Internet meeting 2016 March 30, Tuesday

One week after the 14th of Nisan we have come to read the familiar story of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. After weeks of hearing the stories of Jesus walking around proclaiming the Kingdom of God we once more come to see how he was considered a danger to be get rid off.

Hanging at a stake one of the criminals requested,

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.

How do we want to be remembered? Are we looking forward to the day Jesus shall return to earth to establish his kingdom, the wonderful time of reward for those who follow him in truth, trying now to live more and more like him.

The Apostle Paul had this hope, this expectation; just about the final words he wrote were,

“the time of my departure has come … I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

We too should hold and keep the same faith … so that Jesus will remember us when he comes to establish his kingdom. Our faith should be alive and not death. Somehow that was also the message of the Belgian brethren to the Newbury or English brethren.

Having a very very small community the Belgian ecclesia may encounter many difficulties to stay alive. These days there are also many discussions going on that religion would be the cause of many problems.

As such we could witness the destructive work of several criminals who are misusing the name of God, here at the continent. After the Paris attacks, the search for the ‘Muslim’ terrorists, Belgium was shaken by the attacks in Brussels which at the moment count for 35 deaths and 396 wounded.

In this time we should see that certain things foretold should ring a bell. In this system of things we have seen what happened in the land of Tigris and Euphrates. Afterwards we saw the children getting against their parents whilst earthquakes and tsunamis became more frequent and more severe. Also when we see now the religions going against religions we can see signs which were long foretold and should make us not only to think but also to react rightly.

For sure we have come in a time were there is an increased need of preaching peace. The lovers of God have the primordial duty to come out their hoses and to direct their voice in the silence of this world, showing those who are against religion what is really written in the many holy books.

In our regions when we would go back 100 years we would have found many who regularly went to church. A century ago Belgium had still reasons to call itself a Catholic country, because then there were still enough people having an active faith. But today we find many churches abandoned and when there takes place a service once in a while there are just a few people sitting there. Nowadays, very few people have an active faith. The only ones we do see having an active faith are the 25% Muslims who attend their garage and big mosques regularly.

Several people consider the Muslim population as the enemy but they better come to understand that the theological ‘enemy’ has changed from those in other Christian and other religious denominations to those without any belief in God or Jesus. The terrorists are not the real lovers of God and do lots of things which are contradictory to the teachings of their holy books.

Those who love God and who love their neighbours should show people how those terrorists misuse the name of God.

Brother Marcus Ampe also told the public that we not only have to be aware of the times we are in, but that we should be more aware of the task Jesus has given his followers and that we also have a lot to offer to the unbelievers and those looking for the Truth. Today, regretfully we must say, we notice that there are not many Christians going on the streets any more and that not many are interested in the preaching of better times for every one. From those who proclaim the Gospel most people shall think of the Jehovah Witnesses but often considering them as not being welcome. That they tell lots of truths and warn against all those pagan elements which are so honoured here in Belgium but of which many say that’s of no concern of them.

Though it is our task to go out into the world and show people how and where to go to.

Hearing the call of Jesus to go out to preach so that the Word of God shall be know all over the world, we should be aware of this important task and take steps to do this, and not leaving it alone to the Jehovah Witnesses.

said brother Marcus, adding

We Can offer the Truth, but than we may not stay in our little cocoon of our armchair at home. We should get off our ass and do something.

It is more than high time that more people would come out of their house and take up the task Jesus has given them.

When God sends His Son to establish His kingdom on earth, it will be at a time of “distress of nations with perplexity”. But let us note one of the last things that Paul told true believers was,

“if we endure, we will also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12).

Let us team together more fervently than ever to help each other “endure” and to bring Good News in the world and to bring others to God.

We should try to become more like Jesus, having a sweet loving character but also the guts to go out and to tell others about that coming Kingdom and about Jesus his return, which perhaps may be coming sooner than some people think.

Preceding:

Breathing to teach

Positive Preaching Day 2015

Engaging the culture without losing the gospel

The Big Conversation

The Big Conversation – Christadelphians in the United Kingdom

The Big conversation – Antagonists

When not seeing or not finding a biblically sound church

When having found faith through the study of the Bible we do need to do works of faith