New website

Planning to bring out a new website we would appreciate your idea.

We think it is necessary to have a catchy name or a domainname which shall be possible to be used in a search on Google or others. So that we can easily be found.

We worked through a lot of domainnames but after a search for availability not many where left over to use.The possible Domain names for the Website are:

• Christadelphians.be
• Godshope.net 
  
• Godssurprise.net
• thegiftofgod.be

are also still free:

• godshope.biz
• thegiftofgod.biz

We thought to keep the Belgian Christadelphian website http://belgianchristadelphians.googlepages.com and therefore could wonder if it would be useful to ad an Christadelphians.be website. Personally I think people are easier to search for "Gods hope" or something else instead of Christadelphians.
In the new website we would put than links to the other pages of the older website. For English http://belgianchristadelphians.googlepages.com/englishpages and for Dutch to the main page. Having links in other websites would give a better ranking as well.

Pakistaanse Christenen aangevallen

In verschillende delen van Karachi hebben extremisten (de media zegt dat het de Taliban is) 4 kerken aangevallen.
Wanneeer de Christenen de aanvallen trachtten te stoppen werd het vuur op hen geopend en werden twee christenen gewond.
Ook in Khuda Ki waar de Christadelphian ecclesia 31 leden heeft, is de situatie zeer gespannen.
 
De Christadelphians in Pakistan hebben voor uw gebeden gevraagd.

Pakistan Christians under attack

Over the last few hours 4 churches in Pakistan have been attacked and burnt in different parts of Karachi by extremists (the media are saying it's the Taliban).

When Christians tried to stop these attacks their attackers opened fire on them. Two Christians received bullet wounds.

The situation is very tense in several areas, including Khuda Ki Basti  where there is a Christadelphian Ecclesia with 31 members. 

The Christadelphians in Pakistan have asked for your prayers.

A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for

A LIVING FAITH

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb 11:1

This is a well known quote from Paul spelling out the principles of faith. We have never met Abraham, Isaac, or any of the Patriarchs.  We have never met any of the prophets and not even one of the faithful men and women whose lives are recorded in scripture as examples for us. We have never walked the streets of the Jerusalem of David’s day nor witnessed the building of Solomon’s temple.  Unlike the disciples we have never seen the Lord Jesus Christ nor been privileged to hear his words first hand. We have not seen the Kingdom or even a glimpse of the glory and wonder of that time to come. But faith provides substance to the words of scripture and provides evidence of that which is not yet seen.

But faith is not blind; it is not a blind unknowing belief in the insubstantial. Faith is based upon a solid foundation and not on an elusive, flimsy account of a mans dreams. Faith looks up at the heavens and the myriads of stars each in their place and all governed by unchanging physical laws. Faith views nature and sees the myriad forms of life on the earth. Then faith sees in all things, the wonder of life wrought by the hand of an Almighty Creator.

Faith is born out of a knowledge about lives and events that are as real and tangible as any historical account. Faith sees the reality of promises and prophecy already fulfilled, and then concludes that what has not yet come, will equally be fulfilled.

Faith sees substance in the scriptures that paint a wonderful picture about a time to come of peace and safety such as has never been. The world as it is today maybe appears permanent, its roads, vast cities, transport systems and institutions unassailable. Yet the eye of faith sees a vastly changed vista, for faith views amongst many things:

Ø  A time when a vast temple over a mile square will be built as a ‘house of prayer for all nations’.

Ø  A time when ‘the desert will blossom as the rose’

Ø  A time when all shall know the Lord ‘from the least of them to the greatest of them’.

Faith is an essential component of salvation, for Paul writes that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Heb 11:6

Now, there are three key words in that quote from Hebrews, namely faith, substance and evidence.

The word ‘faith’ comes from the Greek word ‘pistis’, meaning assurance, belief, fidelity and faithfulness (the character of one who can be relied on). Faith therefore is a confidence engendered by knowledge, for as we read “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Rom 10:17

Now the word ‘substance’  comes from the Greek ‘hupostasis’, meaning confidence, substructure or foundation, steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution, firm trust, assurance. Faith can thus be viewed as an attitude of mind that is convinced of the Truth and which has a firm foundation for hope.

