Skills and passion

Skill and Passion are not always find in the same person. I've found highly skilled people with no idea how to use the skills they've worked hard to develop and are given and allowed by a gracious God. Where as I've seen passionate people, people producing significant bodies of work and obviously not possessing all the best or classically necessary skills.

De Heere Jezus door heel de Bijbel. Preek van een 15-jarige. Powerful ! Ondertiteling van Geloofstoerusting.nl, dank hiervoor.

Posted by Bijbel Spreuken on Friday, 27 February 2015

Welcome neighbour.

Most all the refugees, asylum seekers and truly poor economic immigrants that I've known and worked with in America (since the immigration reform and control act of 1986),in Great Britain, and in Belgium are not only willing but desperate to learn the language, take the classes and sign in and fit in with thier new society.

Having personally been an immigrant in two countries I can say that it is a very complicated difficult process that is often not user friendly.

These people come often with post traumatic syndrome, because they were victims of extreme abuse or war Having seen families and property blown up, having lost everything, having no food, jobs or safety - come looking for a place to cope.

Many needing serious psychiatric and medical help from wars or economic situation our country started, funded, supplied arms to and we're even funded through literally truckloads of cash from our governments. Sometimes we were involved in the hope to free these people but more often than not it makes them victims of another even more radical regime.

Many of them have had no chance for school most of thier life because war /poverty /unrest or oppressive regimes. Governments have not allowed them to go to school or learn to read and write in thier own mother tongue. So signing in and following a course is a huge hurdle especially since they still are actually not free in our countries some for as many as 6 years waiting for status. So 10 years war or more in thier land with no rest and then waiting for years here.

Being an immigrant is hard work.

They need real loving lasting patient friends every step of the way.

But sadly often they are shunned and can only find friendship among other refugees. So they become intrenched in their own subcultures.

Ask any expat how hard it is to find places to integrate. Even the rich and educated well adjusted find it a emotional trek through rejection, discouragement, misunderstanding and prejudice. Trust me the majority of immigrants of all kinds want to do what is asked of them to integrate. But we don't make it easy.

But they also seek freedom. Freedom to live, love believe and act as they want. A basic freedom they have been denied. We speak so proudly of having these freedoms but then want to deny them once they arrive.

So do we live in free lands or not?

Do we espouse freedom of religion? Do we allow freedom of speech and expression? Can we not extend these freedoms to others? Don't we still want them for ourselves?

The fact is that in the history of all three countries in which I've lived immigrants came seeking freedom and safety. They organised against an oppressive regime and set down laws to protect freedoms they were denied. Why is that not still the case?

Curses and lies: pursuing the spirit of man with passion and truth

Get off the ride.

Warning I've been thinking! You probably won't want to read this.



We spend a lot of time taking care of our bodies. Washing, dressing, feeding, resting, exercising, sexing, working and it feels good. There is nothing wrong with it. But often we must admit that our bodies are controlling us.

Then there is the constantly ready and willing slavery to the masturbation of our emotions. And wow does entertainment allow an unprecedented opportunity to rub our emotions raw. We can see TV and film now on demand and all the time, get lost in games that feel more real than the world in which we live and breath and read something on every subject and fantasize a life that will never be ours.

But the mind has unquenchable thirst for knowledge drives many of us to learn, read, experiment and research the minutia of detail in the nichest of subjects until we begin to relax, lost in the quest for dominance and meaning over our world.

BUT when do we have time for our spirit. When do we challenge our lies concerning value and beauty? When do we cultivate the experimenter in truth and confront the dark lies of right and wrong. We live in a world screaming lies all day long! LIES, lies, lies lies lies, untruths, twisted meanings, and deceptive intentions. We want to believe many of these lies. These lies feed our ego, they caress our sense of worth. Lies about what is important, lies about how we should spend our time. We live in the lie that something we don't have will make us happy. We expend unbelievable hours of wasted time and energy and money selfishly masquerading as if we are the centre of the world. We think we know what is true and what is good and what is of value and what is wrong and what is false and what will make us happy. We act as if everything is all right and we hide what is wrong. We surround ourselves with yes-men and mock our dissenters.

