years our small community wants to link with other baptised Christadelphians which reside in Belgium. We also would have loved to give people who ask us for an address to meet, an address of a meeting place where they could find like-minded people.

It is because that person and his organisation do not want their members to meet with CBM members that it is impossible for us those who are in need of fellowship.

In the past we always have made advertisement for a book written and edited by the person who is against us. We also still said the last weeks, to people who phoned us to take contact with that organisation which refuses to arrange contacts with us. We did not mind to send them forwards to an organisation who did not want to share brotherhood with us. But for us it was more important that the people interested to learn about God and his Son could have regular fellowship and Bible study with people who believed in the same things we do.

For the same reason I also ask people when we can not reach them are they are unable to come to us, that they would take up a Bible study with the Jehovah Witnesses, and ask them to come to us if they have further questions. We also ask anybody interested to pose their questions on the internet itself.

Naturally when an other organisation seems to be able to stem the course of our replies, we have entered a very dangerous situation of an outsider bringing censorship on our own, and not their site.

Clearly someone of their organisation is taking much care to follow everything I am writing; Either there is a mole by my subscribers or there is someone taking much time to follow the many websites I present to the general public. In case there is a spy under my subscribers we do find it a pity such a person comes to us with such bad intentions and to cause such nuisance.

I do hope by Google would be people with more sense, than those childish persons who are fighting against such a small fly like me.

Though I must confess the Australian organisation of the above so called Christian and Christadelphian organisation seem to have weird ideas of my power. (See about that lower concerning taking somebody in fellowship and putting him out of fellowship)


In Belgium, we always have been open to the man who accuse me now of slander and who is trying to block me from writing. He even asked Facebook to withdraw me. Probably it is also him who asked Google to withdraw the writings on Blogger. (For that part I must say I do not know if it is him, so it could also have been somebody else who this time managed to do what the leader or the man living in Riga could not do).

We would have loved to welcome Mr. D.H. and people he had baptised in our midst and we did not want otherwise that those baptised Christadelphians in Belgium and Holland, would come together in unity. Our world is to small and we are not with enough to go into small units which would have no voice as such. Combined forces could do so much more.

Because in May 2012 we still had not come to a conclusion and could not have the so called caring Christadelphians meeting with us because the sir of the North refused us to fellowship with them, I called him Mr. ('mister') in the term of address, instead of 'brother', so the organisation took it as I had disfellowshipped him.


In October last year having seen that the person also was on a Christadelphians Unite Group and he himself asked for addresses of other Christadelphians I thought the time was ripe to come to reconciliation and offered him to join forces again. He kept refusing and coming back on my old writing.


We (the Belgian Christadelphians) let the person know that for us it would be best if we could bury the previous period of conflict as one to forget and make steps to rebuild trustworthy contacts. We wanted and still want unity and respect for all members in the Body of Christ.

After months of trying to come to reconciliation I at last went into the pen publicly and defended myself in front of those who questioned me. It was no intention of me to make false statements that could damage a person his reputation. The things brought forward in the Dutch and the English articles can be crosschecked for their viability. (In the comments I also had given a translation of the Dutch text in English and told the Flemish readers the part I forgot to write in the Dutch article but wrote in the English article.)

To Christadelphians we can show the files from the CBM and our discussions with D.H. and C.H. his wife, so that the readers of my articles can make up their mind and see if I did tell lies or that I reacted on facts which did really happen and where said by D. H..

After I had written the articles on this platform I got to know from a member of the Belgian Christadelphians that the organisation from Australia, with the C from Care in their name, would be willing to continue talks in case I re-installed Mr. D.H.

So in Australia they consider my talking to the person of the North by not calling him brother any more, would have included a worldwide taking away of his fellowship in the Christadelphian community. I would never have thought that I would ever be considered to be so powerful to be able to decide who can fellowship or can not fellowship in the worldwide community of Christadelphians.

So it was a strange reaction of that organisation. For my part there was no reason at all we would not take in Mr.D.H. as our brother.

! But what he has done now, after still refusing to have brethren and sisters in the faith meeting with each other, continuing to blame me and to assault me, accusing me of slander, plus him trying to block everything I bring into my defence, so that I could have the right to speak, makes reconciliation impossible.

I can only sincerely state that the whole situation of Mr. D.H. not allowing baptised C.l. members to have fellowship with our CBM baptised Christadelphians, in my eyes him not willing to have us meet together in Belgium, is an unchristian act, which after many trials to come to reconciliation got us nowhere further, except much more agitation and extra difficulties for our members with the CBM now too.

A person being able to stop having published reactions on what I placed in my articles, is a very dangerous person and also a very dangerous situation for the freedom of speech. It is a real infringement of what people should be able to share ideas and communicate with each other. Taking away such a possibility to communicate and to exchange ideas is going into the law of democracy and liberty.

