The 2014 year coming to its end

Coming to the end of the year once more we can look back at what we have done and on what we have not done. In 2014 we also started writing messages on the lifestyle magazines “Stepping Toes” and “From Guestwriters“.

We could be confronted with a lot of things happening which got to open our eyes. Though like Jesus foretold, still “many” are continuously being mislead. Strange pastors in the United States of America continues to bring all sorts of messages of a world going to be destroyed and in Australia and in Africa we some some guy claiming to be the returned Messiah. It was also a year where it seemed that Jews, Christians and Muslims did not seem to come to understand each other. Once more this world got enough portions of suffering. Difficulties encountered early in childhood often continue to hunt us in later life. Often many people do try to run away from the past but do not succeed.

Enemies of The United States of America (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the capitalist countries people were confronted with more uncertainties, and in Belgium lots of people were confronted by the reduction of their services to the work-market. Many people through the year 2014 were not only humbled before friends and relatives, but also before God which might have given God an opportunity to exalt them. The last few years we have seen how many employers did not mind how they treated their workers and how one person defamed an other. Many Christians forgot that he who defames a brother and judges his brother, defames the law and judges the law. But those who  judge the law are not doers of the law, but a judge. Who knows what is to be to-morrow or for what is their life? It is indeed a vapour, which for a short time appears, and then vanishes away, one moment we may think this or that can happen to us, or that we still can do this or that. 2014 has once more proven that time goes very fast, and seems to go each year faster and faster. In such a flying time we should still recognise certain signs which were also described in the Book of books, to be there to become recognised by the followers of Christ, so that they should be prepared for the time Jesus returns. Too many people glory in their presumptions. They should know that all such glorying is evil. He then who knows to do good and does it not, is guilty of trespassing or sinning.

“13 now listen, you who say, “today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a city, stay there a year trading and make a profit”! 14 you don’t even know if you will be alive tomorrow! for all you are is a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears. 15 instead, you ought to say, “if ADONAI wants it to happen, we will live” to do this or that.” (James 4:13-15 CJB)

Several people took some time to discuss different matters and used a lot of words. Many tried to open their mind and to find new ways of getting somewhere where they would like to come. For many their goals and hopes were set, but others also lost their hope in humanity. Some found this world got more and more in trouble, being a victim of the greed of humans and victim of the few who took all power into their hands. For some it was not an imaginary evil gremlin whose ultimate goal was to enslave humanity. Some looked for ways to protect their children, but in the States many of such protection-measures at the average effect and there where weapons were taken to protect themselves, the weapon itself in the hand of youngsters became a deadly weapon for many innocents.

The Bible warns us we should edify our children and prepare ourselves for this evil world, where the adversary of God (Satan) is master at the moment. We should open our mind ans should not shelter our kids from ‘the real world’, so that they are not going to wonder what we are keeping from them. We should show what is really going on in this world today, and we should take care that ignorance shall not be able to continue to grow so much as it did last and this year. (Points to remember of philosophy versus spirituality and religion)

In the Book of books we can find Food as a Therapeutic Aid which we should use much more. On television we were bombarded with loads of cooking programs. Also magazines offered the latest diet plans and fitness schemes which would bring us back into condition and which would secure us a healthy lifestyle. what came on the plate was much more important, for many, than what came into the mind. Anno 2014 the whole idea of spirituality looked foreign to many, simply because it has been tied so heavily to religion, which has become the taboo word. Though we sensed that many more people do have the urge to come to look for better and more sustainable values.

Mindfulness was the keyword for 2014 and everybody had his mouth full with “bulimia“. 2014 did seem to be the climax year of all the excessiveness and insatiable appetite. People had the tormenting hunger for more of everything it did not matter at what cost. They all were very quick to blame God being responsible for all the misery, suffering and evil in this world, but did not want to look in their own bosom. The capitalist attitude of having no compassion with others,loving to have their goods made at the lowest cost, had older children, young women, locked up as prisoners in factories, not safe for them, and bringing many to their death by collapsing. 

Being aware how many people are exploited we wanted to get others to understand of the importance of our shopping attitude and of our general attitude, our way of life. Therefore we wrote that the spiritual minded person should seek to cultivate the capacity to do good in themselves and others. Before we can come to do good we do have to know ourselves well and be able to handle our selves. It can be nice to have a wish list and lots of good intentions at the beginning of the new year. How did you manage for 2014? What were your promises at the beginning of this year? And what did you manage to keep up? How did you succeed in fulfilling your bucket list?  What were You Seeking? Were there things which went “Unnoticed”? Did 2014 pass like nothing, or was it a chock-wave? Were you confronted with Cancerous Black Holes? Most people only think about the physical cancer and forget the other very bad disease of spiritual cancer. Did you manage not to run around hectic going from here to there to earn your living and to earn a lot of worldly treasures. Where was your focus? What was most important for you? And when you look back at this year, what has stayed with you?

Were you able to find those values that are much more worth than the money notes?

Coming to the end of 2014 it might be A good idea to halt all activity for one hour the last day of the Year. Let us look forward and try to drive forward instead of backwards on our ten-speed bike.

