Our World

Tuesday 2 February 2016

Jewish and Christian traditions of elders

How can a Christian book possibly write":

"nowhere in the old testament is there one single word about 'GOD, THE FATHER,' and yet, that phrase dominates the New Testament and Christs teachings."

Also strange to find written

Christ also, according to scientists who were finally able to extract blood from the shroud of Turin, had AB negative blood which is stated to be the original blood of humans, on the planet.

Michael A. Hoffman II was educated at the University of New York and is a former reporter for the New York Bureau of the Associated Press. He is the author of several books, including the well known, Judaism's Strange in which we may find very strange remarks.
According to but being based on the "Oral Law.".
He says

The New Testament speaks of this as the "traditions of the elders." Jesus Christ denounced and condemned the "traditions of the elders" in the Gospel of John Chapter 5 and in the Gospel of Mark Chapter 7.

It is known that the rabbis teach that the revelation granted to Moses had been delivered in two forms, a smaller revelation in writing, and the larger one kept oral.

The rabbis claim that the so-called "oral revelation" had been transmitted by the leaders of each generation to their successors — by Moses to Joshua; and then to the elders; to the prophets; to the men of the Sanhedrin; to the leaders of the Pharisees; and finally to the earliest rabbis who saw themselves as heirs of the Pharisees.

It is because having so much accent been given to the oral tradition that lots of human doctrines entered mankind's teaching. Also in Christendom we can find such an evolution, having lots of people preferring to follow the human doctrines instead of the Biblical doctrines.

According to Michael A. Hoffman the oral tradition of the Jews is not consonant with the Old Testament. He says

The spurious claim of an "oral tradition of the elders" bequeathed by God to Moses is anti-Biblical, just as Jesus asserted. Christ very simply illuminated the fact that if the Pharisees' tradition had indeed been from Moses, then they would have become Christians. For Christ rebuked them saying, "Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?"

Here Jesus annihilated in one stroke the basis for the religion of Judaism and its conceit of an oral tradition given to it by Moses. For had such a tradition existed it would have testified of Jesus the Messiah. Instead, Christ tells them point blank that they don't follow Moses!

We must be aware that in Judaism as in Christendom we do have the same problem that many do not know their Holy Scriptures. Michael A. Hoffman says:

When presenting Old Testament proofs of the Messiahship of Jesus to the rabbis and their followers - one must penetrate the iron-clad grid of the Talmudic mind-set which according to Christ’s assertion makes the Scriptures "of none effect."

From the outset, the Christian must realize that the rabbis and their followers do not know their own Scriptures, and for that matter, do not care to know them. For they view the Talmud as superceding the Scriptures. Much patience is required when bringing the Gospel message to them, and perhaps at times, stern reproofs are necessary.

The same as we do have to have much patience to try to convince those who call themselves Christian we do need lots of time to bring Jews to come to see what it is about the Messiah and why Jesus really can be seen as that promised sent one from God.

We do not agree with those people who say Jews have their own God and Muslims have their own God. It is very easy to come with such accusation as excuse for promoting their own teachings which are often also based more on human or church doctrines instead of Biblical doctrines.

Unlike the writer of the boos says, the main tenet of Judaism is not Jewish self-worship. Judaism has not as its "god," another God than the one of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We can more say that lots of Christians do have an other god than the God Who is worshipped by the Jewish people. The People of God never worshipped a trintiarian god. They all knew and know very well that there is only One true God of gods according to the infallible Word of God.

for the author Jewish self-worship is at the core of the Talmud.

The secularist amongst them shares in this self-worship. For the Talmud teaches that the Gentile is a lower form of humanity.

Michael A. Hoffman says.
He also finds that the Talmud blasphemes Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.

Tractate Sanhedrin 106a says that Jesus’ mother was a harlot: "She who was a descendant of princes and governors played the harlot with carpenters." Also in Tractate Shabbath 104b of the Talmud, it is stated: "Miriam the hairdresser had sex with many men."

As regard the Talmud's treatment of Jesus Christ, Tractates Sanhedrin 107b and Sotah 47a say: "Jesus was sexually immoral, worshipped statues of stone and brick, was cut off from the Jewish people for his wickedness, and refused to repent." And even a more vile blasphemy is written in Tractate Gitten 57: "Jesus is in hell, being boiled in hot excrement."

The Jews know that in the Scriptures is written that Jesus was three days in hell, something lots of Christians do seem to overlook. But naturally the sheol or hell from the bible is not such a place of torment as many Christians and Muslims understand it. there does not exist a place of hellfire where people would be tortured for ever. The Creator God is not such an awful sadistic Being which would enjoy such torment for His creatures. For Him when a person dies he or she has paid for his or her sins and everything ends with it.

