Wednesday 20 May 2020

In Coronatime thinking about death

None of us likes thinking about death, but there are times when we have little choice. For weeks now we did not hear anything else that so many died. Everywhere in the world lives are lost.

The unseen enemy has reached every corner of society, being rich does not help you to avoid the death toll. The so-called most rich, developed and greatest nation in the world shows its very weak position and how capital gain has become more important there than human lives of ethical values.

We could notice an increase at certain websites and received more letters and phone calls from worried people, asking why God allows this to happen or what mankind has done wrong. The corona crisis has unexpectedly raised the specter of death itself, our constant companion even if, most of the time, we do our best to ignore it.

This month Time Magazine has taken the opportunity to write about death, heaven and hell.

There are over two billion Christians in the world, the vast majority of whom believe in heaven and hell. According to many Christian when people die they would have one part, which they call the soul going either to everlasting bliss or torment (or purgatory en route). Strangely enough, most Christians believe in a loving heavenly Father, but do not ask a question about such a father when he would have his children being tortured for ages and ages in a fire! Can you imagine yourself doing that to your children, even when they would have hurt yourself a lot?

Americans continue to anticipate a version of the alternatives portrayed in The Good Place: regardless of religious persuasion, 72% believe in a literal heaven, 58% in a literal hell.

Do they never went or go looking in the Bible to see what the Word of God really says?

The vast majority of these people assume also Jesus himself taught such read. But that is not true. Neither Jesus, nor the Hebrew Bible he interpreted, endorsed the view that departed souls go to paradise or everlasting pain. Though there were Roman and Greek philosophers who talked about split personalities or two or more elements in a human being that could separate from the physical human being. Only many centuries later those who agreed with the Roman rulers to go for a three-headed god, also were eager to integrate the thought of separate units in the human body with a soul going to one or another place.

Unlike most Greeks, ancient Jews traditionally did not believe the soul could exist at all apart from the body. On the contrary, for them, the soul was more like the “breath.” In particular for them it was the Breath of God Which brought the breath in man, making him able to breathe and to live. Without breathing or without breath there would be no life in man.

It is good that Time magazine in these times when so many are confronted with death, brings an article to clarify the misreading of so many books and in particular the reading of the Book of books, the Bible.
Bart D. Ehrman in his article of 2020 May the 8th is willing to look at the first human God created, Adam, who began as a lump of clay; then God “breathed” life into him (Genesis 2: 7). Adam remained alive until he stopped breathing. Then it was dust to dust, ashes to ashes.

Ancient Jews thought that was true of us all. When we stop breathing, our breath doesn’t go anywhere. It just stops. So too the “soul” doesn’t continue on outside the body, subject to postmortem pleasure or pain. It doesn’t exist any longer.

In the article, you shall be able to read that it was not only by the Christians that opinions changed. In several Jewish communities infiltrated the false teachings. Problem with lots of human beings is that it is very difficult to cope with the idea that we just can die and that everything would be finished with us. Not many people love the idea that when we die we can not do anything any more. Though the scriptures are very clear about it.
 “For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.” (Ec 9:5 NAS)

 “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.” (Ec 9:10 NAS)
For many it is unacceptable that we would just be like plants and animals and not having something better after this life. But the Bible tells us:
 “19  For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. 20  All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.” (Ec 3:19-20 NAS)
It must be said also God’s own people Israel continually were by their confrontation of difficulties in life oblidged to think about life and death.

The article writer questions
 If God loves his people and is sovereign over all the world why do his people experience so much tragedy?
And remarks
Contrary to what other Jewish leaders taught, Jesus preached that no one will inherit the glorious future kingdom by stringently observing all the Jewish laws in their most intimate details; or by meticulously following the rules of worship involving sacrifice, prayer, and observance of holy days; or by pursuing one’s own purity through escaping the vile world and the tainting influence of sinful others. Instead, for Jesus, the earthly utopia will come to those who are fully dedicated to the most pervasive and dominant teachings of God’s law. Put most simply, that involves loving God above all things despite personal hardship, and working diligently for the welfare of others, even when it is exceedingly difficult. People who have not been living lives of complete unselfish love need to repent and return to the two “greatest commandments” of Jewish Scripture: deep love of God (Deuteronomy 6:4-6) and committed love of neighbor (Leviticus 19:18).
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Please find the Time magazine to read: What Jesus Really Said About Heaven and Hell

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Find more articles about the "soul" 

