Living with some type of physical disability in the U.S.A.

About 1-in-5 people in the USA live with some type of physical disability; 10 million people a year experience a serious mental illness; and 1-in-6 Americans struggle with chronic health conditions, leading to roughly 65 million Americans providing care for someone with a disability or chronic illness.

[See Bible Gateway Blog post: Tyndale to Release Beyond Suffering Bible]

Suffering always prompts heart-wrenching questions: if God is good, why would He allow this pain in my life? Is God truly sovereign over accidents and birth anomalies, or does the devil set the world’s agenda? How do I counsel people who are despairing of their condition? What are the right choices when it comes to assisted-suicide and other tough ethical issues? For that matter, where does a person struggling with a life-altering accident or illness find peace of mind and a purpose for living? 

says singer, artist, radio host, and bestselling author Joni Eareckson Tada, one of the the experts at Joni and Friends Christian Institute on Disability which publishes the first Bible with study notes that address the topics of disability and suffering. The new Beyond Suffering Bible (website) will release from Joni and Friends and Tyndale House Publishers this October. It’s a combination of both a study Bible and a devotional Bible, with knowledge and insight gleaned from the Scriptures, as well as encouraging words from a wide array of top Christian experts who are often the “go-to” resources when people are looking for direction or next steps when ministering to individuals with disabilities, pain, addiction, and suffering.

Not enough people who suffer realize that the Bible contains answers for their plight. Lots of people who might know that the answers may be there in that Book of books just don’t know where to look.

This was my story shortly after the 1967 diving accident in which I became paralyzed—even in my despair,

says Joni Eareckson Tada who continues

I knew in a vague way that the Bible held hope for me in its pages. I just didn’t know where to begin. Thankfully, God brought wise Christian friends alongside to help me discover life-transforming precepts in his Word. The Beyond Suffering Bible can be that “wise Christian friend,” helping those affected by disability grasp the goodness of God amidst critical questions about pain and hardship.

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The Beyond Suffering Bible: An Interview with Joni Eareckson Tada

Nieuwe Facebook pagina's ter beschikking tot meditatie

Voor hen die geïnteresseerd zijn in geloof, religie, uitoefening van geloof en opbouw van kerkgemeenschap zijn er nu twee nieuwe Facebook pagina's die de mogelijkheid geven om via Facebook op de hoogte te blijven van gepubliceerde artikelen.

Voorheen waren er al Biblestudents (community) en Christadelphia voor de wereldwijde gemeenschappen van respectievelijk de Bijbelstudenten of Biblestudents en de Broeders in Christus of Christadelphians.

De Belgische Bijbelstudenten voorzien, zo lang als zij het nog kunnen doen, hun eigen Facebook profiel (Bijbelstudenten - Biblestudents) naast hun WordPress blog.

De Belgische Christadelphians, mits zij geen individu zijn, zagen hun Facebook profiel geschorst. Daarom werd nu apart een Facebook Pagina opgericht waar mensen die graag Facebook gebruiken de pagina leuk kunnen vinden en kunnen aangeven om op de hoogte gebracht te worden van nieuwe publicaties. Graag nodigen wij onze lezers uit om de Christadelphians Facebook Page leuk te vinden en zich op te geven om meldingen te ontvangen.

Naast deze pagina voorzien de Christadelphian Bijbelonderzoekers of Biblestudents ook een nieuw Facebook Pagina waarvoor u eveneens wordt op uitgenodigd om zich aan te sluiten.

Mogen wij u op deze pagina's aantreffen? Langs die pagina's kan u ook steeds in contact treden met iemand om op uw vragen een antwoord te geven. Maak er gebruik van.

For Getting to know Jesus

The three new websites are there on the net to bring people closer to the promised one who brings salvation for those who want to accept him and believe that he is the send one from God, the Kristos or Christ, the Messiah long awaited.