Michael A. Hoffman is totally wrong in saying:

Christians must understand that the religion of Judaism is anti-Biblical. The true religion of the God of Israel is Christianity not Judaism. Judaism is simply a perversion of God’s original revelation to the Hebrew nation. It is the very religion of nullification of the Old Testament.

All Christians should know that the Jews are God His chosen people. They always shall have a preferred place in God's Plan. The heathen or gentiles may not expect that they would get a higher place than the Jews. they should be happy that , when they agree to follow Christ Jesus, have their sins washed away by baptism, can also enter the Kingdom of God, when from their conversion onwards they are willing to follow the commandments of Christ and the commandments of God.

Mr Hoffman with so many Christians do seem to forget that whatever happens God shall keep His promises He made centuries ago to Abraham. The seed of Abraham is in first instance the Jewish people and in second instance those who have become the new children of the patriarch Abraham, the reborn people in Christ or the Christians then new sons of Abraham.

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Please also do find to read:

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Monday 1 February 2016

Credo of the Christadelphian

There is only one God, the Father.
This is the Almighty God above all gods, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus and his followers.

The only true God who tells no lies, created the world and has given mankind His infallible Word.

The whole universe came into being by the Power of the God (the Holy Spirit)

The Holy Spirit is the Power of God.

The Bible is the only true message of the only true God, creator of heaven and earth.

The Bible or Holy Scripture is God's inspired word.
It is His message to us.

By the original sin man is doomed to die, wherein his life completely ends.
Man is mortal and all life ends at death.

The gift of God for the faithful is immortal life on earth after Jesus' return.

People are responsible for their sins.

Jesus is both the Son of God and a human being or a son of man, born about 2,000 years ago, of his mother Mary.

Christ has transcended human nature and was sinless.

By a sinless life Jesus lead, he has opened the way to salvation from death for all those who believe in him.

Through Jesus' sacrificial death, we have the opportunity to be saved and to obtain eternal life.

Jesus, who rose from the dead, will come back to earth to judge the living and the dead and to give the faithful eternal life.

Jesus is now in heaven at the right hand of God his Father.

Jesus will soon return to earth.

When Jesus returns, he will rule the world as king of the restored Kingdom of God.

He will give immortality to all those who have faith in him and his father and who follow him.

Baptism is an outward sign of following Jesus.

Jesus followers will also prevail in peace on earth.

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Het credo van de Christadelphian

Er is slechts één God, de Vader.
Deze god boven alle goden is de God van Abraham, Isaac, Jacob en van Jezus en zijn volgelingen.

De enige Ware God die geen leugens vertelt, heeft de wereld geschapen en de mensheid Zijn onfeilbaar Woord geschonken.
Door God die een eeuwige Geest is kwam alles tot stand. De Heilige Geest is de Kracht van God.

De Bijbel is de enige ware boodschap van de enige waarachtige God, schepper van hemel en aarde. De Bijbel of Heilige Schrift is Gods geïnspireerde woord.
Het is Zijn boodschap tot ons.

Door de erfzonde is de mens gedoemd te sterven, waarbij zijn leven volledig ten einde komt.
De mensen zijn zelf verantwoordelijk voor hun zonden.

Jezus is zowel Zoon van God alsook een menselijk wezen of een mensenzoon, ongeveer 2000 jaar geleden geboren uit zijn moeder Maria.

Christus heeft de menselijke natuur overstegen en was zondenloos.
Door een zondeloos leven te leiden heeft Jezus de weg geopend naar redding uit de doden voor al diegenen die in hem geloven.

De mens is sterfelijk en heeft geen bestaan meer wanneer dij dood is. (Alle leven houdt op bij de dood)

Door Jezus zijn offerdood hebben wij de mogelijkheid gered te worden en eeuwig leven te verkrijgen.
Jezus, die opgestaan is uit de doden, zal terug naar de aarde komen om de levenden en doden te oordelen en de getrouwen eeuwig leven te geven.

Jezus is nu in de hemel aan de rechterhand van God, zijn Vader.
Jezus zal spoedig terug keren naar de aarde.

Wanneer Jezus terug keert zal hij over de wereld heersen als koning van het herstelde Koninkrijk van God.
Hij zal onsterfelijkheid geven aan al diegenen die geloof hebben in hem en zijn Vader en hem volgen.

Doopsel is een uitwendig teken van verplichting Jezus te volgen.

