Church has to grow through witness, not by proselytism

In January pope Francis I spoke about Benedict XVI who said that the Church grows through witness, not by proselytism.

Pope Benedict XVI in Portugal (Photo credit: Catholic Church (England and Wales))

Jesus gave the order to his disciples and to all who wanted to follow him, to go out in the world to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.  Evry person calling himself a Christian, should know that this should mean to be a follower of Christ, should also follow those teachings and orders of that person.

The witness that can really attract is that associated with attitudes which are uncommon:

the pope said and named them:

generosity, detachment, sacrifice, self-forgetfulness in order to care for others. This is the witness, the “martyrdom” of religious life. It “sounds an alarm” for people.

When people are religious those people should make a life for themselves filled with with thinkings which are not always of this world. Looking at this world, we can not escape living in it but should be careful not to become 'of it'.

 “religious life ought to promote growth in the Church by way of attraction."

continued the pope.

“The Church,” therefore, “ must be attractive. Wake up the world! Be witnesses of a different way of doing things, of acting, of living! It is possible to live differently in this world. We are speaking of an eschatological outlook, of the values of the Kingdom incarnated here, on this earth. It is a question of leaving everything to follow the Lord. 

The pope did not want to say “radical.”

Evangelical radicalness is not only for religious: it is demanded of all. But religious follow the Lord in a special way, in a prophetic way. It is this witness that I expect of you. Religious should be men and women who are able to wake the world up.”

 Pope Francis has returned in a circular fashion to concepts that he has already touched on, exploring them more deeply. In fact he continued:

“You should be real witnesses of a way of doing and acting differently. But in life it is difficult for everything to be clear, precise, outlined neatly. Life is complicated; it consists of grace and sin. He who does not sin is not human. We all make mistakes and we need to recognize our weakness. A religious who recognizes himself as weak and a sinner does not negate the witness that he is called to give, rather he reinforces it, and this is good for everyone. What I expect of you therefore is to give witness.

The pope wants this special witness from religious people and warns them to look out not to restrict themselves to dogmatic teachings endangering them to go into fundamentalism.

From the "Wake up the world" press conference January 2014

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• Pope Francis condemns fundamentalism, urges setting an example over proselytizing (rawstory.com)
  Francis meet with 120 superiors general of men’s religious orders at the Vatican in November. His comments were published Friday by La Civiltà Cattolica, a Rome-based Jesuit weekly.
  “I am convinced of one thing: the great changes in history were realized when reality was seen not from the center but rather from the periphery,” the pope said.
  To look at something from the periphery, the pope explained, meant analyzing reality through a variety of viewpoints, rather than filtering all experience through a centralized ideology.
  
• A Non-Political Pope? (Part 2) (clrforum.org)
  Some things he said in the interview are a frankly a little shocking. He told the interviewer, Eugenio Scalfari, “Proselytism is solemn nonsense.” That’s a rather dismissive way to treat millennia of Christian apologetics. The pope’s views on conscience were also odd, from a Christian perspective. “Everyone has his own idea of good and evil and must choose to follow the good and fight evil as he conceives them,” the pope said. “That would be enough to make the world a better place.” With respect, “do what you think is right” is not the Christian view of conscience. That sounds more like Anthony Kennedy than St. Paul. And would the world really be a better place if everyone did what he thought was right? How about jihadis?
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  the Church would “never go beyond its task of expressing and disseminating its values, at least as long as I’m here.” What the Pope seems to mean is that the Church as an institution should avoid getting involved in the workings of government and political parties, but that its prophetic role remains.
• Church division a scandal - Pope (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
  The leader of 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide said a goal of full unity between the two churches "may seem distant" but it remained an aim that should direct "every step".
  He said progress towards full unity would not be the result of human actions alone, but would be a "free gift of God".
  "Beneath his merciful gaze, we cannot claim that our division is anything less than a scandal and an obstacle to our proclaiming the Gospel of salvation to the world," the Pope told Archbishop Justin Welby.
  
• Pope invites Romans, pilgrims, to Eucharistic procession (catholicnewsagency.com)
  “Every Sunday we go to Mass, we celebrate the Eucharist together and the Eucharist is like the ‘burning bush’ in which the Trinity humbly dwells and communicates itself: this is why the Church has placed the feast of the Body of the Lord after that of the Trinity.”
  