  1. How much does man wants to be dependent on a Divine Creator?
  2. Why is the Holy Spirit sometimes called the Holy Ghost? 
  3. Finding and Understanding Words and Meanings
  4. Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
  5. Looking at three “I am” s
  6. Non-practicing Christians widely believing in a god or higher power
  7. What is life?
  8. Concerning Man
  9. Realities concerning Human Life and Death
  10. Dying or not
  11. What happens when we die?
  12. Immortality, eternality - onsterfelijkheid, eeuwigheid
  13. Is there an Immortal soul
  14. The Soul not a ghost
  15. Are we taken up into heaven straight after we die?
  16. The Soul confronted with Death
  17. Consciously or unconsciously forming a world-view and choosing to believe or not to believe in God
  18. From dust and breath into living beings
  19. Bereshith 1-2 The Creation of the World – The Seven Days
  20. Bereshith 2 Man and Woman placed in a Royal Garden
  21. The figure of Eve
  22. Ezekiel 18:4 – What the Bible teaches about Soul and Spirit
  23. Matthew 6:1-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary on Leviticus 19:18 Continued 5 Matthew 6: 24-34: e) Anxiety and neighbor love
  24. Matthew 16:5-12 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Watch Out for the Leaven of False Teaching
  25. Matthew 16:24-28 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: A Disciple Must Disown Self
  26. Calvin’s view on trying to save your life
  27. Spurgeon’s view on trying to save your life
  28. False teachers and false prophets still around
  29. We all have to have dreams
  30. Departed Souls Await Judgment
  31. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #1 Intro
  32. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #2 Psyche, the word
  33. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #3 Historical background
  34. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #4 Psyche, According to the Holy Scriptures
  35. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #5 Mortality of man and mortality of the spirit
  36. Mortal Soul and Mortal Psyche #6 Summary
  37. Souls and Religions with Nirvana and light
  38. The resurrected Lord
  39. Who Through Jesus Sleep
  40. All Souls’ Day
  41. I Can’t Believe That (1) … God would send anyone to hell
  42. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #1 Beginning of everything
  43. The 1st Adam in the Hebrew Scriptures #4 The Fall
  44. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
  45. According the vatican ashes and bone fragments cannot be kept at home
  46. Are you religious, spiritual, or do you belong to a religion, having a faith or interfaith
  47. The Development of Differences
  48. 19° Century London Christadelphians
  49. Today’s thought “A Perfect World” (January 02)
  50. Today’s Thought “Proclaiming the kingdom” (May 13)
  51. To be prepared for the Day of Judgment
  52. A Word and helping sites to give answers
  53. Two new encyclopaedic articles
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 Articles about hell

  1. Hellfire 
  2. Looking for answers on the question Is there a God #3 Transcendence or Surpassing other gods and man
  3. Is God behind all suffering here on earth
  4. God’s wrath and sanctification
  5. Al-Fatiha [The Opening] Süra 1: 4-7 Merciful Lord of the Creation to show us the right path
  6. Old and newer King James Versions and other translations #5 Further steps to women’s bibles
  7. Old and newer King James Versions and other translations #9 Restored names and Sacred Name Bibles
  8. I Can’t Believe That (1) … God would send anyone to hell
  9. When there is secrecy involved
  10. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
  11. Need to reject an archaic, racist inspired interpretation of the Bible and animosity against other believers
  12. Realities concerning Human Life and Death
  13. Is there an Immortal soul
  14. Grave, tomb, sepulchre - graf, begraafplaats, rustplaats, sepulcrum
  15. This month's survey question: Heaven and Hell
  16. Nazarene Commentary Matthew 5:21-26 – 1. The Nazarene’s Commentary on Exodus 20:13
  17. A fact of History or just a fancy Story
  18. Jesus three days in hell
  19. We are redeemed; we are “bought with a price”
  20. Jewish and Christian traditions of elders
  21. Are we taken up into heaven straight after we die?
  22. Darkness, light, burning fire, Truth and people in it
  23. Is Hell-fire something to fear
  24. Fear and protection
  25. Fear of God reason to return to Holy Scriptures
  26. Sheol, Sheool, Sjeool, Hades, Hell, Grave, Tomb, Sepulchre
  27. Another way looking at a language #3 Abraham
  28. Fragments from the Book of Job #1: chapters 1-12
  29. From nothingness to a growing group of followers of Jeshua 3 Korban for God or gods
  30. Sources of evil
  31. Edward Wightman
  32. Dave Norris and his writings on the Belgian Bible Students
  33. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 2 Summersend and mansend
  34. Heaven and hell still high on the believers list showing a religion gender gap
  35. Indulgence still offered by roman Catholic Church
  36. Today’s thought “Whoever is not with me …” (March 19)
  37. Today’s thought “Ability to circumcise your heart” (May 13)
  38. Salvation, Baptism and Re-baptism
  39. Why we do not have our worship-services in a church building