I also do not know how it comes that I can have no control myself of what is written on my own webpages, and why I myself am not able to judge what can, may or could be added as comments to what I have written.

I wonder what organisation is behind such censorship and why they do not have to come those matters with the people involved.

All bloggers should be aware of such a dangerous situation of censorship by somebody, out of our control.

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Please do find the concerned articles where the comments disappeared:

 Duncan Heaster en Carelinks onverbiddelijke verhinderaars and

 No reconciliation possible between CBM and Duncan Heaster from Carelinks

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Priority to form a loving brotherhood

There might be people who do not like that others share the love of Christ with each other and do not mind being under Christ instead of being under one or the other organisation.

"Jesus Christ" - NARA - 559041 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Belgium we might have been under attack and have been surrounded by such a great cloud of unbelievers, having only a small amount of baptised brethren and several whom are baptised under Carelinks who do not get to know us, because their organisation does not bring us to their attention. You might think they could also look for other Christadelphians on the net and come to find us. But that does not seem to happen.

Having in between the battle of two organisations, CBM from the UK and Duncan Heaster with Carelinks on the other site, we got ourselves in trouble and annoied by two groups. Though we totally could understand the reason why CBM is so reluctant to accept Duncan Heaster in their community again.

He also accuses me now of slander because of my postings: Duncan Heaster en Carelinks onverbiddelijke verhinderaars + No reconciliation possible between CBM and Duncan Heaster from Carelinks.
A reply and justification by me shall be placed by those articles and shall needed to be added by the underneath words.

We in Belgium do not like the war going on between CBM and Carelinks, nor the war Duncan Heaster wants to keep going between me, Marcus Ampe.

Our priority is by bringing the Good News of the Gospel of the Kingdom and to form a loving brotherhood. For that reason we want to throw off everything that hinders and could get us into the sin that so easily entangles. Though we might not with many, we do prefer to be with a few who are willing to aim for the same goal. We want to reach people who are willing to believe in what the Bible tells us and who wants to take Christ Jesus as their cornerstone and not any human organisation.

To be able to follow the right path, we wish to find sincere people who are willing to share the Word of God with us. With all those who are prepared to put their own personal selfish "I" away and who want to become like one great family under Christ, we want to give out our hand.

We do want to run with perseverance the race marked out for us and therefore we do want to get rid off all obstacles this world wants to put in front of us.

The few members we do have in our ecclesia all do agree to fix their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. In him we do trust and want to find the cornerstone of that what has to be build in Belgium.

In case we do have to bear many crosses, we shall not mind to take up our cross in remembrance of the wooden stake Jesus died at. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in, we want to study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honour, right alongside God.

Facing the troubles in Belgium and seeing how certain persons try to get division in the community we might find ourselves flagging in our faith, but than we do know we should go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he ploughed through. What a pleasure we may find in the glorious task Jesus has done and has given his followers. That will shoot adrenaline into our souls!” Therefore we invite anybody who is willing to follow Jesus to join us and to look at him who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. May we ask all those who are not sure to consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that they, you nor we, will not grow weary and lose heart.

We do know we do have to endure hardship as discipline and are pleased we may offer ourselves as brothers of Christ or as sisters of Christ, being children of God. Yes because of Jesus his actions the relationship between God and man is restored and Jesus his Father accepted Jesus peace offer and is treating us now as His sons and daughters.

We have all had human fathers, to whom we had to be submitted and who disciplined us and we respected them for it. Christ Jesus broke the chains of the world and the chain of death, becoming a high priest for God and our mediator by God. It is not the human organisation of a company, church firm or denomination that shall give us the key to enter the Kingdom of God. No it is how we personally want to make a good relationship with the people around us, with Christ and with God. The Elohim does not ask you to submit to any worldly organisation, but asks you to submit to His Will and His commandments. It is by submitting to the Father of our spirits that we shall be able to live!

We should come together as brothers and sisters and feel united under Christ!

Therefore we do want to strengthen our feeble arms and weak knees and continue to go forwards, even when we just be on our own (knowing that Jesus would walk with us), with two, three, or a few more. It is not the quantity that counts for God but the quality.

In case we are not with many or in case more want to join us, we want to go together and feel that we are like mountain climbers, able to count onto each other! All ready to make level paths for our own but also for the other feet," {Proverbs 4:26} so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

We decided to make every effort to live in peace with all men around us and to be willing to set-apart those who are willing to share that love of Christ which should bound us in union. Together, even with not many, we will be prepared to see to it that no-one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Trying to protect the flock, being responsible for the Belgian ecclesia, I shall have to keep the bad things out and should avoid that further damage can be done.

I consider it one of my tasks, for the good of what has to be build up, to see that no-one is in no way immoral, or is godless. We may not sell our soul to any person or any organisation. Our soul (= our total being) should be under one leader of the Church and that is Christ Jesus the Messiah.