Because today there are still lots of people who do not want to accept what Jesus really says and really has done. They keep saying it was impossible for a man to do such thing as Jesus did. By saying so they nullify the act of Jesus and create a position where God could be thought of as a cruel God Who created human beings and imposed on them a Law which He knew they would never be able to keep.

We may not forget what happened in the Garden of Eden and how God provided a plan offering mankind a Redeemer.

On the newly created site "The human Jesus" Xavier Carlos Jimenez writes

 The first we are aware of this is at Genesis 3:15, where we see the seed of the woman, that is a descendant of Eve, is the future Messiah. Jesus Christ is prophesied throughout the OT, but does not come into existence until the NT where his birth was foretold by the angel Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1:26-38).

In the knowledge that God is an eternal Spirit, having no beginning (no birth) and no end (cannot die) much more Christians should wonder who they praise and Who they should worship. We also know from the Biblical account that the Nazarene man Jeshua was going to be called a god, a special some one. though never was it the intention to have him being called the god son.

In Luke 1:32-33 Gabriel says,

“He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever, and his Kingdom will never end” (cp. 1Chron 17:10-14).

Through a biological miracle God procreated Jesus in the womb of Mary, who was a virgin. “For this reason alone”, and no other, Jesus became the Son of God, descendant of King David of the tribe of Judah through Mary (Luke 1.35).

We should remember that it was only some two millennia ago that Jesus became an existing being on this earth. Before that he may have been written down in the books of life and death, but he did not exit yet as a real person. Already before Abraham was born he was in God's head, like Abraham, Isaac but also we are already in God's head and in those books. It was only after the prophet Mica and earlier prophets of the Hebrew writings that the send one from God became a reality in the flesh.

At the time of Joseph and Mary.

This was the moment when Jesus was begotten, that is, brought into existence. There is no pre-existence of Jesus Christ, and it is when we become aware of this fact through our prayerful study of Holy Scripture that we really get to know him as the human being that he was and remains.

Too many who call themselves Christian never read the whole Scripture (Old and New Testament) and often they only read some passages with their doctrinal glasses on.

Let yourself not being carried away by human doctrines but listen to the proper words of the Holy Scriptures. Read what is really written there. when there is written "son of God" do not read "god the son" or do not think "God" but think "Jesus" or just what is written their "son of God".

Knowing the truth about who is Jesus, we begin to see him in a whole new light. The scriptures open up to us more fully and we see how the prophesies in the OT are brought clearly into focus in the NT through the Good News of the Kingdom of God. We see our future as heirs ruling with Jesus in the Kingdom on earth, and we are humbled to think of such a privilege to be with our King. It is when we understand the true nature of Jesus Christ, that he is a man, and not a pre-existent God or part of a trinity, that we can really get to know him as our brother.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human” (1 Tim 2:5).

- See more at: http://thehumanjesus.org/2016/06/01/getting-to-know-jesus/#sthash.mWP8u96P.dpuf

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Preceding articles:

• New website and forum: the Human Jesus
• Focussing on the man Jesus and the relationship with God

Focussing on the man Jesus and the relationship with God

Having now three different websites focussing on the man Jesus and his relationship with God we only can hope more people shall come to listen to the very challenging things Jesus said.

Hopefully those Christians who take Jesus as their god will consider those words Jesus spoke like

“on that day” (Matthew 7:22),

i.e., the day of judgement. Jesus speaks of those who will come before him, but to some of them he will say,

 “Depart from me; I never knew you” (verse 23).

 These will be among the

 “many (who) will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name … and do many mighty works in your name?” 

In Christendom we can see many  who try to build mega churches and attract lots of people by laying of hands and claiming to do miracles in the name of God, though “works” does not necessarily mean, perform miracles, and his reference to those who prophecy, we should not think of him as meaning those who have some gift to foretell the future.

It is God Who calls people, but it is the way how they react to God's call which shall be important. We also should be aware that when people hear about Jesus and his heavenly Father they shall come to make decisions. How and why they take them shall be important for God and on the final day of judgement.


