Our World: repentance

Showing posts with label repentance. Show all posts

Monday, 6 March 2017

Lent, 40 days, meditation and repentance

English: Ashes imposed on the forehead of a Ch...

Ashes imposed on the forehead of a Christian on Ash Wednesday. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For several Christians Lent, East and West, begins with a supposition. They may feel they are broken beings in need of forgiveness. Whether it’s the eponymous ashes of ash Wednesday or the forsaking of meat, dairy, and everything else worth eating practised by others, the Lenten Season for them is intended to enjoin repentance among them. But repentance is something which has to come from deep in the heart. And repentance presupposes a need for forgiveness, for healing; in a word, it presupposes brokenness.

People want to go inward, to the very core of the cells of their body, where the complexity is so great, so unequalled, that their human brains are incapable of understanding that, either. For 40 days some people try to find time to think about life. They also want to go for transcendence. It starts with a recognition that we are whatever else we are – eternal beings. There is something that is about us that goes beyond the material world. That we’re more than just the sum of our bodies. Originally the Catholic Church had installed lent for that reason.

With 6 & 7Adar, last weekend, we may remember Moses having written down the Law, or Torah. It is that Mosaic Law that should have to think about. That Law is what we should have to think about.

Naked we are all born,without having done faults. Naked we shall die having done many faults probably. The price of those wrongdoings or sins is death. No other payment shall be required. Once we die we shall deteriorate and the decay shall bring us to become dust.

The Bible is also clear, that man has to make it whilst he lives. Once he dies it is too late to change anything or to make other choices. God's Word the Bible shows mankind which way to choose. In the Word of God, the Bible we can find the Law or Torah, plus guidance and answers to many questions.

+

Find to read:

+++

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Together tasting a great promisse

Lots of things are happening in this world by which we can ask questions. Certain events seem like we have heard already about them. Some of the disasters and wars have been spoken off already long before we were born. We can find them in the Book of books, but not many are really interested to read those very old books.

In those books we also can find that the best of the covenants of promise God made still lie in the future. We do not know precisely when they are going to be fulfilled. The majority of people who have believed and hoped in God's promises are already in the grave, and there is a chance we shall die, too, before Jesus comes again. Yet the glorious truth is that even if we die, we can still taste the joy of God's Kingdom. As the Apostle Paul wrote in his death cell, we can be brought back to life again, to receive

"the crown of righteousness which the Lord", he said, "will award me on that Day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing".

When the Messiah shall return to the earth we do not know. But what we do know is that we shall receive signs which are declared before. Those signs are having been spoken off in the Book of books. Perhaps not all will recognise them at first. But some will clearly see them and could and should help others to see them too. This site would like to help to find the words leading up to such a wisdom that can be given to us, for free, and which can open doors for us all, for free.

From the Bible we do know that a great tribulation will come over the world and that the Messiah shall return and will raise from the dead all those who have died in faith, and give them a strong, immortal body like his own. Abraham will certainly be there, and so will David, and Paul. We can be there, too.

Israel 5 009.Jesus Christ Walk of Tears on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And it is all possible through the blood of Christ, which has brought us near to God. For whether we are Jews or Gentiles, we are sinners. We break God's laws, and deserve nothing but death. Jesus' death, the offering of his sinless self in sacrifice, broke the power of the grave for all who join themselves to him. Thus the two Comings are inseparably linked.

In a few weeks time we shall remember the day Jesus was for the last time at the table with his disciples. It was that night in the upper room he established the last covenant. Some hours later he found his death at the wooden stake.

His dying preceded the crown; the suffering servant became the king of kings. And the same land where Abraham waited in his tent and Jesus walked with the good news of the Kingdom, is given to them both with their family around them, to enjoy for ever.
When Peter stood up in Jerusalem at Pentecost and began to explain the mystery of the two comings, he had an urgent message for the people. Let us look at his words again: "Repent therefore", he cried, "and turn again" (Acts 3:1 9). He was exhorting his hearers to prepare themselves for the coming of Jesus by changing their lives, turning round and going a different way. Earlier that day when the crowds had asked him what they should do, he said to them:

"Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (2:38).

What do you want to do, where do you want to go to. Have you chosen to go on your own or with others?

Today we do invite you to come and join us and to go together with us on the road to that Kingdom of God. Be a sojourner with us and share your thoughts and prayers with us.

++

Friday, 16 July 2010

Martin Luther King's Dream Today

Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King jr., spoke on June 22nd 2010, at a meeting of the Working Group on Human Dignity, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Please read her thoughts on the role of civil rights movements and the protection of life, which is a main topic of interest for her.

Martin Luther King's Dream Today - Thoughts by his Niece

Dr. Alveda King

“The message I share comes from my heart, from love of life and family, and from an inherited sense of duty to defend the most vulnerable in society.