How do you build character? How do you invest in discernment of worth and value? What ways do you cultivate hope rather than the feelings of wishing. When and where are you able to be real with yourself and correct your wayward bearing? How are you developing your inner peace? How are you rooting out the lies that have you trapped? What do you do to break free from the stranglehold of addiction, self adulation, and empty time wasting pointless pursuits? What is your plan for less mental selfies and more giving of love.

Are you more loving? Are you living sacrificially? Can you spot the lies being mainlined into your ego? Have you given up a false belief that has held you captive?

Curses, Curses, spirit courses.
Train my inner man.
Let me see the path before me and not be my biggest fan.
Curses, Curses I've wasted my energy
I've starved my spirit dry
because I fed my body now my spirit dies.
Curses, Curses I'm feeling till I'm tingliy
But now I'm numb and I ask my self why
Why did I waste away with feelings on things  that won't matter when I die.

Psalm 109 NLT (listen and feed your spirit)

6They say, “Get an evil person to turn against him.

Send an accuser to bring him to trial.

7When his case comes up for judgment,

let him be pronounced guilty.

Count his prayers as sins.

8Let his years be few;

let someone else take his position.

9May his children become fatherless,

and his wife a widow.

10May his children wander as beggars

and be driven from their ruined homes.

11May creditors seize his entire estate,

and strangers take all he has earned.

12Let no one be kind to him;

let no one pity his fatherless children.

13May all his offspring die.

May his family name be blotted out in the next generation.

14May the lord never forget the sins of his fathers;

may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.

15May the lord always remember these sins,

and may his name disappear from human memory.

16For he refused all kindness to others;

he persecuted the poor and needy,

and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.

17He loved to curse others;

now you curse him.

He never blessed others;

now don’t you bless him.

18Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing,

or the water he drinks,

or the rich food he eats.

19Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing;

may they be tied around him like a belt.”

20May those curses become the lord’s punishment

for my accusers who speak evil of me.

21But deal well with me, O Sovereign lord,

for the sake of your own reputation!

Rescue me

because you are so faithful and good.

22For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is full of pain.

23I am fading like a shadow at dusk;

I am brushed off like a locust.

24My knees are weak from fasting,

and I am skin and bones.

25I am a joke to people everywhere;

when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.

26Help me, O  lord my God!

Save me because of your unfailing love.

27Let them see that this is your doing,

that you yourself have done it, lord.

28Then let them curse me if they like,

but you will bless me!

When they attack me, they will be disgraced!

But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!

29May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;

may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.

30But I will give repeated thanks to the lord,

praising him to everyone.

31For he stands beside the needy,

ready to save them from those who condemn them.

Who is not real in this list

Beginning with Jesus and tracing his lineage through to Adam and God, Luke records fit us the names of Jesus' family tree. Most people believe there was a real king David or a real Abraham. So which people in this list are fictional? I believe they are all real 

Seeking? Be a plain person.

"I yet write not for professional theologians but for plain persons whose hearts stir them up to seek after God Himself."

Preface, The Knowledge of the Holy - - AW Tozer

Is humanism Satanism

Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Leaders who can't seem to lead (like Jesus)

Jesus understands show learners. Having struggle with leading followers who don't get it. Join the club that Jesus founded. But take heart. If this is the experience of the Son of God  went do you think you'll have it easier. And then consider that He hand picked his crew. Bet you dint have that privilege. Read and know that Jesus sympathises with you.

Mark 8:14-21 NLT

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?  ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?  When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said. “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said. “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

LOOK INSIDE, it's not pretty..... We need help don't we?

Mark 7:9, 20-23 NLT

Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.  And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you.  For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,  adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

A kingdom not of this world

http://bible.com/116/JHN18.36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” Bible.com/app

Naked

We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.

http://bible.com/116/ECC5.15 Bible.com/app

Natuurlijk, Hij is God!

http://bible.com/398/PSA115.2 Waarom zeggen de volken: ‘Waar is die God van hen?’ Onze God is in de hemel, hij doet wat hem behaagt. Bible.com/app

The truth as I see it....

The antidote to sadness is the truth. Tell yourself the truth. 
God is good. 
God loves me. 
God is in control. 
God the Father sent Jesus to rescue me. 
The Bible is full of truth. 
I am evil. If God doesn't save me from myself, I'll be a selfish God killer. 
The truth will set me free. 
I have hope and help in Jesus. 
God loves_________________ more than I ever could. 
God's plan is better than my plan. 
My hope is in the Lord. 
I have been given the mind of Christ. 
Jesus prayed for me. 
Faith is a gift from God. 
God has given me this gift. 
There is life after death. 
There is eternal death and judgement after death for those who refuse God's grace. 
God's grace is evident to all men. 
God's character can be seen in his creation. 
No one is has an excuse for not believing. 
God is patient. 
God is kind. 
God forgives freely. 
God is not shocked by my heart, or my children, or this situation. 
God knows what I need. 
I don't need what I think I need. 
God will supply all I need. 
God is more generous than anyone else. 
God is greater than all others. 
God deserves our praise. 
The first and most important command is to love God above all others and all else with all that I am. 
I continually break the most important command. 
God is worthy of worship. 
God is all powerful. 
God is all knowing. 
God is everywhere. 
God's plan is perfect. 
Nothing can thwart God's plan. 
The cross of Christ was plan "A", there is no plan "B". 
I must suffer. 
All who follow Jesus must suffer. 
If we go the way of Jesus, we must humble ourselves and serve our enemies. 
In the Bible I find the words of life. 
The Bible tells me about me, the world and most importantly, God. 
I live in a world full of spiritual battle. 
There are angels, demons and spiritual beings waging war around me. 
God's enemy the Devil is a liar. 
When I'm not following God, then I'm following the Devil. 
God is holy. 
God is pure. 
God is right in all he does. 
I'm selfish and I'd make a terrible God. 
I need God. 
I don't know what is the best in every situation. 
I need to be more concerned about God's reputation and feelings than mine or peoples. 
God's name is great. 
I should be jealous for the honor of God's name. 
Whatever process God used, God is creator of all. 
Jesus is in charge of everything. 
All human authorities are only there because God allows them. In fact God takes credit for using evil leaders to accomplish good. 
We can know God. 
We can know the truth. 
God had told us about himself. 
God is light. 
Jesus said he is the way, the truth and the light. No one can have a relationship with God unless the they come through Jesus. 
Jesus is the only way. 
Every single person chooses of their own free will to turn their back on God their maker. 
God through Christ graciously has forgiven all our evil thoughts and actions. 
The cross is a supreme example of God planning to use the evil intentions of evil men to make the ultimate rescue plan for mankind. 
.......

Stil, mijn ziel

Opwekking 717 - Stil, mijn ziel, wees stil + teks…: http://youtu.be/tPPkNMEioaY

Frankly, I don't understand!

This is a difficult passage of the Bible to say the least. What does it mean? Why is it in here. Was it kept? Who would you give and have killed?

Don't turn your back on him!

Petra - Creed

Please go like my photo!

http://goo.gl/F7S4C8

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153955438510122&set=o.660966547300846&type=1&theater

It will help my citizenship class here!

spew a wretched stream of visceral offence

Just a thought, Every artist, comedian, musician, teacher, politician, activist, or preacher who ever got up to do anything wanted to get his/her point across, be heard and express themselves. For some the mere act of communication is an attempt to convert others. So for my personal faith I find that even the non stop bombardment of lying advertisements spew a wretched stream of visceral offence. They might be bright and cheery but they sell a lie of a better life when in fact the path they preach is a cesspit of pain. (I can't get a toothpaste advert out of my head that promised better family relationships and popularity after its use.) The things that deny, are offensive to, or mock my faith are far too often cloaked in sheep's clothing and the boldest affronts are actually of little consequence. We need to realise the current crusade to mock our Lord and hang him on a cross once again or even more deny that he needed to die, is coming, as it has always done, from "within."




Galation 5:11b If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.




1 Corinthians 1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.


One of the most offence things Jesus did was to hang out with sinners! Matthew 9:9-13
Welcome the poor, don't stone the adulterous (but don't send her away without reminding her she is free to cease with her adultery), eat with the sinners, hangout with the drunken ones till people assume you are one too, talk about God's plan to make his son and his son followers suffer, remind people of a coming judgement so they can avoid it! Offensive Christianity 101 -- do what Jesus did.