Those who Jesus tells to depart are described as “workers of lawlessness”, the ones who are “outside” excluded from a place in God’s “city” because their names were not found in “the book of life” (20:12). them who did things which are not acceptable for God, perhaps wanting to keep to human traditions, participating to heathen rituals and preferring to be popular, i.e. being of this world, instead of becoming a child of God belonging to the world of Christ.

You may wonder when a person does not want to accept the words Jesus speaks, like saying the Father is greater than him, how they sincerely can be called a follower of Christ when they keep holding fast to human traditions and human doctrines like the trinity, worshipping a three-headed god instead worshipping the Only One True God.

How can they who consider Jesus to be God build up a proper relationship with Jesus, when they keep ignoring that Jesus did not do his own will and demands from us to do the same, coming in unity with his heavenly Father like Jesus is one with God


We must make sure we have developed a really strong and committed relationship to and with Christ – only then will we be able to “conquer” our human nature and become more and more like our Saviour. Let us remember what we read last week in Revelation 21:7

 “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son” – then “on that day” he will declare “I … knew you”.

New website and forum: the Human Jesus

Today we still find lots of Christians who do not want to believe the words of God and His son Jeshua, better known by them as Jesus Christ. Lots of Christians instead of believing the Biblical Truth and the words of the Bible still look at Jesus as their god instead of accepting that he was a human, send by God, who did not do his own will but the will of his heavenly Father, the Only One True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

To bring people to understand the relationship of Jesus and his heavenly Father the Christadelphians present since February 2015 Messiah for all and Relating to God since March 2016.
The Restoration fellowship now also present a new site concerning the Human Jesus.

For those who still think God is a multiple being and not understand that God is an eternal Spirit, with no flesh and bones (who cannot die) we recommend to look at the underneath text concerning the oneness and to look at the different mentioned sites, which can bring more insight.

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According to the ordinary rules of language whenever monos (“alone”, “only”) is used with theos (“God”) or kurios (“LORD”, YHWH), it cannot mean more than 1 person.

 Old Testament
 NAU Deuteronomy 32:12 “The LORD alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him. LXT Deuteronomy 32:12 κύριος μόνος ἦγεν αὐτούς καὶ οὐκ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν θεὸς ἀλλότριος
 NAU 2 Kings 19:15 Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. LXT 2 Kings 19:15 καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβιν σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς μόνος ἐν πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείαις τῆς γῆς σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν
 NAU 2 Kings 19:19 “Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.” LXT 2 Kings 19:19 καὶ νῦν κύριε ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν σῶσον ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ βασιλεῖαι τῆς γῆς ὅτι σὺ κύριος ὁ θεὸς μόνος
 NAU Psalm 72:18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. LXT Psalm 71:18 εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ὁ ποιῶν θαυμάσια μόνος
 NAU Psalm 83:18 That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth. LXT Psalm 82:19 καὶ γνώτωσαν ὅτι ὄνομά σοι κύριος σὺ μόνος ὕψιστος ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν
 NAU Psalm 86:10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God. LXT Psalm 85:10 ὅτι μέγας εἶ σὺ καὶ ποιῶν θαυμάσια σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς μόνος ὁ μέγας
 NAU Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven. LXT Psalm 148:13 αἰνεσάτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου ὅτι ὑψώθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μόνου ἡ ἐξομολόγησις αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ οὐρανοῦ
 NAU Isaiah 2:17 The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, LXT Isaiah 2:17 καὶ ταπεινωθήσεται πᾶς ἄνθρωπος καὶ πεσεῖται ὕψος ἀνθρώπων καὶ ὑψωθήσεται κύριος μόνος ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ
 NAU Isaiah 37:16 “O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. LXT Isaiah 37:16 κύριε σαβαωθ ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβιν σὺ θεὸς μόνος εἶ πάσης βασιλείας τῆς οἰκουμένης σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν
 NAU Isaiah 37:20 “Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.” LXT Isaiah 37:20 σὺ δέ κύριε ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν σῶσον ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἵνα γνῷ πᾶσα βασιλεία τῆς γῆς ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς μόνος
 NAU Nehemiah 9:6 “You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You. LXT Nehemiah 9:6 καὶ εἶπεν Εσδρας σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς κύριος μόνος σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν στάσιν αὐτῶν τὴν γῆν καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῇ τὰς θαλάσσας καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐταῖς καὶ σὺ ζωοποιεῖς τὰ πάντα καὶ σοὶ προσκυνοῦσιν αἱ στρατιαὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν
 LXA Prayer of Azariah 1:21 And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world. LXT Daniel 3:45 γνώτωσαν ὅτι σὺ εἶ μόνος κύριος ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἔνδοξος ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην


 New Testament
 NAU John 5:44 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? BNT John 5:44 πῶς δύνασθε ὑμεῖς πιστεῦσαι δόξαν παρὰ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου θεοῦ οὐ ζητεῖτε;
 NAU John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. BNT John 17:3 αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.

 And just for fun… Jewish Apocrypha:

 LXA 1 Esdras 8:25 Then said Esdras the scribe, Blessed be the only Lord God of my fathers, who hath put these things into the heart of the king, to glorify his house that is in Jerusalem: LXT 1 Esdras 8:25 εὐλογητὸς μόνος ὁ κύριος ὁ δοὺς ταῦτα εἰς τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ βασιλέως δοξάσαι τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ τὸν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ

 LXT Odes 2:12 κύριος μόνος ἦγεν αὐτούς καὶ οὐκ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν θεὸς ἀλλότριος (Ode 2:12 LXT) The only Lord led them and there was no foreign God with them LXT Odes 7:45 καὶ γνώτωσαν ὅτι σὺ εἶ κύριος ὁ θεὸς μόνος καὶ ἔνδοξος ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην (Ode 7:45 LXT) Let then make know that You are the only God and be glorified in all the world LXT Odes 14:26 σὺ εἶ μόνος κύριος (Ode 14:26 LXT)

 LXA Sirach 18:2 The Lord only is righteous, and there is none other but he, LXT Sirach 18:2 κύριος μόνος δικαιωθήσεται

 LXA 2 Maccabees 7:37 But I, as my brethren, offer up my body and life for the laws of our fathers, beseeching God that he would speedily be merciful unto our nation; and that thou by torments and plagues mayest confess, that he alone is God; LXT 2 Maccabees 7:37 ἐγὼ δέ καθάπερ οἱ ἀδελφοί καὶ σῶμα καὶ ψυχὴν προδίδωμι περὶ τῶν πατρίων νόμων ἐπικαλούμενος τὸν θεὸν ἵλεως ταχὺ τῷ ἔθνει γενέσθαι καὶ σὲ μετὰ ἐτασμῶν καὶ μαστίγων ἐξομολογήσασθαι διότι μόνος αὐτὸς θεός ἐστιν

 LXA 4 Maccabees 5:24 And it instructs us in justice, so that in all our dealings we render what is due; and it teaches us piety, so that we worship the one only God becomingly. LXT 4 Maccabees 5:24 καὶ δικαιοσύνην παιδεύει ὥστε διὰ πάντων τῶν ἠθῶν ἰσονομεῖν καὶ εὐσέβειαν ἐκδιδάσκει ὥστε μόνον τὸν ὄντα θεὸν σέβειν μεγαλοπρεπῶς

 Xavier Xavier 21stcr.org/multimedia/carlos_jimenez_interview/carlos_jimenez.html - See more at: http://thehumanjesus.org/2016/06/01/monos-theos/#sthash.ijzY4ckJ.dpuf