Sunday 10 May 2020

China staat open voor internationaal onderzoek naar oorsprong coronavirus

China staat open voor een internationaal onderzoek naar de oorsprong coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Dat zei de Chinese ambassadeur in Berlijn, Wu Ken, aan het Duitse magazine Der Spiegel.
Hij ontkende de beschuldigingen dat China de uitbraak aanvankelijk in de doofpot zou gestoken hebben. Hij gaf wel toe dat er communicatiefouten zijn gebeurd.

China was als eerste land ter wereld geconfronteerd met het onbekende virus en heeft 'snel en transparant gereageerd', zei de diplomaat.
'Natuurlijk heeft deze ongeziene epidemie enkele van onze onvolkomenheden aangetoond. We denken erover na hoe we in de toekomst de relatie tussen wetenschap en publieke communicatie via de plaatselijke politiek kunnen verbeteren.'
De ambassadeur wees de eis om schadevergoeding van de VS af.
 'Volkenrechtelijk is er noch een verdrag, noch een precedent, waarbij de staat waaruit een virus stamt, moet opdraaiden voor de verliezen van een andere staat',
 zei Wu. Hij vroeg wie dan voor bijvoorbeeld aids of de H1N1-griep verantwoordelijk gesteld zou worden.

Sterker uit de coronacrisis komen

27 EU-leiders roepen in video samen op tot solidariteit

De 27 EU-leiders roepen in een nooit geziene gezamenlijke videoboodschap op tot solidariteit om 'sterker' uit de coronacrisis te geraken. De boodschap werd zaterdag, Europadag, op Twitter geplaatst.

In de video, net geen zes minuten lang, komt ook premier Sophie Wilmès aan bod. Zij wijst in de drie landstalen op de Belgische wapenspreuk: eendracht maakt macht.

Oud-premier Charles Michel mag als voorzitter van de Europese Raad van wal steken, door op te sommen wat Europa betekent: vrijheid, tolerantie, diversiteit... maar ook solidariteit en eenheid.
'Ons doel is dat Europa sterker uit de coronacrisis komt',
 zegt de Duitse bondskanselier Angela Merkel. Haar land neemt in juli het voorzitterschap van de EU over.
Ursula von der Leyen, voorzitter van de Europese Commissie, erkende donderdag in een persbericht nog dat de Europese solidariteit
'bij het begin van de crisis op de proef werd gesteld. Vervolgens zijn we elkaar beginnen helpen: de facto solidariteit. Die solidariteit moet zich verderzetten.' (Belga)

Meer dan 4 miljoen coronabesmettingen wereldwijd

Het aantal bevestigde coronabesmettingen is wereldwijd de 4 miljoen gepasseerd. Dat heeft de Johns Hopkins Universiteit in Baltimore zaterdagavond (lokale tijd) bekendgemaakt en blijkt ook uit een eigen telling van het Franse persbureau AFP. Volgens de universiteit zijn ongeveer 278.000 mensen aan de gevolgen van het nieuwe coronavirus overleden.

Van alle landen zijn de Verenigde Staten het zwaarst getroffen. Daar zijn 1,3 miljoen infecties bekend, ongeveer een derde van het totale aantal. Het dodental is daar ruim 78.000. Europa is het zwaarst getroffen continent met ruim 1,7 miljoen bekende besmettingen en meer dan 155.000 sterfgevallen. (Belga)

Friday 10 April 2020

According to Pew Most White Evangelicals Don’t Think COVID-19 is a Medical Crisis

In 2011 the International Health Regulations Review Committee already gave a warning that
“The world is ill-prepared to respond to a severe influenza pandemic or to any similarly global, sustained and threatening public-health emergency.
In certain countries or states, we the last few years have seen a grow in evangelical and Pentecostal churches. Several of those evangelical denominations slid or slipped off to become very conservative or sometimes even very fundamental Christian groups.