  The Holy Father also reflected on the Divine love of the Trinity, “origin and goal of the universe and of every creature.”
  
  He explained that the Trinity acts as a model of the Church where Christians are called to love with the perfect, sacrificial love of Jesus.
• Top Ten Myths About Pope Francis' First Year (dominicanablog.com)
  If Quoheleth had lived during the last year, he might well have said, “Of the making of many myths about Pope Francis there is no end.” As we give thanks to God for the Holy Father on this first anniversary of his papacy, it’s worth taking a moment to look back on some of the myths about Pope Francis that have made the rounds on the Internet this year. While this list could be many more pages long, what follows is my own Top Ten List of Myths about Pope Francis.
• Pope Francis Tells Religious Orders To "Wake Up The World" - 4 January 2014 (lucas2012infos.wordpress.com)
  
  Editor Antonio Spadaro, SJ, has written an article recounting the private meeting last November between Pope Francis and the Union of Superiors General of religious men at the end of their 82nd General Assembly.
  The 15-page article (available in English at the La Civiltà Cattolica website) documents the views of Pope Francis on religious life.
• Moving Through Time: Timeline of Religion (pcr.wpengine.com)
  Since the beginning of time, mankind has formed beliefs of the unexplainable and unknowable. Over thousands of years, these beliefs became traditional, customary, and institutionalized within regional societies. People continue to express an interest in spiritual matters from all corners around the world. Everybody has pondered the meaning of life, what happens after we die, what existed before us, and whether any other life exists in the universe. Mankind may never know concrete answers regarding the spiritual. In fact, humans may destroy the planet before we can discover the remaining life in unexplored regions. Nevertheless, we continue to seek spiritual enlightenment and a connection with our Creator.
• Why Are Christians the World's Most Persecuted Group? (tomohalloran.com)
  Why are Christians, as a new Pew report documents, the most persecuted religious group in the world?  And why is their persecution occurring primarily throughout the Islamic world?  (In the category on “Countries with Very High Government Restrictions on Religion,” Pew lists 24 countries—20 of which are Islamic and precisely where the overwhelming majority of “the world’s” Christians are actually being persecuted.)
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  Christianity is a proselytizing faith that seeks to win over converts.  No other major religion—including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism—except Islam itself has this missionary aspect (these faiths tend to be coterminous with their respective ethnicities: Buddhists, Asians; Judaism, Jews; Hinduism, Hindus).    Thus because Christianity is the only religion that is actively confronting Muslims with the truths of its own message, not only is it the primary religion to be accused of proselytizing but, by publicly uttering teachings that contradict Muhammad’s, Christians are accused of blaspheming as well.  Similarly, this proselytizing element is behind the fact that most Muslims who apostatize to other religions overwhelmingly convert to Christianity.  Finally, if indigenous Christians are many in the Middle East, because that is the cradle of Christianity, in other regions with large Muslim populations, such as sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia, Christian missionaries have won over millions of converts to the faith—many of whom are now targeted and persecuted according to Islam’s anti-apostasy law, which often calls for the death penalty.
• Pope: Saints are humble sinners, sanctified by Jesus (en.radiovaticana.va)
  “In this holy Church the Lord chooses certain people so that holiness can be better seen, to show that it is He who sanctifies, that no one sanctifies himself, that there’s no course to become a saint, that it’s not being a religious fraud or something of that sort… No! It’s not that! Holiness is a gift of Jesus to His Church and to show this He chooses people in whom His work of sanctifying is clearly seen.”
• Why are Christians the world's most persecuted group? (humanevents.com)
  Christianity is the quintessential religion of martyrdom.  From its inception—beginning with Jesus followed by his disciples and the early Church—many Christians have accepted martyrdom rather than recant their faith, in ancient times at the hands of Romans, in Medieval and modern times at the hands of pious Muslims and others.  Few other religions encourage their adherents to embrace death rather than recant, as captured by Christ’s own words: “But whoever denies me before men, I will deny him before my Father in heaven” (Matt 10:33; see also Luke 14:33).”   Conversely, Islam teaches Muslims to openly renounce their faith (taqiyya)—not just when their lives are threatened, but even as a stratagem of war—as long as they remain Muslim in their hearts.  Other religions and sects also approve of dissimulation to preserve their adherents’ lives.  Back in the 1800s, for instance, Samuel M. Zwemer, a Christian missionary, observed that in Iran “Bahaism enjoys taqiyya (concealment of faith) as a duty, but Christianity demands public profession; and hence in Persia it is far easier to become a Bahai than to become a Christian.”

