Actions to be a reflection of openness of heart

The people of God heard the words Moses brought to them from the Adonai and they were willing to listen and to take them at heart.

Without a willing mind, costly offerings would be abhorred. With it, the smallest will be accepted. Our hearts are willing, when we cheerfully assist in promoting the truth both by giving our money and our time and our labour. It is up to each individual to decide what he is going to do for God and how much time and money he or she is willing to invest in this God's work. The command, and its fulfilment, was not based on wealth. Nor was the determination of the donation — be it of gold, fabrics or skills — based on what the mind thought would be “appropriate” charity. It was based on each person becoming aware of their spirit and their heart and acting on that awareness.  Thus anyone who attends to his work in the faith and fear of God, may be as wise, for his place, as anyone else, and be equally accepted of the Lord. Our wisdom and duty consist in giving God the glory and use of our talents, be they many or few:

 "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1Corinthians 10:31).

Exo 35:20-29 MKJV  And all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.  (21)  And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom His spirit made willing. They brought Jehovah's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all His service, and for the holy garments.  (22)  And the men came in together with the women, as many as were willing-hearted, bringing bracelets and earrings, and rings and ornaments, all jewels of gold. And everyone who offered waved a wave offering of gold to Jehovah.  (23)  And everyone with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and bleached linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them.  (24)  Everyone lifting up an offering of silver and bronze brought Jehovah's offering. And everyone with whom was found acacia-wood for any work of the service, brought it.  (25)  And every wise-hearted woman spun with her hands. And they brought spun yarn, blue, and purple, scarlet, and bleached linen.  (26)  And all the women whose hearts were lifted up in wisdom spun goats' hair.  (27)  And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breast-pocket.  (28)  And they brought spice and oil, for the light and for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense.  (29)  The sons of Israel brought a willing offering to Jehovah, every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all kinds of work which Jehovah had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

The inhabitants of this world have to choose which world they want to belong to. Each person also has to chose on whose side he or she wants to stand and where to look for wisdom and truth. To come to wisdom and insight there has to be an open mind, willing to look further then the length of the nose and looking beyond the man made dogmas and teachings. That last part is the most difficult. Most people are afraid to set aside the dogmatic teachings, like the teaching of the Holy Trinity.
Most often they want to silence themselves such a tri-une godhead is too difficult to understand for man so it shall only be understood when the Holy Spirit is on man.

As such many Christians keep blinding themselves, not willing to accept the words like they are written down in the Bible. They forget that God commanded each person to search for the truth and to seriously study His Word, being prepared to put aside man's word. Each person has to become aware of their spirit and their heart and acting on that awareness, and God shall consider each person himself or herself responsible for the (man)made choices.

Rabbi Michael Barclay reminds us that in the past each gift was not judged by its financial value, but valued because it was a gift of the heart, a unique expression of that person. According to Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum:

 “The various different physical materials that different men and women had in their possession and contributed for the construction of the Sanctuary correspond to the unique personal attributes and powers possessed by each and every individual.

These days we look at the Book Exodus and at the Book of Proverbs trying to see how God's Wisdom is given free to share with many and enabling to free our minds and souls. coming closer to 14 Nisan we remember the Exodus of God's People. With them we find the story of a journey into freedom, but with freedom comes responsibilities.

We can not ignore how even the People of God once liberated form slavery by Him, dared to doubt Him and even went astray at several moments in their life. From the book Exodus we should hear the clear teaching:

 Each individual must choose to give from the deepest part within themselves in order to achieve God’s goals and obey God’s instructions. There are no statements that one person’s gift is better than another’s, just an instruction that the gifts must be heartfelt. {Building a community on individual effort}

When we look at what happened in Ancient Egypt and later in Jerusalem when the Nazarene Jew Jeshua offered himself as a lamb for the liberation of many,we can see the generosity of two people, one the Most High Divine creator, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, and second His only begotten son, who is called son of man but also son of God.
That man only did what his heavenly Father wanted. He managed to keep doing the Wishes of the Most High. He told people he could do not anything without that God Who is much higher than him.

Joh 14:27-31 MKJV  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  (28)  You have heard how I said to you, I go away and I am coming to you again. If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, I go to the Father, for My Father is greater than I.  (29)  And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens you might believe.  (30)  I shall no longer speak many things with you, for the ruler of this world comes, and he has nothing in Me.  (31)  But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father has given Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go away from here.

Today there are still lots of Christians who do not want to believe the words of Christ Jesus and his heavenly Father, what they say about each other, but prefer to keep to the idea of a tri-une god.
They should come to understand that this Jew who said he can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing is the one promised in the Garden of Eden and the one who was tempted, though God can not be tempted, and really died, whilst God can not die.

It is that period of the last hours we are going to 'celebrate' these days and in particular next Friday and Saturday. We do believe that the Nazarene Jeshua, is the one provided by the Elohim to bring a solution against the curse of death. The son of man who is also the son of David and son of Abraham could do only the things he did because God allowed him to do it and gave him the power to do it. For those around Jeshua and for us it should be the sign that God the Father loves this son and shows him everything he does, and will show him greater deeds than these, so that we will be amazed.

We shall read the coming days in the books of the New Testament how Jesus prepared himself to the agony and death he was expecting. We also shall read how he ended up in hell for three days and afterwards was taken up from the dead by his heavenly Father, who made him higher than angels. In that action taken place some 1985 years ago we can see how God raises the dead and gives them life and how in the same manner now life has come over us who want to accept Jesus as the son of God.

We all should also be fully aware how God now has assigned all judgement to the Son, so that all people will honour the son just as they honour the Father. We also should know that the one who does not honour the son does not honour the Father who sent him.

 Joh 5:18-27 MKJV  Then, because of this, the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but also said that God was His father, making Himself equal with God.  (19)  Then Jesus answered and said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of Himself but what He sees the Father do. For whatever things He does, these also the Son does likewise.  (20)  For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all the things that He Himself does. And He will show Him greater works than these, so that you may marvel.  (21)  For as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, even so the Son of Man makes alive whomever He wills.  (22)  For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son,  (23)  so that all should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  (24)  Truly, truly, I say to you, He who hears My Word and believes on Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death to life.  (25)  Truly, truly, I say to you, The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear shall live.  (26)  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has given to the Son to have life within Himself,  (27)  and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

Jesus honoured his Father and honoured God His commandments, asking us to do likewise.

Our generosity, especially toward honouring God’s commands, must be determined by what our hearts say, not our minds (which are often concerned with growing assets and eliminating financial debts). All too often, we think about and even “want to” donate something but hesitate because we are scared that ultimately we will “not have enough.” Our minds, busy worrying about the future, often get in the way of what our hearts know is truly righteous. {Building a community on individual effort}

We can hear the words of Jesus and prefer them to place them in the tri-une god dogmatic teaching or can place them like God wants us to see them in the light of the Only One Godship. Having to make the choice to stay popular by man or to become popular by God, honouring the right people in the right concept, worshipping only One True God.

The people who got guided out of Egypt also had to make the right choices and many of them had difficulties to worship the true God all the time.  They who felt the Hand of Salvation by God, even had a moment they came to worship a golden calf.

We, in our generation have not felt the Hand of God like the Jews had felt it. This perhaps makes it more difficult for many to see that Hand of God. Though god has given His Word where in wisdom can be found. We only have to take it up and study it. Reading the words we should come to hear the words and  then we shall have to make the right choices.

In reality, every choice is one between faith and fear, and while our hearts may know that it is right to give of ourselves, our minds sometimes get caught in that fear, and so we don’t follow the deeper parts of ourselves. The teaching in our portion (Exodus 35:21) reminds us to follow our hearts and to give fully … knowing in faith that we are in partnership with God and that our well-being is always in God’s hands. {Building a community on individual effort}

Ben Azzai in Pirkei Avot 4:3 says:

“Do not regard anyone with contempt, and do not reject anything, for there is no man who does not have his hour and nothing which does not have its place.”

The portion, as well as the words of Ben Azzai, also reminds us to honour the honest gift of each person.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all judged each other with the same standards that God demonstrates in this part of the Torah? If, rather than glorifying someone who gives a lot of money to their temple and degrading someone who gives less — or worse, trying to shame them into giving more — we chose to look at whether the gift was a reflection of the person’s spirit and heart. If we valued the volunteer who helps set up and take down services and does it from their heart, as highly as we valued the financial donor? If we followed this simple instruction of respecting and treasuring each person and their individual gifts, how much more full would our communities be?  {Building a community on individual effort}

The month Nisan is the first of the Judaic religious year and should also be our first month of the year were we think to start a new or make some good intentions again. It is a point were we should reconsider how we treated everybody last year and how we should treat everybody in the future.

How much more welcoming and healthy would our communities be if we truly honoured each person for their own uniqueness, special qualities and expressions? {Building a community on individual effort}

Freedom itself is a Divine gift. This week’s portion reminds us to truly open our hearts and let our actions be a reflection of that openness — to respect each individual for their unique gifts and to embrace the results of more participation in all ways. {Building a community on individual effort}

Open hearts, action and true respect. Isn’t that what defines a healthy community?

May we all be blessed to build our own communities with the same integrity and passion as our ancestors, and to reap the blessings God provides as a result. {Building a community on individual effort}

Jesus asked us to become part of his body. With him we should all gather in unity trying to exhort each other and helping each-other to get more insight and wisdom.

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Find also to read:

1. Hearing words to accept
2. Looking for wisdom not departing from God’s Word
3. Increased in wisdom in favour with God
4. Fools despise wisdom and instruction
5. We may not be ignorant to get wisdom

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• Prayer for the New Evangelisation

Purify my heart

 
 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;
he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.
Then the Lord Jehovah will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness..."
Malachi 3:3-4

 

'Purify my heart, let me be as gold
and precious silver.
Purify my heart, let me be as gold,
pure gold.

Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire
is to be holy, set apart for you, Lord.
I choose to be holy,
set apart for you, my master,
ready to do your will.

Purify my heart,
cleanse me from within and make me holy.
Purify my heart,
cleanse me from my sin, deep within.

Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire
is to be holy, set apart for you, Lord.
I choose to be holy,
set apart for you, my master,
ready to do your will'.

Brian Doerksen

 

Brian Doerksen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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• How Can We Be on Fire for God?
• The Refiner's Fire.
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• God's holiness and ours
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• Does a Believing Spouse Automatically Save an Unbelieving Spouse?
• Quiet time.

Expenses, costs - Onkosten, uitgaven

Onkosten: expenses, expenditure, outlay, costs.The financial burden involved typically in a course of action or manner of living. The losses to realise something.

Several times Christians are forced to make expenses without, seemingly any advantage or which lie outside the usual personal gain. 

Unfortunately we can not escape the financial matters because almost for everything must be paid.  To maintain a church community  and to do the the spiritual work of spreading the Word of God often a lot of money has to be paid for. We are bounded by many affairs which have to be paid for like all the material to realize the things.

To hold meetings a place is needed, something to sit on, sufficient heat or a dry spot, sufficient light.  All the things to receive people shall cast something. Mostly an ecclesia or parish brings  a lot of paper work, of which the parer, ink, print apparatuses, copy machines etcetera have to be paid for.  To maintain the church communities, the cleaning things, making contacts, telephones, internet connections, a.o. all bear a price ticket.

To cover the expenses of the meetings several churches hold during their service a passing of a little basket or an offering on plates as a collection.  In some churches, there is a division during a service with an offerande or an offering.  In the 'Offergang'  'offering' or oblation the people  present bread, wine and sometimes also other affairs, as flowers and money, as an offer in worship.



Bible researchers and Biblestudents will give the preference to the age-old use of the voluntary gift.  Although in some communities you also shall find collections. That option is chosen because one otherwise shall have too little earnings generated to be able to foresee all the necessary services for the church community.