The nonpartisan American think tank, Pew Research Center, based in the Washington, D.C. area does polling, research into American social issues, politics,  public opinion and demographic trends, If you read any newspaper or watch regular news you see their material, as it is used regularly
  In early March of 2020 Pew did a survey of white evangelicals from March 10 through 16. In the United States CoViD-19 was declared a national emergency on March 13, 2020. Here is what Pew says.

 Around three-quarters of white evangelicals (77%) say they are at least somewhat confident that Trump is doing a good job responding to the outbreak, including roughly half who say they are very confident. Majorities of white evangelicals say Trump has assessed the risks of the situation correctly (64%) and that the crisis has been blown out of proportion by the media (76%), while just a quarter (24%) say Trump hasn’t taken risks tied to the coronavirus seriously enough.
By comparison, about half of Americans overall (52%) say Trump has underplayed the risks, including majorities who say this among the religiously unaffiliated (64%), black Protestants (67%) and Jews (73%)
Close to 1,000 students some from high infection areas were encouraged to come back to campus in central Virginia.

We can notice a blatant disregard to face the facts. Pandemics happen and history is full of them. In the United States they, like in many other places, have pandemics every so often. Influenza, small-pox, measles, scarlet fever, etc… have all happened in the history of the United States from colonial times to current. Many evangelicals do not seem to understand that people should be protected and in many cases also receive vaccinations against such diseases to avoid worse scenarios. 

  It is incredible that today when one has so much coverage of bad cases all over Europe that several American churches are still calling their flock to meet and want to have big Easter gatherings this weekend.

This irresponsible attitude to ignore the rules of good public health indicates a totally irresponsible attitude without a deep love for other people.

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Preceding
Using fears of the deadly coronavirus
Observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal
Catholics facing a totally different Holy Week


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Find also to read
  1. The unseen enemy
  2. Making deeper cuts than some terrorist attacks of the near past
  3. Mel Brooks saying “go home” to Max Brooks
  4. CoViD-19 warnings
  5. President Trump shall have to recognise that Immigrant Workers Are Vital to the U.S.A.
  6. In denial, Donald Trump continues to insist that nothing serious is at hand and everything is in control
  7. Under-reporting the total number of coronavirus cases
  8. José Antonio Vergara talking in Esperanto about the outbreak of the epidemic
  9. Margaret Zaleski-Zamenho from Paris telling in Esperanto about the situation in France
  10. Coronavirus on March 11 declared a global pandemic on March 31 affecting more than 177 countries
  11. Europe in Chaos for a Pandemic
  12. Only a few days left before 14 Nisan
  13. Even in Corona time You are called on to have the seder
  14. Observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal
  15. One Passover tradition asking to provide the less fortunate with foods and help
  16. In a time when we must remain in our place
  17. Hosting a Virtual Seder During a Pandemic
  18. Love in the Time of Corona
  19. Recrafting our World
  20. CoViD-19 warnings
  21. Anxiety Management During Pandemic Days~
  22. Hope on the Horizon: Pandemic Anxiety Management II~

the Just Gospel conference

At the beginning of last month, before Coronavirus lockdowns, a sizable and impressive conference took place at Garrett Kell’s Del Rey Baptist, in the Washington, D.C. area.

It was not bad that those Americans dared to look at the issues of politics and the church and touched on issues from poverty to immigration as well. In what will be a volatile election year with many evangelicals involved in Christian nationalism the Just Gospel looked like a healthy and solid event.

The Del Rey Baptist church is a daughter church of Capital Hill Baptist.

The Just Gospel described itself as following:

No one saw the 2016 presidential election coming. No one predicted the effect the election would have on the country — and the Church.
To some extent, our tribalism has been exposed and perhaps deepened. Unity has become more fragile.

In all likelihood, the Church will face the same stark choices and the same potential for misunderstanding, disunity and tribal politics. This time, however, we have an opportunity to approach politics and the election differently… like Christians… like the pilgrims and aliens we are in the world.
The goal of Just Gospel 2020 is NOT to engage in partisan debate or endorse any party’s platform. Nor is our goal to bind the consciences of attendees to a particular policy prescription the Bible does not require. We will not recommend or even comment on any candidate.
The Just Gospel 2020 conference goal is to help Christians think biblically and deeply about being Christians and taking our Christian identity and perspective into our political lives.
The organisers of the conference in any case had good intentions/
We hope to aid each other in our discipleship. We are “strangers and exiles on the earth” who “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:13, 16).
We hope to model how Christians who differ in secondary and political matters can nevertheless do so charitably and in a way that preserves both unity and freedom of conscience. We hope to make a difference — for the Church and the country.
We need and want healing conversations that serve the Church We need pilgrim politics that bear witness to Christ and Kingdom to which we are headed. Join us!
 