Which Christians Actually Evangelize

A Christian is one who should follow the teachings of Jeshua, the Nazarene born in the tribe of king David, who is been called the son of God and the Messiah or Christ Jesus. One of those tasks Jesus has given to his followers is to go out into the world and to evangelize or witness.

According to a new survey from Barna Group. "Is Evangelism Going Out of Style?" evangelism is fading fastest among the middle class.

On Stepping toes I talk about my frustration when I look at the current position of people willing to bring the Good News to others.

73% of born again Christians say they have a personal responsibility to share their faith with others, but I can not see that they live or take action according to what they believe. Only half (52%) of born again Christians say they actually did share the Gospel at least once this past year to someone with different beliefs, in the hope that they might accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Evangelicals have the highest rate of failure to follow through (31% did not evangelize in the past year). By contrast, Catholics are the least likely to believe evangelism is their personal responsibility (34%), but in the United States have the highest success rate (33% did evangelize in the past year).

The study brings out that millennials are the one generation of "born-again" Christians where "the practice of evangelism is notably on the rise." But also that I can not really notice when I do look at the 'preaching world". Despite being known as the "social justice" generation — alleged to be trading spiritual causes for physical ones — evangelism among millennials increased nine percent in recent years, according to Barna. Other generations either stayed the same or declined in their evangelism practices.

Middle-class "born-again" Christians have the lowest rate of evangelism among other household income groups. 

Notes Barna:

This is particularly paradoxical since born again, middle-income adults are the most likely out of all income groups to affirm their personal responsibility to evangelize—76% do so. Yet only 37% of those adults have shared their faith this past year. Furthermore, born again, middle-income adults are evangelizing less and less. For example, from 2010 to today alone, their outreach efforts dropped from 51% to 37%.

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• Which Christians Actually Evangelize? Study Says Millennials Most, Middle Class Least
• Barna Group Survey: Millennials Are Doing the Most Evangelizing
• Barna: Is Evangelism Going Out of Style?
• Only 34% of Catholics believed that they had personal responsibility to share their faith
• What is Evangelism?
• Divorce Rates Among Christians Not That Different from Non-Christians
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Small churches of the few Christadelphians

The big difficulty we do encounter in Belgium is that when people do ask where we meet with how many, they hesitate to come to our meetings because we are not with enough people attending a service.
they all prefer to come to a church where they can hide in the massa's of people. When there are many people they can just be an unnoticed onlooker; but when there are just a handful of people present they shall be noticed by the others, and that is something what they do not like so much.

Today we also do hear about the empty Roman Catholic Churches but the growing attendance in the Pentecostal churches. On television people also can find many mega churches where enough entertainment is given to enjoy the show.

Most people have their instinctive opinions about “big church.”  Some may prefer to be a nobody in the amount of people present at a service, others may not like the feeling to be swallowed up in such a congregation.

We wonder if there are enough people who have a dislike for “big church,” because it seems so impersonal and also perhaps because in those churches the accent is not always on the right things. It is not the amount of people , the quantity in church, but should be more of the quality in church.

Those who do not want to come to our services because we are not with enough people should reconsider what they like to see in church and what would be that "Big church".

Don’t critique or judge getting big. Look the “bigness” right in the face. And ask, “What does big really mean?”

English: Jesus, followed by Simon Peter and Andrew (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Matthew 16:16-18 (NIV) says, “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”"

Well, if you are wanting to see a "Big Church" or going to go big, go really big!
When you accept that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God … you better also look at him as the one building his church!

Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the Sea of Galilee. Traditional site where Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and, according to Catholic tradition, established Peter's supreme jurisdiction over the Christian church. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus is the one who makes church. Jesus is the church. Church is not a specific 'church-building' with a tower and a cross shape directed to the east.