Finally we come to the word ‘evidence’ which comes from the Greek ‘elegchos’ meaning that by which a thing is proved or tested. Faith in that which is to come, has its evidence in the Word, which as Paul writes is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof (‘elegchos’ translated ‘for proof’ Diaglott, conviction YLT )… ..for instruction in righteousness” 2Tim 3:16

You may recall that Jesus once upbraided the disciples for having ‘little faith’.  There they were in a storm on the Sea of Galilee, the waves threatening to sink the boat. Jesus though had calmly fallen asleep in the stern of the boat. His disciples went to him saying:

"Lord, save us! We are perishing!”  His reply: "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"

With Jesus in that boat it was unsinkable, for his time had not yet come. The disciples had witnessed the expressions of belief and faith of others, particularly the profound faith of the Centurion of whom Jesus had said “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Matt 8:10. They had witnessed acts of healing and listened to the parables Jesus had told concerning the Kingdom, yet they themselves were chided for having ‘little faith’. I wonder how Jesus would view our level of faith when faced with the storms and the tossing waves of life. Are they viewed as simply time and chance, or do we see the hand of Yahweh at work moulding and shaping our lives? Most certainly the minutiae of life are very often time and chance, but the overall tenor of life is overruled, all things working to our good. Thus do we see trial and tribulation as an opportunity for our characters to develop and faith to be tested?

The term ‘little faith’ comes from the Greek ‘oligopistos’ meaning to be incredulous or lacking confidence.  One of the root words in Greek means puny, small, brief (in extent/duration). The other root word means persuasion, reliance and belief. Therefore having ‘little faith’ implies being little persuaded and lacking in reliance.

Thus a lesson is driven home which in effect says that it is easy to express faith when life is easy, harder when life events get tough.  It is the testing by the trial and tribulations of life that proves the value and depth of faith, plus of course our level of understanding. There are times when the storms and waves in life threaten to swamp our boat, yet Paul writes “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man”. Therefore, the evidence of faith will recall the promise, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1Cor 10:13

The disciples once asked Jesus "Lord increase our faith". The reply came:

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree - be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you" Luke 17:5

Such a small amount of faith could accomplish so much! I wonder what an honest self examination would say about our personal level of faith. Is it as great as a small mustard seed or would Jesus upbraid us for having ‘little faith?

To be continued….A Living Faith #2

Andy Peel.

+ 
In this series:

A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
A living faith #2 State of your faith
A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
A Living Faith #4 Effort
A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
A Living faith #7 Prayer
A Living Faith #8 Change
A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
A Living Faith #11 My place in the body of Christ and my ecclesia
A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus

Of interest: > Faith Requires a Basis

+++ 

2016 January update

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Keuzes

English version > Choices

Keuzes

"Je bent wie je bent en wat je bent, omdat
wat er is omgegaan in je achterhoofd.
Je kan veranderen wie je bent en
wat je bent door te veranderen wat er in je geest omgaat. "
- Zig Ziglar

"Laat me Uw wegen kennen, O Heer;
leer mij Uw paden.
Leidt mij in Uw waarheid en onderwijs mij,
want U bent de God van mijn heil;
op U wacht ik de hele dag. "
Psalm 25:4-5

God vorm mijn denken. Verander mij daar waar het nodig is
en laat mij een goede Christen zijn die anderen tot een voorbeeld kan zijn.
Zorg er voor dat ik steeds de juiste keuzes kan maken
om te mogen toetreden tot Uw Koninkrijk, waar ik halsreikend naar uit kijk.

Choices

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Keuzes

"You are who you are and what you are because
of what has gone into your mind.
You can change who you are and
what you are by changing what goes into your mind."
- Zig Ziglar

"Make me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day."
Psalm 25:4-5

God shape my thinking. Change me where it is necessary
and leave me to be a good Christian as that may be an example to others.
Make sure that I always make the right choices
to accede to your Kingdom, where I look forward to.

Faith Requires a Basis

Many possess the necessary proper heart condition that is a prerequisite to faith; but, as the Apostle Paul informs us, there must first be a basis for faith and that this is acquired through an external source, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). One example is shown in the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39) whom Philip found reading from the book of Isaiah. When Philip asked him if he understood the particular passages he was reading he answered, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" Following Philip s explanation that Jesus sacrifice was the propitiation for the sins of the world, it did not take him long to see what his course should be. The eunuch now understood from the scriptures some of God s plan of salvation and he now possessed a basis for his faith. This prompted him to arise and immediately be baptized.

> Faith Toward God
> The Basis of Faith and Hope
> A Living Faith #1

+ Being a Christian means living the Faith.