The Neo-Calvinist movement addresses the situation of racism or even hate groups. Traditional evangelicals and Trinitarian Baptists have failed substantially on this issue and have ignored, downplayed or just haven’t really spoken to this topic. Garrett Kell in his ministry has been consistent on pushing back against those in the Southern Baptist Convention who embrace Christian nationalism and marry faith and politics. When the Southern Baptists had their regular meeting in Dallas, Texas in 2018 it was Garrett Kell who tried to replace Vice President Mike Pence speaking to the Convention with a time of prayer.

The conference was well balanced and covered a large number of issues form immigration, to poverty,  to politics and the church. What surprised me is that there were more outsiders than the traditional 9 Marks church circuit speakers. That made this conference well needed and necessary.

Tuesday 7 April 2020

Observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal

Before Jesus went to the Olive Garden where he would be taken prisoner by the Roman soldiers, Jesus had come together with his disciples in an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem, the city of David.

The son of man, born in Bethlehem and brought up in Nazareth, had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with his disciples. 14 Nisan, Thursday evening, March 31, 33 C.E., and a full moon very likely adorned the skies above Jerusalem. Jesus Christ and his apostles had just concluded the Passover celebration when he took some other bread and a cup of wine.

Gospel writer Matthew wrote
 “Jesus took a loaf and, after saying a blessing, he broke it and, giving it to the disciples, he said:
‘Take, eat. This means my body.’
Also, he took a cup and, having given thanks, he gave it to them, saying:
‘Drink out of it, all of you; for this means my “blood of the covenant,” which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:26-28

For the master teacher this was not going to be "a one-time event". He requested his pupils to remember that night and to come to break bread in the future as a memory of what Jesus has done, having given himself as a lamb of God, shedding his blood for the forgiveness of sins.

The step that Jesus Christ took on the night of Nisan 14, 33 C.E., was much more than a passing incident in his life. The apostle Paul discussed it when writing to anointed Christians in Corinth, where the pattern was still being followed over 20 years later. Although Paul was not with Jesus and the 11 apostles in 33 C.E., he surely learned from some of the apostles what happened on that occasion. Furthermore, Paul evidently got confirmation of aspects of that event by inspired revelation. Said Paul:
 “I received from the Lord that which I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf and, after giving thanks, he broke it and said: ‘This means my body which is in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.’ He did likewise respecting the cup also, after he had the evening meal, saying: ‘This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”​—1 Corinthians 11:23-25.
In this day and age we too have to remember this act of Jesus. Like he had an evening meal with his close friends we should have too. Though this year we shall be limited in such act, because we have to keep us to the restrictions of travelling and gathering as well as social distancing.

The present lockdown does not have to mean we can not have a memorial meal, nor should it have to mean we can not express our unity with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

We may not allow this unseen enemy get us away from our obligation to come together, even when it might be virtual, or to take our memorial meal.

The Gospel writer Luke confirms that Jesus commanded:
 “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)
 These words have also been rendered:
 “Do this in memory of me” (Today’s English Version) and “Do this as a memorial of me.” (The Jerusalem Bible)
 In fact, this observance is often referred to as the Memorial of Christ’s death. Paul also calls it the Lord’s Evening Meal​ — an appropriate designation, since this was instituted at night. (1 Corinthians 11:20)
 Christians are commanded to observe the Lord’s Evening Meal.

that meal should us remember how Jesus put his own will aside to do the will of God and being prepared to give his flesh and blood he died as an upholder of his heavenly Father’s sovereignty and brought salvation unto mankind.

Jesus ‘gave his soul a ransom in exchange for many.’ (Matthew 20:28)   By having once a year a special evening to remember this we show our thankfulness. that is the least we can do. Observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal reminds us of the great love shown by both Jehovah and his Son in connection with Jesus’ sacrificial death. How we should appreciate that love!

Regarding the Lord’s Evening Meal, Paul said:
 “As often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
 Individual anointed Christians would partake of the Memorial emblems (breaking the bread and drinking the wine) until their death. Thus, before Jehovah God and the world, they would repeatedly proclaim their faith in God’s provision of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice.