It is also not the construction of people. Though we would like it, it is not us building the church. It’s not the pastor on the stage or the priest in the pulpit.  It is Jesus, the Son of the living God, who is building His Church.

The Church is a big idea. Because Jesus is a big idea. And because Jesus gives his disciples a big task.

All those who call themselves Christians, should be followers of Christ. they should not only be name Christians, but doers of the Word. In Acts, Jesus describes how big of a task he is giving the disciples.  Acts 1:7-8 (MSG) states,

 “He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”

Imagine if Jesus came to us and said,

 “…you will be my witness in Leefdaal, all over Flemish Brabant and the Low countries, even to the ends of the world.”

 Yeah, that’s pretty big too.   The church is a big idea, and it will expand. It started with 12 disciples and it has grown across the world to nations with more than 100 different languages.

In Acts 2:21 (NIV), it says, ”Everyone who calls on the name of The Lord will be saved.”

That saving should we proclaim and we should bring the hearts into fire for the name of Jesus. Christians should bring forwards the Gospel of the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.  Every person coming to believe in Jesus as the saviour send by the Most High Saviour Jehovah God, would have to become partaker of the body of Christ and as such being a member of the Church of God, which has Christ Jesus as its High priest.

All those believing individuals in their own houses, who believe in the offer Jesus made and accept him as their saviour, willing to become part of that Body of Christ, are part of the church.

Here is another example of ‘big church’ in the Bible.
  In Acts 2:41-47 is the story of the 3,000 who were baptized… imagine that in present day. How many kids rooms would we need from one week to the next? How many new greeters? How many overflow rooms? How many extra chairs? The Church basically went from meeting in a living room to needing a stadium! And that was just one day.

Now to transition just a little bit, it is one thing to agree and say, yes, we agree with you, Jesus that the church should probably be big. But what does is truly mean to be a disciple? Great question.
In John 13:34-35 (MSG) Jesus states,

 ““Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples — when they see the love you have for each other.”

Well, that sounds pretty simple doesn’t it? Love one another, cool! I’ve got it. But what does it really mean to live out your love for each other?

The first part of loving one another is building relationships with one another.  The church is not just based out of a building or a temple, it is based out of homes. Faith is centered on two places: temple and homes.
To love one another in the old church knew they needed to meet and know each other in their homes. Meeting at the temple was important, but they had to eat with each other and know each other in order to love each other like Jesus loved.  This is such a critical part of today’s church as well! That is also the reason why we meet in houses, cafetaria's, parks, have something to eat or drink with each other and not sit on benches or ordered chairs in a row.

We need our small groups and relationships to truly know each other and love each other.

It’s a great first step to agree with Jesus. But how do we actually Do what Jesus said? How do we love one another despite the chaos of life? Despite our differences?
 Jesus directs us to do the following:

Submit to one another. Honor one another. Bear with one another. Forgive one another. Accept one another. Care for one another. Encourage one another. Restore one another. Love one another.

Most of this cannot happen on Sunday morning. We have to be in each other’s lives daily.

“We, the church family, want to get bigger for the sake of eternity and smaller for the value of each individual.”

We all should feel like brothers and sisters in Christ.

As brethren and sisters we do have to help each other to grow spiritually. It is by sharing ideas that we can help each other to see other things or to think about other things or to think in another way. As such we can grow and get more strength, because others share their messes, and we share our messes, yet we are still there for each other, serving one another and loving one another despite the chaos of life.

“Let’s share our messes so that we can see grace move in each other as light is shed on our mess.”

“Is big church healthy?

Size doesn’t have anything to do with health. Health has everything to do with our relationships.”

When we want to become good Christians, this shall not only become by becoming 'churchgoers'. We do need to make church, but making church happens in the own heart. It is the willingness to become part of the Body of Christ and willing to share that feeling with others, in love, by taking their bad and good elements, overlooking their peculiarities. Willing to take every person like he or she is, and considering him or her as your brother or sister.

This brotherly love is what makes the church, not the building or the presence of just material bodies in one specific place.

The Christadelphians may gather with not so many people, but the love of those people for each other and their love for God is what binds them all over the world. In one specific place they are perhaps not with many, but they do feel connected with others in many different countries, speaking many different languages, which we even not always understand. But we understand each other in the love of God, and that is what binds us forever.

Next time when you are looking for a church, question what you are looking for. Are you looking to find a place where you can find some nice entertainment? Are you looking for some enjoyable socialising? Or are you looking for the genuine love Christ has given mankind?

Are you submitting to one another? Are you letting others go first? Are we honoring one another in how we speak to each other? Are we caring for one another? 

When was the last time we went out of our way to appreciate and love on someone else? How are you loving each other as Jesus loves?

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(With respect to a sermon and writing by Beau Johnson)

Related articles

• Draw near to God - Thank you Jesus
• a new space.
• You may not find Jesus in the church
• "JJesus, A Miracle Worker"/Humility
• The Sacred and the Shameful: Our Attendance and Conduct at Church
• New Wine Skins
• Jesus Contains Community; Community does not Contain Jesus.
• "MY church"
• The Only Thing That Works
• A Change Of Heart

129 years of Glad Tidings

For nearly 130 years the Brethren in Christ or Christadelphians bring Glad Tidings.

The "Glad Tidings" Committee would like to thank everyone for renewing their
2013 subscriptions and thus allowing the magazine to continue its witness to
the gospel of the Kingdom of God for its 129th year.
Glad Tidings Issue 1456 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
At present we are printing 11,500 copies each month and have a few more back
numbers available than usual, so for the time being we are offering these
back numbers of the "Glad Tidings" magazine free of charge to anyone who is
able to make use of them in their personal preaching activities.

The magazines will need to be collected from one of the following addresses:

Tecwyn Morgan, 26 The Crescent, Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull B92 0BP (01675
442644)

Cilla Palmer,"Highlands" 78 Mildenhall Road, Fordham, Ely, CB7 5NR (01638
723959)

Judith Griffiths,72 Audley Avenue, Stretford, Manchester, M32 9TG (0161 748
7207)

Geoff Maycock, 8 Hale End, Bracknell, RG12 9YH (01344 420533) 

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Apple of Gods eye

“For  thus saith Jehovah of hosts: After glory hath he sent me unto the  nations which plundered you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple  of his eye.”(Zechariah 2:8 ASV)

God has revealed himself to the world in ways that we can understand.  He has given us His Word in which He also shows His concern about the  Jews – God’s people and the ‘apple of his eye’ (Zechariah 2:8).

God chose Israel as a nation to show forth his glory:
“For  thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God: Jehovah thy God hath  chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples  that are upon the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 7:6 ASV)

God said that the Jews are the evidence of his existence:
“Ye  are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen;  that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me  there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” (Isaiah 43:10  ASV)
Genesis chapter 12. God made promises to  Abraham, the first Jew – that  he would have descendants (the Jews), a  land (Israel), that because of  him not just they but the whole world  would be blessed. Jehovah  made further promises to Abraham's ancestors ,   Isaac and Jacob.

Much  later, in Galatians 3 verse 16, we learn  that these promises also refer  to Jesus Christ: “To Abraham and his  seed were the promises made,” and  that seed (descendant) is Jesus.The  covenant later  opened out to include people of all races who are  faithful (Galatians  3:28-29;  Psalm 103:17-18; Psalm 50:16-23).

There  are prophecies about the nation that are yet to be fulfilled. All  the  indications are that they will be fulfilled soon. (Read Zechariah   chapters 12 and 13.)

Read more about it in:

• Israel proves the existence of God

• God’s offer to man: eternal life on a peaceful earth

• The Jews, the Holocaust and the Bible

Church sent into the world

David Bosch writes, “The involvement in the world should lead to a deepening of our relationship with and dependence on God, and the deepening of this relationship should lead to an increasing involvement in the world.” Tod Hiestand writes: " the individual church must see itself as sent into the world, it must also see itself as sent into the world along with the church catholic."

The mission of the church is derived from Jesus' call to gather together. also the apostle Paul called us not to neglect our own congregational meetings which form the church, (Hebrews 10:25)
The church’s call to be a “sign, witness and foretaste” of the coming Kingdom may not be overlooked.

God has sent the church so that in His mission His “love and attention are directed primarily at the world". God has given His son as the foundation of the Church.