Russell himself never claimed to be a prophet.

Charles Taze Russell (although he stated his views firmly as his beliefs) was never dogmatic about his beliefs on chronology and time prophecy, nor did he demand of the Bible Students associated with him or anyone else accept his beliefs.
 His statements were:
“Our own views are not prophecy, but interpretations of the holy prophets of old.” (Watch Tower, October 1890, page 8)
“Neither must you lean upon the DAWN and the TOWER as infallible teachers. If it was proper for the early Christians to prove what they received from the apostles, who were and who claimed to be inspired, how much more important it is that you fully satisfy yourself that these teachings keep closely within their outline instructions and those of our Lord; — since their author claims no inspiration, but merely the guidance of the Lord, as one used of him in feeding his flock.” (”The Watch Tower”, June, 1893)
...
What one will not find anywhere in Russell’s writings is that he claimed that his writings were a direct revelation from God, or that his predictions were directly from God.

> Read full article >Did Russell Claim Direct Revelation From God?

Bijbel in de 21e eeuwse Tsjechishe vertaling

De eerste oplage van 50.000 Tsjechishe 'Bijbel in de 21e eeuwse vertaling' gedrukt in Nederland, bij Jongbloed in Heerenveen werd voorgesteld aan de pers. Ambassadeur Van Hoorn herinnerde aan de nauwe culturele en historische betrekkingen tussen Nederland en Tsjechië. Hij noemde in dat verband de Moravische Broeders, die uitweken naar de toen nog Nederlandse kolonie Suriname. Hij sprak respectvol over twee grote Tsjechische reformatoren, Jan Hus en Jan Amos Comenius.

Let niet op het voorkomen

Wonderen zijn de wereld niet uit en sprookjes bestaan ook nog steeds.
Geboren met leerproblemen droomde ze ervan om een beroemd zangeres te worden. "Als kind was ik altijd musicals aan het nadoen en zong met een tandenborstel voor mijn mond. Mijn moeder zette mij ertoe dat ik bleef zingen omdat ze zag dat ik talent had. Zij zorgde ervoor dat ik, toen ik twaalf was, in het koor van de katholieke kerk kwam." Als jongste van een gezin met negen kinderen is ze bij haar ouders blijven wonen. Ze bleef haar zieke moeder, die stierf in 2007, verzorgen waardoor ze geen tijd had voor andere dingen. Nu is ze nog werkloos.
Haar froeselige verschijning deed velen de ogen afwenden of met lelijke gedachten zitten. Haar verschijning riep spot op, welke nog erger leek toen zij zich durfde presenteren op één van de meest bekende talentenjachten in Groot-Britannië - Britain's got talent.
Maar eens ze haar stem verhefte leek er wel een transformatie plaats te grijpen. Het wolk was verbouwereerd.

The Telegraph schreef: 'Haar exentrieke gedrag en niet geheel gepolijsde verschijning resulteerde in geroep vanuit het publiek, maar men stond verbaasd vanaf het moment dat ze begon te zingen.' Volgens weblogger en predikant Eugene Cho heeft men door Susan Boyle een belangrijke les geleerd; de les om niet gelijk te oordelen. Hij vraagt zich af waarom het publiek tijdens de audities zoveel waarde hechtte aan uiterlijk, al ontkent hij niet dat Susan Boyle niet het uiterlijk heeft van een entertainer. Hij verwijst naar 1 Samuel 16:7 waar de Heere over Eliab zegt: "Let niet op zijn voorkomen noch op zijn rijzige gestalte want Ik heb hem verworpen. Het komt immers niet aan op wat de mens ziet; de mens toch ziet aan wat voor ogen is, maar de HERE ziet het hart aan."

Susan Boyle welke nog steeds in haar ouderlijk huis woont is afkomstig uit het Schotse West Lothian. Zij is een kerkwerkster en in haar rooms-katholieke kerk kreeg ze ook een staande ovatie. "Het was geweldig" vertelde ze. Veel kerkgangers kennen haar van haar vrijwilligerswerk namens de kerk. "Ik help ouderen en zo. En ik bezoek mensen in het ziekenhuis."
Susan Boyle is een wereldhit geworden nadat ze tientallen jaren in het koor van haar kerk zong. zij blijft er heel bescheiden en realisitsch bij.

Youtube video talentenjacht >Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics)