Showing posts with label future. Show all posts
Showing posts with label future. Show all posts

Monday 28 December 2015

No curtain placed over tomorrow





Don't throw a curtain across tomorrow... the star of its performance just may be you !



'I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made... my frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret...Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them.' Psalm 139:14-16

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Nederlandse versie / Dutch version: Gooi geen doek over morgen

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Wednesday 1 December 2010

You God hold the future

All About the Future
All About the Future (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"I don't know what the future holds;
but I do know who holds the future."
- Unknown

"And all these, having gained approval through their faith,
did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us,
so that apart from us they would not be made perfect."
Hebrews 11:39-40


Today's suffering has nothing in comparison with
the magnificence that
will become revealed in us.
Let me be able to
carry this
and let me full
hope look at the magnificence
that will become
reality for forever,
Your Kingdom.
Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: U God houdt de toekomst in handen


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2016 linkupdate

Monday 14 June 2010

A concrete picture of what is to come in the future

The Bible gives us a concrete picture of what is to come in the future: the Kingdom of God. The coming Kingdom is to be a political reality, based upon the earth on which we live. It can therefore be revealed to us in terms which we can understand. The hope set before us is not that of going off to some unknown place when we die, but of living again in a material body (though different in nature) on the earth on which we now live. We look, not for something totally new and different, but for the present state of things on earth to be changed and improved. The changes will be very great and the improvements vast, but it will still be the earth on which we now live. We can relate what the Bible says about this future age to what we know the world today is like. Freedom from disease, no war, agricultural plenty - these will be part of the age to come, and we can contrast such things with today's world and look forward to this new age.

Continue reading >
Nature of the afterlife

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2016 linkupdate

Tuesday 8 June 2010

The Bible is a today book

Open bible 01 01
Open bible 01 01 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
"The Bible says little to us about what to do tomorrow. It is a today book.
‘now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’
and ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts’.
Let us be today people.
Share the gospel today. Read the Word today.
Help the poor today. Share a caring word or act today.
Let us do this then, when tomorrow is today, let us do it all again."
Alan Hermann
Dutch translation / Nederlandse vertaling > Bijbel boek voor het heden

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2016 linkupdate

Monday 24 May 2010

Bible a guide - Bijbel als gids


Jehovah has given us a guide to lead us through life
and to give us a view to a better future.

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Jehovah heeft ons een gids gegeven om ons door het leven te leiden
en een uitzicht te geven naar een betere toekomst.

Thursday 11 March 2010

Trust the future to God


“Let the future not agitate you. You will meet it,
and if you must with the same weapons of reasoning
with which you arm yourself today against the present.”
 - Marcus Aurelius

"The future is something, which everyone reaches
at the rate of sixty minutes an hour,
whatever he does, whoever he is."
- C. S. Lewis

“Be never frightened to trust an unknown future to a well-known god."
 - Corrie ten Boom

"Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders,
making the most of the time."
Colossians 4:5

“Continue buying out for yourselves the appointed time, because these days are wicked.”
Ephesians 5:16

God, make me competently for this time to endure and full good courage to look out to the Day of the Lord.

Dutch version / Nederlandstalige versie > Vertrouw de toekomst aan God toe

Tuesday 29 December 2009

Coming to the end of the year



exhort from Bro John Aldersley ( NZ )



SOMETHING TO CHEW ON
A little boy was counting the number of times the malfunctioning clock chimed and much to his amazement, the clock struck thirteen times. He quickly ran to his mother exclaiming, "Mother, its later than it has ever been before!"
Although the clock may be incorrect, the little boy's statement is truer than he realizes. It is later than it has ever been before. Paul put it plainly when he said, "now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."
As we come to the end of each year, we realize that we are nearer to the return of our Lord than we have ever been before. Wev'e heard some complain when they hear talk like this and they almost parrot the words that Peter attributes to the scoffers which say, "where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."
Now of course, no true believer would say this, yet if we become impatient when we hear of the coming of the Lord and say, "we have heard this since we were a child and he still has not come," we might not be looking for him with the eager anticipation that Paul and Peter wanted us to have.
Actually the return of Christ is only a heart beat away for any of us. For those who have died, (fallen asleep in the Lord) Christ has come, for their next conscious moment will be in the presence of their Lord. We which are alive and remain, need to feel the urgency of the times and realize that there is a day "when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." That day is nearer than it has ever been before and we are well advised to prepare for it as if it were tomorrow.

As we count down the few remaining days of each year, we should be thinking: "what have we done in the 360 plus days behind us that really mattered eternally?" We have lost count how many times we may have brushed our teeth or the number of hours we slept away, but what did we do for Jesus? When we face him at his judgment seat he will expect us to be able to answer that question. Can we answer it now? If we have trouble answering the question now, it can serve as a warning, so that we will be able to have a better answer for the days that may be ahead of us in the new year to come.

Many firms find that goals are more easily accomplished if quotas are set. They have production quotas, sales quotas, etc., and perhaps if we set a few quotas of our own we would accomplish more.

Visit a needy soul, read at least one good book every month, do our Bible readings every day. We can all think of many more to add to our list.
Now, of course, we can do these things without the aid of a formal quota but perhaps we would be more efficient in the use of our time if we rationed it out.

When it comes right down to it, we are each going to be accepted or rejected by Christ according to the way we used our time. We each have been created equal in this one respect for we all have 24 hours each day, but some place a higher value upon it than others. Our future is going to be determined by the way we spend our time.
As we see the years draw to an end, can we be accused of having filled them with eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building? None of these things are a sin in themselves but they are all things that take up our time, our energies and our thoughts. If this is all we did in the year we had better plan to put God first in our lives in the days that are ahead or we will be no better than the citizens of Sodom who were accused by Jesus of doing these things and having no time for God.

"See then that you walk circumspectly," says Paul, "not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." "Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

As each new year approaches, we wonder what will happen during the new year. It could very well be that it will be the year of the start of circumstances in Israel that will shortly lead to the return of our Lord. We are living in a great age whether or not we are of a great age. Let us each live each year as if it were our last, whether we are 16, 60 or 101.
How can we do that? By realizing that there is really only one purpose for our individual existence. When Jesus comes to call us to his judgment seat, that moment is the end of our mortal life as we know it. At that point we will either become immortal and live forever, which will make 101 seem like a tiny speck of time, or we will be destroyed; and that will mean that our entire life of however many years will have been a total waste.
We are now determining which verdict will be ours. It is the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, so we know He wants us in it.

What does the future hold in store for us that is more important than the kingdom? A new job, money, a sport, a new home? These things will seem unimportant when we face the Lord Jesus Christ and he asks us, "What have you done for me?"

How wise we are to decide to make the start of the year our year for the Lord. It will be a great year if we do. It will be a disaster if we don't, no matter what else we may achieve.
If we completely surrender ourselves to God in the new year, He will cause all things to "work together for our good" for "the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry."

Some of the things that would have upset us and many of the trials that would have caused us concern will no longer bother us, for we will have learned in whatsoever state we are in, therewith to be content.
Yes, the year ahead can be the best year of our life if we live it as if it were our last. Even if it isn't, it will be better because we lived it wholly and totally for the Lord. Let us decide right now that we will do our ultimate best to surrender our lives to God. We join Paul in exclaiming, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

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Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Nu wij naar het einde van het jaar komen

Monday 7 December 2009

Finish each day and be done with it


“Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely
and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is no situation so chaotic
that God cannot from that situation,
create something that is surpassingly good.
He did it at the creation. He did it at the cross.
He is doing it today.
- Handley C. G. Moule


"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Matthew 6:34

God I ask You that I always, with the right attitude,
will look up to You and will count on Your leadership.
May I make the most of every day
and that I can be a sign for others,
under whose guidance I am.
Dutch version / Nderlandse versie > Eindig elke dag en maak er mee gedaan

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past


"Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past,
what to enjoy in the present, and what to plan for in the future."
- Arnold H. Glasgow

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."
2 Timothy 4:7-8

Jehovah, let me from the past only remember the good things and take care that in the present I shall only experience the right things. That your wishes are fulfilled on earth.
That life lessons shall not be too heavy and shall not test me to much. I ask you that they will build a bright future and prepare the road for Your Kingdom, that hopefully can come quickly.


Dutch version / Nederlands > Gelukkig is de persoon die weet wat te onthouden van het verleden
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2013 update
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Wednesday 29 April 2009

A Living Faith #5 Perseverance


Perseverance
Having accepted the wisdom of listening, taking to heart the Word of Yahweh and the effort that must be made in order to develop a living faith. We will come to realise that effort needs to be sustained if we are to put the Commandments of Christ into daily action, despite our failures. We are but dust and very easily forget! Perseverance is the next essential ingredient required in order to develop a living and active faith. Paul speaks of a progression of events:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:1-4

We are utterly undeserving of the grace Yahweh has extended towards us. Faith brings justification by grace, in that God is willing to count faith as righteousness through the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet the value of faith and willingness to be obedient to the Word will be tested by trials and tribulations. Therefore, Paul reminds us that faithful endurance of tribulations will generate perseverance, which in turn will develop an individual’s character by a putting on of the mind of Christ. Faithful perseverance gives rise to hope. Yet that hope is not directly seen, for the fulfilment of faith still lies in the future. Indeed as Paul comments, if we saw that which is hoped for, we would not still hope for it:

“For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” Romans 8:24-25

Faith and hope know that the promises of God are real and certain. Faith believes that His Word does not change and that His promises will be fulfilled. Thus hope springs forth from that certainty. The value that we place upon His Word, will determine to what extent we are willing to persevere in order to attain the fulfilment of His Word. The value that we place upon His Word will also determine the amount of effort put into obeying His commandments.

If His Word is our greatest treasure, then we will indeed look forward with eager anticipation, desiring to become like the Lord Jesus in character and manner of life. Developing ‘Christ-like’ characteristics is contrary to our natural human nature. Thus those changes in character will only come stage by stage, one step at a time. It will require perseverance and dedication, but that is what having a living faith is all about!

There can be no half hearted measures, no trying to do the bare minimum. There can be no personal compromise of scriptural standards. There can be no compromise and no fraternising with those who do not follow sound doctrine and thus are not in fellowship. Attentiveness and attention to detail in putting the Word into practice daily is required. Peter describes the process of one Godly characteristic being added to another, he says:

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,   to knowledge self–control, to self–control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Peter 1:5-8

Honest self examination will show how each one measures up to those qualities. The way will be hard; it will take a lot of effort and personal sacrifice to overcome our sinful nature. We will fail many times and frequently face the stark reality that we do indeed come very far short of what Yahweh requires of His children. Many times we will look inwardly and observe a singular lack of virtue, knowledge, self control, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. Maybe there will also be times when we despair of those attributes ever being found within us, giving rise to a feeling of abject unworthiness.

But the attribute of perseverance will help us through such times. A living faith will drive us forward, strong in the knowledge that Yahweh is very merciful and has shown His love by providing the Lord Jesus as the means of atonement, the one through whom salvation can come. Thus rather than despair, faith will endure, remaining hopeful to the very end. James speaks of the blessings wrought by endurance saying:

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord––that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” James 5:11

Yahweh is compassionate and merciful indeed towards all His children who hope in Him. But perseverance and endurance will require a willingness to make sacrifices. Job lost much, indeed all that he had, but counted such loss as more than worthwhile saying:

"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21

We note that Job acknowledges that all he had came from God, whose right it was to give and whose right it was to take should He so wish. In either state Job praised the name of the Lord. Job further said: Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10

Herein lies a lesson for us to thank Yahweh both in times of plenty and in times of adversity. We owe Him all, even life itself. The very fact that we live, have opportunity to know His Word and be part of His purpose, is in itself more than sufficient cause for praise. We do not deserve anything and have rights to nothing; anything Yahweh chooses to give is an act of love and mercy.

The adversity of Job was not wrought out of unkindness, but rather out of love, Yahweh having prepared something better for Job. Though Job did not understand why these calamities had come upon him, Yahweh had an end in mind that Job could not at that time see. Those calamites were designed to teach Job a spiritual lesson and as a result Job is set before us in scripture as an example of faithful perseverance. After the trail of his faith and the refining process that he endured, Job concludes: "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.” Job 42:5

Job knew of God and knew about God, but after all his calamities and trials he learned to truly know God. This same lesson we must also learn though the trials and tribulations found within our own personal lives and circumstances. But it is a lesson that will only be learned if we persevere in putting the Word into practice day by day to the very end.

To be continued….. A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice

Andy Peel


In this series:

A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
A living faith #2 State of your faith
A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
A Living Faith #4 Effort
A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
A Living faith #7 Prayer
A Living Faith #8 Change
A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
A Living Faith #11 My place in the body of Christ and my ecclesia
A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus

Of interest: >
Faith Requires a Basis

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2016 linkupdate