We are all part of the world but God and His son Jesus have given us the task to distantiate from the worldly matters. The church that “goes” is the church that finds its primary identity detached from the world and set apart as holy.  The separate and untainted church rightfully understands that it needs to be a witness for the gospel.
Missiologist David Bosch writes: “Spirituality or devotional life seems to mean withdrawal from the world, charging my batteries, and then going out into the world. The image is of an automobile that runs on batteries only.”
Jesus light of Israel, but also for all people, states the need for us to remain set apart in their sentness, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”(John 17:18) We can hope to reap which shall only be possible if we properly reflect the teachings of Christ Jesus. Christ means ‘Messiah’, the  anointed one. He was anointed in order " to preach the Gospel" (Luke 4:18); and we too have been anointed insofar as we are in Christ, the anointed one (2 Corinthians 1:21). Therefore as He was ordained a preacher of the Gospel to the world, we too share that honour (as we do all His honours, to some extent). He was anointed (‘oiled’) by God in order to give the oil of joy to His people; He shared His experience of anointing with us, and we must go out and do likewise (Isaiah 61:1,2) (cp. Luke 4:18).

Isaiah’s description of the beauty of Christ’s preaching in (Isaiah 52:7) is quoted by Paul concerning every preacher of the Gospel (Romans 10:15); the “he” of (Isaiah 52) is changed to “them” in Romans 10. And Paul is quoting this Old Testament prophecy about Jesus to prove that we are all “sent” to preach the Gospel. The validity of our commission to preach is quite simply that Jesus Himself preached; in this way we are all personally “sent” to preach, simply because He was sent to preach. As the Father sent Him, so He sends us.  We should be ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) and we should show the world that we are united in that one Body of Christ. Jesus prays that they would remain unified, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” With Jesus’ prayer as a foundation for understanding the nature of the church we see that the Church finds itself in the world, yet set apart and unified.

We as brothers and sisters in Christ do have to be unified if we desire to have an effective witness in the world and to build a true church of Christ. We can not be monads or private disciples going our own way, out of love for our fellow believers we do have to share the love of Christ and our own love with the whole community.

We need to speak out against the suburban value of extreme individualism and call Christians back to community. We should prepare the ground, fertilise the field, and plant Bible based structures.

We need to deconstruct the value of consumerism in a way that leads instead to sacrificial living and we need to understand how our individualism and consumerism lead us to neglect the hurting and needy people in our neighborhoods and cities. We cannot stay together in a closed or isolated cocoon. It can help everybody if we can move from an individualized witness to a more robust and powerful communal witness.

Jesus was not about sending his disciples out by themselves into their individualized world to “share the gospel” so that people could “go to heaven when they die.” Rather, he was sending them out to be a communal, public witness to the Kingdom that he was announcing and inaugurating. We need a Church that rejects the lone ranger mentality and lives in sacrificial and compassionate community.

(Based on ideas from Todd Hiestand and Duncan Heaster)

Testify of the things heard

“who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Re 1:2-3 NIV)

 “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2Ti 2:2 NIV)

 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (Jas 1:22 NIV)

 “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” (Jas 1:25 NIV)

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” (Isa 44:3 NIV)

 “"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” (Isa 55:1 NIV)

 “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isa 58:9-11 NIV)

 “Whoever believes in me, as {Or If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me. And let him drink, 7:38 who believes in me. As} the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."” (Joh 7:38 NIV)

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Getuig van het gehoorde

It is a free will choice

Dutch version/Nederlandse versie > Een vrije keuze voor iedereen

Everyone has Free Will Choice in the decision and are able to choose
one way or the other. That's why we will not try to force the Truth on
to anyone.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set
before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you
and your descendants may live, love the LORD your God, obey Him, and
remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your
life in the land the LORD swore to give to your fathers Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:19-20

But if it doesn't please you to worship the LORD, choose for
yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers
worshiped beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in
whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship
the LORD. Joshua 24:15

If you carefully obey My commands I am giving you today, to love the
LORD your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul, I
will provide rain for your land in season, the early and late rains,
and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil. I will provide
grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be
satisfied. Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, worship,
and bow down to other gods. Then the LORD's anger will burn against
you. He will close the sky, and there will be no rain; the land will
not yield its produce, and you will perish quickly from the good land
the LORD is giving you. Deuteronomy 11:13-17

This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His
commands. 1 John 2:3