#wordofgod — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Slow Mover @[email protected] · 2026-07-28 · 07:56 UTC

It’s in the Blood

In 1539, a fugitive former-priest-turned-Anabaptist, in his seminal work “The Foundation,” penned the following words:

“Christ is our fortress; patience our weapon of defense; the Word of God our sword. …Iron and metal spears and swords we leave to those who, alas, regard human blood and swine’s blood of well-nigh equal value.”

So said Menno Simons, principal leader of the Protestant sect which then became known as the Mennonites.

More than 500 years later, his words still resound with a mighty truth.

At the risk of sounding morbid, it has to do with blood.

While Menno specifically refers to the difference between human blood and that of an animal, his larger point is the “value” we place on the blood of another.

My point is quite simple.

Killing will not end through education, conflict resolution, or disarmament, though all of these are important and can help. Killing will end only when there is a fundamental shift in the mind and heart of those who kill.

For how can you kill someone if you believe that their blood is just as valuable as your own?

Let’s call it – for lack of a better term – bloodism.

The other – their humanity, life, blood – is somehow less than I, and therefore, their humanity, life, blood, is not as valuable as my own. It becomes quite easy then to justify killing the other, ie. spilling his/her blood.

The directors of death throughout history from every nation, tribe and religion have understood and disseminated this concept quite well. A person (and those like him/her) is described as having the wrong beliefs, the wrong skin color, the wrong gender, the wrong age, the wrong station in life, the wrong land, the wrong possessions, the wrong clothing, the wrong language —- the wrong blood. These others are not as valued as you are, the leaders of the macabre scream, though they couch their speech in terms such as vigilance, freedom, history, security, and truth.

Then the killing begins.

The Nazis did it to the Jews. Israelis do it to the Palestinians. Hutus did it to the Tutsis. Shiite do it to the Sunni. Palestinians do it to the Israelis. Sunni do it to the Shiite. Muslims do it to the Christians. Christians do it to the Muslims. This country does it to that country. That neighborhood does it to this neighborhood. This race does it to that race. That religion does it to this religion.

And any one of a million other combinations.

STOP!

Do not allow your mind and heart to be filled with bloodism.

We are made in the image of God.

ALL of us.

And that divine DNA resides in the very marrow of our bones and flows through our veins.

It’s in the blood.

July 28, 2014

#anabaptist #AnabaptistTheology #Antiwar #Blood #Bloodism #ChristOurFortress #ChristianEthics #ChristianPacifism #ChristianReflection #Discipleship #DivineDNA #enemy #enemyLove #faithAndViolence #HereAreSomeWordPressTagsThatFitThePostMennoSimons #HumanBlood #humanDignity #imageOfGod #imagoDei #ItSInTheBlood #JesusAndNonviolence #killing #kingdomOfGod #LoveYourEnemy #MennoSimons #mennonite #MennonitePeaceWitness #Nonviolence #Patience #peace #peaceTheology #Peacebuilding #Peacemaking #reflection #religion #SacredLife #SermonReflection #TheFoundation #theologyOfPeace #thoughts #Violence #war #WarAndPeace #WordOfGod #Writing

#anabaptist #anabaptisttheology #antiwar #blood #bloodism #christourfortress

Caroline Street Blog @carolinestreetblog.wordpress.com@carolinestreetblog.wordpress.com · 2026-06-11 · 08:41 UTC

The River of Life

I frequently speak words of healing and blessing over my life. Over time, my imagination began to respond to the life-giving Word of God by forming little pictures inspired by His promises. Gradually, these mental images came together until a complete vision emerged, resulting in the painting, 'The River of Life' above. (Oil on canvas. H900mm x 1080mm). The painting is symbolic of that ongoing transformation and reflects the abundant life Christ came to give me—spirit, soul, and body—here […]

https://carolinestreetblog.wordpress.com/2026/06/11/the-river-of-life/

#abundance #art #bibleverse #christian #declarations #harvest

Author Carlo Carrasco @[email protected] · 2026-03-29 · 16:01 UTC

I Visited The Western Wall Twice

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined and what happened during my free time. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, readers and fellow followers of the Lord! This is the 11th chapter of my ongoing series of articles about the holy nation of Israel with recollections about the experiences and discoveries I had during the pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church (hosted by strategic partner Behold Israel) in 2023. To see my previous Israel tour articles, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. No matter what happens in this unpredictable and chaotic world we live in, I will always stand with Israel and my faith in the Lord remains uncompromising!

In this latest edition of my Israel 2023 series, I share with you what I experienced when I visited Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem not once but twice. Also referred to as the Wailing Wall, the Western Wall is a very holy site and is one of the most definitive places to be in with regards to worshiping the Lord.

For starters, I share with you the very video I recorded about my first time ever to arrive at the Western Wall Plaza (note: I was with my pilgrimage tour group companions, our pastors and our hard-working local tour guide) as well as my first-ever approach (starts at 2:01 in the video) to the Western Wall itself. It’s a video of more than three minutes and it’s available for public viewing via YouTube. Watch the video below and pay attention to the details closely.

https://youtu.be/H9EF50bcv_A

As you can see in the above video, I stopped recording before entering the perimeter to get closer to the Western Wall. What happened after was my personal discovery and my personal sensing of the Lord’s presence.

About The Western Wall

To put things in perspective, the Western Wall is a retaining wall which was part of the Temple Mount expansion that King Herod (Herod the Great) did in around 19 BC. It is one of the four supporting walls of the Temple Mount which remained intact after the destruction of the Second Jewish Temple many decades later. Above it is the Temple Mount already.

Historically, the First Jewish Temple was built on the top of Mount Moriah during the time of King Solomon. The temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. In 19 BC, King Herod started rebuilding a new temple and this includes enlarging the Temple Mount platform a lot which made it 1,575 feet long and 985 feet wide. Herod had ten thousand men working and trained a thousand priests to work on the most sacred parts of the Second Jewish Temple.

The construction was done after several years but the decoration was completed in 64 AD. Six years after the Second Jewish Temple was fully completed, the Romans destroyed it but the western side of the Temple Mount survived. This happened in 70 AD, long after Lord Jesus conquered death and ascended to Heaven.

At the part of the Western Wall near the corner of the Southern Wall is this area that was massively damaged when the Romans destroyed the Second Jewish Temple. Several huge rocks that fell from above during the 70 AD destruction have remained.

The Western Wall faces westward and it is the closest in proximity to the site of the Holy of Holies, the most sacred location in the Temple for the Jewish people. Be aware that Mount Moriah is the same exact mountain where Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac before God sent the angel to intervene and provided the ram as the sacrifice.

For centuries, the Western Wall became a great source of influence and inspiration. It became the focus of yearning and prayer for the Jewish people for countless generations. The open-air section of the Western Wall serves as a place of worshipping the Lord and it is officially a synagogue. Apart from worship, the Western Wall keeps the memory of the Jewish Temples alive and it has also been used by the State of Israel for formal ceremonies. For centuries, pilgrims from around world came to the wall to pray and leave written noted in its ancient stones.

Physically, the Western Wall is 488 meters long and the height of the exposed section reaches a height of 40 meters above the bedrock of the eastern hill of Jerusalem (Mount Moriah). The open-air section of the wall (visible to the Prayer Plaza) is comprised of 46 layers of stone and the very large stones (that many are able to touch) were put in place during the time of King Herod (Second Jewish Temple period).

My First Visit – February 13, 2023

The widest shot of the Western Wall I managed to take during my first-ever visit.

After recording the video, I placed my smartphone into my pocket, entered the worship area and gradually made my way to the wall.

With my Holy Bible in my left hand, I touched the Western Wall with my right hand and started spending quality time with the Lord God, praying to Him. With all my heart, I expressed my thanks and dedication to Lord Jesus there at the wall. I also prayed in support of Israel and the peace of Jerusalem.

Each moment I had there, I truly felt God’s presence and I did not confuse it with the wall’s visual magnificence. As I prayed, I felt the unction from the Lord to open my eyes and look straight up at the blue sky above knowing that He is spiritual, and He is in Heaven. The Lord is not inside the stones of the wall but in His Kingdom. That said, I did not worship the stones (reminder: idolatry is foolish and unholy) as I directed my worship directly to the Lord knowing He is in Heaven.

Many people praying at the wall touching it. There were others who did the same while standing or seating on a chair. In the lower-left corner of the picture is Wilson’s Arch which leads into the indoor synagogue. Partly seen in the background is the fence that separates the men from the women. Above everyone at the right is the platform leading to Temple Mount. The men’s side on the left and women’s side on the right. More of the high platform leading to the Temple Mount.

Because we only had fifteen minutes to spend as our tour group had a schedule to follow, I wisely spent time to praising and honoring the Lord. Let me remind you all that Lord Jesus will someday return and He will fulfill His promise. He will return in Israel and Jerusalem will be His destination.

After praying to Him, I spent the remaining minutes looking around and observing. I was surrounded by Ultra-Orthodox Jews, National Religious Jews, rabbis, tourists and Christians. I witnessed the religious rituals and practices of the Jewish people and I know deep inside that the ties between Jews and Christians are biblical.

As I walked out to rejoin my pilgrimage tour group, I took shot of the women’s area of the Western Wall.

The whole area is indeed sacred and that means visitors should be respectful and should practice decency near the Western Wall. People praying to God are to be respected and when there are many others praying while touching the wall, you will really have to wait for your turn. Be mindful that the Lord is always watching you as there is simply no reason to cause disrespect, playing around and causing trouble at the Western Wall.

When my fifteen minutes ran out, I went to the exit to rejoin my tour group.

My Second Visit – February 15, 2023

I took this shot of the Western Wall after making my way through from the Temple Mount.

Two days later, it was our tour group’s one and only rest day. After having a really early breakfast at our hotel, I marched to the Old City of Jerusalem and visited the Temple Mount for the first time ever. After spending time up there, I took the exit and made my way down to return to the Western Wall.

Once again I took time touching the wall and praying to the Lord and expressing my thanks to Him with a lot of heart. After several minutes, I took a seat to pray to Him while resting my legs. Then I noticed a North American man (who looked so much like Hillsong Church’s Phil Dooley) with the Holy Bible at one end of the fence (separating the men and the women) by the wall facing at the other direction (his back on the wall). He preached the Word of God and asked the Lord to save everyone. What he said reminded me that God has a plan for everyone, including the Jews (His chosen people) and there is still time for the lost and unsaved to realize Jesus as the Lord and the Savior of all.

My hand touching the Western Wall. I spent much more time praying to the Lord during my 2nd visit there.

After I was done praying by the wall, I decided to visit Wilson’s Arch as I was so curious why a lot of people had been entering and exiting it. It turned out to be Western Wall tunnel (with an arch area) and inside was a synagogue where there lots of Jews read the Old Testament, the Torah and pray. At the entrance/exit, a Jewish rabbi invited me in and assured me that foreigners and non-Jews were welcome. So I went in and he showed some parts of the indoor synagogue.

As it was a place of worship by the Jews, I was cautious moving inside and spending time observing. Carefully I only took a few photos for this feature article and it was astonishing to see more of the Western Wall indoors. Not only that, it was impressive to see the arches – including those huge stones above our heads – and it turns out they were constructed during Herod’s time and without any cement at all. There were also lots of shelves of books on both sides.

I took this shot during my short visit inside the Western Wall tunnel. See those huge stones above everyone? Those were put into place during the time of King Herod and no cement was ever used. It is amazing to see as it was constructed without any of the modern construction technologies of today. The Western Wall tunnel synagogue is one of the holiest synagogues in Israel due to its proximity to where the First Jewish Temple was wherein the Holy of Holies resided.

The indoor synagogue is one of the holiest synagogues in Israel due to its proximity to where the original Jewish Temple was wherein the Holy of Holies resided. Since it was my plan to revisit the Upper Room and visit both King David’s Tomb and Oskar Schindler’s grave, I eventually left the Western Wall tunnel. Before tracing my way back to the Jewish Quarter (where we visited two days prior), I took one last look back at the Western Wall. I intend to revisit it and spend quality time with the Lord there again in the future.

Biblical Significance

While it is a fact that the Western Wall was not explicitly mentioned in the Holy Bible, it has always been part of the Temple Mount since Herod’s time. To put things in perspective, we need to go back to the time when King Solomon dedicated the First Temple asking God to hear the prayers made toward it. Learn from the holy scriptures below.

that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.

1 Kings 8:29-30 (NKJV)

“Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name’s sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

1 Kings 8:41-43 (NKJV)

The First Jewish Temple eventually got destroyed by the Babylonians. Centuries later, Herod executed the massive rebuilding of the Temple (Second Jewish Temple) in Jerusalem as well as the expansion of the Temple Mount itself. What was achieved drew reactions from many people who saw it and there were references of such reactions in the New Testament. For insight, read the scriptures below.

Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

Mark 13:1 (NKJV)

Then the Jews replied, It took forty-six years to build this temple (sanctuary), and will You raise it up in three days?

John 2:20 (AMPC)

To be clear, the forty-six years mentioned in John 2:20 refers to the massive renovation and the expansion of the Second Jewish Temple.

Long before the Second Temple got destroyed, Lord Jesus prophesied its destruction. By the time Lord Jesus made the prophesy, He was already rejected by the religious Jews. Those people refused to accept Him as their Messiah and they had disobeyed God as a result. Lord Jesus wept for Jerusalem knowing that suffering and destruction would come and it happened in 70 AD. Learn from the scriptures below.

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying,

“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Luke 19:41-44 (NKJV)

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them,

“Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Matthew 24:1-2 (NKJV)

As it is very clear that God always has a plan for the faithful and His chosen people, it was prophesied that He would bring the Jews (scattered around the world) back to Israel in the last days. This prophecy was fulfilled in May 1948 when the modern State of Israel was formally established and a lot of Jews returned or settled in since then. Lord Jesus will return to us some time in the future and there is time for the Jews to accept Him as their Messiah, to repent and submit to Him. The other lost and unsaved people of the world still have opportunities to realize Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Very clearly, Lord Jesus is the hope of ALL nations! Learn from the scriptures below.

If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.

Deuteronomy 30:4-5 (NKJV)

Jesus answered him,

“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”

John 3:3 (AMP)

Beloved ones, let me repeat emphatically that the gospel entrusted to me was not given to me by any man. No one taught me this revelation, for it was given to me directly by the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

By now you have heard stories of how severely I harassed and persecuted Christians and how systematically I endeavored to destroy God’s church, all because of my radical devotion to the Jewish religion. My zeal and passion for the doctrines of Judaism distinguished me among my people, for I was far more advanced in my religious instruction than others my age.

But then God called me by his grace, and chose me from my birth to be his. He was pleased to unveil his Son in me so that I would proclaim him to the peoples of the world. After I had this encounter, I kept it a secret for some time, sharing it with no one. And I had no desire to run to Jerusalem and try to impress those who had become apostles before me. Instead, I withdrew into the Arabian Desert. Then I returned to Damascus, where I had first encountered Jesus.

Galatians 1:11-17 (TPT)

For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us,

By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace.

And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end.

And He came and preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off and [peace] to those who were near.

For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him].

Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God’s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God’s [own] household.

You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself the chief Cornerstone.

In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord].

In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:14-22 (AMPC)

Conclusion

This was me during my first-ever Western Wall visit on February 13, 2023. I had The Passion Translation (TPT) Holy Bible with me. My thanks to the guy who took this picture for me.

My two visits to the Western Wall were very significant to me personally. As seen above, each visit has been different, new discoveries happened and I spent quality time with Lord. The place is holy and it is a must-visit for anyone going to Israel. If I ever visit Israel again, I would return to the Western Wall to praise, thank and honor the Lord. If you are a person of faith who is about to visit Israel for the first time, I urge you to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Learn from my experiences. I also encourage you all to stand united in support of Israel, learn to love and bless the Jewish people, help the lost and unsaved come to Lord Jesus and always pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]!

May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces!

For my brethren and companions’ sake, I will now say, Peace be within you!

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek, inquire for, and require your good.

Psalm 122:6-9 (AMPC)

Israel is the holiest place to visit in the whole world! Visit Israel with the Holy Bible! Pray to the Lord wholeheartedly and reveal to Him your heart’s desire to visit Israel to deepen your faith in Him. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Follow the light of Lord Jesus, keep on praying to support Israel, learn to love and bless the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel articles here. There is more to come! Thank you for reading.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

#2ndJewishTemple #Abraham #AMPC #AmplifiedBibleAMP #AmplifiedBibleClassicEditionAMPC #Asia #BeTheFearlessAndAggressiveChurchOfLordJesus #BeholdIsrael #Bible #bibleLesson #BibleProphecy #bibleScripture #bibleStudies #BibleStudy #bibleTeaching #BibleVerse #bibleVerses #Bing #blessTheJewishPeople #blessingsFromJesus #Blog #blogger #blogging #BookOf1Kings #BookOf2Samuel #BookOfActs #BookOfGalatians #BookOfJohn #BookOfMark #BornAgain #brew #business #CapeTown #CarloCarrasco #Christian #ChristianBlog #ChristianBlogger #ChristianEncounter #ChristianFaith #Christianity #ChurchOfLordJesus #Covenant #DayOfPentecost #EdwinTugano #Faith #faithfulness #fearless #FearlessChristian #FearlessChurch #features #food #friendsOfIsrael #geek #GlorifyJesus #GlorifyLordJesus #GloryToLordJesus #God #GodAlmighty #GodIsFaithful #GodIsTheSource #GodSFamily #GodSGrace #GodSKingdom #GodSPlan #GodSWord #Google #GoogleMap #GoogleMaps #GoogleSearch #HeavenlyFather #HolyBible #HolyOfHolies #HolyScripture #holyScriptures #HolySpirit #ILoveIsrael #ILoveJerusalem #IStandWithIsrael #idolatry #IdolatryIsDemonic #IdolatryIsEvil #idolatryIsFoolishness #IdolatryIsSatanic #IdolatryIsUnholy #idols #immigration #Instagram #Isaac #Israel #Israel2023 #Israeli #Jacob #Jerusalem #Jesus #JesusChrist #JesusIsLordAndSavior #Jewish #JewishFamilies #JewishQuarter #JewishState #JewishTemple #KingDavid #KingHerod #KingSolomon #landOfTheJewishPeople #lifestyle #LightOfLordJesus #localTourists #LordJesus #LoveAndBlessTheJewishPeople #LoveTheJewishPeople #MountMoriah #MtMoriah #NewCovenant #NewKingJamesVersionNKJV #NewLife #NewLifeAlabang #NewLifePhilippines #NKJV #NOToIdolatry #OldCityOfJerusalem #OskarSchindler #peaceOfJerusalem #Pentecost #Philippines #praise #praiseAndWorship #PraiseGod #PraiseTheLord #PrayForIsrael #PrayForJerusalem #prayForThePeaceOfJerusalem #prayToGod #PrayToJesus #PrayToTheLord #RabbiStairs #RejectIdolatry #scripture #scriptures #SecondJewishTemple #socialMedia #SouthernStairs #SouthernSteps #SouthernWall #SpecialFeatures #standUnitedWithIsrael #StandWithIsrael #StateOfIsrael #SupportIsrael #TempleMount #ThePassionTranslationTPT #tourism #tourismBlog #tourist #touristBlog #touristDestinations #touristGuide #touristSpots #tourists #TPT #travel #travelBlog #Tumblr #UncompromisingFaith #UnwaveringFaith #visitIsrael #visitJerusalem #WesternWall #WesternWallPlaza #WordOfGod #WordPress #WordPressCom #worldTravel

#2ndjewishtemple #abraham #ampc #amplifiedbibleamp #amplifiedbibleclassiceditionampc #asia

Belgian Ecclesia Brussel - Leuven @[email protected] · 2015-11-02 · 11:09 UTC

The Big conversation Why it matters

Looking at our small community we must remember that it is God Who calls and for what we can offer in our community He takes what we have and makes it go further!

Church is the place to bring empty lives for God to fill.
Church is about meeting not just meetings!

In our previous postings we also pointed out that some people may have a wrong opinion about unity and expect all people in a community to say the same and to act the same. But “being one” doesn’t mean “being a clone”. God blesses unity! And we should have and should share our unity in Christ and unity with Christ. All being one in following the teachings of Christ, believing what he says and following up what he asked his followers to do. Not just following a church because it pleases us but because it follows the teachings of the son of God, Jesus Christ, and stays truthful to the Words of God, following God’s Will and willing to share His Gospel. Our union should be in the love for God which should be noticeable for outsiders, being a union of loving people, loving Jehovah God and His son Christ Jesus, Jeshua the Messiah, as lovers of the truth, sharing this love and Good News and spreading unselfish, mutual, unconditional Agape brotherly love and love for all creation under the Covenant of love as beloved disciples and as Bible lovers making a circle of love under the Royal Law of love.

Having different people coming together there should be allowance for every one to have their say. All gathered should have respect for all present and give them the opportunity to share their ideas. Being together it also must be an occasion where public confession, based on a word from God, can take place. This may demand courage to stand up and declare truth, but in a real church of God this should not be a problem because that has to be a place of sharing the love of Christ and working at getting the love of God.

Spending time together to study the Word of God, must do something to those present. Change is inevitable…

except from a vending machine

said Arne Roberts, on October the tenth, at the Big Conversation. For him it is clear what is going to happen to other Bible Students which all came form the same source.

Here’s what will happen to Jehovah’s Witnesses: They will become increasingly like the religious group that influenced Charles Russell: The Christadelphians…
The Christadelphians were once an outspoken, vibrant, edgy “Christian” group who spread their urgent end-times message far and wide. They grew exponentially in the latter half of the nineteenth century, but their heyday is long past. For several decades now they resemble a heavy rusty old steam locomotive that is running out of speed as it lumbers along ill-kept tracks, but still tries to muster the motion needed to take on steep mountain slopes.
The Christadelphians ooze sad irrelevance and faded glory of times well passed. They are an old people’s religion – old people who don’t have the self- and other-awareness to see that they are clinging to a dead dream. The Christadelphians have long since passed their used-by date and the only ones who still ‘practice’ this religion are older individuals who cannot muster the strength to look out their windows at the real world passing them by.
This is the future of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who will not go out with a bang, but who will slowly whimper to an ever slower crawl as the decades pass and the world, in its infinite fascination with religious novelty, will fix its distractable attention on to other more modern belief systems.

For Arne Roberts that is not the end. He asks us to keep in mind that we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

We as followers of Christ should make sure that the Clarion of the Torah may sound. We hearing the sound loudly should make sure that there might be a stimulant for others in our community to become co-workers, helping each other, not working against each other, or not considering each other rivals. As individual beings, planets or stars, we may be totally different, but together we are one part of the universe, just some small elements in the creation of God.

Our very tiny community at a Breaking of Bread gathering at our regular meeting place, the service centre in Heverlee, Leuven.

When people just not come to join others because they are part of a small community than that community shall never have any chance of growing. When people keep waiting before willing to join a small community because it does not attract them for it is so small that they shall be noticed, we do have to convince them that they should not hide themselves behind the numbers. It is true that when there is a small church people will be noticed. In a mega church nobody shall notice it when you come in later, slip out earlier, shall fall asleep or shall not be attentional. When we encounter such doubting people who are afraid to join a small church we can ask them

How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice

It is up to us that God is in our life and that we want to share it with them. They should not be afraid to feel having a naked identity it such a small group, because as followers of Christ Jesus we have abandoned our sinful ‘I’ and actually have taken an other identity, no identity of our own apart from our union with Christ. Not that we have no unique personality or value or purpose, but that Christ defines our new life. It is that inseparable connection within Christ as a believer, which unites us and in the love of Christ we found the love for each other and have to show the world that we want to share that love. When we fail to see our true existence in Christ and fail to find our life and, thus, seek it outside of Christ we shall become victim of our own vain pursuit that only leads to frustration and angst in our God-thirsty soul.

We must understand that whatever happens the majority of people will not want to take the divine Creator as their God and lots of people shall prefer to be part of the contemporary world, belonging to it, being in it, and enjoying a worldly philosophy, inventions of men designed to rob you of your inheritance (Col.2:8-10) and as such shall not be so much attracted to the Christadelphian world, which demands a change in their attitude. The friendship with the world is for most people much more important than the friendship with God loving people. Most shall prefer to stay in the Godless world having not to wonder about their own responsibilities.

It is up to the lovers of God to show the others the light of the world and that no one should worry to much about living in this world. When people could come to know that New world better they might think twice and be prepared easier to leave the Old world for what it is, looking forward to a better and perfect world. We understand it is not easy for man to get away with the worldly traditions, so this shall always be some of the obstacles to join or to stay in our community. But people should not be afraid that they cannot take part in worldly events in a Godless world. Christadelphians for sure also can enjoy worldly life, having enough time fore worldly pleasures, and not to become frustrated under the yoke of the world.

+

Preceding articles:

Counting sands and stars

The Big conversation

The Big conversation follow up

Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church

++

Additional reading

+++

Further readings:

+++

Related articles

Jesus Christ is not REAL to most Christians (finalcall07.wordpress.com)
Loving the Sinner (heartfixxer.wordpress.com)
We stand together proudly (chronicle.augusta.com)
A Perfect Inheritance (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
Spiritual Growth (faithandfootsteps.wordpress.com)
“By the Power Invested in Me” (breakawaybylintrollins.wordpress.com)
Victory (myspiritualbreakfast.com)
Torah for Today: What does the Torah say about the migrant crisis? (jewishnews.co.uk)
Slavery (thought.dcwillis.com)
The differing origins of humankind (iol.co.za)

Rate this:

#19Century #Agape #ArneRoberts #BeingOfTheWorld #BibleStudents #BrotherlyLove #CharlesRussell #ChristadelphianCommunity #ChristadelphianWorld #Confession #Cornerstone #Courage #FellowCitizens #FollowersOfChrist #FollowingAChurch #FollowingChrist #FollowingJesusChrist #FollowingTheSon #FollowingWordOfGod #FriendOfTheWorld #Frustration #Gathering #GodCalling #GodlessWorld #HouseholdOfGod #JehovahWitnesses #JehovahSWitnesses #LightOfTheWorld #LivingInThisWorld #LoveForChrist #LoveForCreation #LoveOfChrist #MegaChurch #ModernBeliefSystems #Respect #RespectForEachother #Share #SmallChurch #SmallCommunity #Stimulant #toGather #TorahSClarionCall #Union #UnionWithChristJesus #UnionWithGod #Unity #UnityInChrist #UnityWithChrist #WordOfGod #WorldlyLife #WorldlyTraditions

#19century #agape #arneroberts #beingoftheworld #biblestudents #brotherlylove

Belgian Ecclesia Brussel - Leuven @[email protected] · 2015-11-02 · 11:09 UTC

The Big conversation Why it matters

Looking at our small community we must remember that it is God Who calls and for what we can offer in our community He takes what we have and makes it go further!

Church is the place to bring empty lives for God to fill.
Church is about meeting not just meetings!

In our previous postings we also pointed out that some people may have a wrong opinion about unity and expect all people in a community to say the same and to act the same. But “being one” doesn’t mean “being a clone”. God blesses unity! And we should have and should share our unity in Christ and unity with Christ. All being one in following the teachings of Christ, believing what he says and following up what he asked his followers to do. Not just following a church because it pleases us but because it follows the teachings of the son of God, Jesus Christ, and stays truthful to the Words of God, following God’s Will and willing to share His Gospel. Our union should be in the love for God which should be noticeable for outsiders, being a union of loving people, loving Jehovah God and His son Christ Jesus, Jeshua the Messiah, as lovers of the truth, sharing this love and Good News and spreading unselfish, mutual, unconditional Agape brotherly love and love for all creation under the Covenant of love as beloved disciples and as Bible lovers making a circle of love under the Royal Law of love.

Having different people coming together there should be allowance for every one to have their say. All gathered should have respect for all present and give them the opportunity to share their ideas. Being together it also must be an occasion where public confession, based on a word from God, can take place. This may demand courage to stand up and declare truth, but in a real church of God this should not be a problem because that has to be a place of sharing the love of Christ and working at getting the love of God.

Spending time together to study the Word of God, must do something to those present. Change is inevitable…

except from a vending machine

said Arne Roberts, on October the tenth, at the Big Conversation. For him it is clear what is going to happen to other Bible Students which all came form the same source.

Here’s what will happen to Jehovah’s Witnesses: They will become increasingly like the religious group that influenced Charles Russell: The Christadelphians…
The Christadelphians were once an outspoken, vibrant, edgy “Christian” group who spread their urgent end-times message far and wide. They grew exponentially in the latter half of the nineteenth century, but their heyday is long past. For several decades now they resemble a heavy rusty old steam locomotive that is running out of speed as it lumbers along ill-kept tracks, but still tries to muster the motion needed to take on steep mountain slopes.
The Christadelphians ooze sad irrelevance and faded glory of times well passed. They are an old people’s religion – old people who don’t have the self- and other-awareness to see that they are clinging to a dead dream. The Christadelphians have long since passed their used-by date and the only ones who still ‘practice’ this religion are older individuals who cannot muster the strength to look out their windows at the real world passing them by.
This is the future of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who will not go out with a bang, but who will slowly whimper to an ever slower crawl as the decades pass and the world, in its infinite fascination with religious novelty, will fix its distractable attention on to other more modern belief systems.

For Arne Roberts that is not the end. He asks us to keep in mind that we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

We as followers of Christ should make sure that the Clarion of the Torah may sound. We hearing the sound loudly should make sure that there might be a stimulant for others in our community to become co-workers, helping each other, not working against each other, or not considering each other rivals. As individual beings, planets or stars, we may be totally different, but together we are one part of the universe, just some small elements in the creation of God.

Our very tiny community at a Breaking of Bread gathering at our regular meeting place, the service centre in Heverlee, Leuven.

When people just not come to join others because they are part of a small community than that community shall never have any chance of growing. When people keep waiting before willing to join a small community because it does not attract them for it is so small that they shall be noticed, we do have to convince them that they should not hide themselves behind the numbers. It is true that when there is a small church people will be noticed. In a mega church nobody shall notice it when you come in later, slip out earlier, shall fall asleep or shall not be attentional. When we encounter such doubting people who are afraid to join a small church we can ask them

How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice

It is up to us that God is in our life and that we want to share it with them. They should not be afraid to feel having a naked identity it such a small group, because as followers of Christ Jesus we have abandoned our sinful ‘I’ and actually have taken an other identity, no identity of our own apart from our union with Christ. Not that we have no unique personality or value or purpose, but that Christ defines our new life. It is that inseparable connection within Christ as a believer, which unites us and in the love of Christ we found the love for each other and have to show the world that we want to share that love. When we fail to see our true existence in Christ and fail to find our life and, thus, seek it outside of Christ we shall become victim of our own vain pursuit that only leads to frustration and angst in our God-thirsty soul.

We must understand that whatever happens the majority of people will not want to take the divine Creator as their God and lots of people shall prefer to be part of the contemporary world, belonging to it, being in it, and enjoying a worldly philosophy, inventions of men designed to rob you of your inheritance (Col.2:8-10) and as such shall not be so much attracted to the Christadelphian world, which demands a change in their attitude. The friendship with the world is for most people much more important than the friendship with God loving people. Most shall prefer to stay in the Godless world having not to wonder about their own responsibilities.

It is up to the lovers of God to show the others the light of the world and that no one should worry to much about living in this world. When people could come to know that New world better they might think twice and be prepared easier to leave the Old world for what it is, looking forward to a better and perfect world. We understand it is not easy for man to get away with the worldly traditions, so this shall always be some of the obstacles to join or to stay in our community. But people should not be afraid that they cannot take part in worldly events in a Godless world. Christadelphians for sure also can enjoy worldly life, having enough time fore worldly pleasures, and not to become frustrated under the yoke of the world.

+

Preceding articles:

Counting sands and stars

The Big conversation

The Big conversation follow up

Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church

++

Additional reading

+++

Further readings:

+++

Related articles

Jesus Christ is not REAL to most Christians (finalcall07.wordpress.com)
Loving the Sinner (heartfixxer.wordpress.com)
We stand together proudly (chronicle.augusta.com)
A Perfect Inheritance (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
Spiritual Growth (faithandfootsteps.wordpress.com)
“By the Power Invested in Me” (breakawaybylintrollins.wordpress.com)
Victory (myspiritualbreakfast.com)
Torah for Today: What does the Torah say about the migrant crisis? (jewishnews.co.uk)
Slavery (thought.dcwillis.com)
The differing origins of humankind (iol.co.za)

Rate this:

#19Century #Agape #ArneRoberts #BeingOfTheWorld #BibleStudents #BrotherlyLove #CharlesRussell #ChristadelphianCommunity #ChristadelphianWorld #Confession #Cornerstone #Courage #FellowCitizens #FollowersOfChrist #FollowingAChurch #FollowingChrist #FollowingJesusChrist #FollowingTheSon #FollowingWordOfGod #FriendOfTheWorld #Frustration #Gathering #GodCalling #GodlessWorld #HouseholdOfGod #JehovahWitnesses #JehovahSWitnesses #LightOfTheWorld #LivingInThisWorld #LoveForChrist #LoveForCreation #LoveOfChrist #MegaChurch #ModernBeliefSystems #Respect #RespectForEachother #Share #SmallChurch #SmallCommunity #Stimulant #toGather #TorahSClarionCall #Union #UnionWithChristJesus #UnionWithGod #Unity #UnityInChrist #UnityWithChrist #WordOfGod #WorldlyLife #WorldlyTraditions

#19century #agape #arneroberts #beingoftheworld #biblestudents #brotherlylove

Belgian Ecclesia Brussel - Leuven @[email protected] · 2015-11-02 · 11:09 UTC

The Big conversation Why it matters

Looking at our small community we must remember that it is God Who calls and for what we can offer in our community He takes what we have and makes it go further!

Church is the place to bring empty lives for God to fill.
Church is about meeting not just meetings!

In our previous postings we also pointed out that some people may have a wrong opinion about unity and expect all people in a community to say the same and to act the same. But “being one” doesn’t mean “being a clone”. God blesses unity! And we should have and should share our unity in Christ and unity with Christ. All being one in following the teachings of Christ, believing what he says and following up what he asked his followers to do. Not just following a church because it pleases us but because it follows the teachings of the son of God, Jesus Christ, and stays truthful to the Words of God, following God’s Will and willing to share His Gospel. Our union should be in the love for God which should be noticeable for outsiders, being a union of loving people, loving Jehovah God and His son Christ Jesus, Jeshua the Messiah, as lovers of the truth, sharing this love and Good News and spreading unselfish, mutual, unconditional Agape brotherly love and love for all creation under the Covenant of love as beloved disciples and as Bible lovers making a circle of love under the Royal Law of love.

Having different people coming together there should be allowance for every one to have their say. All gathered should have respect for all present and give them the opportunity to share their ideas. Being together it also must be an occasion where public confession, based on a word from God, can take place. This may demand courage to stand up and declare truth, but in a real church of God this should not be a problem because that has to be a place of sharing the love of Christ and working at getting the love of God.

Spending time together to study the Word of God, must do something to those present. Change is inevitable…

except from a vending machine

said Arne Roberts, on October the tenth, at the Big Conversation. For him it is clear what is going to happen to other Bible Students which all came form the same source.

Here’s what will happen to Jehovah’s Witnesses: They will become increasingly like the religious group that influenced Charles Russell: The Christadelphians…
The Christadelphians were once an outspoken, vibrant, edgy “Christian” group who spread their urgent end-times message far and wide. They grew exponentially in the latter half of the nineteenth century, but their heyday is long past. For several decades now they resemble a heavy rusty old steam locomotive that is running out of speed as it lumbers along ill-kept tracks, but still tries to muster the motion needed to take on steep mountain slopes.
The Christadelphians ooze sad irrelevance and faded glory of times well passed. They are an old people’s religion – old people who don’t have the self- and other-awareness to see that they are clinging to a dead dream. The Christadelphians have long since passed their used-by date and the only ones who still ‘practice’ this religion are older individuals who cannot muster the strength to look out their windows at the real world passing them by.
This is the future of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who will not go out with a bang, but who will slowly whimper to an ever slower crawl as the decades pass and the world, in its infinite fascination with religious novelty, will fix its distractable attention on to other more modern belief systems.

For Arne Roberts that is not the end. He asks us to keep in mind that we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

We as followers of Christ should make sure that the Clarion of the Torah may sound. We hearing the sound loudly should make sure that there might be a stimulant for others in our community to become co-workers, helping each other, not working against each other, or not considering each other rivals. As individual beings, planets or stars, we may be totally different, but together we are one part of the universe, just some small elements in the creation of God.

Our very tiny community at a Breaking of Bread gathering at our regular meeting place, the service centre in Heverlee, Leuven.

When people just not come to join others because they are part of a small community than that community shall never have any chance of growing. When people keep waiting before willing to join a small community because it does not attract them for it is so small that they shall be noticed, we do have to convince them that they should not hide themselves behind the numbers. It is true that when there is a small church people will be noticed. In a mega church nobody shall notice it when you come in later, slip out earlier, shall fall asleep or shall not be attentional. When we encounter such doubting people who are afraid to join a small church we can ask them

How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice

It is up to us that God is in our life and that we want to share it with them. They should not be afraid to feel having a naked identity it such a small group, because as followers of Christ Jesus we have abandoned our sinful ‘I’ and actually have taken an other identity, no identity of our own apart from our union with Christ. Not that we have no unique personality or value or purpose, but that Christ defines our new life. It is that inseparable connection within Christ as a believer, which unites us and in the love of Christ we found the love for each other and have to show the world that we want to share that love. When we fail to see our true existence in Christ and fail to find our life and, thus, seek it outside of Christ we shall become victim of our own vain pursuit that only leads to frustration and angst in our God-thirsty soul.

We must understand that whatever happens the majority of people will not want to take the divine Creator as their God and lots of people shall prefer to be part of the contemporary world, belonging to it, being in it, and enjoying a worldly philosophy, inventions of men designed to rob you of your inheritance (Col.2:8-10) and as such shall not be so much attracted to the Christadelphian world, which demands a change in their attitude. The friendship with the world is for most people much more important than the friendship with God loving people. Most shall prefer to stay in the Godless world having not to wonder about their own responsibilities.

It is up to the lovers of God to show the others the light of the world and that no one should worry to much about living in this world. When people could come to know that New world better they might think twice and be prepared easier to leave the Old world for what it is, looking forward to a better and perfect world. We understand it is not easy for man to get away with the worldly traditions, so this shall always be some of the obstacles to join or to stay in our community. But people should not be afraid that they cannot take part in worldly events in a Godless world. Christadelphians for sure also can enjoy worldly life, having enough time fore worldly pleasures, and not to become frustrated under the yoke of the world.