Being thankful Rest thy delight on Jehovah and cherish the hope which does not disappoint us.

+

Find articles by Bijbelvorsers or Biblescholars for 2014:

On Stepping Toes:

1. Running away from the past
2. Food as a Therapeutic Aid
3. How do I know what God’s will is
4. Epicurus’ Problem of Evil
5. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 1: Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet
6. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 2 Summersend and mansend
7. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 3 Black Mass, Horror spectacles and pure puritans
8. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 4 Blasphemy and ridiculing faith in God
9. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 5 People, souls and saints in the news
10. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 6 Bonfire night
11. Points to remember of philosophy versus spirituality and religion
12. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
13. Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life
14. Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual
15. Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people
16. Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences
17. Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists
18. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
19. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious

On From Guestwriters:

1. What IF you’re only driven by stress?
2. Cancerous Black Holes
3. What Are You Seeking?
4. In Defense of the truth
5. “Unnoticed”

++

Additional writings:

1. Coming to the end of the year
2. The Conclusion of the System of Things
3. Certainty in a troubled world
4. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
5. Capitalism
6. Greed more common than generosity
7. Ignorance of Today’s Youth (and Adults)
8. Hope does not disappoint us
9. There can only be hope when there is a will to be and say “I am”
10. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
11. A goal is a dream with a plan
12. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal
13. Try driving forward instead of backwards
14. Life is like a ten-speed bike.
15. Suffering produces perseverance
16. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
17. A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
18. A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus
19. Daily portion of heavenly food
20. We should use the Bible every day
21. Don’t be the weakest link
22. A New Perspective
23. How we think shows through in how we act
24. Not holding back and getting out of darkness
25. How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice
26. Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite
27. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
28. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
29. People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
30. Peace Takes You

+++

Related articles

• US and China: The great game is on (bbc.co.uk)
  Fireworks and a rolling red road, President Obama in a Mao suit, China pushing economic and security institutions that bypass the regional order underwritten by the United States. The overwhelming impression from this Apec summit is that President Xi is giving his “China Dream” symbols and substance, and that the great game is on between existing and would-be superpower.
• Psychopolitical Warfare and the Soviet Brainwashing of the United States (freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com)
  Do you really want to know the cause behind the rapid deterioration in the United States of America from a domestic cold war of incremental democratization, into a hot totalitarian socialist State? Aside from an abject hatred for religion and morality, one of the root causes of the accelerated decline is “psychopolitics,” the art and science of asserting and maintaining dominion over the thoughts and loyalties of individuals, officers, bureaus, and masses, and the effecting of the conquest of enemy nations through “mental healing.”
• Should Christians Say The Pledge Of Allegiance? (dish.andrewsullivan.com)
  The United States of America receives no special graces or blessings that keep it mostly on the side of Christ. It’s not and never has been a “Christian nation.” It is not the world’s savior. American Christians do not owe their nation permanent loyalty. For Corey, the US absolutely crossed the line, although he already had serious concerns about the pledge.
• A Time for Peace (Not Vengeance) (e-graphx.com)
  The deaths of unarmed black youths at the hands of unrepentant policemen, and the brutal slaying of 3 police officers this past weekend have put the heart of this nation in a crucible. Now, the NY police union’s assertion that peaceful protestors are responsible for the death of the slain policemen is trying to put a gravestone on the nascent New Civil Rights Movement. This is wrong, because the cry for fair treatment at the hands of the police is not a cry for law enforcement abuse or murder. All murder is wrong, and much prayer is needed for families of every victim. Much prayer and right actions are needed to end this vicious circle of violence. For all our considerations about current events, two Bible verses that warn about vigilante justice come to mind:
• Senate Returns Ambassadorial Nominations to the President (diplopundit.net)
  . On November 17, the following Executive Nominations were returned to the President, pursuant to Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate:
• Bavaria – Bayern – Germany (lindermangenealogy.wordpress.com)
  Land of my Linderman ancestors that emigrated in 1740 to Germantown, Pennsylvania and helped to build these United States of America.
• Greek Foreign Ministry on the historic U.S. rapprochement with Cuba (en.protothema.gr)
  Particularly praiseworthy are the mediating efforts of Pope Francis and the Canadian government, which created the conditions for the success of the diplomatic efforts aimed at ending this historical rivalry and opening a new chapter in the relations between the United States of America and Cuba.”
• …PM: Huge leap in a positive direction (trinidadexpress.com)
  Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has hailed the resumption of diplomatic relations between the United States of America and Cuba.
  The Prime Minister’s statement came on the heels of announcements yesterday by US President, Barack Obama and Cuban President, Raul Castro, that diplomatic ties with Cuba will be restarted, after a 50-year-long stand-off.
  Commending both leaders, the Prime Minister said: “Today’s announcement by President Obama and President Castro is a huge leap in a positive direction. Socially, economically, geographically, we are all joined in a common mission of a better and more secure life for our people. After almost half a century, two very close neighbours have started talking again and we can expect a great deal of benefit to redound to the people of both nations and indeed to the entire region.”