Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts

Monday 9 March 2020

Offering words of hope

Today lots of people clinch to social media to find a virtual world which seems better than the world they encounter in real life.

Lots of people create themselves their own virtual world, with their virtual friends, but are missing the real-life contacts which build real friendships.

Churches have become empty and people disinterested in God and the Church.

The Church has to come to find new energisers and spiritual leaders who are full of energy to magnetise others and to attract people, curious for finding out what might inspire those people so much that they are so energetic and full of those words they can proclaim with so much fire.

The church also needs people who are willing to have an eye and an ear for what is going on and to be encouragers. They need to be willing to listen to those around them.

It is out of the abundance of God’s presence in their life that there must be 'disciples of Christ' who want to follow in the footsteps of the siciples of Christ, going out in the world, spreading the Good News and caring for the needs of others then becomes a natural outgrowth of faith.

The contemporary church leader has to give the priceless gift of understanding when he or she hears and responds. It’s not that we need to solve someone’s problem. With courage and optimism, however, we can offer words of hope. Recognizing this good, creative, valuable aspect in someone’s life, offers huge encouragement.

As a follower of Jesus, we are called to love one another. One expression of this love is through encouraging words. Many scripture passages tell us to voice words of comfort and strength.
 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  
We are siblings in Christ with believers all over the globe. Each of us has a role. Gifted with talents and abilities, we serve to care for those in need. Together we can (and do!) make a difference. 

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Preceding

Church indeed critical in faith development

Tuesday 2 February 2016

Evil in this world not bringing us down

 
Whilst evil threatens to overcome the world let us look for the Good and follow the Way.
We have been given God's Word to make us stronger and to be able to resit to evil.

By the Word of God we are given hope in which we can rejoice. By the message of the Holy Scriptures we can “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” Romans 5:2– and may this sustain us in “our sufferings”.

We may look ahead to Paul’s wonderful point in chapter 8,
 “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (verse 18).
May we, by God's grace, be a part of his kingdom age.

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Monday 25 April 2011

A cheerful heart filled of hope good medicine


A Jewish proverb observes,

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Paul, a first-Century follower of Jesus, emphasized hope:

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope. . ."


Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Een vrolijk hart vol van hoop goed medicijn
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2015 August update:

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Dying or not

Are there people who have no death in them? According to Scriptures nobody is going to escape death. Since what happened in Eden we all have to face pain, ageing, deterioration, dying. Immortality is not given to us worldly people.

We are all going to die, which means that we are going to cease to exist until resurrected.  In death, the grave, there is no knowledge, no remembrance, no praise. There is no extra element of us, an extraordinary being or sort ghost which is going to live on. Man is dust and to dust he returns (see Genesis 3:19; Job 10:9; Psalm 90:3).
A separate soul was not joined to a prepared body when we came into existence on this earth. We were born by receiving the breath of life.  Man became a living soul (being RSV) when the breath of the spirit of life was breathed into his nostrils. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7, KJV).


All our live we may have chosen to follow God, but this even lets us not live on after our death. Once we come to that point we also shall not be able to feel or do anything anymore. Even not praising God.
"For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in Sheol who can give you praise?" (Psalm 6:5)
"What profit will thee be in my blood when I go down to the pit?  Shall the dust praise thee?  Shall it declare thy truth?" (Psalm 30:9) "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence" (Psalm 115:17). We shall not be able to do anything, even not praise God. Because we would be like in a deep sleep. And we have to wait until we got woken up by Jesus like he called Lazarus (John 11:11). In "the last days", when God will show His power once more on the earth, at "a time of trouble such as never was "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:1-2). Some people will be raised from the dead when Jesus comes and others will sleep forever in the dust of the ground.

We die and return to the earth. If we have died "in Christ" we have that marvellous hope that we will rise again to eternal life. But that is not going to happen straight ahead after our death. That's why believers who have died in the new testament are said to be "asleep" while those who "understand not" as the Psalmist puts it have been destroyed.
Subjectively the dead have no sense of time between the moment of death and that of the resurrection. Objectively, thousands of years may have passed before they shall get resurrected.

“If (God) should set his heart on it, if he should gather to himself his spirit and his breath, All flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust” (Job 34:14,15) and stay dust, but He has given His promises and by those we do find life.

Whilst it is easy to focus on the mention of dust, and to think of the bodily corruption that occurs when anybody dies, think instead about what is being told us about life.
Life is a gift from God. He energised Adam in the Garden of Eden and made it possible for mankind to come into existence and He has perpetuated the race that Adam and Eve fathered.
Someone once said about God: “He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25), and that generosity is evident all around us, all the time.  Life is the most marvellous thing we
possess: it is God’s free gift to all of us.

