Friday 27 February 2009

Calvijn zou een uitgebalanceerde geloofsleer hebben ontwikkeld

„Calvijn zou een uitgebalanceerde geloofsleer hebben ontwikkeld. Zijn opvolgers en volgelingen, zoals Theodorus de Beza, zouden het evenwicht echter al gauw ernstig hebben verstoord door een te sterke nadruk op menselijk nadenken. De systematisering die zij hebben toegepast, zou Calvijn in deze opvatting als arrogantie hebben beschouwd.”
...
Calvijn plaatste de verkiezingsleer niet in het kader van Gods soevereiniteit en voorzienigheid, maar in het kader van heiliging, rechtvaardiging en gebed. Hij benadrukte nooit dat Christus alleen voor de uitverkorenen gestorven is en was voorzichtig met al te diep graven in de verkiezing.
...
„Calvijn en ook Bullinger leerden niet dat de verzoening zelf beperkt is, maar alleen dat de toepassing ervan in de verlossing dat is. Het verzoeningswerk van Christus mag niet van tevoren ingesnoerd worden door de leer van de uitverkiezing. Het is daarom beter om niet van ”beperkte verzoening” maar van ”particuliere verzoening” en ”beperkte verlossing” te spreken.”
- dr. Hoek

Lees meer >„Sola’s Reformatie blijven actueel
„De drie kernachtige ”sola’s” van de Reformatie zijn telkens weer actueel en bruikbaar voor de prediking. De vijf punten van de gereformeerde orthodoxie zijn daarentegen meer aan hun bepaalde context gebonden.”

The Spirit of God brings love, hope and freedom

"The Spirit of God brings first love then he gives then hope and freedom. And this is about the last thing we have in many of our churches."
- Dwight L. Moody

Dutch version / Nederlands > De Geest van God brengt liefde bij; geeft hoop, en vrijheid

+++
2013 update:
 
Enhanced by Zemanta

De Geest van God brengt liefde bij; geeft hoop, en vrijheid

"De Geest van God brengt eerst liefde bij; hij geeft daarna hoop, en dan vrijheid. En dit is ongeveer het laatste wat we hebben in veel van onze kerken."
- Dwight L. Moody

How do you keep people from stealing your joy?

"Q: How do you keep people from stealing your joy?
A: Give it to them"
- Joshua deKoning


"May the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope."
Romans 15:13


I know that the Kingdom of The God not eating and drinking is
but righteousness and peace and joy united in holy Pneuma.

Dear God give that I can have a positive attitude
and that I shall be full of joy
and thankful for all the blessings I can enjoy
and let me share them with others
in Christ his name,
amen.


Hoe houd je mensen van het stelen van uw vreugde?

"V: Hoe houd je mensen van het stelen van uw vreugde?
A: Geef het aan hen "
- Joshua deKoning

"Moge de God van de hoop je vullen met alle plezier
en vrede als je vertrouwd in hem,
zodat je overloopt met hoop. "
Romeinen 15:13

Ik weet dat het koninkrijk van God geen kwestie is van spijs en drank,
maar van gerechtigheid, vrede en vreugde door de heilige Geest.
Lieve God, geef dat ik een positieve houding
kan aannemen
en dat ik vol vreugde kan zijn
en dankbaar voor alle zegeningen die ik kan genieten
en laat me ze delen met anderen
in Christus zijn naam,
Amen.

Turn the Other Cheek

Note in the Gospel records, that the writers are at pains to point out that they struck Jesus with “the palm of their hand.” So, perhaps Jesus did literally “turn the other cheek”.... BUT He also questioned “why” - as in... “Why is this important to you”… “that you should smite me?” which is a good line to use when dealing with those who are dishing out any kind of abuse – especially verbal and/or spiritual abuse. And the follow on challenge to that question is... “You can do better than that!”

Read the first article by Cliff York >  - Jesus Did NOT Ask Us To Be Christian Doormats! > Turn the Other Cheek #1

Thursday 26 February 2009

Acht slaande op de reddende

“Denk eens aan uw roeping, broeders en zusters. Onder u waren er niet veel die naar menselijke maatstaf wijs waren, niet veel die machtig waren, niet veel die van voorname afkomst waren.” (1Co 1:26 Nbv)

 “Wacht op de HEER, wees dapper en vastberaden, ja, wacht op de HEER.” (Ps 27:14 Nbv)

 “Iedereen komt in verleiding door zijn eigen begeerte, die hem lokt en meesleept.” (Jak 1:14 Nbv)

 “Iedereen heeft gezondigd en ontbeert de nabijheid van God;” (Ro 3:23 Nbv)

 “En omdat hij zijn overweldigende majesteit wil tonen, heeft hij degenen die het voorwerp zijn van zijn barmhartigheid ertoe voorbestemd om in zijn majesteit te delen.” (Ro 9:23 Nbv)

 “De HEER heb ik lief, hij hoort mijn stem, mijn smeken, hij luistert naar mij, ik roep hem aan, mijn leven lang.” (Ps 116:1-2 Nbv)