The Passover was held only once a year, on the 14th day of the Jewish month Nisan. (Exodus 12:1-6; Leviticus 23:5)Wednesday the 8th of April 2020 is the day all lovers of God all over the world shall remember that exodus from Egypt, the liberation from human slavery of the People of God. Christians also shall remember how all mankind can come under the grace of salvation by the sacrificial offer of Jesus and therefore shall also remember that night when Jesus took that bread and wine as a symbol for a New Covenant.

Let us be blessed and be happy that we can remember those memorable nights when salvation came over mankind.

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Find to read

  1. The unseen enemy
  2. Using fears of the deadly coronavirus
  3. Not able to see Jesus working wonders
  4. Thinking about fear for the Loving God and an Invitation for 14 Nisan
  5. Death and Resurrection of Christ
  6. When Belonging to the escaped ones gathering in Jesus name
  7. Worthy partakers of the body of Christ
  8. 14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception
  9. 14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus
  10. 14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast
  11. 14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain
  12. A Holy week in remembrance of the Blood of life
  13. High Holidays not only for Israel
  14. Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy
  15. Yom Hey, Eve of Passover and liberation of many people
  16. Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
  17. Observance of a day to Remember
  18. A night different from all other nights and days to remember
  19. Jesus memorial
  20. Only a few days left before 14 Nisan
  21. Even in Corona time You are called on to have the seder
  22. One Passover tradition asking to provide the less fortunate with foods and help
  23. In a time when we must remain in our place

 

 







The night before Jesus his execution

These coming days we make time to think about what Jesus has done.

Lots of Christians do forget that God can not die, but that Jesus really has put his own will aside to do the will of God (when Jesus would be God he naturally would always have done his own will). Jesus really found his death at the stake and after his resurrection could show the wounds of his torture at the stake, proving he is no spirit, like his Father is Spirit.

In the Scriptures we also can find how Paul describes the true Christ or Anointed of God and not God the Anointed, something totally different. As a devout Jew Paul was convinced that in Jesus could all people receive salvation or redemption through Jesus and not through God His blood, because Paul knew that God has no bones, flesh or blood Him being a Spirit. John and the other apostles believed the same as any other Jew would believe. (Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:50; John 4:24)

Paul does not say Jesus is God but defines Jesus to be in the image of the invisible Elohim, the firstborn of every creature. You seem to forget we all are made in the image of God. God is invisible but Jesus not and was seen by many who did not fall death when they saw him. No man can see God and live (Exodus 33:23; John 1:18; 1 Tim 1:17).
Paul like the apostle John also considers Jesus as the instigator of the New World, a new creation of which all followers of Jeshua shall become inheritance.

Paul writes that it was for it pleased the Father (i.e. Jehovah God) that in Jesus should all fulness dwell because we may count on it that peace is made through the blood of his death at the stake (please also do not forget that God can not die). This giving of his own body and soul as a ransom was to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, Paul says, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

In the Olive Garden the night before his execution when Jesus prayed the scripture uses phrases like,
“My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death”…
”he went forward an little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: never the less not what I will, but what thou wilt”.
Jesus expresses that he wants God Will to be done and not his will. In case Jesus is God, naturally than it would always be his own will which would happen.

In this Olive Garden we find the son of man praying to his heavenly Father, and not praying to himself, which he would have done when Jesus is God.  See Jesus did exactly what we are expected to do.  Pray for our need, but submit to the will of the Father.  Know that what he is asking us to do is needful and necessary.

  If Jesus would not have suffered for us, then his sacrificial offering would not benefit us. When Jesus is God and if he as God having come to this world would have faked his temptation, his praying to the Most High and faking his death (because God cannot be tempted nor die) then we would not know the Father.
  If you do not have times of suffering, someone else who may have come to know Jesus by the example of your faith, might also die  but not in their sins when he or she accepted Jesus Christ.  We have to trust in his will and continue spreading the message of Christ, calling people to come to God having Jesus as the way to God, that is faith.  Standing in that hope and knowledge of the love of God towards you is exercising that faith.

  So then the disciples awoke Jesus in some vague hope that he just might be close enough to God to do something. But fear did overcome them and it took until the day that the Holy Spirit came over them before they dared to come out in public again to tell others they were followers of Jesus Christ.