We have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." {Exodus 19:12,13; Hebrews 12:19-20}

I shall continue to bring people to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, even when other individuals or organisation may want to  have me trembling with fear. {Deuteronomy 9:19} For me the main issue is to bring people to Jehovah God, not to make them another member of a human organisation.
Though I do know we do have to have order and law, and are bounded by forms of organisation; but that organisation or church should be under direction of Jesus Christ his commands and not of personal gain.

I would love to bring more people together in an environment where they can feel at home and where they can share their ideas in peace. I would love to bring more people to come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant. I am not willing to see any battle going on.

No blood I would like to see, but the blood of Jesus who liberated us. In remembrance I would love to take the symbols, the bread and the wine, so that we who want to come together may confess in Jesus name. Created things can be disturbed and shaken but we may trust that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for or our "God is a consuming fire." {Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:28-29}

As such I would like to call all those who are willing to unite with the ones who keep on loving each other as brothers. I also would say we shall not forget to entertain strangers and will remember those in other parts of the world, but also those in prison as if we are their fellow-prisoners, and those who are ill-treated as if we ourselves were suffering. {Hebrew 13:1-3}

Though one or more persons, might do all the work to get us divided, we shall try to see over all persons and organisations and shall not fall in the trap of the love of money. Therefore, although our community in this small country may not have many means to survive we shall be content with what we have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." {Deuteronomy 31:6}

There are people in this world who would like to frighten us. To them I would like to say they may perhaps do a lot of terrible things to us here on earth, but we have a better future and hope and believe in what God has promised to them that stay faithful to Him.
So we, in this small country which is not old yet and perhaps can fall in pieces very soon, say with confidence, "Jehovah, the Elohim and Only One God, is my helper; we will not be afraid. What can man do to us?" {Psalm 118:6,7}

I and my fellow brethren shall remember our leaders, who spoke the word of God to us and consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith when they lived according to the commandments of God. And we shall not let us be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

To keep the teachings clear, we know the importance of gathering, the need of meeting with each other on regular times. It is at such meetings our hearts can be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. As brothers and sisters we should feel united under Jesus his name. We as brothers and sisters do find it important that we do good to each-other and do not keep things away from our other brethren and sisters. Those who intentionally do not allow other brethren and sisters to join with each other we consider have other priorities than to unite people under Christ. As brethren and sisters in Christ we may not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

It is important that all those who want to follow Christ can come together and that they help eachother to grow in the faith. Those making it not possible to share the faith we can not consider to be good at heart and having the right intentions nor the right heart to be a brother or sister in Christ.

We should pray for them and for the whole community that they may receive the heart of Christ and try to live accordingly.

As responsible for the ecclesia in Belgium I from my site have the responsibility to protect the community for false teachers, bad and false influences. Those in charge of the ecclesia do have  to take their responsibility and keep watch over those men and women who are willing to come under Christ and to be a member of the community, knowing that at the end all of us must give an account.

I would like to ask you also to pray for me and for our ecclesia, that we always shall obey God and that we may have a clear conscience and desire to live honourably in every way.

Let us all pray that those who want to follow Jesus Christ  may be guided by the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, and that He might equip us with everything good for doing His will, and that He may work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The UK album cover for the 1969 release of Jesus Christ Superstar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Preceding:

Not words of any organisation should bind you, but the Word of God

Continue reading:

Disciple of Christ counting lives and friends dear to them

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Please do find additional reading:

1. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
2. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
3. Faith
4. Do not forget the important sign of belief
5. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
6. Not enlightened by God’s Spirit
7. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
8. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
9. Choices
10. Always a choice
11. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
12. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
13. To be chained by love for another one
14. No man is free who is not master of himself
15. Fear and protection
16. Only the contrite self, sick of its pretensions, can find salvation
17. Choose you this day whom ye will serve
18. It is a free will choice
19. For those who make other choices
20. Your life the sum total of all your choices
21. Answering a fool according to his folly
22. You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone
23. What’s church for, anyway?
24. Feeling-good, search for happiness and the church
25. The one who has not had a taste of love
26. Casual Christians
27. Christianity is a love affair
28. The Law of Christ: Law of Love
29. What Jesus did: First things first
30. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
31. The Greatest of These is Love
32. A treasure which can give me everything I need
33. The task given to us to love each other
34. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love
35. God demonstrates his own love
36. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit
37. Unarmed truth and unconditional love
38. Unconditional love
39. The Spirit of God imparts love,inspires hope, and gives liberty
40. No fear in love
41. When we love we do not need laws
42. Love envieth not
43. Love turns one person into two; and two into one
44. Love is like playing the piano
45. Love will cure more sins than condemnation
46. If we love one another, God lives in us
47. Spread love everywhere you go
48. Love and cultivate that which is pure
49. Blessed are those who freely give
50. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
51. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
52. Work with joy and pray with love
53. Self-preservation is the highest law of nature
54. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
55. Growth in character
56. God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind
57. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
58. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
59. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
60. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
61. Parts of the body of Christ
62. Breathing and growing with no heir
63. God loving people justified
64. United people under Christ
65. Small churches of the few Christadelphians