 “Ja, u hebt mijn leven ontrukt aan de dood, mijn ogen gedroogd van tranen, mijn voeten voor struikelen behoed. Ik mag wandelen in het land van de levenden onder het oog van de HEER.” (Ps 116:8-9 Nbv)

 “En u, jongeren, moet van uw kant het gezag van de oudsten erkennen. Overigens, in de omgang met elkaar moet ieder van u altijd de minste willen zijn, want God keert zich tegen hoogmoedigen, maar aan nederigen schenkt hij zijn genade. Onderwerp u dus nederig aan Gods hoge gezag, dan zal hij u op de bestemde tijd een eervolle plaats geven. U mag uw zorgen op hem afwentelen, want u ligt hem na aan het hart. Wees waakzaam, wees op uw hoede, want uw vijand, de duivel, zwerft rond als een brullende leeuw, op zoek naar een prooi. Stel u tegen hem teweer, gesterkt door uw geloof, in het besef dat uw broeders en zusters, waar ook ter wereld, onder hetzelfde leed gebukt gaan. Maar al moet u nog korte tijd lijden, God, de bron van alle genade, heeft u geroepen om in Christus Jezus deel te krijgen aan zijn eeuwige luister. God zal u sterk en krachtig maken, zodat u staande zult blijven en niet meer zult wankelen. Hem komt de macht toe, voor eeuwig. Amen.” (1Pe 5:5-11 Nbv)

 “(3:9) Bij u, HEER, is redding, uw zegen rust op uw volk. sela” (Ps 3:8 Nbv)

 “God zegt: ‘Wanneer de tijd daarvoor gekomen is, luister ik naar je, op de dag van de redding help ik je.’ Nu is de tijd daarvoor gekomen, nu is de dag van de redding.” (2Co 6:2 Nbv)

 “hoe zullen wij dan aan die straf ontkomen wanneer we geen acht slaan op de zoveel meer omvattende redding die begonnen is met de woorden van de Heer, en die voor ons bevestigd werd door hen die deze woorden hebben gehoord?” (Heb 2:3 Nbv)

 “(68:21) onze God is een reddende God. Bij God, de HEER, is bevrijding uit de dood.” (Ps 68:20 Nbv)

Engelse versie / English version > Heed of the Saviour

The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON
(Written by Jason Cook)

There is a time in a person’s life when there are many questions to be asked but few answers to be given. This is what can make life so difficult. The only way to find true peace is by seeking God. He has the answers which we truly desire which will enable us to have peace within our whole being. The Bible clearly states in Deut. 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Verse 6 also goes on to say “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.” Verse 7 again says “You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.”

  God can do many things for us if He is our true life. 1 Cor. 1:26: “For you see your calling brethren that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.” For we all have a calling but it is by the hand of God and not by the hand of the world, for the world is so caught up in its cunningness and its desirable ways that we do not see what is right from wrong except through the word of God. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen and heard speaking to our hearts and to our minds to give us courage to be able to carry on with the things that surround us.

  Even before time began God has been there. Time is a wonderful thing to have but it is how we spend our time and what energy we put in to it that matters; “a time to love a time to cry, a time to rejoice and a time to celebrate.” One thing we must spend time with is the Word of God. There are many times when God is in effect put on the shelf and left closed like a dusty old book forgotten about. But to realize who He is and what He truly stands for and what He is all about is light and love and pure strength.
 
Psa. 27:14 says “Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.”
  Waiting can be one of the hardest things to overcome because that is the way of human nature and the flesh. Waiting with patience is the one thing we must all learn to have and some have more than others which is a blessing.
  Jam. 1:4: But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. God has the power to give us all that we need. Not always what we want, but with the time and patience that He gives us, later He may even give us some of our wants. The trust that we show to the Lord can come in many ways. One way is how we live our lives, asking God to help us with the things that we are to face each day, week, month and year. Another way is to talk to others about the wonderful hope that the Lord gives us if we trust in Him with all our heart. One of the first commandments was “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength,” and to “seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.”

 We are all influenced by many things in this life that we live. There are so many things that can encourage us but there are so many things that can prevent us from moving forward from the past and going forward into the future. We can either choose to be in the dark or we can be covered by the glory of the Lord.


 Rom. 3:23 “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Rom. 9:23: “and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy which He had prepared beforehand for glory.” To really realise that we have a God that watches us and waits for us to be able to call on His name whenever He is needed, is a pretty powerful thing to behold, for the power of God cannot and will never be able to be comprehended except by reading His word. By doing so we can truly know who God is which is truth in itself. Truth can be a painful thing when we are not prepared for it. But we must all deal with these things when we are faced with the thought that we could or might be wrong. We must all come to the conclusion that there is only one true thing for us and that is the Lord thy God who has the power over all things. He is in control of all the beasts that walk the earth, all the creatures that swim in the ocean and the birds which fly in the heavens. From the insects to the air we breathe, the sun which heats our planet to the love which surrounds us and our family.

