The rather pessimistic Bible book Ecclesiastes has a number of surprisingly encouraging promises and wisdoms. Many people do not get much from Ecclesiastes. It begins with “everything is vanity”. Literally that means air/emptiness. Everything is fleeting and does not mean anything. In the beginning of this Bible book it speaks about everything already being and that nothing changes. Yes, everything is – as expressed in chapter one - unspeakably tiring/burdensome. The whole book is about what happens “under the sun”. That means: that everything that happens here on earth is not connected to heaven. It is therefore a fantastic philosophical book. And it speaks the truth: without God and without looking at daily life from a eternal perspective everything is really “vanity”, of short time, without meaning and unspeakably tiring/burdensome.
Also at the end of this book the writer made it clear: if you want to find meaning in life and you want a real world – and a true vision of life, then you must see your own life and your daily activity from out God’s perspective. Then you live in a relationship with Him.
In Ecclesiastes it is made clear that everything is tiring and vanity (without meaning and empty) when you do it independent from God and on your own. We have been created by God - the Bible makes that clear – to be dependent on Him and one another. It is expressed as follows: :Two are better than one, for they get good wages for their labors.” It may not be easier, but you can do it together. “For if they fall, one will help the other to get up. But if you fall and you are alone, then you do not have anybody to help you. With two you can stand against those who want to overwhelm you”.
And then we read: “A threefold cord id not easily broken”. Two people are better than one. God also said (in Genesis 2) that it is not good for man to be alone. And it is very good if the two also have God: A threefold cord gives great security.
When we bless a wedding, we want to look further than just two people: we want to see them in the presence of God. Two is better than one, but two people with God is the best!
Written by Gerard van Rooij
Let’s talk….
When you read in the Bible book Revelation that Father God was visible for John, that is really awe-inspiring. At seeing The king of kings, Jesus Christ, John fell like a dead man before his feet.
When Moses met God, Father God hid him with His hand. But everyone that meets Him hears and sees the same as Moses, John and others: Lord, Lord, God, merciful and gracious, patient and full of goodness and faithfulness, Who renders loving kindness. And it is the same almighty God that is close to us: The Father and I, Jesus said, we will come to you and dwell with you.
Last week – Christmas- we startedthis “Let’s talk” with a textearlierquoted in the letter to the Galatians. “When the fullness of time had come God sent forthHis Son, born of a woman, bornunder the law to redeemthosewhowereunder the law, that we mightreceive the adoption as sons. Gal. 4:5.
Paul spokeabout time andI thinkit is good to focus onthaton the firstSunday of a newyear.
“Your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew as it goes away”
Hosea 6:4
New Year’s resolutions.Do you still have them, or are they forgotten after the first week of 2012, melted away like snow in the sun and disappearing like smoke?
As people we all have our good intentions and plans. Some of them we set in our agenda as a problem for next week.Others remain a dream, because it is not attainable or too expensive.Some we just push away, because it requires to great a sacrifice ( and the Christian life must first of all be fun and remain fun!)So we have our plans, intentions and good ideas.That we forget them, that unfortunately nothing comes from them…..well, we are only human.And besides:God is good and He is Love, thus with this theology we are armed with a good weapon against “feeling guilty”.
But would it be possible that it isour good common sense, that wants to make it clear to us that we must do what we have promised?Can it be that we still have something of a conscience by which we finally will do what we have promised?Could it be that the Holy Spirit sometimes convicts us of something that is not always “fun” and “fine”?
God loved Israel, but He certainly did redress themon a number of issues… Not fine, but with loving intention.Israel had the mentality that thought that God should immediately act in line with what He had promised, but they looked at their own promises to Him and to each other in a another light.Do not let that happen to us!Let us look like our Father God in the fact that we are people that do what they say and keep their promises.
Written by Oscar Griffioen
LET’S TALK…
December 25, 2011
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4
I will come straight to the point: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” is not a scripture for Christmas. God who gave His Son, means “handed over” and “let go”. That is a reference to the Cross – thus the death of Jesus and not his birth. But to make it possible that Jesus as a mature Son – in character and spiritual maturity and not as a baby son- can bear on the Cross the sins of the world and so as the Lamb of God die to do away with the sins of the world, Jesus had to come as a baby.
There are no translations available.
NIEUWS UIT RUSLAND
21 december 2011
Lieve mensen
Naar alle waarschijnlijkheid is dit de laatste gebedsmail die we dit jaar...
There are no translations available.
NIEUWS UIT RUSLAND
9 december 2011
Lieve vrienden
Gisteren hadden we jullie geschreven dat we vandaag een afspraak hadden bij...
There are no translations available.
NIEUWS UIT RUSLAND/KENIA
3 december 2011
Beste vrienden
Afgelopen week ben ik (Oscar) voor een week in Kenia geweest op...
Last week – 
New Year’s resolutions.
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4