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• Synagogue, Church or Ecclesia for the Christian
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• The Love of Christ Compels Us

Kleine gemeenschap in ongeïnteresseerde wereld

In deze wereld waar niet veel mensen geïnteresseerd zijn in God en gebod trachten wij, hoofdzakelijk via het internet mensen te bereiken die op zoek zijn naar een meerwaarde in hun leven.

Na vele omzwervingen kan het zijn dat mensen toch op een punt komen waar zij de waarde van de Bijbel beginnen inzien en deze samen met andere mensen willen bespreken. De als maar kleiner wordende kring van gelovigen kan gerust wat nieuw bloed gebruiken. Maar veel mensen worden afgeschrikt door de kleine gemeenschappen. Bij de Rooms Katholieken ziet men de aantallen tijdens diensten erg verminderen. Bepaalde evangelische groeperingen zien dan weer een toename op hun levendige diensten. De vraag die daarbij kan gesteld worden is wat de mensen daar naartoe brengt.

De Broeders in Christus in België komen eigenlijk in een woestijn terecht. Hier is niet bepaald een vast staande structuur of eeuwenoude basis waar de broeders en zusters op kunnen bouwen. Men zou kunnen zeggen dat onze gemeenschap in België nog in haar kinderschoenen staat.

Zoals alle kinderen moeten wij groeien en moeten ook wij durven geduld uit oefenen om deze groei goed te laten verlopen. Het grootste probleem dat wij tegen komen is dat zulk een kleine gemeenschap vele mensen afschrikt. Men is bang op te vallen doordat er geen massa is waar men zich achter kan verbergen. Ander probleem is dat wij spijtig genoeg over heel België geen bereik hebben of niet kunnen rekenen op gelovigen die daar samen kunnen komen op regelmatige tijdstippen.

Spijtig genoeg willen de Carelinks Christadelphians niet samen gaan met de Christadelphian Bible Mission of CBM-Christadelphians. Hierdoor kunnen wij in Vlaanderen en Antwerpen de mensen niet mededelen waar zij regelmatig naar samenkomsten van Christadelphians kunnen gaan. De Belgische Christadelphians die aangesloten zijn bij de CBM zijn door deze impasse in de onmogelijkheid gesteld om voldoende mensen te kunnen opvangen of door te sturen naar gemeenschappen waar zij terecht zouden kunnen komen. Nochtans mag dat geen hinderpaal zijn om te blijven uit kijken naar mogelijkheden om een gemeenschap te vormen in de toekomst.

Men moet de stappen durven ondernemen om als gelovige voor de Waarheid te kiezen en hier voor recht op de benen te durven blijven staan, ook al is men met weinig. Indien men dat Ware Geloof ook aan anderen kenbaar wil maken houdt niemand de anderen tegen om samen gemeenschap te vormen en al was het om samen in de eigen woonst een huiskerk te maken. Zo moesten de eerste Christenen ook gemeenschap vormen.

In België moeten wij de toestand een beetje aanschouwen als in de tijd van de eerste Christenen en moeten wij op de kale gronden proberen het geloof te verspreiden en een gemeenschap van Christenen te vormen die bereid zijn om samen God te dienen.

Het zou heel fijn moest u in de toekomst ook deel willen uitmaken van de gelovigen die sterk willen staan in het Evangelie.

Wij willen graag zo veel mogelijk opbouwende lectuur aanbieden en kansen geven om samen ons geestelijk te verrijken en aan te moedigen om vooruit te gaan op het pad dat Jezus Christus voor ons geopend heeft.

Mogen wij u dan ook vriendelijk uit nodigen om met onze lectuur verder kennis te maken en hopen dat u onze meerdere websites een regelmatig bezoek zal brengen om u te laten inspireren?

Vindt meer over die kleine gemeenschap en waar zij voor staan: Christadelphians kleine gemeenschap maar sterk in geloof

}  Website Belgische / Belgian Christadelphians: http://sites.google.com/site/belgianchristadelphians

}  Broeders in Christus België: http://broedersinchristus.wordpress.com/

}  Ecclesia Brussel-Leuven: http://christadelphians.wordpress.com/

}  Ons internet Lifestyle magazine Stepping Toes: http://steppingtoes.wordpress.com/

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Society (Photo credit: Rétrofuturs (Hulk4598) / Stéphane Massa-Bidal)

 

 

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