Showing posts with label union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label union. Show all posts

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Quibbling siblings united or allied children of an organisation or a church

Coming from a 'huge' family in contemporary terms, I had lots of brothers and sister to quarrel with and we had some tussle or squabble at regular intervals. The tussles more than once in our childhood turned or became skirmish. We did dare to fight a bout. But it does not mean because we would have a brawl that we did not consider ourselves a sib or siblings of each other.

Even when we had a brush we were straight ahead there to stand up for each other. We would always be ready to stick up for each other and to cling together.

We wanted to make it through the days and the nights together, make it through the heartaches and make it through the things that crush the very Bones of the Soul, like the Southern Californian girl Roxanne would say it. {What have you learned?}

Like any child that has to grow up by falling and standing up, we fell down more than once and we had to get up more than once.  I, not believing in the Trinity and questioning lots of things, had to be collide with my parents, religious people and school teachers. Always posing many questions I can imagine I have been not an easy child and still may not be called easy. Questioning habits and being outspoken or not afraid to say my opinion, I more than once drove against walls.

Though I am convinced we are not brought into this lifetime without a mission and a purpose. Some may think we do have to fulfil all missions on our own, but I do think we also have missions we should try to fulfil together.
While our mission, in some part, might be a collective effort with others, our purpose, I have found, is singly our own to do with what we are meant to. In order to find our purpose, we must be willing to learn, not only about other people, but mostly, about who we are and what is our place in the grander scheme of things. {What have you learned?}
We do have our civil life in which we can pursue our dreams, but next to it we also do have our spiritual life, which might even be more important than many in the world would think.

The last few weeks I encountered many sites, from ex-christadelphians and from people against Christadelphians which said true but oh so many more untrue things. On several church-sites it is also presented that when there is no union in church that can not be the true church. But then they forget that they themselves seem to be connected with churches where there is even more disunity or different ideas going on than by the Christadelphians. When we look at the so called "true catholic church" there might be seen more differences between all the groups in that Catholic Church than you shall be able to find between the Christadelphian groups. In a way that is something which makes me so cross, that they can not consider that they all belong to one "church" or main group "The Christadelphians" and step over their little differences, feeling united all, willing to meet each other as brethren and sisters in Christ.

With the experience of the last few moths and some recent reactions from certain organisations who should know better, out of frustration perhaps, I ought it necessary to act and to write a "Declaration of independence" for 'my' ecclesia. [- Straight-away: To take away any misconception, know I never really consider the Belgian ecclesia as "my" ecclesia, because everything I try to accomplish I try to do it for the Most High, and not for myself. As a worker for God I would love to see His Word been spread in Belgium, and therefore I try to do all this work, but not for my own profit and not considering it as something which is "mine", because it belongs to God.]

In the Declaration of independence for the ecclesia Brussel-Leuven I mention different groups of Christadelphians.  This might give to some the impression there is much division by those Christadelphians, But when they would look close at their teachings and at their way of life, they would come to see that as a matter of fact they really belong more to one great family.


English: Picture of the Monastery of Our Lady ...
Picture of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek near Hulbert, Oklahoma. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Because Belgium is a so called Catholic country, I would like to ask to see that there are more differences between groups like the Jesuits, Franciscans, Black Fathers, White Fathers, Opus Dei, Apologetic Society, Saint Willibrord Society, Thijmgenootschap, Traditionalist Catholics, Tridentines, Lefebvrists, Society of St Pius X, Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, Servants of Jesus and Mary (Servi Jesu et Mariae, SJM), Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem (CRNJ), Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius (SJC), Canons Regular of the Holy Cross, Miles Christi (MC), Monastery of Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek, Monastery of St. Benedict in Norcia, Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel,  Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI), Sedevacantists, Conclavists, which include the "true Catholic Church" the Palmarian Catholic Church  and many many others.

By the Catholics as by many protestant denominations you can find "conservative", "contemplative", "traditional", "modernist" or "liberal". In a way we may see such tendencies also by the Christadelphians; There we also can find very conservative groups , more moderate groups and more liberal or progressive groups, even in one group itself.

The same as, I find in my worldly or civil family, there might be people who do not like so much to associate with one or the other. Some nephews or nieces on the other hand may like each other very much or may like not the association with each other. This is something what many more Christadelphians should come to understand. That though they are loving to have a spiritual group or organisation, not willing to be part of this world, they are living in this world and are confronted with our own particular personalities. As such it always shall happen that they will meet people where they will have not such a nice report with.

It is not because we do not like a certain group, or do not like the way a person or group does something, that we would not, or should not consider them as brother or sister. There lies the difference of real brotherhood or sisterhood, the dna-string which can not be cut. In Dutch we would say "in hart en nieren" in "heart and kidneys", all those different groups in the Christadelphian denomination are really part of one millenarian Christian group which came out of the teachings  John Thomas, who coined the name Christadelphian.