 We live a life which we are totally in control of in deciding which path we should lead and how we should be living it. By reading the Word of God it can give us strength and hope with the promise God has given us of the gift of life eternal through the lord Jesus Christ. Through his salvation we can be saved from the darkness and turn it into light to move forward strengthening our faith and our belief in what we feel is necessary for the  hope that God has in store for us. Hoping for this we can always depend upon His love and kindness.
  Psa. 116:1-2: “I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.”
  Psa. 116:8-9: “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” When we walk with the Lord it is not an easy thing to do as we have seen. Looking around us we see how dangerous the world really is. The flesh in itself finds it nice to the eye but so evil in its content and what it represents. There are so many nice things in the world that appeal to the flesh and take us away from God but with it there comes a price - the price of sin and death. This is one thing we truly do not desire to have, but that is up to each person’s responsibility in how they live their lives. Each person has his or her own responsibility to make their own choice whether right or wrong. My choice is our almighty God.

  When you try to think of the many ways God has intervened in our lives it is amazing. He has provided food and shelter and we have our families which give us strength. But most importantly we have His love all around us. We represent God and the truth that He stands for and all the goodness that is in His son Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour who is the light of the world. He sits at the right hand of power which is the everlasting Father God almighty. We have all been called in some small way by God and there are many ways by which we are called.

  1 Pet. 5:5-11: “Likewise you younger people submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary human nature walks about you like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist your nature, be steadfast in the faith and know that the same sufferings are experienced by your brothers and sisters in this world. But may the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you. To God be the glory and the dominion forever and ever amen.

  There is a saying “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.” The same goes that “you can lead a man to God but only he can get his salvation.”
  Ps. 3:8: “Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing upon Your people.”
  2 Cor. 6:2: “For God says in an acceptable time I have heard you and in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
  Heb. 2:3: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”
  Psa. 68:20: “Our God is the God of salvation. And to the Lord belongs escape from death.”

  We all try to the best of our ability to live under God’s law and His guidance by reading His Word and studying with willingness. By having a hunger for the Word of God to truly know who God is and to know that He will never leave us or forsake us. He is not a god of wood or stone; not a god we cannot hear or cannot see, but a God who loves us and cares for us and accepts us for who we are, not what we are. Praise His almighty name for He is a God of the living, not the dead.

  Thank you Father for being in our lives and showing us the path to life - not to destruction. We want to live Lord, we all want to live.
  We desire oh Majesty that we might live by Your decree Amen.

Walking in love by faith, not by sight

“whom having not seen, you love; in whom not yet seeing, but believing, you exult with unspeakable and having been glorified,” (1Pe 1:8 LIT)

 “(for we walk by faith, not by sight),” (2Co 5:7 LIT)

 “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1Jo 4:19 LIT)

 “And we have known and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and the one abiding in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1Jo 4:16 LIT)

 “in whom also you, hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” (Eph 1:13 LIT)

 “to whom God willed to make known what [are] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, who is Christ in you, the hope of glory;” (Col 1:27 LIT)

 “If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the [one] not loving his brother whom he has seen, how is he able to love God whom he has not seen?” (1Jo 4:20 LIT)

 “Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed. Blessed [are] the ones not seeing and believing.” (Joh 20:29 LIT)

 “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish [from] the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Oh the blessings of all those who flee to Him for refuge!” (Ps 2:12 LIT)

Liefde door geloof zonder te zien

“U hebt hem lief zonder hem ooit gezien te hebben; en zonder hem nu te zien gelooft u in hem en ervaart u een onuitsprekelijke, hemelse vreugde,” (1Pe 1:8 Nbv)

 “We leven in vertrouwen op God; wat komen gaat is nog niet zichtbaar.” (2Co 5:7 Nbv)

 “Wij hebben lief omdat God ons het eerst heeft liefgehad.” (1Jo 4:19 Nbv)

 “Wij hebben Gods liefde, die in ons is, leren kennen en vertrouwen daarop. God is liefde. Wie in de liefde blijft, blijft in God, en God blijft in hem.” (1Jo 4:16 Nbv)

 “In hem hebt ook u de boodschap van de waarheid gehoord, het evangelie van uw redding, in hem bent u, door uw geloof, gemerkt met het stempel van de heilige Geest die ons beloofd is” (Efe 1:13 Nbv)

 “Aan hen heeft God bekend willen maken hoe glorierijk dit mysterie is voor alle volken: Christus is in u, hij is uw hoop op goddelijke luister.” (Col 1:27 Nbv)

 “Als iemand zegt: ‘Ik heb God lief, ‘maar hij haat zijn broeder of zuster, is hij een leugenaar. Want iemand kan onmogelijk God, die hij nooit gezien heeft, liefhebben als hij de ander, die hij wel ziet, niet liefheeft.” (1Jo 4:20 Nbv)

 “Jezus zei tegen hem: ‘Omdat je me gezien hebt, geloof je. Gelukkig zijn zij die niet zien en toch geloven.’” (Joh 20:29 Nbv)

 “Bewijs eer aan zijn zoon met een kus, anders ontvlamt zijn woede, en uw weg loopt dood, want bij het geringste ontsteekt hij in toorn. Gelukkig wie schuilen bij hem.” (Ps 2:12 Nbv)