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Showing posts with the label reciprocity

Praying for Others

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"We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances... We have not listened to Your servants the prophets... Open shame belongs to us, O LORD... because we have sinned against You... Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice... Your people have become a reproach to all those around us" Dan. 9:5-16 In verses 5-16 Daniel identifies with his people and intercedes on their behalf. That's a common practice in Scripture. For example, Moses interceded for the Israelites after they sinned by worshiping the golden calf (Ex. 32:11- 13). All Paul's recorded prayers are intercessions. In Ephesians 6:18 he instructs us to "be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 he says, "I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for k...

Relationships between Conscience, Consciousness and Co-working

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Suneidesis & Sunergos — God's Wisdom for every day “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the ancient way. Psalm 139:23-24 Pre Did you know that the words "conscience" and "co-working" share the same dynamic in ancient Greek mindset? That small discovery opened up something much bigger for me. When scrutinizing human relationships and community dynamics we can see: the two are inseparable. Since they are in the same fractal : Both create unity, integration at their own different levels. Both have coherence and alignment which helps (or drives) the parts of the system /or: the members of the team. What connects the inner voice of conscience with the outward dynamics of community life? This article explores a striking fractal pattern hidden...

Paul and Peter on reciprocity

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meditation: Partial knowledge. Humbleness, patience, salvation sympathy, brotherly love, Unity of mind, "each otherness" in the apostolic life-model Paul: According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 1Cor 3:10 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. .. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1Cor 13:4-7.12. Peter ..according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to ...

Carnal leader VS Gd's leader

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The apostolic approach Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. 2 Cor 1:24.

Collaboration, Competition

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Jonny Kabiswa Kyazze Holistic development necessitates a comprehensive approach that addresses the multifaceted needs of communities, families and individuals. To achieve this, it is imperative that organisations, agencies, and institutions move away from competition and embrace partnerships and collaboration as a foundational principle. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17). The Current Landscape In my experience working at national, country, and international levels, I have observed a persistent issue: competition between organisations, agencies, and institutions. This rivalry manifests in various forms, from duplicating efforts in the same community to a lack of communication and resource sharing. Such an approach not only hampers holistic development but also leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for positive impact. The Pitfalls of Competition Organisations often operate in silos, each ind...

Prayer in Harmonic and Dynamic Unity

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In the New Testament Jesus says: Again I say to you that if two of you agree* on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Matthew 18:19-20 *"are symphonized" Paul says: Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me. Romans 15:30 David Guzik's notice Agreement on prayer is: A. When 2 or more prayer aligned on understanding Gd's promise & will. B. 2 or more people attentive on the same need, the same plea before Gd. Their hearts, words are focusing on the same need & the same request. C. And the meeting members are active in these prayers and pleas all together... .. They're trying discern, what God's will is, and then praying that in the action. f ...

Is "Hesed" equal to "Agape"?

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God is Love – 1/3 The shapes of the love — A study on divine love and the intertwined Christian character ..how the two loves are linked Kindness and faithful love (hesed) pursue me every day of my life. I make my home in the house of YHWH for all time to come. Psalm 23:6 For this is how God (agape) loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16 What is Hesed? The word that is translated to “faithful love” is the Hesed (חסד) which is a Hebrew word that is difficult to translate directly, as it encompasses a range of concepts including "love, kindness, loyalty, mercy", and "covenant faithfulness". This word is translated in other places as “goodness,” and “steadfast love.” God's love for His covenant people in the Old Testament is expressed by the Hesed . This love expressed in the Hebrew texts as hesed we'emet for example in Gen 24:49; 32:11; 47:...

Collective responsibility for the holiness

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Tim Maton – Everyday Church, Wimbledon (Thoughts on 1Cor 5 - Some of the details ) If I had a title for my sermon, it would be “Holiness is a whole church responsibility”. What comes across in Paul’s letters, including this one, is his passion: his passion for Jesus, the Gospel, for people and the Church. It’s because of these passions that Paul desires a holy Church; one that honours Jesus, that proclaims the Gospel, and sees many people saved and transformed by it. Today I want to highlight three ways in which we can take collective responsibility for the holiness of God’s Church. Recognise the destructiveness of unchecked sin Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of your old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch - as you really are. (verse 6b-7) Yeast is a type of fungus that’s been commonly used for millennia to make bread rise and alcohol ferment. Despite its amazing properties, the many mentions of yeas...

Let us reason together

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Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Is 1:18 the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant*, full of mercy and good fruits. Jms 3:17 *"easy to be intreated", "open to reason" the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; Act 17:10-12

Keep the unity!

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With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3) Ephesians 4 begins a whole new part of Paul’s letter. The first three chapters explain in glorious detail all that God has done for believers, freely by His grace. Starting with chapter 4, he tells believers how to live rightly, but only after having explained what God did for His people in Jesus Christ. Having considered and received all that God has done for us, we are to live with all lowliness and gentleness , not a pushy desire to defend our own rights and advance our own agenda. Before Christianity, the word lowliness always had a bad association to it. In the minds of many it still does; but it is a glorious Christian virtue (Philippians 2:1-10). It means that we can be happy and content when we are not in control or steering things our way. Having considered and received all that God has done fo...

The 3 weak segments of the protestant life

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..and the cure for restoration This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack • pre • 0. Our base is.. • 1. Priesthood • 2. Pastoral work • 3. Preaching with Teaching • + sharing By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. {that the visible came out of the invisible} Heb 12:3 ..as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2Cor 4:18 Pre Protestantism have seen many changes, variations, (and ramifications) since Martin Luther. Even in the early days, Calvin himself modified (theologically developed) Luther's original prophetic vision. Meanwhile, the ever-ubiquitous Catholic culture continues to "keep pace with the world" and with its needs in various human activities. I think We, faithful folks are not...

Invitation

A   nd where there agape exists, there is a loving invitation and calling. We have a calling to the nations, and NOT an increase in numbers in a club. Club members meet for fellowship - but not to save other people's lives. There is a difference between filia and agape .

Filia, Storge and Agape

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God is Love – 2/3 (The shapes of the love) A study on divine love and the intertwined Christian character This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness..” 2Pt 1:3.. Pre The love of Gd, and its shapes. In this very beginning I must say that there are a lot of ideas floating around about what the apostles teach about love. On the one hand, this is quite scary (knowing that there are theories about love) but it also gives us a great opportunity to investigate the original viewpoint. From the New Covenant perspective, it is important to note that God's love is much brighter for us than it was in the time of the Old Testament. I'm pro classical musician , learned to interpret the original concept and composition . My wife was a linguist so in such cases {and always} I go to the source rath...