John Thomas
John Thomas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Many from the sites against Christadelphians do accuse John Thomas of picking material of others and bringing teachings of other Christian writers together. They use it as a negative factor, I would use it as a positive factor. John Thomas, though he never saw himself as making his own disciples, in my eyes had the qualities of a good teacher in him. It is the task of a teacher to bring the right ideas together and to make a good plan or a good amalgamation of all the teachings. Bringing the biblical truth presented by many writers from different denominations, all together in a good constructed and easy to understand text, he succeeded very well in his task to teach the Gospel of the Good News.

For him it was not a matter to impose "his own" teachings onto others, but to bring biblical truth onto those to whom he could speak and to whom wanted to listen to him. After his bad experience at sea he believed that he had rediscovered 1st-century beliefs from the Bible and compared it with what he heard around him. He also exchanged ideas with many 'New World' or American Bible-Students. As many, like Charles Taze Russell came to listen to his teachings and where willing to go in debate with each other, they pollinated each other. Because there was such a fecundation made possible, they saw a progressive growth in the bible student movement. Through a process of challenge and debate and writing journals, John Thomas not only got followers, but also got others to think seriously about what at first looked controversial teachings.

I think Dr. Thomas would not have been afraid to go into debate and to take his Bible to compare it with others their Bible. He for sure was not afraid to compare his teachings with that of others. So why should we avoid such comparison or to be afraid to compare with others their teachings? It is by his preparedness to go in discussion with others that he could bring people together and bring people to believe in what he believed and what he was preaching. This way a number of people became convinced and set up various fellowships that had sympathy with that position, where John Thomas also never claimed to be the one and only to be followed or to be the patron of those ideas.

Already from the beginning the New World saw several groups associated with John Thomas which met under various names, including Believers, Baptised Believers, the Royal Association of Believers, Baptised Believers in the Kingdom of God, Nazarines (or Nazarenes) and The Antipas. Some of those groups still continue their activities today.


Christadelphian Hall in Bath/England
Christadelphian Hall in Bath/England (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
John Thomas did not like it that people just would follow him or would take him as 'a god' or only special leader.  Jesus should be the leader and not a specific organisation. It was Robert Roberts, who in 1864 began to publish The Ambassador magazine, who formed a structure for the community of those who followed the teachings of John Thomas. But the debates did not stop in the many different groups and some did find to have clear doctrines or rules to which members of their community should keep. The different ideas were not always appreciated by everybody and brought some into discord. The disagreement and way of handling then as today disenchanted several people. Some might have had a dream of a peaceful Christian community and had to face people who acted childishly or with envy. This jealousy and contempt for others created different streams or little groups. A century later it looks like nothing has changed yet. Several who left the Christadelphian community uttered their voice of being disenchanted. And for me this nearly would have been the same reason I would have left the community.

It was a sore disillusionment how certain organisations, which I considered of much importance in the community, acted against each other and took repercussions against my own person, because I did not want to pull "one string". The foolhardiness of two parties insisting on their right of ruling in Belgium and not willing to have people from each organisation meeting with each other, so that they could be with more, was going against the grain with me.  Particularly when both parties started throwing all sorts of accusations to each-other and to us, who tried to reconcile both parties.

My fault was also that I had concentrated to much on 'organisations' instead of trusting God, Who is the One Who calls people in His time, and not ours. I did not forget that, but I perhaps wanted to press the time a little bit more, having our ecclesia grow. This way I could receive a good lesson. Up unto recently my eyes have been on an organisation I really thought their main concern was to do missionary work, and to have as many brothers and sisters in the world, having better opportunities to meet with each other. I was mistaken.
One of the parties might perhaps have hoped that I would become so disillusioned that I would leave the community for what it was.

But perhaps they overlooked something, or better did not take into account those who by the years either where children from one of those great teachers, the Christadelphian forefathers or 'granddads'. Or those who by the years had also found that this (the Christadelphians) was a Christian community which kept to the right teachings, according to the Word of God and did not want to hold on to doctrines laid up by people.
Like in a big family it is in time of trouble that brothers and sisters can show that they are there for each other. And that is what happened the last few days.

It is in such small, and sometimes very hidden actions, that valuable relief can be given, and proof is been given that there is more unity and brotherhood than the world can see by first glance. Those, from places far away, who gave little pads on my shoulder, gave proof that there is more to the Christadelphian community than can be seen from outside, or others want to believe.
Knowing the time of encouragement and daring to take action, is what shows to be a brother or a sister.

People may accuse the Christadelphians having several groups separated from the main body of Christadelphians, but they should look at the people in those several groups, who still have the same string as the founder of the community, and are willing to be part of the one great family, though there might, by now, be many households all over the world.

Outsiders, ex-Christadelphians, those against Christadelphians and non-trinitarians, like to focus on the shortcomings of the people who run the many Christadelphian organisations. They do not see beyond those organisations and their leaders. They also forget that in all the other denominations you can find similar divisions. Often they forget that it is even worse in many other denominations.

In Belgium we have seen many battles going very strongly between many religious groups. Lots of people lost their lives for their religious conviction. Many religious leaders tried to pull more people to them but also abused their position to enlarge their power, fill their pockets with money or even to abuse children; or bishops helping them to get away with it (in the Catholic church). Some would say
"Truth can’t change, nor can it be devalued by the unworthiness of those who are supposed to defend it, or the blindness of those who can’t get the message – often, because they have never been taught it properly " {Convert To The One Church, Not To Francis.}
Instead of navel-gazing, some in the Christadelphian world would better not have such an introspective view of their closed community, but would better open the doors to look more what happens outside their community. Others who spit on the Christadelphian community would also better to the same exercise.

Perhaps we better listen also to "the one who likes to be cleansed", Mundabor, a Catholic who writes:
This is why many, like me, criticise the Pope – and boy, how could one not do it who has eyes to see! – without this denting their Catholic faith in the least. On the contrary: if my faith is tested by a bad Pope, I will strenghten my faith by clinging to the Church even more closely; praying more; learning more about Her; praying more for the wayward Pope; putting all my trust on heaven, not on the reckless statements of a man drunk with popularity, and as vain as a peacock. {Convert To The One Church, Not To Francis.}
It is not by criticising an organisation or more organisations that we would not like them or would be totally against them. Out of concern we do have to come out of our personal little shell.

Sometimes we may not like it ourselves, to quarrel or to lay open a dispute, but only by trying to go in debate we can perhaps fall and have to stand up again, but shall give ourselves opportunities to learn and grow and to show how we need each-other and how we care for each other. It is this caring for each other and more important, caring for the Truth that should keep us going.

We should not be afraid to avoid strong regulating organisations, being afraid we shall not be able to feel united as brethren and sisters. We also should not be afraid to face those unpleasant moments, and should not try to hide them. Better we should be open and honest, showing how things go and how we do try to cope with such circumstances, helping each other to fall not to badly  and even more help them to stand up on stronger legs. As followers of the Word of God as it is written in the Holy Scriptures, we should guard our community that it no becomes enslaved by those who would like to take charge of it and would like to have controlling organisations. To avoid doctrinal teachings it is important that no such controlling organisations take over in the community. Independence and freedom for all members to discuss believes, teachings and organisations is what a community keep free from any wrong dogmatic teachings. It will always be better to have little different ideas, which can not all be right, than having one uniform idea where more teachings could be severely wrong or where people believe their dogmatic teachings are right and to be followed by everybody in the community. The Christian world is already full of such dogmatic churches and does not need another one.

The Christadelphians should be content to be a construction of different necessary parts in the Body of Christ.

We should also learn to be not so uncomfortable and more willing to take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake:
 for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9,10).

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Monday 10 February 2014

Priority to form a loving brotherhood

There might be people who do not like that others share the love of Christ with each other and do not mind being under Christ instead of being under one or the other organisation.


"Jesus Christ" - NARA - 559041 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In Belgium we might have been under attack and have been surrounded by such a great cloud of unbelievers, having only a small amount of baptised brethren and several whom are baptised under Carelinks who do not get to know us, because their organisation does not bring us to their attention. You might think they could also look for other Christadelphians on the net and come to find us. But that does not seem to happen.

Having in between the battle of two organisations, CBM from the UK and Duncan Heaster with Carelinks on the other site, we got ourselves in trouble and annoied by two groups. Though we totally could understand the reason why CBM is so reluctant to accept Duncan Heaster in their community again.

He also accuses me now of slander because of my postings: Duncan Heaster en Carelinks onverbiddelijke verhinderaars + No reconciliation possible between CBM and Duncan Heaster from Carelinks.
A reply and justification by me shall be placed by those articles and shall needed to be added by the underneath words.

We in Belgium do not like the war going on between CBM and Carelinks, nor the war Duncan Heaster wants to keep going between me, Marcus Ampe.

Our priority is by bringing the Good News of the Gospel of the Kingdom and to form a loving brotherhood. For that reason we want to throw off everything that hinders and could get us into the sin that so easily entangles. Though we might not with many, we do prefer to be with a few who are willing to aim for the same goal. We want to reach people who are willing to believe in what the Bible tells us and who wants to take Christ Jesus as their cornerstone and not any human organisation.

To be able to follow the right path, we wish to find sincere people who are willing to share the Word of God with us. With all those who are prepared to put their own personal selfish "I" away and who want to become like one great family under Christ, we want to give out our hand.

We do want to run with perseverance the race marked out for us and therefore we do want to get rid off all obstacles this world wants to put in front of us.

The few members we do have in our ecclesia all do agree to fix their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. In him we do trust and want to find the cornerstone of that what has to be build in Belgium.

In case we do have to bear many crosses, we shall not mind to take up our cross in remembrance of the wooden stake Jesus died at. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in, we want to study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honour, right alongside God.

Facing the troubles in Belgium and seeing how certain persons try to get division in the community we might find ourselves flagging in our faith, but than we do know we should go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he ploughed through. What a pleasure we may find in the glorious task Jesus has done and has given his followers. That will shoot adrenaline into our souls!” Therefore we invite anybody who is willing to follow Jesus to join us and to look at him who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. May we ask all those who are not sure to consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that they, you nor we, will not grow weary and lose heart.

We do know we do have to endure hardship as discipline and are pleased we may offer ourselves as brothers of Christ or as sisters of Christ, being children of God. Yes because of Jesus his actions the relationship between God and man is restored and Jesus his Father accepted Jesus peace offer and is treating us now as His sons and daughters.

We have all had human fathers, to whom we had to be submitted and who disciplined us and we respected them for it. Christ Jesus broke the chains of the world and the chain of death, becoming a high priest for God and our mediator by God. It is not the human organisation of a company, church firm or denomination that shall give us the key to enter the Kingdom of God. No it is how we personally want to make a good relationship with the people around us, with Christ and with God. The Elohim does not ask you to submit to any worldly organisation, but asks you to submit to His Will and His commandments. It is by submitting to the Father of our spirits that we shall be able to live!

We should come together as brothers and sisters and feel united under Christ!

Therefore we do want to strengthen our feeble arms and weak knees and continue to go forwards, even when we just be on our own (knowing that Jesus would walk with us), with two, three, or a few more. It is not the quantity that counts for God but the quality.

In case we are not with many or in case more want to join us, we want to go together and feel that we are like mountain climbers, able to count onto each other! All ready to make level paths for our own but also for the other feet," {Proverbs 4:26} so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

We decided to make every effort to live in peace with all men around us and to be willing to set-apart those who are willing to share that love of Christ which should bound us in union. Together, even with not many, we will be prepared to see to it that no-one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Trying to protect the flock, being responsible for the Belgian ecclesia, I shall have to keep the bad things out and should avoid that further damage can be done.

I consider it one of my tasks, for the good of what has to be build up, to see that no-one is in no way immoral, or is godless. We may not sell our soul to any person or any organisation. Our soul (= our total being) should be under one leader of the Church and that is Christ Jesus the Messiah.

We have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." {Exodus 19:12,13; Hebrews 12:19-20}

I shall continue to bring people to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, even when other individuals or organisation may want to  have me trembling with fear. {Deuteronomy 9:19} For me the main issue is to bring people to Jehovah God, not to make them another member of a human organisation.
Though I do know we do have to have order and law, and are bounded by forms of organisation; but that organisation or church should be under direction of Jesus Christ his commands and not of personal gain.

I would love to bring more people together in an environment where they can feel at home and where they can share their ideas in peace. I would love to bring more people to come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant. I am not willing to see any battle going on.

No blood I would like to see, but the blood of Jesus who liberated us. In remembrance I would love to take the symbols, the bread and the wine, so that we who want to come together may confess in Jesus name. Created things can be disturbed and shaken but we may trust that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for or our "God is a consuming fire." {Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:28-29}

As such I would like to call all those who are willing to unite with the ones who keep on loving each other as brothers. I also would say we shall not forget to entertain strangers and will remember those in other parts of the world, but also those in prison as if we are their fellow-prisoners, and those who are ill-treated as if we ourselves were suffering. {Hebrew 13:1-3}

Though one or more persons, might do all the work to get us divided, we shall try to see over all persons and organisations and shall not fall in the trap of the love of money. Therefore, although our community in this small country may not have many means to survive we shall be content with what we have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." {Deuteronomy 31:6}

There are people in this world who would like to frighten us. To them I would like to say they may perhaps do a lot of terrible things to us here on earth, but we have a better future and hope and believe in what God has promised to them that stay faithful to Him.
So we, in this small country which is not old yet and perhaps can fall in pieces very soon, say with confidence, "Jehovah, the Elohim and Only One God, is my helper; we will not be afraid. What can man do to us?" {Psalm 118:6,7}

I and my fellow brethren shall remember our leaders, who spoke the word of God to us and consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith when they lived according to the commandments of God. And we shall not let us be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

To keep the teachings clear, we know the importance of gathering, the need of meeting with each other on regular times. It is at such meetings our hearts can be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. As brothers and sisters we should feel united under Jesus his name. We as brothers and sisters do find it important that we do good to each-other and do not keep things away from our other brethren and sisters. Those who intentionally do not allow other brethren and sisters to join with each other we consider have other priorities than to unite people under Christ. As brethren and sisters in Christ we may not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

It is important that all those who want to follow Christ can come together and that they help eachother to grow in the faith. Those making it not possible to share the faith we can not consider to be good at heart and having the right intentions nor the right heart to be a brother or sister in Christ.

We should pray for them and for the whole community that they may receive the heart of Christ and try to live accordingly.

As responsible for the ecclesia in Belgium I from my site have the responsibility to protect the community for false teachers, bad and false influences. Those in charge of the ecclesia do have  to take their responsibility and keep watch over those men and women who are willing to come under Christ and to be a member of the community, knowing that at the end all of us must give an account.

I would like to ask you also to pray for me and for our ecclesia, that we always shall obey God and that we may have a clear conscience and desire to live honourably in every way.

Let us all pray that those who want to follow Jesus Christ  may be guided by the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, and that He might equip us with everything good for doing His will, and that He may work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The UK album cover for the 1969 release of Jes...
The UK album cover for the 1969 release of Jesus Christ Superstar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


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Preceding:
Not words of any organisation should bind you, but the Word of God

Continue reading:

Disciple of Christ counting lives and friends dear to them
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Please do find additional reading:

  1. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
  2. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
  3. Faith
  4. Do not forget the important sign of belief
  5. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
  6. Not enlightened by God’s Spirit
  7. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
  8. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
  9. Choices
  10. Always a choice
  11. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
  12. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
  13. To be chained by love for another one
  14. No man is free who is not master of himself
  15. Fear and protection
  16. Only the contrite self, sick of its pretensions, can find salvation
  17. Choose you this day whom ye will serve
  18. It is a free will choice
  19. For those who make other choices
  20. Your life the sum total of all your choices
  21. Answering a fool according to his folly
  22. You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone
  23. What’s church for, anyway?
  24. Feeling-good, search for happiness and the church
  25. The one who has not had a taste of love
  26. Casual Christians
  27. Christianity is a love affair
  28. The Law of Christ: Law of Love
  29. What Jesus did: First things first
  30. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
  31. The Greatest of These is Love
  32. A treasure which can give me everything I need
  33. The task given to us to love each other
  34. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love
  35. God demonstrates his own love
  36. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit
  37. Unarmed truth and unconditional love
  38. Unconditional love
  39. The Spirit of God imparts love,inspires hope, and gives liberty
  40. No fear in love
  41. When we love we do not need laws
  42. Love envieth not
  43. Love turns one person into two; and two into one
  44. Love is like playing the piano
  45. Love will cure more sins than condemnation
  46. If we love one another, God lives in us
  47. Spread love everywhere you go
  48. Love and cultivate that which is pure
  49. Blessed are those who freely give
  50. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
  51. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
  52. Work with joy and pray with love
  53. Self-preservation is the highest law of nature
  54. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
  55. Growth in character
  56. God let my compassionate affection be tolerant and kind
  57. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
  58. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
  59. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
  60. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
  61. Parts of the body of Christ
  62. Breathing and growing with no heir
  63. God loving people justified
  64. United people under Christ
  65. Small churches of the few Christadelphians
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Wednesday 24 November 2010

Congregate, to gather, to meet

Congregate, to gather, to meet

You can find the Dutch version of this article
U kan de Nederlandse versie van dit artikel vinden onder:
Verzamelen, bijeenkomen, samenkomen, vergaderen
Under the tags ”Verzamelen”, “vergaderen”: to gather; come together; congregate;forgather(“vergadering”) gather; group; “bijeenkomen” & “vergaderen” meet you shall be able to find articles with as subject the coming together of people +


Ontario Christadelphian Fraternal Meeting with picnic

Congregate(people) forgather(meeting) gather(people) group(people) meet(meeting); get together, come together

To meet, to come together; come to talk and to take decisions together; To meet something to discuss to assemble; collect themselves; group themselves; unite themselves; meet each other; bringing people together;  bringing people with you; to bring with; to take along; keeping a meeting; to reunion; meeting confers, congress.

From Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian (“to gather, assemble”), from Proto-Germanic *gadurōjanan (“to bring together, unite, gather”), frequentative of Proto-Germanic *gadōjanan (“to hold together”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰhedʰ- (“to unite, assemble, keep”). Cognate with Dutch gaderen, garen (“to gather”), Middle High German gadern (“to gather”), Old Frisian gadia (“to unite”), German begatten (“to mate”). Compare also Old English gæd (“society, fellowship, union”).

To come together by mutual approach; esp., to come in contact, or into proximity, by approach from opposite directions; to join; to come face to face; to come in close relationship; as, we met in the street; two lines meet so as to form an angle.

To come together
To assemble together; to congregate; To collect into one place or body; to bring or call together; to convene;To come together by mutual concessions; hence, to agree; to harmonize; to unite; To meet or come together, as a number of individuals.
To bring into one place, or into a united body; to gather together.
An assembling together; esp., the assembling of huntsmen for the hunt; also, the persons who so assemble, and the place of meeting.
Assemble, Assembling; Meet, Meeting; Unite; club; group; flock; A meeting or get-together; a party or social function; an assembly for a common purpose (as worship)
gathering; the social act of assembling; gathering of people for discussion, etc.
a concourse of spectators or participants for some purpose of common interest;
a congregation; a group of persons together in one place


Congregation

Mid-14c., "a gathering, assembly," from O.Fr. congregacion (12c., Mod.Fr. congrégation), from L. congregationem (nom. congregatio), noun of action from congregare (see congregate). Used by Tyndale to translate Gk. ekklesia in New Testament and by some Old Testament translators in place of synagogue. (Vulgate uses a variety of words in these cases, including congregatio but also ecclesia, vulgus, synagoga, populus.) Protestant reformers in 16c. used it in place of church; hence the word's main modern sense of "local society of believers" (1520s).[1]

Synagogue

Late 12c., from O.Fr. sinagoge (11c.), from L.L. synagoga "congregation of Jews," from Gk. synagoge "place of assembly, synagogue," lit. "meeting, assembly," from synagein "to gather, assemble," from syn- "together" + agein "bring, lead" (see act). Used by Greek translators of the Old Testament as a loan-translation of late Heb. keneseth "assembly" (cf. beth keneseth "synagogue," lit. "house of assembly.")

Convention; summit; rendezvous; symposium

Bethel

Congregation
n

1. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) a group of persons gathered for worship, prayer, etc., esp in a church or chapel
2. The act of congregating or collecting together
3. A group of people, objects, etc., collected together; assemblage
4. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) the group of persons habitually attending a given church, chapel, etc.
5. (Christianity / Roman Catholic Church) RC Church
a. a society of persons who follow a common rule of life but who are bound only by simple vows
b. an administrative subdivision of the papal curia
c. an administrative committee of bishops for arranging the business of a general council[2]

Congregation an assembly of persons or things; a group of religious persons under a common rule; the Christian Church collectively; those attending a religious service. See also community, confession.[3]

Examples: congregation of holy apostles, 1526; of gaseous atoms, 1883; of birds; of cardinals; of elves, 1809; of fish, 1865; of goods; of hypocrites, 1611; of holy maidens; of monasteries [e.g., Congregation of Cluny]; of oyster and scallop shells, 1717; of people, 1486; of plovers, 1430; of princes, 1539; of fine qualities, 1878; of saints, 1535; of soldiers, 1598; of vapour, 1602; of water, 1526; of winds; of worshippers.[4] (Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Hebrew ‘ e·dhah’ from ja·adh = to intend, to agree (2 Samuel 20:5; Jeremia 47:7; Levites 8:4, 5; Judges 21:10; Exodus 12:3; Numbers 32:4; 1 king 8:5; Numbers 27:17).

Hebrew word mo·edh inferred from the same radical as e·dhah and meaning „intended time or „agreed place (1 Samuel 13:8; 20:35; Exodus 27:21; Levites 23:2, 4, 37, 44; Isaiah 33:20)

Jewish term miq·ra´', which „mean “samenkomst” = “coming together”, from the basic word qa·ra´' (clamour, clamor, calling) + „holy gathering” (Isaiah 4:5; Exodus 12:16; Levites 23:2, 3)

Hebrew qa·hal', that is relative to a verb which means „convene; to meet, to call together (Exodus 35:1; Levites 8:4). Sometimes qa hal' (municipality) used together with e·dhah (meeting) (Levites 4:13; Numbers 20:8, 10).

Forms of both terms can be found in the expression „ meeting of municipality of Israel [Hebr.: qehal' adhath-Jis·yard·´el]. (Exodus 12:6) It frequently is used for an organised group of people and can be found in the expressions „municipality of Israel (Levites 16:17; Jozua 8:35; 1 Kings 8:14), „municipality of the true God (Nehemiah 13:1), „municipality of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 23:2, 3; Micha 2:5), and „Jehovah’s municipality (Numbers 20:4; 1 Chronicles 28:8). Qa·hal' indicates several types of gatherings together of people, like for religious aims (Deuteronomy 9:10; 18:16; 1 Kings 8:65; Psalms 22:25; 107:32), for treating administrative matters (1 Kings 12:3) and for warfare (1 Samuel 17:47; Ezra 16:40 [meeting]). In the Greek ek·kle'si·a, which has been inferred of two Greek radicals, namely ek that „from mean, and ka'le·o, which means „call”. In the Septuagint the Greek word ek kle'si·a (ecclesia) becomes usually used as a translation of the Hebrew word·qa hal', like in Psalm 22:22 (21: 23, LXX).

To meet, meets
: Ek·kle·si'a·son; Lat.: Con'gre·ga.

‘Atsa·rah’, have been reflected with „solemn meeting”. This term is used concerning the “Loofhuttenfeest” = the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkoth and the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Pascha or Pesa(c)h. (Levites 23:36; Deuteronomy 16:8).

public meeting (Gr.: su·na·go'ge) synagogue, sinagoge, synagoga congregation or group of Jews, place of meeting,  meeting, meets, collects, assembles, bringing together , leading together; house of meeting. (See above)

Confidential meetings of a several nature are indicated by the Hebrew word sodh that means „confidential discussion; confidential ambulatory (Psalm 83:3; Job 29:4). It is reflected in Psalm 89:7 with „intimate group„: God is to be held in awe among the intimate group of holy ones; He is grand and fear-inspiring over all who are round about him.”The Greek ek·kle'si·a (from ek, “from” and kle'sis, „a calling”) in the Greek Septuagint it is usually used as a translation of the Hebrew qa·hal' (municipality) and sometimes of e·dhah (meeting), although the last word is also reflected with the Greek expression su·na·go'ge (that means “bringing together “from sun, „together”, and a'go, „to bring”) (see above). In Christian Greek writings ek·kle'si·a becomes usually reflected with „municipality. The Greek word su·na·go'ge “synagogue” is used in Acts of the Apostles 7: 13:43 concerning the meeting in the synagogue and in James 2:2 („meeting).In Wcts 7:38 it is used for the municipality Israel. Another Greek expression, pa·ne'gu·ris (from pan, „all”, and a'go·ra, which indicates each type of meeting), is reflected in Hebrews 12:23 with „general meeting.[5]

Meeting can happen at open places or in public buildings, synagogues, speech or prayer places or other. Jesus brought a lot of people on their legs to collect them around him. Christ met frequently with his disciples to give them mental instruction, and after his dead his followers came together, as on the Whitsunday in 33 C.T., when the Holy Spirit was poured out to those who were gathered together. (Acts 2:1 - 4).
In imitation of the example which Jesus had given them the apostles and the first Christians brought together also people to meet together, to study the Word of God and to bring a memory time with breaking bread.


Already before Jesus, attention was being given by the people of God to come together or to meet to study the Holy Scriptures together, and to spend time on the praise for Jehovah. Paul advised the believers not to neglect the regular meetings of God’s people: „ Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23- 25) These meetings could take place in the ekklesia or ecclesia. (Acts 7:38; 8:1; 13:1; 19:23, 24, 29, 32, 41; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Corinthians 1:1), but they could also take place simply in the house of fellow believer. (Romans 16:5; Philemon 2).

In agreement with that there is also spoken of separate Christian municipalities or „municipalities of God (Acts of the Apostles 15:41; 1 Corinthians 11:16). In older Dutch translations sometimes the word „church” is used in places which are related to the Christian municipality, like in 1 Corinthians 16:19 (KB; Leu). Since many people by the word ‘church’ think rather of a building where religious services are kept then to a municipality which practices its religion, the translation „church” can be misleading. For this reason we prefer as brothers of Christ rather to use the word ‘ecclesia’. The association of the “church” with the Roman Catholic Churches with cross constructions and church tower must be laid aside and the church must be considered as the Body of Christ made up by the collection of believers. The meeting believers form together the church. They must feed and prove the church community.

Jehovah has imposed to His people to come together and to hold meetings: “And I shall certainly bring upon YOU a sword wreaking vengeance for the covenant; and YOU will indeed gather yourselves into YOUR cities, and I shall certainly send pestilence into the midst of YOU, and YOU must be given into the hand of an enemy. “(Leviticus 26:25) (When you come together, BBE; huddled in your cities, CJB) “Only watch out for yourself and take good care of your soul, that you may not forget the things that your eyes have seen and that they may not depart from your heart all the days of your life; and you must make them known to your sons and to your grandsons, 10 the day that you stood before Jehovah your God in Ho´reb, when Jehovah said to me, ‘Congregate the people together to me that I may let them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they are alive on the soil and that they may teach their sons.’ (Deuteronomy 4:9-10)


“Congregate the people, the men and the women and the little ones and your alien resident who is within your gates, in order that they may listen and in order that they may learn, as they must fear Jehovah YOUR God and take care to carry out all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 31:12) ““Therefore say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “I will also collect YOU from the peoples and gather YOU from the lands among which YOU have been scattered, and I will give YOU the soil of Israel. And they will certainly come there and remove all its disgusting things and all its detestable things out of it. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I shall put inside them; and I shall certainly remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, in order that they may walk in my own statutes and keep my own judicial decisions and actually carry them out; and they may really become my people and I myself may become their God.”’ (Ezekiel 11:17-20) “For all the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever. “In that day,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “I will gather her that was limping; and her that was dispersed I will collect together, even her whom I have treated badly. And I shall certainly make her that was limping a remnant, and her that was removed far off a mighty nation; and Jehovah will actually rule as king over them in Mount Zion, from now on and into time indefinite.  (Micha 4:5-7) And, indeed, because the wine is dealing treacherously, an able-bodied man is self-assuming; and he will not reach his goal, he who has made his soul spacious just like She´ol, and who is like death and cannot be satisfied. And he keeps gathering to himself all the nations and collecting together to himself all the peoples. (Habakuk 2:5) “ “‘Therefore keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘till the day of my rising up to [the] booty, for my judicial decision is to gather nations, for me to collect together kingdoms, in order to pour out upon them my denunciation, all my burning anger; for by the fire of my zeal all the earth will be devoured. For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.’ “(Zephaniah 3:8-9) “The ones grief-stricken in absence from [your] festal season I shall certainly gather together; absent from you they happened to be, because of bearing reproach on her account. “(Zephaniah 3:18) “For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20) “ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings! But YOU people did not want it. Look! YOUR house is abandoned to YOU. For I say to YOU, YOU will by no means see me from henceforth until YOU say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name!’” (Matthew 23:37-39) “In that very hour certain Pharisees came up, saying to him: “Get out and be on your way from here, because Herod wants to kill you.” And he said to them: “Go and tell that fox, ‘Look! I am casting out demons and accomplishing healing today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be finished.’ Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the following day, because it is not admissible for a prophet to be destroyed outside of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her—how often I wanted to gather your children together in the manner that a hen gathers her brood of chicks under her wings, but YOU people did not want [it]! Look! YOUR house is abandoned to YOU. I tell YOU, YOU will by no means see me until YOU say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name.’” (Luke 13:31-35) And they continued devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to sharing [with one another], to taking of meals and to prayers. (Acts 2:42) “Just as he chose us in union with him before the founding of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love.  For he foreordained us to the adoption through Jesus Christ as sons to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, in praise of his glorious undeserved kindness which he kindly conferred upon us by means of [his] loved one. By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of [our] trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness. This he caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and good sense, in that he made known to us the sacred secret of his will. It is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. [Yes,] in him, in union with whom we were also assigned as heirs, in that we were foreordained according to the purpose of him who operates all things according to the way his will counsels, that we should serve for the praise of his glory, we who have been first to hope in the Christ.” (Ephesians 1:4-12) “19 Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness for the way of entry into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 which he inaugurated for us as a new and living way through the curtain, that is, his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with true hearts in the full assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled from a wicked conscience and our bodies bathed with clean water. 23 Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. 24 And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, 25 not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as YOU behold the day drawing near. “(Hebrews 10:19-25) (NWT)

Jesus gave a superb example in showing appreciation for spiritual meetings. At a youthful age of twelve years he gave proof of his love for God’s house in Jerusalem. His parents had got rid of him, but found him finally whereas he spoke in the temple with teachers concerning the Word of God. As a response to the concern of his parents Jesus asked respectfully: „Did you not know that I must be in the [house] of my Father?” (Luke 2:49) Humbly the young Jesus returned with his parents to Nazareth. There he continued to show his love for meetings concerning worship by being regularly present in the synagogue. The Bible reports thus that he, when he started his service, „he came to Naz´a·reth, where he had been reared; and, according to his custom on the Sabbath day, he entered into the synagogue, and he stood up to read.”  After Jesus had read and explained Isaiah 61:1, 2 and had surprised the listeners with the pleasing words which originated from his mouth. (Luke 4:16, 22).

Jesus not only gave the example of preaching and of a healthy manner to associate with others. He urged his followers not to renounce to meet. We have to, in the extension of the work of Jesus Christ and his disciples, to follow them and have to bring others to gather together, looking to it that as many as possible come to God’s municipality (Matthew 24:14, 45; Luke 12:42 - 44; Revelation of John 7:9 - 14). Such as it was important in the municipality Israel to keep meetings for the worship of Jehovah and for a consideration of His law (Deuteronomy 31:12; Nehemiah 8:1 - 8) we must consider to accomplish in this way meetings for the worship of Jehovah and studying the book as an essential characteristic of the Christian municipality of God. If we really want to be considered as a component of the body of Christ we must take care that we form together with others a municipality in Christ, `a meeting in Christ’ or an ecclesia.


The Christian meetings thus must be for us a source of encouragement. It must form occasions where we feel that we our united with each other in Christ. It must, as well be moments where we sense how refreshing it is for being together with loving brethren and sisters that have the same interest for God but also feel interested in each other and also want to persist to the end! We cannot permit it to take this loving provision of Jehovah for us rashly. Let us by means of our hard-working personal study and our regular visits to meetings “become adults in intellectual capacities”. (1 Corinthians 14:20).

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews admonished to the recipients of his letter thus to not forsake mutual meetings (10:24, 25) and that everyone by that meeting can take a particular task for himself in which he or she himself can do the best for the community. „ But let each one prove what his own work is, and then he will have cause for exultation in regard to himself alone, and not in comparison with the other person. For each one will carry his own load. “(Galatians 6:4, 5). Jehovah accepts our strength efforts and sacrifices to what we have, not to what we do not have. (2 Corinthians 8:12; compare Luke 21:1 - 4).

If we come together as Brothers in Christ the emphasis must be to serve God. The attention must go out firstly and especially to the Word of God. At the meetings we can apply to examine and to discuss together God’s Word and to encourage each other. We must further take care that the service or the God worship in the meeting goes according to the wishes of God and that the worldly pleasure does not come to the fore.

From regular companionship with our fellow believers we also beside encouragement can receive perseverance and a lot of burdens will seem lighter and we shall feel less tired. (Hebrews 12:1; Galatians 6:9.)

Regular meetings with fellow believers are a form of exteriorizing of the belief is and belongs to the obligation which a dedicated Christian has towards God. We will create joy in the stimulus and exhortation of our brothers and sisters and by being exhorted and to be strengthened by love and excellent work for the important works that exist in the public disclosure of our hope if that is now an earthly or celestial hope. (John 13:35). Jehovah God has interest for our meetings. The main aim of such meetings is to send „under the meeting mob praise to God “(Psalm 26:12)[6]. That we visit municipality meetings or ecclesiae, are a proof of our love for Him. To meditate concerning the privilege and the advantages of visiting Christian meetings will help to support these meetings loyally and wholeheartedly. When all who have a share to the program of a meeting, consciously take care that they reflect the fruit of God’s Spirit, such as joy, forbearance and belief, all people present definitely will feel built-up. (Galatians 5:22, 23). Let us therefore for this reason take care to meet regularly and to delight Jehovah’s heart with our gathering together in the name of Jesus Christ who will stretch us abundantly to advantage if we incorporate the divine education which leads to eternal life. (Proverbs 27:11; Isaiah 48:17, 18; Mark 13:35 - 37).


[2] Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
[3] Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved
[4] Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
[5] 22 But YOU have approached a Mount Zion and a city of [the] living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, 23 in general assembly, and the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones who have been made perfect, 24 and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and the blood of sprinkling, which speaks in a better way than Abel’s [blood].
[6] My own foot will certainly stand on a level place; Among the congregated throngs I shall bless Jehovah.