A pilgrimage not exactly without obstacles or obstacles #1 Embarking on an important journey

février 6, 2024février 3, 2024 par Marcus Ampe, publié dans Thought for today

A pilgrimage not exactly without hurdles or obstacles

Embarking on an important journey

When you are planning to go on a hike or on a pilgrimage, there is a preparation that is part of it.

It is important to prepare yourself physically and psychologically for your pilgrimage. It’s not that you have to have trained intensively for such a trip. But it is true that you have already done small and somewhat larger walks a few times before. It is a help if you have done several hikes in advance, where you could put your mind to zero for a while. For it will be a matter of being able to draw your thoughts away from the worries of this world.

So make sure you’ve already walked some distances. The distance you will walk every day, you should have already walked physically.

If you are going on a hike, it is important that you start well prepared and take the necessary equipment with you. I’m sure you’ll need good footwear for this. Not only trekking shoes to walk through the loose sand, but also all-terrain shoes and decent mountain boots or ankle boots.

It is very important to make sure that you have the right footwear, wet weather equipment, and appropriate clothing. You have to be aware that it will not always be flat terrain. On your journey you will encounter a lot of obstacles, pointed and rocky roads. You will regularly face obstacles that you have to overcome.

It is also best to take any medication you use with you. One must realize that when one sets out to get to know God better, the adversary of God (Satan) is lurking around the corner. Regularly evil will try to try you. Even if it is with illnesses and other inconveniences.
Several times you will be tempted to put an end to the trek, which seems easy to do in the beginning, but becomes more difficult as you get closer to the goal and in the end it will not be so easy, or will not be so easy to end well. – Many have already started it, But few were able to hold on until the end, and thus did not reach their goal.

Next: Not a cheap or easy flight

Preceding

Additional reading

A new ecclesia = a new beginning

janvier 23, 2024janvier 21, 2024 par Marcus Ampe, publié dans Announcement, Behaviour or attitude towards others, Christadelphian, Jesus Christ - son of God, Thought for today

It is great that we have found a family in Anderlecht who wants to open their house to holding meetings.

Following the example of the early Christians, we can now come together in communion under the care of Christ to serve the God of Abraham and the God of Christ.

In Anderlecht, the seed may now be planted to grow a community of faith. Some people have decided to reach out to each other to strengthen each other in faith. Together they want to set out to start a fascinating pilgrimage.

With many questions and expectations, the first pebbles have been thrown on the path, so that without too many sliders we could go together to a fixed road that gives security and life. Together we want to move towards that light that shines in the distance and from where the call rings.

Each on his own can hear the voice of God and know that the decision taken is good. Those who go out together to face the great adventure will not be ashamed or shy that they were willing to take this journey together.

The great adventure started at the beginning of this year. On this website you (reader) will be able to follow the account of our wanderings, hopes and expectations. We are aware that not everything will always go as we wish. The fellow travellers will also have to contend with the reality of this life, births, school results, job offers but also loss of work, healthy trips, but also sad things like illness and even death. But anyone who goes out is willing to carry the burdens of the other person and support them, so that everyone can achieve the end goal.

Those who come together in Anderlecht believe that they belong together and want to go for the same goal, form a community worthy to continue as a community of followers of Christ Jesus, the sent of God, whom they view as their promised Messiah or Saviour.

With suit and pocket, loaded with good intentions, hope and a range of Bibles in multiple languages, they will take the Bible as their primary Guide on the path they are not afraid of and the people who will try to discourage them will not succeed in their purpose. All who plan to go on a trek will put on a firm step of shoes and set off completely boldly.

Emerging for Christ, they will not fail to make their goals known to others. Along the way, they won’t stop talking about that Nazarene man whose footsteps they want to follow. It was a man of words and deeds who submitted completely to Heavenly Father, Jehovah, the Only True God. And that is also what the walkers want to do during this trip: straight ahead of the charity, even though we know that it will not always be an easy course and that the gate to that Kingdom, where we are heading, is narrow. The road that leads to a narrow gate that we will have to go through. Although, it is said that it is more difficult for a camel to pass through that gate than to put a thread through the eye of a needle.

But everyone has been found willing not to be discouraged and to speak to others along the way to go out with us.

So, if you wish to go out with us. Feel free to come along and discover with us the fascinating stories, details and beauties that will be found on the path.

Additional reading

Being a Prayerful Person

janvier 6, 2024janvier 2, 2024 par Marcus Ampe, publié dans Geloof, Overdenking - Beschouwing

praying, talking to God, being with God — Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

In life we are confronted with so many things. Often we do not see any more how to cope with the matters of daily life.

Lots of people think they do not need a god or the God of Abraham and Jesus. But also by those who believe in that Divine Creator, some people think they can cope independently until bad luck strikes them.

We all aspire too much. We do hope for a lot of things to happen. Furthermore, we would love to look at a life without problems, but that is nearly impossible. We cannot hope always to avoid illness, but prayer can help us think differently about the illnesses we get.

We can choose merely to hope to be good to others, or we can elect to pray about goodness and thereby become more likely to actually do the good that we intend.

There are so many things that happen in a lifetime, that many do forget to see what causes all those things to go one way or the other. They forget to notice how lucky they were in many cases or what benefits come their way.

We can « walk sightless among miracles » of the everyday, or we can utter blessings that capture the moment and captivate the heart.

We can eat our food as the animals do or bracket meals with the will to do our messianic work in the window of opportunity we call our lives.

Likewise, we can let each day become the same as every other, or we can fill our year with the prayers evoked by the spirit of our time and the consequent feel of the seasons; and thereby remain deeply human, warmly empathetic, on fire with courage, and renewed in hope.

We can live in homes with nothing sacred, true, and noble, or we can fill our lives with prayer and blessing at every turn. We can mark time only in secular birthday parties, wishing we were not getting any older, or we can repeat on each and every occasion,

“Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this season.”

Becoming a prayerful person is about the choices we all make. Finding the way into prayer can be the first step on a life-changing and life-enhancing journey.