Are you a real follower of Jesus Christ?
Do you dare to tell others that you believe that Jesus is the son of God and not god the son?
do you dare to tell others that you worship the same God that was worshipped by Jesus Christ and his disciples, namely the Only One true God Who is One, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah?

Or is their fear in  you, not willing to admit yet that you believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, sent by God?

Or you still in a stadium of being 'in the night before Jesus his execution'?

Monday 6 April 2020

Not able to see Jesus working wonders

As with the rulers noted in Matthew 21, we might not be able to see Jesus working wonders if we are consumed with power and control, whereas the blind, lame, and little children can truly see him (Matthew 21:14-15).

A big problem these days is that several Trinitarian Christians want others to believe this coronavirus is a penalty of God. Several of those so-called Christians want to bring fear over mankind, some even going so far that this is the end of the world. Others want people to resist vaccinations and say that it is their governments bringing on the mark of the beast on the forehead. One cannot imagine how crazy it can be.

We can see how it are the vulnerable ones who are targetted. Though they have everything to gain and nothing to lose as a result of Jesus, whereas these preachers and leaders fear to lose their grip on power, which they hold onto tightly with a closed fist. They cannot reach out and touch Jesus, like those longing for him, though they long to seize him and do him in (Matthew 21:45-46). What about us?
Did we journey with Jesus through the season of Lent with his disciples simply to take matters into our own hands, like Judas did in his conspiracy with the establishment?

How many of us believe in the miracles Jesus did? How many are willing to witness for him and his works as well as to witness for that only One True God? How many are not afraid to pronounce the Name of that Only One True God?

In these times of isolation, nobody should stop speaking about Jesus and his God. Also in social media can be spoken of the necessity to trust God and to try to keep to the hygienic regulations as they were written down thousands of years ago, but still should apply for today.

Not daring to show a connection

For several sorts of Christians Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11).

Palm Sunday is the day that they celebrate Jesus in his humble glory riding a donkey into the city of David, as the crowds and children cry out,
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9; ESV).
 At that time lots of people gathered to shout and to welcome Jesus as their special guest. The Vip of his time got the crowds throwing palm branches on the path before him to celebrate him as their approaching King (Matthew 21:8), who came to bring lasting peace and gracious justice.

Peace and justice still did not come to the world. A few days later many of those welcoming that king could have also been in the crowd shouting to kill that Nazarene man. Glory often is just for a short time. Thankfulness is also not for a long time. We can wonder where all those people were at that moment Jesus was presented to the public as a big criminal. Jesus ad helped so many people. Jesus also had inspired so many and had shown to all around him that he was a man of peace and not of war.

Suddenly not many seemed to remember what he had done. Many also out of fear, even a close disciple as Peter did not dare to let others know that he knew Christ or was for that man.

Also today there are lots of people who not dare the outer world to show they have an interest in that Nazarene teacher or that they believe in the same God as that Jewish man worshipped. Jesus did not worship himself (what he would have done when he is God) but worshipped the God of Israel, Who is a Singular eternal all-knowing Spirit Being.

These coming days are again days that God requests to show faithfulness to Him and His commandments. One of those requirements is to come together and to remember the exodus from Egypt and the other is to remember Jesus commemorating that event and installing a new exodus, namely the exit of the curse of death. In the upper room in Jerusalem Jesus came together with his disciples and installed the New Covenant. He asked to remember that night and that is what we should do. It is also a sign of willingness to be under that New Covenant.

Though we may not mix with a lot of people and are requested to stay home, that should not hinder us to feel united even though it is via an internet connection.

I sincerely hope we shall be able to find many brethren and sisters uniting and sharing their Memorial Meeting with others around the world.

In case we have contact by internet, via Face Time or other means, do not hesitate to mention this coming Wednesday as a special day. Keep witnessing along the virtual way, now we can not do it with direct human contact.

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Find also to read:

  1. Only once and with consequences
  2. When Belonging to the escaped ones gathering in Jesus name
  3. Dark times looking like death is around the corner – but Light given to us
  4. In a time when we must remain in our place
  5. First time since Nazi time no public gathering
  6. No idea yet for 14 Nisan or April the 8th in 2020 Corona crisis time
  7. Only a few days left before 14 Nisan
  8. A meal as a mitzvah so that every generation would remember
  9. A Passover for unity in God’s community
  10. A virtual Seder this Wednesday, April 8 from 6.30 p.m.
  11. To turn the world into a “vessel” receptive of God
  12. The Application of the New Covenant