Jezus volgers zullen in vrede mede heersen over aarde .

De gift van God voor de getrouwen is onsterfelijk leven op aarde na Jezus zijn terugkeer.

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Wednesday 27 January 2016

Pelagianism, abundant sex, no works and refugees

On the 27th of January we read in the Book of Genesis about Joseph, the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons and Rachel's firstborn, whose brothers sold him as a slave into Egypt and how he revealed himself to his astonished brothers when they came again to Egypt to buy food because of the continuing severity of the famine.

We also have the remembrance day today of Pelagius (c.360–c.420), British or Irish monk, who denied the doctrines of original sin and predestination, defending innate human goodness and free will.

When we look at several stories in the Bible we can see that the characters of those stories are telling that they are speaking in the name of the Most High, that they are the sent one from the Elohim and/or that what happened had to happen.

Joseph and His Brethren Welcomed by Pharaoh, watercolor by James Tissot (c. 1900)

When Joseph is visited by his brothers he tells them not to worry because it is the Most High Who sent him before them to preserve life. Later in history we also find a son of Joseph also being a sent one from God and also being there in the land to preserve life.. This time not for a real earthly famine, but for a spiritual famine.

With Joseph the son of Jacob there was also preserved for them a remnant on earth, so that also several survivors could be kept alive for them. Joseph sees the ‘big picture’ of God’s oversight!

Throughout history it has been difficult for many people to keep their eyes focused on the One God. they also had given preference to their own human doctrines instead of keeping to the words like they were meant in the Scriptures.

Having such human doctrines conquering the world made life not so easy for some religious people, monks and priests. The position of Jesus, also a remnant on earth, was a very delicate and often discussed one. Lots of Christians not only made the son of god into a god son, what is something totally different, but also looked at his ransom offer in a different way than described in the Bible.

For today we still see the wrong idea about what was the matter of debate in the 5th century. Pelagius his beliefs were opposed by St Augustine of Hippo and condemned as heretical by the Synod of Carthage in about 418.

In c.380, he had gone to Rome and became the spiritual guide of many clerics and lay persons. After 410, he preached in Africa, where Saint Augustine denounced his ideas, and later in Palestine. He maintained that man is master of his own salvation and rejected the idea of original sin. He countered criticisms from Augustine and Saint Jerome in his book De Libero Arbitrio in 416.and was excommunicated by Pope Innocent I in 417.

In many biblical accounts we can see how our Creator remarkably foresees the freewill actions of human nature and weaves it into his plan and purpose! The account of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt is just one example.

Throughout history we could see that God promised certain things and years later they did happen. Several times Jehovah ordered things to be done and we can see how wonderfully they fitted always in God's Plan.

Next month we are going to read in our bible reading sessions how the event in Egypt laid the foundation for the descendants of the sons of Jacob to become a nation (made up of 12 tribes). And how remarkable today is the action and reaction of the world with the reborn nation of Israel. But the world is blind to its significance, and what it portends.

Today still many do not want to accept what Jesus has done and who he really fits in the Plan of God. By saying he is God who died for our sins and that we are now saved for ever and have not do any works any-more, they not only forget that God cannot die, but also mislead people letting them think that because they are saved for ever they do not need to do any work to be able to enter in God's Kingdom.

This makes it that many Christians do not see any harm in certain actions taken against the refugees coming to Europe. For many Christians it is even best to halt them coming over here and becoming part of our nation.

The world has not only become blind to the wonder of the Creator and His creation, man has forgotten all the tasks Jesus has given to his followers. Many Christians do not seem to remember what is being told in the many comparisons or parables.

Reading the letters of Paul we can notice how the Romans, who had worshipped idols, gods of human imagination, got people who came to know God because "God has shown it to them". For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Letter to the Romans 1:19,20).

Romans 1:19-25 Complete Apostles' Bible (19) Because that which is known of God is manifest among them, for God has shown it to them. (20) For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, both His eternal power and Divinity, so that they are without excuse. (21) Because, having known God, they did not glorify Him as God, or give thanks, but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. (22) Professing to be wise, they became fools, (23) and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for a likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and reptiles. (24) Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of the own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves, (25) who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Also today there are people claiming to be wise but became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God with the likeness of an image of mortal human beings. As in the time of the apostles we may say that now also it is God Who gives them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, that their bodies would be dishonoured among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God with a lie, and worship in front of graven images or even do not worshipping at all but look up at all sorts of gods or idols.