My talk today and my work as a civil rights activist are based on three very simple truths –

* that every human being is worthy of respect by virtue of his being human;

* that at no time does anyone’s life become less human or more human;

* that each human life begins at its physical beginning

As a result of these three propositions, every single human being, born or unborn, has rights and those rights should be respected by society and protected under law.

Repentance is the first step in a soul being saved; it’s also the first step in a culture being changed. I know this because I have seen my culture, my America, change in my lifetime.

So much bloodshed and heartache happened because some people in the United States thought that African Americans were not worthy of respect. We were spat upon. We were clubbed and beaten. And we were lynched. We were killed because we were regarded as less than fully human. So it is with the lives of unborn babies – who are womb-lynched today.

But racism not only oppressed African Americans, it seared the consciences of the oppressors. People found that the fabrications of racists made their own lives more comfortable, more convenient, and they became invested in those falsehoods. They depended on those falsehoods. And so they believed, what they knew in their hearts to be untrue. So it is with the lies of abortionists today.

Today’s unborn are yesterday’s blacks – best kept out of sight and out of mind lest they remind us of the injustices we commit. The problem for abortionists and their supporters, though, is the same problem racists and segregationists faced: reality. Unborn babies won’t go away. So the work of the abortion industry has been to deny the humanity of those they exploit and discriminate against.

But what if, like the Texas abortion clinic director who recently quit her job when she saw the ultrasound image of the baby she was helping to abort, we can no longer rationalize away what we’ve been doing all these years? What if the truth becomes so clear and so compelling that society simply can’t go on being indifferent or complicit in the big lie? Well, that’s when we have to do what is against our nature – we have to humble ourselves, admit our wrongs and change our ways.

And that, in fact, is what my country did because of the civil rights movement. America changed because Americans were touched in their hearts – hearts that the Bible tells us are inscribed with God’s law. We can try to deny our consciences, indoctrinate or medicate our minds so that we can’t or won’t think, but a sense of right and wrong has been given to each and every one of us. It is that very moral awareness that changed America’s culture on racism.

I believe it is that same moral awareness that can change any culture on abortion. It won’t happen overnight. But it is already happening.

In our hearts, we know this. For too long, though, we have looked the other way. We have not wanted to get involved. We have convinced ourselves that people will never change when it comes to abortion. I’m here to tell you that this is not true. I have seen change, in myself, in others, and in my nation. What happened with slavery and racism is now happening with abortion. Those in power who can speak up for the persecuted must do so, we are our brothers’ keeper and what happens to him, happens to us.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote from a jail cell, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Whether a child is aborted in Birmingham, Alabama or Birmingham, England, that abortion is an assault on what my Uncle Martin called the Beloved Community.

My Uncle Martin had a dream. He dreamt that we would live out that which is self-evident – that all men are created equal. He called on America to admit our wrongs and turn from them.

Today, I call on all of us, regardless of nationality, race or religion, to admit our wrongs and turn from them. I believe that the denial of the right to life is the greatest injustice we face in the world today. There is no compassion in killing. There is no justice in writing people out of the human race.

I only ask: How can such a dream live on - the dream of equality for all - if we kill our children? How can the dream live on if we deny others their basic human dignity and respect? How can the dream live on if we do not act on their behalf?”

- "Europe for Christ!"

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

God showing how far He is willing to go to save His children

"And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom. And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."
Luke 23:42-43

"We believe, confess, repent and die figuratively when 'we are buried with him, by baptism into death' (Romans 6 v 4). The penitent thief believed, confessed, repented, and died literally, after he had been accepted by the dying Jesus: and thus he became the first one to be baptized into Christ.

So what does this mean to our brother or sister who, in his or her humility, feels unworthy, as every right thinking brother or sister feels? Here, surely, is God, showing with emphasis how far He is willing and eager to go to save His children. 'The Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance' (2 Peter 3 v 9). The first one to be baptized into Christ in the Christian dispensation was not someone we might have selected, to put on a pedestal and say 'There is someone you can look up to and follow.' No, the first one was a common criminal, but one who realized his helplessness and his need, and looked on the only example to be followed, that of the One 'who had done nothing amiss'."

- Leslie Evans
-------
The Christadelphian: Volume 114 Bd. 114. electronic ed. Birmingham:
Christadelphian Magazine & Publishing Association, 2001, c1977, S. 114:216-217

Dutch translation / Nederlandse vertaling > God toont met nadruk hoe ver hij bereid is te gaan om Zijn kinderen redden
+++
2013 update:

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

God receives us on the basis of our faith

"In the sight of God all are sinners and their goodness is inadequate to justify them in His presence. There is only one standard of righteousness, holiness and justice, and that is God’s standard, and God will not at any time compromise that standard in order to accommodate the fickleness of men and women. Sin today is no less sinful than it was in the days of Noah or Eve. God has not evolved from a God who hates sin to a God who merely overlooks it. Human goodness compared with God’s standard of righteousness is stunted and impoverished. It is no good coming to God with our ‘scorecard’ which testifies that we are decent people, we pay our debts and never harm our neighbours. In the context of respectability this may be important, but in the context of salvation it is paltry. Our bit of righteousness is no passport to God’s favour. The Bible teaches that we have to repudiate our own withered morality and confess that we do not measure up to God’s standard. This is called Repentance.