The Biblestudents, Bible-researchers, Bible-scientists, and o. a. Christadelphians find that they received the Word of God for nothing they have to communicate it to others.  They will ask no money for the performing of services.  But naturally everybody can give freely a voluntary contribution to cover the expenses made.  Everybody may give to his or her own abilities or fortune, in kind or money, and only when he or they will.
Some students of the Bible, as in several protestant groups, talk about giving 'one tenth' of the persons income,  or 'Tithe' or 'tithing'.  Hereby the religious people are pointed out that God  asks us a small part of our belongings to share with the community.  Several protestant churches point or ask then also to take distance of a tenth of the income to the advantage of the church.

Personally we prefer to keep to voluntary contributions.  Only, unfortunately must we well observe that expenses often exceed the gifts.  We only can hope that everything always comes just on its legs.  And perhaps we may now and then remind the people that everything in life costs money and that we also are dependent of this world for the realisation of all the worldly things.  Thus for us gifts are also very welcome.

Onkosten: kosten die voor iets worden gemaakt, uitgaven, de prijs die men moet betalen om iets te kunnen verwezenlijken. De vorderingen die kunnen gemaakt worden of geëist worden voor geleverde diensten of producten.

Meermaals zijn het kosten die men gedwongen is te maken zonder dat men er, schijnbaar althans, voordeel van heeft, of die buiten het gewone persoonlijk gewin liggen.

Spijtig genoeg kan men er niet onderuit dat er bijna voor alles moet betaald worden. Om een kerkgemeenschap te onderhouden en om het geestelijk werk van verspreiding van het Woord van God te verrichten kan men er eenmaal niet aan ontkomen voor vele zaken te moeten betalen vooraleer men het materiaal kan gebruiken om de dingen te verwezenlijken.

Bijeenkomsten hebben een plaats nodig, mensen iets om op te zitten, voldoende warmte of een droge plek, voldoende licht. De voorzieningen om de mensen te ontvangen kosten dus geld. Meestal komt er ook papierwerk bij kijken, waarbij men dan de kosten heeft voor papier, inkt, afdruktoestellen, kopieerders enz.. De kerkgemeenschap onderhouden, poetswerk, contactopname, telefoons, internetverbindingen, e.d. dragen allemaal een prijskaartje.

Om de kosten van de bijeenkomsten te dekken houden verscheidene kerken tijdens hun dienst een ophaling of collecte. In sommige kerken is er tijdens een dienst een offerande deel of een offergang. In de Offergang wordt dan door het aanwezige volk brood, wijn en soms ook andere zaken, als bloemen en geld, aangeboden.

Bijbelonderzoekers zullen er de voorkeur aan geven om het eeuwenoude gebruik van de vrijwillige gave te verkiezen. Alhoewel men in sommige gemeenschappen toch ook nog collectes vind om dat voor die optie gekozen is omdat men anders te weinig inkomsten genereert om de kerkgemeenschap te kunnen voorzien van al de nodige diensten.

In de Rooms Katholieke Kerk was er vroeger buiten de collectes ook nog het Stipendium, of het aalmoes dat, volgens het uitdrukkelijk door de Kerk van Rome goedgekeurde gebruik, mocht gegeven worden aan de priester, met het verzoek de H. Mis tot intentie van de gever op te dragen.
Vandaag laten de priesters in de Rooms Katholieke Kerk zich betalen voor allerlei diensten.

De Bijbelstudenten, Bijbelonderzoekers, Bijbelvorsers, en o.a. Christadelphians vinden dat zij het Woord van God voor niets hebben gekregen en voor niets aan anderen moeten mededelen. Zij zullen geen geld vragen voor het verrichten van diensten. Maar natuurlijk staat het iedereen vrij om een vrijwillige bijdrage te geven om gemaakte kosten te kunnen dekken. Iedereen mag naar eigen vermogen geven, in natura of geld, en wanneer hij of zij maar wil.

Bij sommige studenten van de Bijbel wordt er, zoals in meerdere protestantse richtingen, ook wel over 'Tienden' of 'Tithe' of 'tithing' gesproken. Hierbij worden de gelovigen er op gewezen dat God ons vraagt een klein deel van ons hebben en houden of ons inkomen te delen met de gemeenschap. Verscheidene protestantse kerken wijzen of vragen dan ook afstand van een tiende van het inkomen ten voordele van de kerk.


Persoonlijk houden wij er liefst aan om af te gaan op werkelijk vrijwillige bijdragen. Maar, spijtig genoeg moeten wij wel opmerken dat kosten dikwijls de giften overstijgen. Wij kunnen slechts hopen dat alles altijd juist op zijn pootjes terecht komt. En misschien mogen wij nu en dan eens de mensen er aan herinneren dat alles in het leven geld kost en dat wij ook afhankelijk zijn van deze wereld voor de verwezenlijking van al de wereldse dingen. Dus voor ons zijn giften ook steeds welkom.

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Onkosten blijven onherroepelijk verbonden aan het gebruik.

kasbehoeften, uitgave, uitgaaf, besteding, vertering, bekostigen, bekostiging, onderhoud, levensstandaard, onvoorziene uitgaven, expensen, impensen, spesen, spiesen, cum expensis, kost, schadepost

Uitgeven, besteden aan, verteren, opteren, de onkosten bekijken/bestrijden, de kosten dragen/maken, bekostigen, zich in kosten steken, geld gebruiken/uitgeven, geld in iets steken, botje bij botje leggen, in de bus moeten blazen, in de buidel blazen, de aap aanspreken, zijn korentje groen eten, zich onderhouden, van de hand in de tand leven, vertering maken, een gat in zijn hand hebben, een gat in zijn goed maken, naar de toon leven, doormaken, doorbrengen, doordoen, doordraaien, opdoen,

kosten, een hele kluit geld kosten, oplopen, er aan moeten geloven, in de papieren lopen, de centen bijten hem, het geld druipt (gaat gauw, glijdt, glipt) door de vingers, dat hakt er in, dat kan bruintje (grauwtje) niet trekken, dar hangt veel geld aan, het geld smelt mooi, de beurs slinkt aardig

Be an Encourager

Be an Encourager
March 16, 2009

By Rose McCormick Brandon

Discouragement often knocks on the door of the lonely, sick and elderly. For
decades Hope interceded for her family, church and community. Through her
strong witness many came to Christ. Now Hope sits alone in her living room
lamenting that her life is unfruitful. Poor health and several falls prevent
her from attending church. Few from the congregation call.

"I don¹t know why the Lord doesn¹t take me home," she says. "I'm no good to
Him any more."

Encouraging the Hopes of the world is a significant part of our work for
God. The first gift we can offer them is an empathetic ear. They often need
to unload their painful feelings. Sometimes the simple act of expressing
their thoughts lightens their darkness. Being a kind, nonjudgmental listener
is an offering believers can give one another.

In her prime, Hope prayed for, called and visited many. "Now I'm alone and
everyone has forgotten me," she says.

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of
Christ" (Galatians 6:2, NIV).

After listening, raise the focus upwards by reminding the person of their
royal position.

"God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms
in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).

Tell of His unconditional affection and the promise of His continual
presence. Read Scripture and pray together. Allow a spiritual bond to
develop. This restores the person's sense of belonging to the body of
Christ.

Paul expressed this in Romans 1:11,12: "I long to see you so that I may
impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong ‹ that is, that you and
I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."

Even God's heroes become discouraged. Elijah, a miracle man, was so
miserable he wanted to die. An angel came, cooked him a nourishing meal and
told him to lie down and rest (1 Kings 19:1-8). What kindness the angel
showed the depressed prophet.

The angel's actions demonstrate the practical side of being an encourager.
Simple acts of kindness sooth despairing souls and remind them they're
loved. It's only human to grow old, tired, hungry and lonely. James wrote of
Elijah, "[He] was a man just like us" (James 5:17).

Christians often don't allow for human weakness. We consider the high points
of our faith journey and believe we should always live on those
mountaintops. Some may even believe that becoming disheartened, discouraged
or depressed is a sin.  An encourager dispels that myth.

Could someone you know benefit from an uplifting visit, phone call or letter
from you today?
‹ Rose McCormick Brandon writes personal experience essays, Bible studies,
news articles, profiles and devotionals from her home in Sault Ste. Marie,
Canada.