Several people have no shame today to give themselves over to degrading passions, for their males or females exchanged the natural relations for those contrary to nature. For years already we can see males, abandoning the natural relations with the female, having no objection to copulate with more than one partner form the same sex or even to have erotic fun with people from their own and from the other gender.

Inflamed in their desire toward one another, males with males, females with females, committing the shameless deed, they are very afraid for those who say we have to worship God and have to live according to God's Law. Everything what even smells of God is something they want to avoid. For them having a people coming into their country which possibly could want to have the others worshipping the only One True God makes them very afraid and gets them doing everything to keep such people out.

Strangely enough we do hear lots of people complaining that many churches have been turned in mosques, but they do not wonder why those places of worship came empty and got turned into prayer-houses for Muslims.

As they do not see fit to recognize God we may assume it is God Himself Who gave our people over to a debased mind, to do the things that are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence.

Those gossipers have become fools (verse 22). They have become greater fools today, but in a different way. What we read from verse 28 fits our situation so aptly,

Romans 1:28-32 Complete Apostles' Bible (28) And just as they did not approve to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do the things which are not fitting; (29) having been filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, greed, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness; they are whisperers, (30) slanderers, hateful to God, insolent men, proud, braggarts, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; (32) who, having known the righteous judgment of God, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but also approve of those who practice them.

We notice that there are many who claim to be Christian but do not the works according to their faith and who oppose those people who fled from the war zones in the East, to come to stay here until the situations becomes more peaceful.

Lots of them do not acknowledge the Real One God. With their debased mind they also want others to believe we should not take care of those poor people, should not give them a roof above their head, nor should we feed them.

Those who call themselves Christian should think about what Jesus taught and at what he asked from his followers. they should take distance from those who are filled with all manner of unrighteousness and in contrast should be

“filled with all manner of” righteousness, which increases as we feed on God’s word every day.

Let us also remind that Faith without works is death.

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Please do find to read:

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Today in history, the year 60

January 27, 60

The woman walking up the Roman Road hugged a secret. Hidden beneath her robe was the future of Christian theology. For she bore with her a letter to the church in Rome that would spell out, like no other document ever written, the implications and significance of the gospel. Paul had turned to her out of need. While in Corinth he had written a letter to the distant Roman church. He could not slip the letter into an envelope, lick a couple stamps and drop it into a mailbox; there was no postal s... Read More

Een schandvlek op de Europese Unie

Dinsdag 26 januari mag aanschouwd worden als een dag dat de stichters van de Europese Unie rood zouden kleuren van schaamte en als een dag dat extreem rechts in Europa weer opmerkelijk mocht opduiken in de geschiedenis van West Europa.

Denemarken heeft een van de zwaarste dossiers betreft Syrische vluchtelingen van elk land van de Europese Unie, en deze week werd het nog erger. De in december door de centrum-rechtse Deense regering voorgestelde wetgeving die immigratie-autoriteiten in staat zou stellen om sieraden en andere persoonlijke waardevolle spullen in beslag te nemen van vluchtelingen werd op dinsdag 26 januari goedgekeurd door het Deense parlement met steun van de sociaal-democraten, de grootste linkse oppositiepartij. Men zou die maatregel die uiteindelijk toch genomen is nooit voor mogelijk geacht houden. Echter kon Denemarken aantonen hoe zij tegenover andere volkeren staat en hoe onverdraagzaam het is.

Onder de wet, wordt gesteld dat de vluchtelingen welke meer dan 10.000 kronen waard bezitten al de rest welk niet van emotionele waarde is afgenomen zal worden. Hierbij kreëert men een willekeur waarbij het ook mogelijk gesteld wordt voor politiemensen om te stelen van die vluchtelingen.

Wie en hoe zal de algemene vrijstellingsprijs voor items van sentimentele waarde, zoals trouwringen, fotos enz. bepalen?

Deze maatregel discrimineert ook de vluchtelingen tegenover andere burgers die het land willen binnen komen.

A stain of shame for the European Union

Relief map of Europe and surrounding regions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A smudge of shame unto Europe by the Danish lawmakers who voted on Tuesday in favour of controversial legislation empowering authorities to seize cash and valuables from asylum seekers to help cover their expenses.

Such a law not only discriminates people willing to enter a country of the European Union, it also creates a possibility for police constables to steal from those entering the country.

When the police officers may seize valuables worth more than 10,000 Danish kroner (about $1,453) and are given the choice to take off items which they do consider of no "special sentimental value" such as "wedding rings, engagement rings, family portraits, decorations and medals" opening is given to lots of variety.

Once more in Europe the extreme right is given more power to put certain groups of people in the corner and to threaten them.

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.

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