He gives and we receive. He is the source of life and we are creatures dependent upon Him. When our breath leaves the body, try as we might, we cannot get it back. Nobody can bring a dead body back to life: when it is dead it is dead. So here is a stark reminder of the difference
between God and mankind: He is immortal and we are not. The Bible often makes that  distinction and that is hard for some people to accept, but see for yourself.

It is our Almighty God who has given immortality to His angels and to only one man. Namely Jesus who at his return to earth will manifest in his own time.  It is this Jesus who shall appear "our Lord Yahshua the Messiah: Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting.  Amen." (1 Timothy 6:14-16 KJBPNV)

If we want it or not, we are the lesser one. We are always given up to death. “For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11); “Here mortal men receive tithes…” (Hebrews 7:8).

God alone has inherent immortality. He is the only one who is eternal. Though certain Christian denominations proclaim that we become eternal, this shall always be impossible because we always had somewhere a beginning. And a person who had a beginning can not be eternal because that is one of the implications of eternity, having no beginning and no end.

We are mortal – dying creatures. But God, who first gave mankind the breath of life, can also give us life that lasts forever. The Bible calls this “eternal life” or “immortality” but there you have to be careful how you want to understand that immortality. Please do have before your eyes that you have two forms of immortality: 1. having no way to die or 2. the one (how I would put it and believe in) were we have the possibility in us to die but are give (by grace) the possibility to stay for ever, which is to stay a life in eternity. Here’s one of God’s promises about that wonderful
prospect: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). It is that life for eternal what we can get, because Jesus brought his Ransom Offer. "I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concernmg them which are asleep (he means in death), that ye sorrow not, even as the rest who have no hope .... For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven ... with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise . . ." (1 Thessalonians 4:13,16) Christ personally (note "himself") will descend from heaven; and the faithful dead will rise-from the grave of course. Here are basic teachings which are found throughout the New Testament. They are foundation truths of the Gospel. ". . . The hour is coming, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his (Jesus') voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29).

The bad news is that we could earn death; the good news is that there is an alternative. We could be given eternal life: the chance to live forever in a perfect world. What a choice and
what an opportunity!

The reward of the righteous does not consist of some "spirit existence" somewhere; it will be the granting of an incorruptible body, one that will not waste away and perish as our present one does, but will no longer be subject to death.

Not having to endure pain or to be frightened to hurt ourselves or to die we shall be able to enter the "paradise" of the new Kingdom of peace and joy which Christ will establish when he returns to the earth.

Those who have listened to what God has to say, have taken the time to understand it, and who have made those promises their life’s aim, they shall, when they have repented and chosen to keep God's Commandments, be able to trust the Lord and shall receive the opportunity to live for eternal in God's Kingdom as true members of the family of God .

The Bible explains that we must be baptised if we want to enter the Kingdom of God and start to live with Him, here and now. It was the Lord himself who said: “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3) and he went on to explain that this means that we must be born again “of water and the Spirit” (3:5). do not postpone it, because you never what tomorrow brings.

Dutch version / Nederlandstalige versie: Al of niet onsterfelijkheid

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope

"Without God there is for mankind no purpose, no goal, no hope,
only a wavering future, an eternal dread of every darkness."
— Jean Paul, a German Romantic writer (1763-1825)


"Naught but GOD can satisfy the soul."
Philip James Bailey, English poet, author of Festus


"It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God,
to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits,
and humbly to implore His protection and favor."
— George Washington


"Only he who can say "the LORD is the strength of my life,"
can say, "of whom shall I be afraid?"
Alexander Maclaren, a merchant and Baptist preacher (1826-1910)
"This was the purpose of the whole creation,
that man should recognize and know Him and give praise to His Name."
— Nachmanides, a Catalan rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator (1194-1270)


“... that you may know that the earth is Jehovah’s.”
Exodus 9:29


 “For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords,
the great God, the mighty, and the terrible,
who regards not persons, nor takes reward.”
Deuteronomium 10:17


 “You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:3


 “That they may know that You alone, whose name is Jehovah,
Are the Most High over all the earth.”
Psalm 83:18


 “Jesus answered, The first (commandment) is,
Hear, O Israel; The Lord
(Jehovah/Yahweh) our God,the Lord is one:”
Marcus 12:29



Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Zonder God geen reden, geen doel, geen hoop

2013 update:
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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

Friday 14 May 2010

Suffering redemptive because Jesus redeemed us from sin

surrendersacrifice has posted a new topic entitled "Why is suffering redemptive?" in forum "General Theology" on Bible Truth.

Suffering is redemptive because Jesus redeemed us from sin through His suffering.  Jesus invites us to join Him in His redemptive work by allowing us to enter into His suffering (which we encounter while doing His work) (Colossians 1:24).  Therefore, to be worthy of Christ we must deny our self, take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 10:38 & 16:24; Mark 8:34; & Luke 9:23 and 14:27). Even the personal sufferings we encounter in life when suffered with faith in Christ (which means that we believe that God will bring out of our suffering) is redeeming because it produces endurance, character and hope (Romans 5:2-3); enables us to overcome sin; and enables us to share in His life (1Peter 4:1-2 and 1 Peter 2:19-21).  Suffering makes us humble; humility teaches us to rely on God; and reliance God frees us of selfishness (which is the cause of all sins). Quite often we are afraid of suffering, however we must remember that Jesus will lighten our burden (if we trust Him) (Matthew 11:30); and that the sufferings of the present is nothing compared to the glory that awaits those who trust Him (Romans 8:18).

Friday 22 January 2010

Just an Ordinary Day


"Sometime some ordinary day will come,
A busy day like this - filled to the brim
With ordinary tasks - perhaps so full
That we have little thought or care for Him.

And there will be no hint from silent skies,
No sign, no clash of cymbals, roll of drums;
And yet that ordinary day will be
The very day in which our Lord will come."
- Unknown

"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others;
but let us watch and be sober."
1 Thessalonians 5:6

"Looking for that blessed hope,
and the appearance of the glory of the great God,
and of our Saviour Jesus Christ."
Titus 2:13

God Our father, I ask You that I can look out with peace of mind
to the last Judgement day
and that I will have the opportunity to enter Your kingdom.
Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Enkel een Gewone Dag
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2013 update:
 
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Tuesday 29 December 2009

Heed of the Saviour

“For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:” (1Co 1:26 ASV)

 “Wait for Jehovah: Be strong, And let thy heart take courage; Yea, wait thou for Jehovah.” (Ps 27:14 ASV)

 “but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.” (Jas 1:14 ASV)

 “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;” (Ro 3:23 ASV)

 “and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory,” (Ro 9:23 ASV)

 “I love Jehovah, because he heareth My voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, Therefore will I call [upon him] as long as I live.” (Ps 116:1-2 ASV)

 “For thou hast delivered my soul from death, Mine eyes from tears, [And] my feet from falling. I will walk before Jehovah In the land of the living.” (Ps 116:8-9 ASV)

 “Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. To him [be] the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1Pe 5:5-11 ASV)

 “Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah: Thy blessing be upon thy people. [[Selah” (Ps 3:8 ASV)

 “(for he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, And in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation):” (2Co 6:2 ASV)

 “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard;” (Heb 2:3 ASV)

 “God is unto us a God of deliverances; And unto Jehovah the Lord belongeth escape from death.” (Ps 68:20 ASV)



Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Acht slaande op de reddende

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2016 update
 

Friday 4 December 2009

Wisdom lies deep


"Wisdom lies deep.
You have to dig for it:
sweet when found."
- Robert Roberts

"But from there you will seek the LORD your God,
and you will find Him if you search for Him
with all your heart and all your soul."
Deuteronomy 4:29

“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, whither Jehovah your God has driven you, and shall return unto Jehovah your God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; that then Jehovah your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion upon you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, whither Jehovah your God hath scattered you.”
Deuteronomy 30:1-3

Everyday I look to you my God
and hope to find you
and to receive wisdom and advice.
Bless me in Christ Jesus name.
Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Wijsheid ligt diep

Monday 3 August 2009

Prayer has comforted us in sorrow


"Prayer has comforted us in sorrow
and will help strengthen us for the journey ahead."
- GWB

"The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts my prayer."
Psalm 6:9

Hear my cry for mercy, oh God.
Understand me and hear me.
Let my prayers come  to you
and let them make my wishes clear.
Hear and accept my prayers
and allow them to strengthen me.
God, I am grateful that the prayer could comfort me in my grief
and that it can give me hope,
because I know that you want to listen to me
and that you want to accept my prayers.


Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Gebed heeft ons getroost in ons verdriet

Hasekura in prayer, following his conversion t...
Hasekura in prayer, following his conversion to Christianity in Madrid in 1615. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
 
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