Observance of a day to Remember

The Jews had been yearning for a Messiah who could bring relief from the Roman yoke. Many believed Jesus of Nazareth to be that long-awaited Saviour. For three and a half years, he had been speaking about God's Kingdom. He had cured the sick and fed the hungry. He had even brought comfort to many people. But the religious leaders were chafing under Jesus' burning denunciation of them and were desperate to have him killed. (Mark 10:32).

The chief priests, the scribes, and the principal men could not stand Jesus' actions and public teaching. On Nisan the 11th they had questioned Jesus on whose authority he did all those things.(Matthew 21:23-27)

The last day of Jesus' public ministry before his arrest, trial, and execution Jesus discussed several aspects of 'the sign of his presence.' He emphasized the need to "keep on the watch." Why? "Because, you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." (Luke 21:5, 6; Matthew 24:3, 42; Mark 13:3, 4, 7, 14, 21, 33, 35, 37; Luke 21:10, 11)

Jesus spended Nisan 12 quietly with his disciples. He realized that the religious leaders desperately wanted to kill him, and he did not want them to hinder his Passover celebration the following evening. (Mark 14:1, 2)

On Nisan 13, people were busy making final arrangements for the Passover. Early in the afternoon, Jesus had send Peter and John to prepare the Passover for them in an upper room in Jerusalem. (Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:8) A little before sundown, Jesus and the other ten apostles met them there for their last Passover celebration.

“and he said to them, “I have really wanted so much to celebrate this Seder with you before I die! for I tell you, it is certain that I will not celebrate it again until it is given its full meaning in the kingdom of god.”” (Luke 22:15-16 CJB)

 “also, taking a piece of matzah, he made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “this is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of me.” he did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, “this cup is the new covenant, ratified by my blood, which is being poured out for you.” (Luke 22:19-20 CJB)

 “while they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to the talmidim and said, “take! eat! this is my body!” also he took a cup of wine, made the b’rakhah, and gave it to them, saying, “all of you, drink from it! for this is my blood, which ratifies the new covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many, so that they may have their sins forgiven.” (Matthew 26:26-28 CJB)

Reason For Observance

Luke 22:19, 20 Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: "This means my body which is to be given in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me." 20 Also, the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: "This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in YOUR behalf.
1 Corinthians 11:20, 26 Therefore, when YOU come together to one place, it is not possible to eat the Lord's evening meal. 26 For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.
Romans 6:23 For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord

Exodus 12:26,27 26 And it must occur that when YOUR sons say to YOU, 'What does this service mean to YOU?' 27 then YOU must say, 'It is the sacrifice of the passover to Jehovah, who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when he plagued the Egyptians, but he delivered our houses.'" Then the people bowed low and prostrated themselves.

In obedience to Christ's instructions, "Keep doing this in remembrance of me," the 14th day of Nisan should be continued to be observed by his followers till this day as the time for memorializing Christ's death. (Luke 22:19, 20)

Rapture articles

In so many letters I receive I am questioned about dead, life after dead, purgatory, hell, heaven and about a rapture, that I find int necessary to publish my articles on the Rapture already before I got totally ready with restoring all the pages of the Belgian Christadelphian Website.

Unamended Christadelphians feel that the Amended will not accept them for their stand that "covenant relationship brings responsibility" not that "knowledge brings responsibility" that the Amended teach according to them.

We think every person is responsible for what he or she is doing and at the end times all people shall be brought forwards to appear in front of the judgement-seat of Jesus Christ.

At the appearing of Christ prior to the establishment of the Kingdom, the responsible (faithful and unfaithful), dead and living of both classes, will be summoned before his judgement-seat, because all the dead shall be brought back to life.  We look in the articles how those resurrected shall have to come forwards to be judged according to their works; and receive in body according to what they have done, whether it be good or bad.

It is not because you are baptised that you can go into unlawful or immoral actions, because you are saved. Every baptised person has to live accordingly his faith and the Will of God.

Is it not so that if we know something we do have to react to it or handle according to it. When we got to know God, do we not have to place Him somewhere in our life? Then when we get to know Jesus and accept him as our saviour, do we not have to follow this master teacher? Therefore if people want to honour God do they not have to act properly to the wishes of this God. So this knowledge of God and His son would bring certain responsibilities, would it not?

If we do not live according to the wishes and the Will of God, we may forget it. then we shall be sinners and be judged likewise.

On how this judgement is going to fulfilment the Rapture articles try to bring an answer.

The Rapture


Rapture Exposed
1.       Rapture what does it mean?
2.       The Rapture or admittance with Christ
3.       Gather together with Jesus Christ
4.       Raptured in clouds

In Dutch: Rapture of Wegvoering blootgelegd:

1.       Wat betekent Rapture of Vervoering?
2.       De vervoering of toegang met Christus
3.       Verzamelen met Jezus Christus
4.       Vervoering in de wolken

Atonement

Dead and after

Destination of righteous

Destination of the earth

Evil in the Bible

Fallen Angels

God's design in the creation of theworld

God's His reward

God's promises

Hope

Kingdom of God what will it be like

New covenant

One mediator

Patient waiting

Ressurection of Jesus Christ

Satan or the devil

Sheol or the grave

Soul

Do not be afraid. Good news because a Saviour has been born

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

Luke 2:10, New International Version

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Thought:

Don't be afraid! What can cast away all fear in the presence of God's glorious messengers? The joy of knowing that God has brought His son to earth to bring an end to sin and the curse of the first sin in the Garden of Eden and to bring salvation to all people!
Fear must not master our hearts when we know that God has broken through every barrier to reach us with his overwhelming grace.
We may also look up to that child in the manger that grew up to become a great teacher and an example for us.

I praise you, Almighty God, for the gift of joy that chases away all fear. Fill my heart with that joy and fill my mind with wonder as I try to comprehend your love for me. Stir me to greater concern for those who have not heard, or who have not yet accepted, your offer of grace in your Son Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Wees niet bang, er is goed nieuws want een redder is geboren
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2013 update:

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• A Saviour is Born!
• 'a Bible Word Explained'
• Saved by God's Grace. It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!
• Bethlehem
• The Shepherds Connect
• The Way To The Kingdom
• Smiling in The Arms of My Saviour

Around pre-existence of Christ

If Jesus had existed before his birth, he would have been a
different Jesus to the one who lived on the earth.

The Old Testament word ‘davar’ its equivalent in Greek ‘logos’ used by John as embroidery on the Tenach (OT). We may not become entangled in the ideas of Plato, the stoics, Philo, apologists and others. John uses the word ‘logos’ to indicate the Word of God, thinking about all those things God had said previously. He had it about the Plan of God that became reality. For the apostle John the promise of the Saviour came into existence by the birth of the Nazarene Jesus. Gods Plan became flesh (John 1:1,14)

In Kenneth S. Wuest's "The New Testament -an expanded translation" John 1:1 is being translated as: "And the Word was to His essence absolute deity."  Wuest was Teacher Emeritus of New Testament Greek by The Moody Bible Institute.

Irenaeus, Origenes and Tertullianus played their part because they believe in the pre-existence of Jesus and thought he also was God who did exist forever and could not die.

Some Christians today teach that he was an angel before his birth but Hebrews 2:7 shows that he was made lower than the angels, he was a man with human nature which means that he could die. Luke 20:36 tells us that angels are immortal, it is impossible for them to die and yet we know that Jesus did die a horrible death and wasn’t immortal until after his resurrection. Again we see that Jesus couldn’t have been an angel.

If Jesus existed before his birth, (we read about his birth at the beginning of the New Testament in the gospels) we would expect to read about him in Old Testament times. However, even though we find that much of the Old Testament does speak about Jesus it is all prophecy. Prophecy is looking something that is going to happen in the future. So everything we read about Jesus is saying that he will come in the future. We are told that he will be born of the virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14); that he will die (Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53); that he will be King of the whole world (Zechariah 14:9); and that he will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 7:11-16). God promised David that one of his descendants would sit on his throne for ever and rule over Israel, and we know that this is speaking of Jesus because in Luke 1:32-35 it says so. Now, if Jesus already existed, why is God promising to Abraham and to David that Jesus will come in the future, that he will be a descendant of them. It doesn’t really make sense. The prophets say what the Messiah would be like and what he would do, so that when he came the Jews would recognise him. These promises all speak in a future tense showing that Jesus had not come yet but that one day he would.

In Isaiah 7:14, the prophecy that shows Jesus would be born to the virgin Mary, it says “a virgin shall conceive”, (shall has the same meaning as will) so again it is using the future tense, showing that this still has to happen.

In Luke 1:32, “he shall be great”. This would be strange if Jesus did already exist, because it is saying that he wasn’t great before his birth, but if we understand that Jesus didn’t start to exist until his birth it makes sense.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 AV)

Gave His ‘only-begotten Son’: It is possible Jesus draws his words from Psalm 22:20 LXX and Psalm 2:7. The Isaac-type also suggests, “only begotten.” The Greek is monogenes. (John 1:18) a junction of two words. Genes coming from the verb ginomai, which means coming into existence, becoming born, being created, being produced. When the force of God, the Holy Spirit, placed Jesus in the womb of Mary, a new Adam was been created by God. After Adam and Eve this was again the first human who was directly created by the Elohim Jehovah. For Jesus there was no other man involved to pro-create him. Mary was a virgin and became pregnant without intercourse. Muslims often say that our God did have intercourse with a human because we say that Christ Jesus is the Son of God, but God does not need sexual contact to create a human being. When God thinks about something He can take care that it is there. His wishes, His Plans can come into existence without any human interference. But God used a human, Mary to give the world a man who would be like all men, able to be tempted end being part of this world. It should not have been a god to whom the world could do nothing or who could not die. No Jesus really suffered and found an end to his life on a terrible way. While God cannot die Jesus really died on the wooden stake, to be lifted out of dead as an example to what can happen to us as well.

For John the risen Christ is the same as the Jesus he followed and who died. In his writings he therefore reacts to the Gnostic writers of his time and uses words in his gospel to make it clear for the bystanders.

The Word of God and the Plan of the Creator became more then 2000 years ago flesh (John 1:14). The fulfilment of the promise made in the Garden of Eden (Genesis) was procreate in Mary (Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:20) Jesus is the completion of that promise which was spread for centuries that came at the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, direct descendent of David, and leader of a new kingdom.

Read more in:
Pre-existence of Christ #1 Look #2 Jesus in the Old Testament
(http://bijbelonderzoekers.multiply.com/journal/item/1119/Pre-existence_of_Christ_1_Look_2_Jesus_in_the_Old_Testament)
Pre-existence of Christ #1 Intro #4 Jesus - His Parents #2 Difference (http://bijbelonderzoekers.multiply.com/journal/item/1040/Pre-existence_of_Christ_1_Intro_4_Jesus_-_His_Parents_2_Difference)

For the texts in Dutch:
Lees ook over het ontsaan van Christus Jezus in: Christus Jezus: de zoon van God #3 'de eniggeboren zoon'
 (http://bijbelonderzoekers.multiply.com/journal/item/1016/Christus_Jezus_de_zoon_van_God_3_39de_eniggeboren_zoon39)
 waar wordt ingegaan op de betekenis van de 'eniggeboren zoon).

En op onze hoofdwebsite staat de Nederlandse versie van bovenstaande tekst: Pre-existentie van Christus Jezus

Jesus Christ is the perfect security in storms

Dutch version / Nederlands > Jezus Christus is de perfecte beveiliging in stormen

"Jesus Christ is not a security from storms.
He is the perfect security in storms."
- Kathy Troccoli

"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed."
Psalm 107:28-29

"As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake,
so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
The disciples went and woke him, saying,
"Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters;
the storm subsided, and all was calm."
Luke 8:23-24

God, Through weather and wind, literal and figurative storms
I can come to you and expect that you are my saviour.
You have given your son to me to guide me
I also count on him.

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2013 update

Storm Approaching Paradise - Coral Island, Phuket, Thailand (Photo credit: Captain Kimo)

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• Morning Prayer ~ February 12, 2013

The one who makes us well and gives life

“The thief only enters [the sheep-pen] to steal and slay and destroy [the sheep]. I came so that [the sheep] may have Life, and have it beyond measure.” (Joh 10:10 MHM)

 “For the payment for sin is death; but, the gracious gift of The God [is] everlasting life incorporate in Christ Jesus our Master.” (Ro 6:23 MHM)

 “For if from the one trespass the death reigned as king because of that one [man], how much more will those who have received the rich gift of being pronounced innocent, and the free gift of righteousness, reign [as kings] in life by the one human, Jesus Christ.” (Ro 5:17 MHM)

 “For, since death is by means of a human, so also by means of a human those dead will be resurrected. For just as in the Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.” (1Co 15:21-22 MHM)

 “Now [His purpose] has been made manifest by means of the Appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. He rendered death ineffective and shed light on life and incorruption by means of the Good News.” (2Ti 1:10 MHM)

 “But the [cured] person told them: “The One who made me well, that person said to me: ‘Pick up your cot and walk about.’” They asked him, “Who is the person who told you, ‘Pick up and walk about?’”” (Joh 5:11-12 MHM)

 “For The God did not send forth the Son into the world of humankind so that he should condemn the world of humankind by means of him, but rather that the world of humankind should be saved by means of him.” (Joh 3:17 MHM)

Dutch version / Nederlands > Diegene die ons gezond maakt en leven geeft