Since men and women cannot be received on the basis of their natural goodness, which is inadequate and unfair, God receives them on the basis of their faith. The faith they show is counted by Him as righteousness. This is the great doctrine of justification by faith and explains why it is impossible to come to God faithless, and why those who come must believe. In order to show how the great principle operates the Apostle Paul takes the case of one man, Abraham. Abraham received certain promises from God which, at the time they were spoken, appeared, humanly speaking, to be impossible of fulfilment. But Abraham had faith in the promises in spite of adverse appearances and God counted this for righteousness:

"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:20-25).

Paul insists that the principles which operated in the case of Abraham are true for every man who will come to God for salvation."

-------
Dennis Gillett
One Bible, Many Churches - Does it Matter What We Believe?

Saturday, 25 July 2009

Doest thou well to be Angry?

"Human nature has not changed since the fall of Adam and Eve. No one likes to be wrong. When someone shows us we are wrong, the natural reaction is to become angry at our teacher. It has ever been thus. It happened even when God was directly involved.

When Cain's sacrifice was rejected by God we are told that "Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell." In this case the LORD held a conversation with Cain and asked him, "Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?" Of course God knew the answer, but He was giving Cain an opportunity to answer for himself. Either Cain refused to answer God or else his answer is not recorded. The LORD continued speaking kindly to Cain and said, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." God was giving Cain an opportunity to change. But we do not like to change. Cain did not want to change. We would think that if the LORD spoke to us that surely we would change, but Cain did not.

One of the characteristics of being wrong is being angry. Cain did not want to change. His defense was to be angry. Jonah was angry. God asked Jonah "Doest thou well to be angry? Jonah replied quite boldly to God, "I do well to be angry, even unto death." We might add that Jonah's anger was more deep seated than merely the loss of shade from the gourd. Paul was angry. He was "not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which Stephen spake." Rather than follow the wise teachings of Stephen, Paul was so angry that he cast his vote to kill Stephen, and by his own admission, later said concerning the Christians, that "he was exceedingly mad against them."

Human nature has not changed. These examples were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. When we find that we disagree with someone and we feel anger welling up within us, it should tell us to stop and examine ourselves. Do we do well to be angry? We usually can convince ourselves like Jonah did that "we do well to be angry" but we might be surprised to find that we are wrong to be so angry. If we are in the right, there is no need to be angry. Instead of being angry, we should feel pity and compassion for our opponent who is wrong. Since we are in the right and they are wrong, they need our help, not our anger. If it should turn out that we are in the wrong, how foolish to have been both angry and wrong!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if people really listened and changed? Wouldn't it be grand if all followed the request of the Lord when he said, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Here God is asking us to sit down and to be reasonable when we are wrong, and certainly we should be this way when we are correct. This is why Paul exhorts us saying, "The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves."

We need to remember this when we are trying to teach the truth to those who have held wrong doctrine all their lives. People do not change easily or quickly. Some never change. Whether they change or not, we must be gentle, patient and meek. When we are trying to teach someone that their soul is mortal, we need to be patient for they have always believed otherwise and do not unlearn wrong things quickly or easily. We need to keep on trying to teach them even though they oppose themselves We keep hoping "Peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth."

If we adopt this principle with those who are outside the household of faith, then certainly we should be this way with those that are inside. We need to be extra loving, extra patient with those for whom Christ died. There is no room for anger here. If they are wrong we pray that God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. If they refuse to change then we pray that God will be merciful to them and forgive them. It is certain that we also are going to need the mercy of God or we are lost. Who is to say that their wrong is worse than some sin we have committed. We are not without sin.

Have we ever thought that there is a limit to God's mercy? We sometimes talk about how unlimited His mercy is. We often quote the Psalm "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." While this is true, nevertheless the mercy of God is definitely limited. What is the limit of God's mercy? Jesus tells us. He says, "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." This means we are going to receive mercy only if we have been merciful; we are going to be forgiven only if we have forgiven, so each one of us is placing a limit on the mercy God is going to give us by the mercy we give to others."

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."

-------
Brother Robert Lloyd
Minute Meditations

Sunday, 15 February 2009

Repentance and conversion are not milestones which we pass on the way of life and never see again

"Repentance and conversion are not milestones which we pass on the way of life and never see again. This would be to misconceive their true meaning. It is true that life is like a journey ... , but there are abiding principles which are essential for the whole journey and not simply for its commencement. Certainly, repentance has a beginning and comes to a special maturity when we see our need for forgiveness and for union with Christ and the Lord God. But, the fruits of repentance appear at all seasons of life, and keep us in a humble attachment to God. Moreover, when sin appears in our discipleship - and there is no disciple who does not sin - the wells of repentance spring up again as we make confession to God and seek His face. It is for this reason that "Forgive us our trespasses" appears in the Lord's pattern prayer.

Similarly conversion is not a once and for all decision. It is a turning and returning to God throughout our lives. We take up our cross at the beginning, and we have to take it up every day. Constantly we have to take our bearings afresh, like mariners at sea, and correct our course towards God:

"I thought on my ways, And turned my feet unto thy testimonies." (Psalm 119:59)

The threads of repentance and conversion are continuous in the wondrous pattern of life."

--------------------------

---
Brother Harry Tennant
Repentance and Conversion
The Christadelphians - What they Believe and Preach

Welcome

Welcome at this zone created by Marcus Ampe for the Belgian Free Christadelphians, where previous articles from the MSN Groups and Multiply are brought together and made available again to the general public. On 2012 October 26 this site came into development and new articles shall be added next to our main site and to the Christadelphian Ecclesia site: Christadelphian Ecclesia.
You are welcome at that site to find more articles.

All who want to follow Jesus/Jeshua (Yeshua/Yahsua) from Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah and wants to be united with people who sincerely want to keep to those teachings of this masterteacher are welcome to share their love for Christ and their hope for the coming Kingdom.

The names "Christadelphia" and 'Christadelphian' is compounded of two Greek words: 'christos' and 'adelphoi' and means 'brethren in Christ'.

This site is created by a Free Christadelphian only bounded to Jesus Christ. We are open to anybody who wants to share the brotherly love of Christ. Coming together by a common belief in 'the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ' (Acts 8:12).

In the older Multiply messages links to Multiply shall not always work from 2012 December 1, but you shall be able to find them by copying and pasting the title in the search machine. I have worked on re-editing those links from 2005 onwards, so that they could work in the future, but it became a to much time consuming job, so I stopped doing it after a while. (My apologies for certain links not working any more.)

Thanks for visiting us and hope to see you again.

Welkom

Wij wensen allen welkom die hier op deze pagina's terecht komen en hopen dat zij geïnspireerd mogen geraken om verder de Bijbel ter hand te nemen en zelf op onderzoek te gaan wat er in de Heilige Schrift werkelijk staat.

De namen "Christadelphia" en "Christadelphian" is een samentelling van twee Griekse woorden : "Christos" en "adelphoi" en betekent 'broer in Christus'. De Christadelphians zijn een groep van mensen die samen verbonden zijn door hun gemeenschappelijk geloof betreffende de dingen aangaande het Koninkrijk van God en de naam van Jezus Christus (Jeshua, de Messias) (Handelingen van de Apostelen 8v12).
Christadelphian mensen zouden tot een wereldwijde gemeenschap moeten behoren, wiens doel is zo trouw als mogelijke de leerstelling en voorbeeld van Jezus/Jehsua Christus te volgen, zoals het geregistreerd staat in de Bijbel.
In een wereld die vol is van onzekerheden genieten wij van een eenvoudig, rechtstreeks en logisch geloof, dat nu al vrede en voldoening aanbiedt en de belofte van het nog te komen eeuwigdurende vreugderijk: het Koninkijk van God.

Op deze site, gecreëerd door Marcus Ampe voor de Vrije Belgische Christadelphians, of Broeders in Christus, zijn in oktober 2012 de vroegere berichten uit de MSN Groepen en Multiply samen gebracht en terug zichtbaar gemaakt voor het algemeen publiek.

Meerdere linken in de vroegere artikelen zullen vermoedelijk niet werken, maar u kan de titel dan kopiëren en plakken in het "Zoek" venster om zo bij het juiste artikel te komen. Ik maakte er werk van om de artikelen vanaf 2005 terug te editen en daarin de linken te vernieuwen, zodat zij terug zouden werken. Maar dit vroeg zo veel tijd dat ik het heb opgegeven. Daarom verzoek ik mij te verontschuldigen indien u een link tegen komt die niet meer werkt.

Vanaf 26 oktober 2012 is deze website opengesteld naar het publiek en zullen er in de toekomst nog enkele artikelen bij komen. Maar de meerderheid van de teksten zullen nu geplaatst worden op de site van de Vlaamse Broeders in Christus of Christadelphians en op de kerkgemeenschapssite
Christadelphian Ecclesia.

Graag ontmoeten wij u daar voor meerdere artikelen.

Pages

Monday, 6 March 2017

Related articles

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Related articles

Friday, 16 July 2010

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Related articles

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

Saturday, 25 July 2009

Sunday, 15 February 2009